These pages are a modest attempt to provide up-to-date news that is relevant to the areas of mathematics, education, computer science or information technology. Reader should keep in mind that old links often disappear.
12/25/15
TechNews for the week: December 23; December 21;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Iraqi forces consolidate position in Ramadi ahead of final push against Islamic State; Coalition planes pound ISIS in Iraq's Ramadi to aid attack;
Map shows how much territory ISIS has lost this year; What the next big Middle Eastern crisis could look like;
Iran says new US visa law goes against nuclear deal; sees Israeli lobby behind U.S. visa waiver changes;
Israel army shelled S.Lebanon after rocket attack;
Six U.S. troops killed in Afghan suicide blast; Taliban close to retaking Sangin; A new Islamic State radio station spreads panic in eastern Afghanistan;
Muslim-Americans discuss attitudes toward Israel; Jewish far-right leader says there's no place for Christmas in Israel;
U.S. plans raids to deport families who surged across border;
Congress's New Visa Rules May Make Some Americans Second-Class Citizens;
Justice Department shuts down federal asset forfeiture program;
In fatal traffic stops, a disproportionate number of victims are black; For 55 officers in fatal shootings this year, it wasn't their first time;
At Supreme Court, Lone Star State stands apart;
Audit: Kansas social services computer system is past due, $46 million over budget; Kansas Supreme Court strikes down judicial selection law, courts funding in jeopardy;
Illinois could tap $4B worth of special funds in budget mess; Pennsylvania House kills pension bill, leaving budget deal in tatters;
Religion is the real problem: Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and GOP demonize Muslims, but too afraid to take on the real truth;
Christian conservatives coalesce around Cruz; America's dying white supremacist movement seizes on Trump's appeal; Conservative media shields Ted Cruz from attacks;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
FBI Probes Foreign Gov't Link to Major Hacking at ISP; Back Door in Juniper Firewalls; Iranian Hackers Reportedly Infiltrated New York Dam Systems;
The Truth About SpyWar and How 21st Century Espionage Really Works; Summary: "The Medieval Origins of Mass Surveillance";
More Writings on the Second Crypto Wars; Essay: Using Law Against Technology;
Officials say Rogue toy drones are interfering with military operations;
Math and science
Seven Scientific Breakthroughs This Year;
Rutgers University Develops Flying, Swimming Drone; Chip promises faster computing with light, not electrical wires;
Watch SpaceX launch and land a rocket for the first time at Cape Canaveral;
Web and computing issues
Six Internet of Things Predictions for 2016; Favorite Android apps of 2015;
9 easy ways to speed up your Wi-Fi;
SC Politics
Audit report says State's pension fund woes could mean higher taxes;
Infrastructure Bank must shift into I-526 reality lane;
The Citadel crawls into the modern era;
Finance and Economics
Oil price slump hits Gulf economy; Due to oil collapse Azerbaijan abandons currency peg, floats manat;
Towns Along Southeastern Coast Weighing In Against Offshore Drilling; Cities Move To Defend Obama's Clean Power Plan;
Weather Threat To US Grid Increasing;
High-Speed Rail Gaining Interest From Private Sector;
Monthly stock buybacks;
Other news
Boy Scouts council closing 5 Michigan camps;
The 10 best food cities in America, ranked;
Looking at the idea of third-party challenge to Trump; Opinion: A Trump nomination means game over for conservatives;
Education:
The most heavily Jewish US college and other facts about Jews at American colleges;
Should the U.S. Become a Nation of Apprentices?
Colleges' Climate for Low-Income Students Shapes Academic Confidence; College Students Are More Stressed Than Ever Before;
Nearly Half Of Illinois Community College Enrollees Need Remedial Education; A Fake Online Class With Students Paid to Cheat;
Student Loan Debt Increasingly Impacting Older Americans; Companies Reaping Profits From Federal Student Loan Debt;
National Advisory Committee Recommends Denying Request From Western Regional Accreditor;
Judge Rules Title IX Covers Bias Based on Sexual Orientation; How Does a College Get an Exemption From Title IX?
12/18/15
TechNews for the week: December 18; December 16; December 14;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
The rise of ISIS, explained in 6 minutes; Syria's war: A 5-minute history; U.N. endorses peace process for Syria, but no mention of Assad;
Saudis announce Islamic anti-terrorism coalition; Isreal Analysis: Saudi Arabian-led efforts on terror are all talk, no action;
Powers meet to push Syrian ceasefire plan; Saudi Arabia's 'Islamic military alliance' against terrorism makes no sense;
U.S.-led airstrikes kill 180 Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq; Hamas and ISIS cooperating to fight their new common enemy: Egypt;
Why Taliban special forces are fighting Islamic State; Analysis: Is Iran really pulling out of Syria? Yemen forces capture ground as fragile talks continue;
Turkey making progress in Israel talks; EU stages an Israel intervention; Abbas: Palestinian violence is "justified popular uprising";
Why America isn't winning its wars; US visa reform may hit Iran nuclear deal;
Far-right French party fails in bid to capture regional office;
What made it into Congress's $1.1 trillion spending bill; House Roll Call: Budget; Who won and lost in Congress's new spending deal;
Winners, losers in Congress' year-end budget and tax endgame; Rubio misses U.S. spending bill vote, other White House hopefuls vote no;
Congress tucked cybersecurity bill inside last night's budget bill;
US Supreme Court Decision Could Change Election Results Forever; The Supreme Court seems suddenly worried about partisan gerrymandering;
U.S. justices to weigh laws that penalize refusal to take alcohol test;
Tax cuts exacerbating Oklahoma's bust-driven budget crisis; Kansas governor wants no tax debate, expects no budget drama;
All Los Angeles Unified schools closed by 'credible threat' of violence;
The drug-smuggling case that brought anguish to Marco Rubio's family;
3 winners and 3 losers from the fifth Republican debate; The Fix: Winners and Losers; AP FACT CHECK: Republican debaters go astray;
Trump: Roberts 'disgraceful' on high court; Republican investigating if Ted Cruz released classified information;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
December Crypto-Gram Newsletter, Paris attacks, NSA, surveillance and more; "Security Theater" comic;
UK legislation giving the GCHQ new surveillance powers; Catalog of Police Surveillance Equipment;
Homeland Security Reviews Social Media in Immigration Applications;
Attack Against DNS Root Servers; Latest internet trolls The Serial Swatter; User Errors Often Compromise Encryption; DOS Attack Against Los Angeles Schools;
Where the presidential candidates stand on encryption; Dear Donald Trump: No, You Can't Shut Down Parts of the Internet;
Math and science
Accelerated Innovation Is the Ultimate Solution to Climate Change;
5 amazing and alarming things that may be done with your DNA;
Do you think you'll live to be 100? The answer may be in your genes;
Web and computing issues
Personalizing Bulk Emails: MailMerge for Gmail vs. MailChimp; How to Configure Google Apps to restrict tracking, disable syncing, and block sites;
10 Great Places to Find Designers Online; Respond to Embedded YouTube Video Events; New Toys To Teach Kids How To Code;
Election Tech 2016: The 4 technologies that will decide the next US president;
SC Politics
Let's Have Some Real Gun Sense in South Carolina;
Will Our Government Solve The Flooding;
Finance and Economics
Federal Reserve raises key interest rate for first time in nearly a decade; Congress approves sweeping fiscal package; Renewable Tax Credit Extensions In Spending Bill;
Most Americans Aren't Middle Class Anymore; Junk Bonds, the Fed and a Quad Witching;
196 nations approve historic climate pact; DOE Releases Landmark Energy Efficiency Standard; EPA Mercury Pollution Rules To Stay In Effect;
How Saudi Domestic Policy Shapes OPEC's Production;
Brazil court lifts suspension of Facebook's WhatsApp service; Copyright Royalty Board Increases Rates for Webcasters;
Hurdles Facing Autonomous Vehicle Industry; Self-Driving Cars' Strict Adherence To Traffic Laws Causes Some Accidents;
Google meets with UK Government over driverless cars;
Other news
What Orwell can teach us about the language of terror and war;
We Can No Longer Ignore the Power of Woodrow Wilson's Racist Ideas;
Is Work-Life Balance a Myth?
Education:
College Enrollment Declines for 4th Straight Year; Reasons Dampening Four-Year Graduation Rates At Public Institutions;
Poor Students Face Many Challenges At College; Debate Over 'Mismatch' Theory in Race-Conscious Admissions;
Extraordinary mentoring: 'Let's Talk About Your Grades'; Interactive Exercises More Effective Way To Learn Than Reading Or Lectures;
Student Loan Business Growing Rapidly Amid Increasing Servicing Woes; Perkins Loan Program Would Return From the Dead Under Senate Legislation;
Welcome to Campus. Here Is Your Diploma. Come Back Soon; Texas A&M Cancels Plan for $200-Million Israeli Campus;
Liberty U.'s President Talks Guns and God; U. of Iowa President Apologizes for Suggesting Unprepared Professors Be Shot;
Wheaton College (Ill.) Suspends Professor Who Donned Hijab in Solidarity With Muslims;
Florida Atlantic U. Moves to Fire Professor Who Denies Sandy Hook Shooting Happened;
College sports' fastest-rising expense: Paying coaches not to work; 10 Revealing Tidbits We Found in Football Coaches' Contracts;
Missouri Lawmaker Would Revoke Scholarships of Athletes Who Boycott;
12/11/15
TechNews for the week: December 11; December 9; December 7;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Clashes between Syrian fighters pose challenge for Turkey, U.S.; U.S. says Russian, not American, warplanes hit Syrian army base;
The mysterious Islamic movement quietly sweeping the Middle East; Analysis: ISIS has dumbed down Islamic radicalism;
Syrian rebels seek common ground; Iran says groups linked to ISIS are at Riyadh talks; US Intel: ISIS May Have Passport Printing Machine, Blank Passports;
IS destroys bridge as Iraqi forces close in on Ramadi; Iraqi troops seize control of large section of Ramadi, retake army headquarters;
Israel's Occupation Is Morally Indefensible; Jewish settlers storm al-Aqsa compound; Israel sentences female Palestinian lawmaker to 15 months;
Israel applies lethal response to wave of Palestinian attacks; Sweden-Israel rift deepens over comments on Palestinian deaths;
Kerry's 'one state' comments cause consternation in Israel; Israeli premier rejects Kerry's warning; Netanyahu wants Palestinian violence linked to 'radical Islam';
Afghan Taliban kill dozens at Kandahar airport;
Khomeini grandson to enter Iran politics;
Marion Le Pen: The rising star of France's far-right Front National party;
Supreme Court denies challenge to assault weapons ban; Texas lawsuit: Who is entitled to representation in America?
Negotiations over year-end spending bill hit a tax snag; Major No Child Left Behind makeover approved; House Freedom Caucus Forms 'Fight Club' in House;
Top House lawmaker: most Democrats likely to back visa waiver bill; The visa waiver program explained;
Trump urges 'total' ban on Muslims entering U.S.; At Donald Trump Rally in North Carolina, the Protesters Just Keep Coming;
CNN anchor: Jews carried out terror attacks, should they be barred from entering US?
For Muslims in the U.S. military, a different country than the one they swore to defend;
Ben Carson blasts RNC, threatens to leave Republican Party;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
Social Media Companies Quietly Fighting Islamic Militants; Terrorists Mock Bids to End Use of Social Media;
Lawmaker Wants to Examine Extremists' Use of Encryption; Senate Bill Would Require Firms to Alert for Terrorism Online; How Israel Regulates Encryption;
FBI to sharply expand system for tracking fatal police shootings; FBI uses hacker tools to investigate crimes;
French Police Consider Outlawing Free WiFi Services;
The Doubtful Ethics of Drone Warfare;
All Windows users should patch these critical security flaws; Forced Authorization Attacks Against Chip-and-Pin Credit Card Terminals;
Terrifying Technologies; The Chapman University Survey on American Fears; 24% of Consumers Bought Fake Product Online;
Hit-and-Run Driver Arrested Because Car Reported Accident;
Math and science
How El Nino is affecting weather forecasts;
Abandoned Colony in Greenland: Archaeologists Find Clues to Viking Mystery; Colombia says treasure-laden San Jose galleon found;
Machines Create More Jobs, Require More STEM Knowledge; Scientists coax computers to think like people;
Chinese Researchers Developed Mind-Controlled Car; How shapes can predict your tolerance of 'deviancy';
The Man Who Tried to Redeem the World with Logic; The California scientists reinventing the web;
Debate Continues Over Drone Risk To Aircraft;
Web and computing issues
Researchers Explore Teaching Robots To Learn Like Human Babies;
Millions of teens are using a new app to post anonymously;
Paperless Life With Evernote;
SC Politics
The Citadel Investigates Photos of Students Dressed in Klan-Like Attire;
Pandering to Fear is Not the American Way; The Trump Campaign Experience;
Finance and Economics
Middle class has changed drastically since the '70s;
Israel 'exported gold to North Korea'; America's 'Made in Israel' Policy That You've Never Heard Of; Egypt to pay Israel Electric $1.76 bln for halting gas supplies;
Climate Scientists Call For Nuclear Power To Help Fight Climate Change; Mini-Reactors Could Solve Nuclear Industry Financing Problems;
Mixed Fortunes for Nuclear Power; Research Shows Uranium Contaminates Western Water; Pumped Water Storage Is Growing Renewable Energy Source;
Wall Street Expresses Interest In Quantum Supercomputers;
Ford Announces Plan To Produce 13 New Electric Car Models; DOW and Du Pont to merge;
Lawmakers Agree on Permanent Ban on Internet Access Taxes; Tech Firms Urge Congress to Avoid Net-Neutrality Changes;
Two-Month-Old Company Sues Apple for Patent Infringement;
Verizon rolls out Wi-Fi calling;
Other news
Donald Trump: Clown Genius; The Five Most Endangered Senate Republicans;
How people respond to Bible quotes when told they're from the Quran; Brown University Professor Denounces 'McCarthy' Witch-Hunts;
Morning links: Every cop lied in Chicago police report;
Essay: Thinking for Dummies;
Bill Gates' top reads of 2015;
Education:
Executive Compensation at Private and Public Colleges ; 4 in 5 Parents Question Value Proposition of College; The Gutting of Gen Ed;
How Universities Play Moneyball; Can Data Measure Faculty Productivity? Rutgers Professors Say No;
What People Want to Know About the Payoff of Different Degrees; Some Predict Student Loan Repayment Will Become A Trendy Job Perk;
Debate About Future Of For-Profit Colleges, Alternative Higher Education Continues; For-Profit Westwood College Chain Ceases Enrollment;
Student Debt Crisis May Have Wide Reaching Effects For Work, Entrepreneurship, Major Life Events, Wealth Inequality;
Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Affirmative-Action Case; Scalia argues black students benefit from 'slower' colleges;
College in Missouri Will Cut 44 Faculty and Staff Positions;
U. Houston President Is 'Literally Outraged' Over Footage of Guards Beating Students; Proposal to Allow Concealed Guns in Classrooms Leaves Texas Faculty Wary;
Lawsuits Challenging NCAA Caps on Scholarships Are Certified as Class Actions; U. Maryland's President Calls for Renaming of Stadium Over Racist History;
12/4/15
TechNews for the week: December 4; December 2; November 30;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Iranian media reveals scores of the country's fighters are dying in Syria; How growing web of conflict in Syria became a global problem; Germany to send troops against Isis;
ISIS has huge moneymaking method that's 'impervious to sanctions and air raids'; Experts cast doubt on U.S. propaganda effort against Islamic State;
U.S. to send special forces to fight IS militants; Many Iraqis believe the U.S. is helping the Islamic State; Iraqi Shi'ite militias pledge to fight U.S. forces if deployed;
Turkish President would resign if IS oil trade claims proven; More ISIS Oil Evidence Against Erdogan; Cheap and illegal, Syrian workers show underside of Turkey's refugee crisis;
The most controversial theory for what's behind the rise of Islamic State; How history echoes Syria's unholy war;
Israel Air Force strikes targets in Syria near Lebanese border; Netanyahu admits Israeli forces are in Syria;
Israel suspends EU role in peace process with Palestinians; Settlers find new ways to label products after E.U. decision;
U.N. voted to partition Palestine 68 years ago, an unfair plan made worse by Israel's ethnic cleansing; Netanyahu: Israel will not unilaterally hand the PA 'even one meter' of territory;
Israel trained against Russian-made air defense system in Greece;
U.S. sends worn-out equipment to Ukrainian troops;
The Tragedy of the American Military;
White House urges Congress to abandon riders, fund government;
Cities, counties demand action amid Illinois budget mess; Kentucky's gov-elect sounds alarm about state budget; Why Poor Locales Vote For People Who Promise To Slash Welfare;
Florida Supreme Court approves new districts, sides with voter groups; New lawsuit challenges Alabama voter ID law; governor falsely claims state made deal with feds on voter ID;
Private memo lays out how GOP would deal with Trump as nominee; This one number explains Donald Trump's support; Trump interview with a famous conspiracy theorist;
Texas man who led armed protest at mosque publishes list of Muslims' home addresses;
Mostly white men own guns in America;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
FBI can demand vast sums of data from companies without a warrant; Scope of National Security Inquiry Is Revealed;
A History of Privacy; EU Wants Privacy Regulators to Have More Power; BlackBerry Leaves Pakistan Rather Than Provide a Government Backdoor;
Security vs. Business Flexibility; Cybersecurity Rules Said To Have Changed;
Tracking Someone Using LifeLock; Cryptanalysis of Algebraic Eraser;
Millions of Internet Explorer users must update, or lose patches;
Math and science
Technological Innovations Will Transform How Older Americans Retire; Opinion: Math Education Is A Political Matter;
Over half of the giant Kepler planets may not be planets after all;
Who's going to fly those Amazon delivery drones;
UK astronaut Tim Peake to run London Marathon;
Web and computing issues
2016 US presidential candidates: Follow the strategists running their digital campaigns;
The Data Science Industry: Who Does What;
The trick to running legacy web apps on Windows 10;
Tech books: The 10 best reads of 2015; Top 10 Free iPhone, Android Apps; Simple Visualizations with D3plus;
SC Politics
Don't sacrifice coast for developers;
West Ashley makeover takes first step;
Finance and Economics
U.S. adds 211,000 jobs in November; unemployment rate holds steady at 5 percent; Why the U.S. Pays More Than Other Countries for Drugs;
A critical shift is taking place in China and it could have brutal consequences; Chinese Yuan Should Be an IMF Reserve Currency;
Iran, Russia reject idea of joint oil output cuts with Saudi Arabia; Turkey row leaves Russia stuck with abandoned gas pipes worth billions;
What Countries Spend On Antiterrorism; U.S. arms makers strain to meet demand as Mideast conflicts rage;
Congress Reaches Agreement On Five-Year Transportation Bill; Congress wants billions from Federal Reserve to fund road repairs;
House energy bill boosts cybersecurity for electric grid;
Wind Leads Growth In Texas Power Generation; New York To Set Rule for Increasing Renewable Energy;
The Court Cases That Have Shaped US Sales Tax Law; Plain City Ohio to vote on village income-tax increase;
Net neutrality rules protecting Netflix;
For Researchers, Risk Is a Vanishing Luxury;
Other news
Why white working class is allergic to voting for Democrats ;
Cover-Up in Chicago;
Justice Scalia's Majoritarian Theocracy;
Education:
Top 25 Southern Schools 2015; Underemployment Among College Graduates Drops;
Increased Graduation Rates Sometimes Tied With Increased Racial Gap; In Admissions, the Powerful Weigh In;
College Endowments Are Flourishing Again and Critics Are Taking Note;
College Board's CSS Profile Will Also Use Older Tax Data; Higher Ed Groups Look for Perkins Loan Revival;
Dearth of Black Ph.D. Recipients Complicates Efforts to Diversify Faculty;
Can the Student Course Evaluation Be Redeemed?
As Academia.edu Grows, Some Scholars Voice Concerns; College President: 'This Is Not a Day Care. It's a University!';
Cheyney University Placed On Probation Over Lack Of Funding Concerns;
Rich college athletic departments make millions off student fees; Rutgers Fires Football Coach and Athletics Director;