Do What's Right.
BBC »
Italian authorities are failing to protect the city from over tourism and climate change.
Le Monde »
The United Nations cultural agency fears ‘irreversible’ damage in the Italian city due to a string of issues ranging from climate change to mass tourism.
VoA »
Taking selfies, licking gelato and wheeling suitcases, the hordes of visitors seemed happily oblivious to the possible downgrade UNESCO said was due to the risk of “irreversible” damage.
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is back on X, formerly know as Twitter.
WSJ | The Verge | The Guardian | Fortune
California’s new privacy regulator is embarking on its first-ever enforcement action to review of the privacy practices of connected automobiles.
WSJ »
The California Privacy Protection Agency—created under a ballot initiative in 2020 and the only regulator in the nation solely dedicated to privacy issues—will examine the growing amalgamation of data collected by smart vehicles and whether the business practices of the companies collecting that data comply with state law.
“Modern vehicles are effectively connected computers on wheels. They’re able to collect a wealth of information via built in apps, sensors, and cameras, which can monitor people both inside and near the vehicle,” Ashkan Soltani, the agency’s executive director, said in a statement.
U.S. regulators’ scrutiny of the data lags behind such efforts in Europe, which has forced automakers to update software to limit the collection and protect the privacy of consumers.
CCDH »
Elon Musk’s actions represent a brazen attempt to silence honest criticism and independent research in the desperate hope that he can stem the tide of negative stories and rebuild his relationship with advertisers.
Since Musk took over Twitter in late 2022, CCDH has been studying and publishing research on the startling rise in hate speech, disinformation and incitement to harm on Twitter, which has been echoed by the independent findings of other civil society organizations, and researchers around the globe.
The Guardian | Mercury News | NY Times | CNBC
The Guardian » Twitter sues anti-hate speech group over ‘tens of millions of dollars’ in lost advertising
Last Updated on August 2, 2023
CNN » Judge says CNN’s use of ‘Big Lie’ regarding Trump isn’t defamation
This is the era of global boiling.
BBC »
Parts of the US itself are so hot that doctors are treating patients for burn injuries after falling on pavements. More than 5,000 heat records have been broken or tied in the US in recent weeks, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
Phoenix, Arizona has had more than 25 days in a row of temperatures above 43C (110F), shattering the past record of 18 days, while fierce storms caused flooding in Vermont.
Accuweather | CNN |
Dell Cameron, writing in Wired »
Officials at the National Security Agency (NSA) have approached lawmakers charged with its oversight about opposing an amendment that would prevent it from paying companies for location data instead of obtaining a warrant in court.
Introduced by US representatives W
arren Davidson and Sara Jacobs, the amendment, first reported by WIRED, would prohibit US military agencies from “purchasing data that would otherwise require a warrant, court order, or subpoena” to obtain. The ban would cover more than half of the US intelligence community, including the NSA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the newly formed National Space Intelligence Center, among others.
The House approved the amendment in a floor vote over a week ago during its annual consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act, a “must-pass” bill outlining how the Pentagon will spend next year’s $886 billion budget. Negotiations over which policies will be included in the Senate’s version of the bill are ongoing…
A red meat allergy caused by tick bites is an emerging public health concern, according to two new studies from the CDC.
ABC News »
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that arises after people eat red meat or consume products with alpha-gal, a type of sugar found in most mammals, the CDC says.
The syndrome is typically caused by a bite from the lone star tick, which transfers alpha-gal into the victim’s body which in turn triggers an immune system response.
Continue reading
Ingordigious » (17th Century) Adj. » Motivated primarily by greed.
Steve Stecklow and Norihiko Shirouzu, writing for Reuters »
About a decade ago, Tesla rigged the dashboard readouts in its electric cars to provide “rosy” projections of how far owners can drive before needing to recharge, a source told Reuters. The automaker last year became so inundated with driving-range complaints that it created a special team to cancel owners’ service appointments.
First came the hottest June in recorded history. Now it’s the hottest-ever July.
Copernicus Climate Change Service »
Following the hottest June on record and a series of extreme weather events, including heatwaves in Europe, North America and Asia, and wildfires in Canada and Greece, ERA5 data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service show that the first three weeks of July have already broken several significant records.
30 Hottest Days on Record
This means that the first three weeks of the month was the warmest three-week period on record. During the first and third weeks, temperatures also temporarily exceeded the 1.5°C threshold above preindustrial level – a limit set in the Paris Agreement.
Advisory » This documentary contains scenes of violence and murder and is not suitable for all viewers.
Deutsche Welle Documentary »
NY Times »
Louise Levy, who along with hundreds of others 95 and older was part of a study to understand how their genetic makeup led to their good physical and cognitive health during extremely long lives, died on July 17 in Greenwich, Conn. She was 112.
Her daughter, Lynn Neidorf, confirmed the death, at a hospital. She said Mrs. Levy had broken a hip two months ago but, after surgery and rehabilitation that had her moving with a walker, had developed an infection that weakened her.
“She was a light of positivity,” Ms. Neidorf, who is in her 70s, said by phone. “She had that quality babies have: People were drawn to her. They wanted to be around her.”
Mrs. Levy lived independently in a senior living community in Rye, N.Y, until two years ago, during the pandemic, when she moved into its assisted living facility.
BBC »
Kharlan, the first fencer to face a Russian or Belarusian since the former’s full-scale invasion of her homeland, won 15-7 in Milan.
Good for Kharlan. She has honour, strength, and dignity.
“My message today is that we Ukrainian athletes are ready to face Russians on the sports field but we will never shake hands with them,” Kharlan said afterwards.
Another Ukrainian hero.
Meanwhile » Le Monde » Russians are bombing wheat silos and historic buildings in Odessa, Ukraine
From July 19 to 24, 2023, the major Black Sea port city and surrounding region were subjected to five successive nights of bombardment, the most violent attack since the start of the Russian invasion.
NY Times |
“Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning,” Guterres said. “It is still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C [above pre-industrial levels], and avoid the very worst of climate change. But only with dramatic, immediate climate action.”
Guterres’s comments came after scientists confirmed on Thursday that the past three weeks have been the hottest since records began and July is on track to be the hottest month ever recorded.
Yet more reason to adapt Firefox.
From Detroit, I headed to St Louis, via Columbus, Ohio, where the Greyhound would hit Route 66. My 20-minute stopover in Columbus was where a picture began to form of what Greyhound travel looks like today. The bus station consisted of a parking garage the size of a small airplane hangar. At both ends, electric doors opened and closed when a bus entered or exited. Between the two bus lanes sat a small concrete island where passengers were disgorged. There was a chemical toilet, no drinking fountain, very few seats and no windows. The air was choked with exhaust. A police van was parked at one end of the tunnel and armed policemen stood against a wall facing us.
If you had commissioned an urban planner to design the most hostile, uncomfortable and unhealthy environment for passengers, this would be the result. I guess this is what you get when you travel in a seat costing $35 as opposed to a $200 plane ticket or in a car with a full tank of gas.
My next bus was scheduled to leave for St Louis – a mere 530-mile trip – at 3.00pm. I looked around at my fellow island-dwellers: an elderly man with four large zip-up bags printed with “Patient Belongings”; a couple travelling with a large fluffy blanket propped up against the Porta-Potti as a makeshift bed; a mother and her teenage son carrying large cardboard boxes. The sign on the empty Greyhound kiosk read: “As of 25 January 2023 – you will need photo ID to buy tickets.” Yet another barrier between those with little money, no fixed address, no car, no passport or credit card and their ability to travel…
Thank you for everything Sinéad. Rest in peace.
My condolences to her family, friends, and to everyone who knew her.
BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis — are building a joint venture to build a new charging network that will significantly expand access to high-powered charging in North America.
Targeting to install at least 30,000 high-powered charge points in urban and highway locations, the network will provide reliability, high-powered charging capability, digital integration, appealing locations, various amenities while charging, and use renewable energy. Charging stations will be accessible to all EV customers, offering both Combined Charging System (CCS) and Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors.
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