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.
2/23/18
TechNews for the week: February 23; February 21;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Syria 'sending fighters to help Kurds against Turkey'; Turkey and Iran face off in a new battle in Syria; At least 200 dead in Syrian government airstrikes as the war ramps up;
Putin ally said to be in touch with Kremlin, Assad before his mercenaries attacked U.S. troops;
Netanyahu Peril Grows, as Trusted Aide Agrees to Testify; Israeli warplanes hit Gaza after new rocket attack;
Haley says Trump administration's Mideast peace plan is nearly finished; Abbas, Haley exchange strong criticism over Middle East at U.N. Security Council;
Trump administration announces what it calls 'largest ever' set of sanctions against North Korea;
U.S. Revives Concerns About European Defense Plans, Rattling NATO Allies;
National security adviser sees proof of Russian hacking as 'incontrovertible,' prompting rebuke from Trump;
'Putin's chef': the Russian oligarch accused of manipulating the U.S. election; How Unwitting Americans Encountered Russian Operatives Online;
'They are laughing their asses off in Moscow': Trump takes on the FBI, Russia probe and 2016 election;
A former Russian troll speaks: 'It was like being in Orwell's world'; The 21st-century Russian sleeper agent is a troll with an American accent;
The Russian journalist who helped uncover election interference is confounded by the Mueller indictments;
Trump takes on the FBI, Russia probe and 2016 election in tweetstorm; Fact checking Trump's error-filled tweetstorm;
Michael Flynn's Plea Reversal Could Uncover More Federal Corruption; Judge Nap: Order From New Judge in Michael Flynn Case Is 'Unheard-Of';
Mueller Charges Ex-Skadden Lawyer With Lying in Russia Inquiry;
Special counsel Robert Mueller files new charges against Trump campaign officials Paul Manafort and Rick Gates;
Ex-Trump campaign official Gates pleads guilty to conspiracy, lying to FBI;
Trump Tries to Shift Blame to Obama for Not Countering Russian Meddling;
Top U.S. officials tell the world to ignore Trump's tweets;
Kushner Resists Losing Access as Kelly Tackles Security Clearance Issues; Jared Kushner is showing us exactly why anti-nepotism laws exist;
Top Justice Dept. official alerted White House two weeks ago to ongoing issues in Kushner's security clearance;
Chief of staff will decide what to do about Jared Kushner's security clearance and access to top-secret intel;
Trump administration assault on bipartisan immigration plan ensured its demise;
Melania Trump's parents are legal permanent U.S. residents, raising questions about whether they benefited from 'chain migration';
The huge questions about Melania Trump's immigration history nobody will answer;
Post-ABC poll finds Most Americans say Trump, Congress not doing enough to stop mass shootings; Fox News Invites Criticism Of Parkland Students;
Trump signals support for bill to improve gun background checks;
Thomas dissents from Supreme Court decision not to review California gun law;
Trump directs attorney general to create regulations to ban 'bump stocks';
Florida survivors, lawmakers on collision course over guns;
GOP Congresswoman Claims Many Mass Shooters 'End Up Being Democrats';
This photo of Trump's notes captures his empathy deficit better than anything;
Viral lies swirl as survivors of Florida school shooting become victims of conspiracy theories;
Trump Jr. ripped for 'liking' conspiracy theories on Parkland survivors;
'ATTACKS WOULD END!: Trump doubles down on arming some teachers, defends NRA;
Does the Second Amendment really protect assault weapons? Four courts have said no;
Under fire for travel expenses, Pruitt cancels trip to Israel;
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Issues New Congressional Map To Replace Gerrymandered One; The old map and the new one;
National GOP vows to sue over Pennsylvania map;
State Officials Are Told Too Little About Election Threats;
Trump's budget cuts Medicare benefits; What Trump's Budget Would Mean For Seniors;
Do Trump's alleged affairs even matter;
Tools of Trump's Fixer: Payouts, Intimidation and the Tabloids;
Insurgents jolt Illinois governor's race ;
25 GOP senators urge Trump to restart TPP trade talks, a deal he called a 'disaster';
Pennsylvania congressional map battle lands in Supreme Court;
As Donald Trump Jr. Drums Up Business in India, Some Ask What's Being Sold;
CPAC 'Lock her up!': Conservatives battle the left, without a clear foe;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
U.S. Formally Accuses Russia of Launching NotPetya Ransomware Attack; New Spectre/Meltdown Variants;
New report says North Korea poised to launch large-scale cyberattacks; North Korean Cyber-Spy Group 'Reaper' Called Growing Threat;
US border officials haven't properly verified visitor passports for more than a decade; On the Security of Walls;
Facebook Will Verify the Physical Location of Ad Buyers with Paper Postcards;
Researchers: AI Advances Raise Risk Of Automated Cyberattacks; SEC Updates Guidance on Disclosing Cybersecurity Risks, Breaches;
Election security a high priority until it comes to paying for new voting machines;
How the N.R.A. Keeps Federal Gun Regulators in Check;
Math and science
A self-taught astronomer spotted something no scientist had ever seen;
Researchers Develop Ultrathin Skin Display With Electrocardiogram Readings; Pilot Program Converts Food Waste Into Electricity;
Earthquakes In Southern Kansas Linked To Oil, Gas Production;
Tennessee Tech Disavows Study Used To Push For Reversal Of EPA Truck Rule;
The Physics Of Figure Skating;
Web and computing issues
To Stir Discord in 2016, Russians Turned Most Often to Facebook; Lawmaker Wants to Protect Against Fake News on Video;
How Russian Trolls Used Higher Ed to Sow Discord Online;
Twitter Limits Duplicate Posts in Effort to Crack Down on Russian Agents; Here are the tools that could be used to create the fake news of the future;
Some conservative media figures complain after Twitter suspends thousands of suspected bot accounts; Prominent Conservative Twitter Users Fight Purge of Bots;
Judge Says Embedding a Tweet Can Infringe on Copyright;
What You Should Know About Net Neutrality; FCC set to publish net neutrality reversal; 22 States Join Net Neutrality Suit Started by Mozilla, Vimeo;
Amazon Prime: 20 benefits every member gets;
Leaping Over the Language Barrier;
SC News and Politics
What will new state workers' retirement plans look like;
Trump touts Tim Scott's anti-poverty plan;
Business and Economics
Fed Officials Say Economy Is Ready for Higher Rates;
New budget law includes last-minute tax relief for millions of homeowners; Another Utility, Another Share Sale Because of U.S. Tax Overhaul;
1.5 Million Retirees Await Congressional Fix for a Pension Time Bomb; Millions of jobs are still missing. Don't blame immigrants or food stamps;
Analysis: US Infrastructure Falls Short Of Other Countries; Cost to Connect Rural America: $19 Billion or Less;
Secretary Ross Publicly Warming To Gas Tax Increase; White House Signals Support For Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax;
Trump Administration Proposes Stiff Penalties on Steel and Aluminum Imports;
Trump tariffs on steel would hit China Trump tariffs on steel would hit China and the entire global trading system; AOPL urges caution as Commerce issues steel import warning;
As Trump trashes NAFTA, Mexico turns to Brazil's corn;
Fed Official Says Puerto Rico Should Rebuild Power Network 'From Scratch';
Why Trump might bend nuclear security rules to help Saudi Arabia build reactors in the desert;
Interior Dept. Says It Isn't Opening Florida Shores To Oil Drilling;
Alaska's Sen. Murkowski To Address Offshore Drilling; NC Threatens Offshore Drilling Lawsuit; RI Leaders Oppose Coastal Oil Drilling;
Volkswagen To Unveil New Autonomous Concept Car With No Steering Wheel, Pedals;
Toyota To Invest $2.8 Billion On EV R&D Hub; UPS To Deploy 50 Electric Trucks In Three Cities;
Transition To EVs Happening Faster Than Oil Industry Once Expected; Ethanol And Oil Industry Find Common Enemy;
Lawmakers Moving Closer Toward Regulating Cryptocurrencies;
How Banks Could Control Gun Sales if Washington Won't;
Major Tech Companies Increasingly Lobbying The Administration; Tech Lobbying Groups Want U.S. to Fight EU Tax Proposal;
Complaints About Nursing Home Evictions Rise, and Regulators Take Note;
Fox News Plans a Streaming Service for 'Superfans';
Other news
These Are the Ads Russia Bought on Facebook in 2016;
The secret on the ocean floor;
Another peek inside the imaginary world where Trump is an unalloyed success;
The 25 Greatest Hitters In MLB History;
Education:
'They have had it': West Virginia teachers strike, closing all public schools;
New Study Shows Student Debt Crisis Comparable To Mortgage Lending; Education Dept. Eyes Changes in Bankrupt Borrowers' Ability to Discharge Loans;
Education Dept. Knew of Whistle-Blower Complaint Before Easing Restrictions on For-Profit College;
'Teachers Are Educators, Not Security Guards': Educators Respond to Trump Proposal;
Education Programs Confront a Question: 'Am I Obligated to Take a Bullet for My Students?';
Mississippi Bill Would Subsidize College Graduates Staying In State;
"Computer Science For All" Movement Faces Implementation Challenges;
As Kaplan Sale Faces Final Hurdle, Purdue President Criticizes Faculty Opponents;
After 2016 Election, Campus Hate Crimes Seemed to Jump;
How These Professors Assign Their Own Books With a Clean Conscience;
Louisville basketball will vacate 2013 national championship as NCAA upholds ruling; New Report Suggests Several Universities May Be Implicated in Basketball Probe;
2/16/18
TechNews for the week: February 16; February 14; February 12;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
New fronts emerge in Syria as Assad, allies push for victory; Iraq Wants $88 Billion for Rebuilding. Allies Offer a Fraction of That;
Israel carries out 'large-scale attack' in Syria after Israeli jet crashes under antiaircraft fire; Israel has taken its biggest step into the Syrian war yet;
Israel warns over Iran's presence in Syria after air strikes; Iran sneers at reports of Israel downing Iranian drone; No one wins after Israel's strikes, but Syrians definitely lose;
Damascus warns Israel of 'more surprises' in Syria; Israel was about to get 'a lot more violent' with Syria after losing an F-16 - and then Putin stepped in;
Israel Preps for Syrian War With Golan's Oil and Water in Its Sights; The Hush-Hush Deal That Keeps the Middle East From Exploding;
Netanyahu, US discuss annexing West Bank settlements;
Israeli Police recommend indictments of Netanyahu in corruption cases; In Netanyahu's Israel, the Divisiveness Is Now All About Him;
Netanyahu Lobbied The U.S. For 'Fight Club' Producer Milchan But Denies Bribes; Netanyahu, Linked to $300,000 in Bribes, Says He Won't Quit;
Putin ally warns of arms race as Russia considers response to U.S. nuclear stance; US spies bilked for $100,000 by Russian peddling Trump secrets;
Russia Blocks Aleksei Navalny's Website, After His Inquiry Into an Oligarch;
Russia to use propaganda, false personas and other tactics to influence 2018 midterm elections, top U.S. spy tells lawmakers; used mainstream media to manipulate American voters;
Special counsel indicts Russian troll factory and 13 who allegedly worked there for interfering in the 2016 presidential election;
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has invited South Korean president Moon Jae-in to talks in Pyongyang;
Secret Clinton Documents Could Help Mueller Interview Trump in Russia Probe; A top Trump campaign adviser close to plea deal with Mueller;
Bannon, House intelligence panel head for subpoena showdown;
Trump Blocks Release Of Democrats' Rebuttal To GOP FISA Memo;
As Kushner's security clearance is delayed, White House hesitates to act on others with possible problems;
Which is scarier: that Trump doesn't read his daily intel briefing, or that Jared Kushner does;
Kelly makes changes to White House security clearance process after abuse allegations against top aide;
White House climate adviser resigns after past pot use blocked security clearance;
Fired Official Was Exploring Resolution to 9/11 Case Precluding Death Penalty;
Supreme Court on the verge of reversing some of its old decisions;
White House Proposes $4.4 Trillion Budget That Adds $7 Trillion to Deficits; Trump budget to give up on longtime Republican goal of eliminating deficit;
White House budget proposes increase to defense spending and major cuts to safety net programs, but federal deficit would remain; budget hits poor Americans the hardest;
Trump wants to overhaul America's safety net with cuts to health care, food stamps and housing; Graphic: proposed cutting in 2019 budget;
Budget proposal includes huge deficits, cuts in social programs; Trump budget chief says he would oppose budget if he were in Congress;
Trump's military parade would cost between $10 million and $30 million;
Veterans Affairs official altered email to justify paying travel costs for Secretary Shulkin's wife on Europe trip;
White House wants to sell National and Dulles airports, other assets around U.S.;
NASA document shows Trump administration wants to turn International Space Station into a commercially run venture;
Trump's Infrastructure Plan Puts Burden on State and Private Money;
Trump urges GOP to consider a 25-cent hike in the gas tax; Congress Unlikely To Support Gas Tax Hike Despite Trump's Support;
FBI Chief Disputes White House Claims On When It Heard Of Rob Porter Allegations; Trump and Pence made peculiar statements on domestic violance;
Trump press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, while talking about respect for women, hit a new low;
Trump lawyer paid porn star out of his own pocket; Did Trump's lawyer just implicate Trump in the Stormy Daniels payment;
Trump Lawyer's Payment to Porn Star Raises New Questions; The latest alleged Trump affair coverup is a damningly familiar tale;
Senate launches debate over immigration and a GOP plan picks up support; U.S. border patrol agent cited by Trump died from fall, not attack;
Arrests of 'noncriminal' immigrants double under Trump, disrupting lives once thought safe; An immigrant called 911 to report a crime. Police took him to ICE in handcuffs;
Sessions' reference to 'Anglo-American' legal heritage concerns some groups;
White House official refuses to discuss immigration of Melania Trump's parents;
Senators Strike Bipartisan Deal on Immigration Despite Veto Threat;
Immigration bills fail in the Senate, casting doubt on whether Congress can resolve fate of 'dreamers';
Immigration failure shows the ideologues are ascendant in the Trump White House;
Trump's Inaugural Committee Paid $26 Million to Firm of First Lady's Adviser; Developers Seek $6 Million Tax Break for Trump-Managed Hotel;
Trump Sold a $40 Million Estate to a Russian Oligarch for $100 Million and a Democratic Senator Wants to Know Why;
How $225,000 Can Help Secure a Pollution Loophole at Trump's E.P.A.; New Health Secretary Faces First Test as Idaho Skirts Federal Law;
In response to Florida shooting, Trump calls suspect 'mentally disturbed,' does not mention gun control;
How Congress and Trump stymied Obama's mental-health gun-control rule;
Florida shooting: Leader of white nationalist group confirms suspect was member of his organisation;
Pennsylvania Republicans have drawn a new congressional map that is just as gerrymandered as the old one; Governor Rejects GOP Proposal For New Congressional Map;
Pennsylvania requires paper trail on all new voting machines;
US veterans answer political call to arms in era of Trump;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
February Crypto-Gram Newsletter, Spectre and Meltdown Vulnerabilities, Section 702 Reauthorization, and more; Meltdown-Spectre flaws: new attack variants;
New National Academies Report on Crypto Policy; Cryptography Experts Warn That Backdoors Can Undermine Security;
Homeland Security Chief Says Terrorist Using New Ways to Post Online; Menlo Security Reports Hackers Exploit Old Software, Trusted Websites;
Cryptocurrency-Mining Scheme Hijacked Government Computers;
Equifax breach may have exposed more data than first thought;
German Court Calls Facebook's Use of Personal Data Illegal;
Op-ed Election Security;
Math and science
The Intellectual War on Science; Trump Budget Cuts Funding For New NASA Space Telescope; NASA Budget Includes Cuts To Earth Science, ISS;
How local governments ensure an accurate census; Census uncertainty spurs state action to prevent undercounting;
Verify statistics: There haven't been 18 school shootings in 2018. That number is flat wrong.;
Study: Moore's Law May Have Ended;
What happens to your body during an ultramarathon; Here's a way to protect your body in a marathon;
Web and computing issues
Facial Recognition Is Accurate, if You're a White Guy;
Russia could block access to YouTube over opposition video;
States, FCC May Be Headed For Legal Battle Over Net Neutrality;
Cloud providers ranking 2018;
SC News and Politics
Florida Utility Wants to Buy Santee Cooper;
Putting an End to Gerrymandering;
Flood Victims Want To See Action;
Business and Economics
Consumer Price Index reached 2.1 percent in January; US Not Producing Enough Workers To Fill Coming Jobs;
The Era of Fiscal Austerity Is Over. Here's What Big Deficits Mean for the Economy;
The Trump Tax Cuts Hurt This Manufacturer. It Kept On Lobbying; Surprise threat in US tax law hits agricultural companies;
Big Profits Drove a Stock Boom. Did the Economy Pay a Price; Where Did Your Pay Raise Go? It May Have Become a Bonus;
US blocks Chinese-led takeover of Chicago exchange; U.S. Bank Cited by Federal Authorities for Lapses on Money Laundering;
CFTC Commissioner Wants Self-Policing for Cryptocurrency Firms; Administration Imposes Sweeping Limits on Federal Actions Against Companies;
Trump's Infrastructure Plan May Ignore Climate Change. It Could Be Costly; Trump Administration Considering Use Emergency Authority To Aid Some Coal Plants;
Georgia Lawmakers Introduce Resolutions Opposed To Offshore Drilling;
Trump Administration to Eye Big Cuts to Fuel Economy Rules; Storm Brewing Over Renewable Fuel Standard;
Study Finds Prime Air, Other Delivery Drones Could Reduce Emissions;
Robot Delivery Vans On Faster Track Than Self-Driving Cars; Union Pulls Back Demand To Ban Drones, Autonomous Vehicles In Negotiations With UPS;
South Korea union says GM plant closure is 'death sentence', threatens strike;
Comcast on DOJ's antitrust 'radar screen'; F.C.C. Watchdog Looks Into Changes That Benefited Sinclair;
US craft beer slowdown sends hops market from boom to bust;
FERC Seeks To Remove Barriers To Electric Grid Storage;
Other news
The immigration status of Melania Trump's parents;
"Who Needs a Controversy Over the Inauguration?": Reince Priebus Opens Up About His Six Months of Magical Thinking;
'Resist White Supremacy': A sign. A farm. And the fury that followed;
Education:
Degrees and Certificates Rise in U.S., but Not Fast Enough ; Rural High School Graduates Least Likely To Attend College;
Students In Certificate Programs At Public Colleges More Likely To Profit Than Those In For-Profit Schools;
How to Identify and Invest in High-Achieving, Low-Income Students; Harnessing the Power of the Developing Brain;
What the $400-Billion Federal Spending Deal Means for Higher Ed; Budget Deal Clears Post-Katrina Debt For Four HBCUs;
DeVos Education Plans, Finds Skeptics in G.O.P. Governors;
The Sex Study That Could Alter Our Understanding of Campus Assault; Bill Would Hold College Presidents Accountable for Sexual Abuse by Employees;
Universities Rush to Roll Out Computer Science Ethics Courses; University Of Michigan Professor Develops Tool To Detect Student Confusion During Lectures;
Most Professors Hate Post-Tenure Review. A Better Approach Might Look Like This;
FBI's college basketball probe reportedly contains bombshells; Auburn's Secret Effort to Advance an Athlete-Friendly Curriculum;
2/9/18
TechNews for the week: February 9; February 7; February 5;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Pence vows North Korea to face harshest U.S. sanctions ever; The United States and South Korea now openly disagree on North Korea;
Mike Pence avoids handshake with N. Korea delegate ahead of Olympics Opening Ceremony;
Stunning new pictures show the scope of Chinese building in the South China Sea;
Israel Moves to Expel Africans. Critics Say That's Not Jewish; Lebanon vows to block border wall, Israel eyes diplomacy on gas field;
Netanyahu attacks police chief in bribery inquiries; Trump Tells Israel Peace Means Compromise; U.S. Envoy Under Fire;
Secret Alliance: Israel Carries Out Airstrikes in Egypt, With Cairo's O.K.;
Some Syrian Refugees Are Going Back to War Alongside Turkey; Far From Winding Down, Syria's War Escalates on Multiple Fronts;
Russia strikes back at Syrian rebels after fighter jet is downed, pilot killed; U.S. strikes pro-Syrian forces after 'unprovoked attack' on partners' base;
2 of ISIS' Infamous British Fighters Are Captured by Syrian Kurds;
As Trump Wavers on Libya, an ISIS Haven, Russia Presses On;
Sentence buried in GOP memo may undercut Trump efforts to discredit Russia probe; President claims GOP memo on FBI surveillance 'totally vindicates "Trump" ' in Russia probe;
FBI Messages Show the Bureau's Real Reaction to Trump Firing James Comey; Kashyap Patel, Main Author of Secret Memo, Is No Stranger to Quarrels;
House Intelligence Committee votes to release Democrats' rebuttal to GOP memo; Timeline: How the Steele dossier was compiled;
Trump declares newly released FBI texts 'BOMBSHELLS,' though the picture they paint is murky; Former CIA director says Nunes 'abused' his power on intelligence panel;
Trump's Lawyers Want Him to Refuse an Interview in Russia Inquiry;
This Is The Real Reason The GOP Doesn't Want To Do A Budget This Year;
Senate leaders announce two-year budget pact; Republicans are doing a complete reversal on the deficit; 12 of the most important things in Congress's massive spending deal;
Brief government shutdown ends as Trump signs spending bill; Rand Paul's short-lived shutdown is ending, but his warning about GOP deficit hypocrisy reverberates;
Paul Ryan criticized for tweet about tax cut saving a secretary $1.50 a week;
New bipartisan immigration bill to be introduced in the Senate; White House Chief of Staff: Trump not expected to extend DACA deadline;
WH Kelly said some immigrants eligible for DACA failed to apply because they were "too lazy to get off their asses";
Pelosi launches filibuster-style speech in bid to force immigration votes in the House; 'Pillar of the community' deported from US to a land he barely knows;
Trump nominee to lead U.N. migration post called Muslims violent, Christians top priority;
The judge Trump disparaged as 'Mexican' will preside over an important border wall case;
Senior White House official to resign following allegations by 2 ex-wives of abuse; Top officials knew of abuse allegations against White House aide for months;
WH chief of staff offers account of staff secretary Rob Porter's exit that some White House aides consider untrue;
A second White House aide has resigned amid past domestic abuse allegations, which he denies;
Dozens at White House, including Trump adviser Jared Kushner, lack permanent security clearances;
Breaking with tradition, Trump skips president's written intelligence report and relies on oral briefings;
Trump (Following Fox News) thought the British were protesting their health service. They weren't;
White House to withdraw controversial nominee to head Council on Environmental Quality;
Justice Dept. official who helped oversee Clinton, Russia probes steps down;
At Trump's direction, Pentagon is planning large-scale military parade in Washington inspired by France's Bastille Day celebration;
Pentagon Loses Track of $800 Million; FEMA Contract Called for 30 Million Meals for Puerto Ricans. 50,000 Were Delivered.;
Opponents of gerrymandering keep winning, but it might not matter in 2018;
Supreme Court won't block Pa. ruling that state redraw congressional boundaries immediately; Judge Failed To Disclose Donation From GOP Defendant In Gerrymandering Suit;
'Un-American': Trump attacks Democrats who didn't applaud his State of the Union lines on minority unemployment;
President Trump cries 'fake news' and the world follows;
For every woman in political office in the United States, there are three men;
Court affirms $25 million Trump University settlement; 'Follow the money': Senator probes Trump's $95 million Palm Beach mansion sale;
The Confederate flag reemerged. The KKK burned a cross. How racial tensions flared in one N.C. town;
A white man said two black males were suspects in a violent robbery. Then police watched the video;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
Russian Accounts on Tumblr Posed as Black Activists During Election; Edward Snowden Schools Joe Scarborough On Nunes Memo and Information Leaks;
Cisco: Severe bug in our security appliances is now under attack; ADB.Miner worm is rapidly spreading across Android devices;
How WeChat came to become China's ID system;
Cabinet of Secret Documents from Australia;
Math and science
Maya civilization was much vaster than known, thousands of newly discovered structures reveal; Lasers Reveal a Maya Civilization So Dense It Blew Experts' Minds;
Scientists may have discovered the first planets outside the Milky Way; Physicists Release Study Detailing Moon's Separation From Earth;
Fate Of Space-X Falcon Heavy Center Core Revealed;
New study shows Five major psychiatric diseases have overlapping patterns of genetic activity;
Study Shows Fracking And Earthquakes In Oklahoma Strongly Linked.;
Researchers Use Nanoparticles To Manipulate Light; Researchers Unveil Condensed Wood Lighter Than Steel With Comparable Strength;
Tim Harford's guide to statistics in a misleading age;
'Unsolvable' exam question leaves Chinese students flummoxed;
Web and computing issues
YouTube to Label Videos from State-Funded Media Outlets; Twitter Criticized for Slowness in Deleting Russian Propaganda Videos;
Why Google Chrome will label thousands of websites as 'unsafe' in the next few months;
Why younger developers can't stand new programming languages;
New Jersey Governor Signs Order Establishing Net Neutrality;
What is 5G? Here are the basics;
SC News and Politics
Moody's downgrades SCE&G to Baa3 and SCANA to Ba1; Wall Street Is Losing Faith in SCANA $8 Billion Utility Takeover;
Business and Economics
Dow closes down Monday more than 1,100 points after plunging over 1,500 points in volatile trading; Dow closes up Tuesday 567 points after a rocky day of trading;
Thursday Dow closes down more than 1,000 points as volatility grips markets; Dow surges at the finish in a week of heavy losses;
US trade deficit grows 12.1% in Trump's first year; The U.S. government is set to borrow nearly $1 trillion this year, nearly double last year's amount;
The Trump tax cuts are looking hollow right now; The Republican Fiscal Stimulus Could Be Bigger Than Obama's;
What on Earth Happened to Stocks? Here's Where to Cast the Blame; Who Has a Stake in the Stock Market;
Federal Reserve ousts four Wells Fargo board members over scandal involving sham accounts; Key to the Wells Fargo-Fed Deal: Holding Directors Accountable;
Payday Rules Relax on Trump's Watch After Lobbying by Lenders;
Labor Dept. Plan Could Let the Boss Pocket the Tip;
Jobs Requiring "Non-Cognitive" Skills Grew Much Faster Than "STEM Occupations" Between 2000 And 2012;
From Oil to Solar: Saudi Arabia Plots a Shift to Renewables; Sweden Investing $18 Million In Northvolt Battery Plant As Part Of Large-Scale Battery Project;
US Solar Power Industry Lost Jobs Last Year; BLM Considers Allowing More Wind, Solar Projects On Federal Lands;
Atlantic Coast States Embracing Wind Power While Trump Administration Pushes Offshore Oil; Virginia Gov. Endorses Utility-Backed Legislation On Rate Regulation;
Almost A Dozen States File Suit Over Trump Delaying Water Rule; Ryan Zinke Says 'Yes' To The Biggest Coal Plant In The West;
Market Realities Stall Trump Push For U.S. Pipelines To Be Made Of American Steel;
EPA Report Shows Dramatic Decrease In Polluter Enforcement; Court orders EPA to act on Connecticut air pollution petition;
Embark Completes Test Drive Of Autonomous Semi-Truck Between Los Angeles, Jacksonville;
Comcast may consider topping Disney bid for Fox assets;
Finance
The Stock Market Works by Day, but It Loves the Night;
Why Severe 19% Correction Could Happen Like 1998;
Other news
Voters think lawmakers care more about party than country;
Education:
Over Time, Humanities Grads Close the Pay Gap With Professional Peers; Using BLS Statistics Would Mislead Students About Career Education Programs;
Why Students Are Leaving Illinois in Droves and Why It Matters;
Classroom robots stand in for children too ill to go to school; Some Math Teachers Aim To Link Instruction With Real World; How to Help Students of Differing Abilities;
Federal Student-Loan Program Is Rapidly Losing Money, and Income-Based Repayment Is to Blame;
Senate Democrats Release Higher Education Act Reauthorization Wish List; An Update of Higher Ed's Sweeping Framework Could Be Years Away;
CBO Report: House HEA Reauthorization Would Cost Students Billions In Federal Aid;
DeVos's Education Dept. Relaxed Rules for For-Profits Under Accreditor That Closed; One year after taking the helm, DeVos hails shrinking the Education Department;
What the $400-Billion Federal Spending Deal Means for Higher Ed; McConnell attempts to protect two Kentucky colleges in budget deal;
Security Costs Loom Larger in Campus Free-Speech Fights; As U. of Washington Braces for Right-Wing Rally, Judge Bars It From Charging Security Fee;
Finding out How Much Professors Work;
2/2/18
TechNews for the week: February 2; January 31; January 29;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
White House Wants Pentagon to Offer More Options on North Korea; Withdrawal of U.S. envoy candidate and tough talk from Trump worries South Korea;
Trump's pick for ambassador to South Korea may not be nominated after rift over North Korea policy;
New American strategy for Syria could be doomed as U.S. allies fight each other; Kurds and Their Allies in Syria Count On Promises of U.S. Support;
ISIS Is Weakened, but Iraq Election Could Unravel Hard-Won Stability;
Deadly terrorism blitz in Kabul exposes government weakness, limits of U.S. training effort; US censors Afghanistan report after surge in attacks;
Attacks Reveal What U.S. Won't: Victory Remains Elusive in Afghanistan; In Afghanistan's Unwinnable War, What's the Best Loss to Hope For;
Israel vows to retain West Bank control in any peace deal; German FM says Trump support not necessarily good for Israel;
U.S. defends role of Lebanon army as Israel threatens to attack it;
Pentagon unveils new nuclear weapons strategy, ending Obama-era push to reduce U.S. arsenal;
Negotiating the details of a Trump-Mueller interview can become contentious; Trump's handling of the Russia probe has never looked more like a coverup;
Special Counsel Interviews Facebook Staff in Russian Probe; Court rules that Kushner firm must disclose partners' names;
White House press secretary incorrectly claims polls show 'no one' cares about Russia probe;
Mueller Zeros In on Story Put Together About Trump Tower Meeting; Mueller just got another critical piece of evidence in the Russia investigation;
Justice Dept. probes McCabe's role in final weeks of 2016 election;
Embattled FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe stepping down from position amid mounting scrutiny from Trump, other Republicans;
Why we might want to be skeptical of the GOP memo criticizing the FBI; Fmr. Federal Prosecutor: If Memo is Released, I Will Call for Criminal Investigation of Nunes;
FBI says it has 'grave concerns' about accuracy of memo alleging the bureau overstepped while surveilling Trump campaign operative;
With FBI statement on memo, Christopher Wray could now be in the president's crosshairs; Trump to approve release of FBI memo over objections from intelligence officials;
The controversial Nunes memo authorized for release by Trump; Nunes memo centers on a 40-year-old law written to prevent surveillance abuses;
The Trump administration's weird explanation for withholding Russia sanctions; Sanctioned Russian spy official met with counterparts in US;
Federal government on track to be out of money sooner than expected because of new tax law;
White House plan would reduce environmental requirements for infrastructure projects;
Immigration proposal contains bitter pills for both sides; Forget Senate negotiators, House conservatives could have the last word on immigration;
Lawmakers call on Trump to drop bid for legal immigration cuts;
Alaska Senators, Representative Request Partial Exemption For Alaska From Offshore Drilling Plan;
Names of campaign donors to be flashed during live stream of Trump's speech; 'He's not God': In the wake of porn-star allegations, most evangelicals stand by Trump;
Full Video: President Trump's First State of the Union; An annotated transcript of State of the Union address; Winners and losers from the State of the Union;
Fact Checker: the dubious facts and figures in Trump's State of the Union; Trump says his State of the Union viewership was the highest ever. The ratings say otherwise;
House Appropriations chairman to retire, giving boost to Democrats in midterms; Chief executive officer leaves DNC, the organization's latest shake-up;
Nine questions about Trump's businesses and possible conflicts of interest; Trump golf course in Florida sues over property tax bill;
CDC director resigns over conflicts with financial interests;
Pennsylvania GOP leader tells state supreme court he will ignore its anti-gerrymandering order;
Trump administration strips consumer watchdog office of enforcement powers against financial firms in lending discrimination cases;
Republicans and Democrats do battle over 'crumbs' for working Americans in tax legislation;
Koch network to spend about another $20 million promoting GOP mid-term election;
A new Economist report warns U.S. democracy is in grave danger;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
After Section 702 Reauthorization domestic mass surveillance became a permanent part of US law; Estimating the Cost of Internet Insecurity;
Dutch Intelligence Service Accessed Russian Hacking Network; Israeli Scientists Accidentally Reveal Classified Information;
Officials Say U.S. Test of Missile Interceptor Fails Off Hawaiian Coast;
Locating Secret Military Bases via Fitness Data; Strava Fitness App Reveals Military Sites;
Trump team considers nationalized 5G network to counter China;
These 10 US states will lose the most money to cybercrime in 2018;
Spectre and Meltdown flaws being exploited by more than 100 strains of malware; Signed Malware;
Windows emergency patch: Microsoft's new update kills off Intel's Spectre fix; Firefox security: Mozilla issues fix for critical HTML hijack flaw;
Hackers are making U.S. ATMs spit out cash like slot machines; Connected Vehicles Raise Cybersecurity Concerns;
Math and science
Scientists discover 'the holy grail of dinosaurs' in Africa; Very old, very sophisticated tools found in India;
NASA, US Navy Conduct Orion Recovery Test;
Ford wants to patent a driverless police car that ambushes lawbreakers using artificial intelligence;
Web and computing issues
New York Attorney General Probes Company Selling Fake Followers; Senators Want FTC to Investigate Company Selling Fake Followers;
Twitter Says 1.4 Million Users Interacted with Russian Accounts; Followers Vanish Amid Inquiries Into Fake Accounts; Twitter's bot problem is bigger than we realized;
Copyright Royalty Board Increases Payments for Streaming Services;
Amazon patents a wristband that can track workers' movement;
How to turn off reminder ads in your Google account;
SC News and Politics
Long Savannah, a huge West Ashley development 13 years in the making, takes another step forward; Construction wrapping up on new West Ashley apartments;
House passes bill to halt nuclear-related payments to SCE&G; Will rates rise if SCE&G pays for reactors; The Pentagon wants to weigh in on SCANA's sale;
Report: $246M State tax hike slated if adjustments not made;
Bill that would effectively ban abortion in South Carolina worries doctors;
SC secretary of state asks U.S. Supreme Court to halt Pennsylvania gerrymandering case;
Nikki Haley calls speculation of affair with Trump 'disgusting';
Business and Economics
Dow tumbles 550 points and is on track for worst week since 2016;
Job growth was solid in January at 200,000 as unemployment held steady; Robust jobs data intensifies U.S. bond market sell-off; Federal Reserve Leaves Rates Unchanged;
There's a big red flag in this report on the economy; 6 Reasons That Pay Has Lagged Behind U.S. Job Growth; 93,000 Jobs Were Outsourced Under Trump, Most in Years;
Every One of the World's Big Economies Is Now Growing; At Davos, the Real Star May Have Been China, Not Trump;
401(k) boom sparks urge to splurge for some with retirement accounts; New work rules spur red state holdouts to launch bids to expand Medicaid;
Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway announce plan to create health-care company;
Canada Pitches Electric, Autonomous Exemptions For NAFTA Regional Content; Most Americans Uncomfortable With Autonomous Vehicles;
Report: US Has 54,259 "Structurally Deficient" Bridges;
In reversal, EPA deals setback to controversial gold mining proposal in Alaska;
Maine AG Says Executive Order Does Not Change State Law On Wind Power; Texas Continues To Lead US In Wind Power; Texas Concerned About Autonomy Of Its Grid;
Interior Department Orders Shorter Oil, Gas Lease Review Period; White House seeks 72 percent cut to research on clean energy, underscoring preference for fossil fuels;
Attorneys General Urge Offshore Drilling Plan's Cancellation; New Jersey Governor Signs Order To Spur Offshore Wind Production;
Other news
Gerrymandering is the root of all political evil. Or is it;
The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything;
Education:
An Economist Argues That Our Education System Is Largely Useless; The quest to quantify everything undermines higher education;
International Grad Students' Interest in American Higher Ed Marks First Decline in 14 Years;
ED To Run Pilot Program Putting Student Loan Money On Bank Cards; ED's Changes To Student Loan Forgiveness Could Cut Relief By 60%;
Federal Student-Loan Program Is Rapidly Losing Money, and Income-Based Repayment Is to Blame; ED Considering Removing Penalties From Gainful Employment Rule;
The Limits of Free Speech on Campus; Propaganda: 'White Supremacists Are Targeting College Campuses Like Never Before';
Pitt Investigates Racist Messages Connected to College Republicans; Should Students Be Expelled for Posting Racist Videos;
Republicans Stuff Education Bill With Conservative Social Agenda; Yes, Charters Do Hurt Public School Funding;
Columnist: Calculus Instruction Methods Must Be Updated;
Researchers Examine Why STEM Majors Among Least Likely To Vote;
Southern Illinois Chancellor Hired Family Members for Posts Created for Them; Academic Ethics: 'Hidden' Hiring Criteria;
Who Should Oversee Athletes' Academic Progress;