6/25/21
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.
TechNews for the week: June 25; June 23; June 21;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Israeli-Palestinian Vaccine Deal Collapses Amid Expiry Date Dispute ; Israel, Hamas revert to routine of provocation and reprisal;
Unauthorized Settlement Creates Stress Test for Israel's New Government; Fight Over a Gentle Stream Distills Israel's Political Divide;
Ebrahim Raisi, hard-line judiciary chief, wins Iran's presidential election; Iran President-Elect Takes Hard Line, Refuses to Meet Biden;
Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's next president, is a conservative obsessed with power—but less of a zealot than he seems;
Taliban Enter Key Cities in Afghanistan's North After Swift Offensive ; Militias in Afghanistan's north are taking up the fight against the Taliban;
Afghan government could fall within six months of U.S. military withdrawal, intel assessment says;
U.S. Preparing More Sanctions Against Russia; Russia says it chases British destroyer out of Crimea waters with warning shots, bombs;
Chinese surveillance firm builds influence in Washington, with help from former members of Congress;
Kim sister derides US official, dismisses chances for talks;
Saudi Operatives Who Killed Khashoggi Received Paramilitary Training in U.S.;
U.S., E.U. and others hit Belarus with new sanctions;
Populist Leaders in Eastern Europe Run Into a Little Problem: Unpopularity ;
Sweden's government topples as prime minister loses no-confidence vote;
Supreme Court Says Over 200 Patent Judges Were Improperly Appointed; Supreme Court sides with high school cheerleader in free-speech dispute over profane Snapchat rant;
Supreme Court battle could wreak havoc with Biden's 2020 agenda;
Senate Republicans block elections bill, dealing blow to Democrats’ push to override dozens of GOP-passed state voting laws;
Georgia's Secretary of State says more than 100,000 names will be removed from state's voter record;
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a new state budget that defunds the entire state legislature; Texas G.O.P. to Renew Voting Push as Abbott Calls Special Session;
Biden administration to sue the state of Georgia over its new voting restrictions; Democrats signal a shift toward accepting voter ID laws;
Pennsylvania Senate GOP edges toward Arizona-style election audit;
Tension grips Michigan as Trump's attacks on election continue to reverberate; Michigan Republicans find no voter fraud and say Trump claims 'ludicrous';
Trump calls Michigan GOP-backed 2020 election investigation that confirmed Biden’s win a 'cover up';
Joe Manchin, at apex of his power, finds few allies in his quest for bipartisanship;
Biden announces bipartisan deal on infrastructure after meeting with GOP and Democratic senators;
Senate Confirms First White House National Cyber Director;
Biden administration removes Border Patrol chief Rodney Scott, clearing path for leadership overhaul;
House votes to restore Obama-era rule curbing leaks of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, from oil and gas operations;
Biden's plan to tackle rising homicides: Tighten gun regulations, bolster police; Appeals court blocks federal judge's ruling to overturn California's assault weapons ban;
GOP-Led States Are Banning the Police From Enforcing Federal Gun Laws;
Why Police Have Been Quitting in Droves in the Last Year; Entire Portland police crowd-control unit quits over fellow officer’s assault charge;
Nearly 900 Secret Service members were infected with the coronavirus. A watchdog blames Trump.;
Targeting Biden, Catholic Bishops Advance Controversial Communion Plan;
GOP, spurred by a young activist, sees promise in targeting critical race theory;
Hawaii Gov. David Ige to veto budget, teacher bonuses;
GOP-led Arizona Legislature OK's $1.9B income tax cut;
Far-right activist Ammon Bundy is running for Idaho governor, tapping an anti-establishment trend;
Judge strikes down CDC cruise rules in victory for Fla. governor;
They Seemed Like Democratic Activists. They Were Secretly Conservative Spies;
Trump news and investigation
Trump and his CFO Allen Weisselberg stay close as prosecutors advance their case; Prosecutors are reportedly frustrated by lack of cooperation from Trump CFO Weisselberg;
Trump Organization Could Face Criminal Charges in D.A. Inquiry;
Federal judge tosses most claims against Trump, Barr and U.S. officials in clearing of Lafayette Square; Trump Aides Prepared Insurrection Act Order During Debate Over Protests;
Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, MyPillow CEO due in court over election lawsuits; Giuliani's NY law license suspended in connection with his efforts to overturn the 2020 election;
'Italygate' election conspiracy theory was pushed by two firms led by woman who also falsely claimed $30 million mansion was hers;
Republican congressman warns 'more people will die' over false claims of 2020 election fraud after call for executions airs on pro-Trump media outlet;
Trump discussed sending infected Americans to Guantanamo Bay;
Trump boasts of 'big crowds' for a rally that hasn't happened yet;
Capital Riot and fallout
In sentencing regretful Capitol protester, federal judge rebukes Republicans;
Canada labels the Three Percenters a terrorist entity;
Pelosi announces a select committee will investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob;
COVID-19
What is the Delta variant of coronavirus with K417N mutation?; 'Two Americas' may emerge as Delta variant spreads and vaccination rates drop;
New study finds having COVID-19 once doesn't protect you against getting it again;
Federal health officials cite 'likely association' between coronavirus vaccines and rare heart issues in teens, young adults;
High Hopes for Johnson & Johnson's Covid Vaccine Have Fizzled in the U.S.;
Seattle scientist digs up deleted genetic data on virus, stirring new origin fight;
Japan to allow up to 10,000 domestic spectators at Olympic venues despite covid concerns;
Ugandan Olympian tests positive for virus upon arrival in Japan, the first detection as athletes head to Tokyo;
In the Wake of India's Covid Crisis, a 'Black Fungus' Epidemic Follows;
Israel faces Covid surge as virus circulates even among vaccinated; Israel says the Delta variant is infecting vaccinated people - as many as 50% of cases. But they are less severe;
Israel delays entry for vaccinated tourists as delta variant spreads ;
They Relied on Chinese Vaccines. Now They're Battling Outbreaks;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
The Future of Machine Learning and Cybersecurity; Banning Surveillance-Based Advertising;
Experts Warn Cyberattack Ransoms May "Skyrocket"; FBI Director Says Paying Ransomware Hackers Encourages More Attacks;
DOJ Seizes 36 Iranian-Linked Websites Associated with Disinformation;
Mollitiam Industries is the Newest Cyberweapons Arms Manufacturer;
Google Unveils Framework To Prevent Supply Chain Attacks;
AI-Piloted Fighter Jets; Math and science
NASA Study Finds Biofuels Help Eliminate Contrails;
Astronauts Install First In Series Of New ISS Solar Arrays;
MIT Makes An AI Smart Carpet For Monitoring People Without Cameras;
Government report on UFOs couldn't explain more than 140 cases but didn't find evidence of extraterrestrials;
How the Forgotten Tricks of 'Letterlocking' Shaped History; Web, computing, technology and social media issues
Commerce Department Rescinds Prohibitions Against TikTok, WeChat;
Industry Groups Voice Opposition To Tech Antitrust Bills; House Judiciary Committee Approves All Six Big Tech Antitrust Bills;
Iowa State University, Ames To Research Rural Broadband Internet Access;
Google Delays Decision to Block Tracking Cookies in Chrome Until 2023;
Windows 11: Microsoft deletes these Windows 10 features and apps; Update information;
Business and Economics
Economy Grew 6.4% In First Quarter; Fed's Williams says US economy does not yet justify policy shift;
St. Louis Federal Reserve President: Rate Hikes Likely To Begin Next Year; Atlanta Fed President Anticipates Rate Hikes In 2022;
Fed chair looks in unlikely place for clues on economy's future: Lumber;
Fed to lift COVID-era restrictions on bank dividends, buybacks after stress tests;
Treasury Secretary Expects Inflation To Decrease By Year End;
Fannie, Freddie shares plunge after Supreme Court deals blow to investors; Biden to oust Trump-appointed Fannie-Freddie regulator after Supreme Court ruling;
Medicaid enrollment swells during coronavirus pandemic, reaching a new high with nearly 74 million people covered;
The rising cost of being in National Guard: Reservists and guardsmen are twice as likely to be hungry as other American groups;
Retail workers are quitting at record rates for higher-paying work; California Has a Plan to Pay the Back Rent for Low-Income Tenants. All of It;
Florida federal judge halts debt-forgiveness program for Black and other disadvantaged farmers;
Agreed-Upon Infrastructure Bill Includes $65 Billion for Broadband; 50,000 Security Disasters Waiting To Happen: The Problem Of America's Water Supplies;
DeJoy's USPS slowdown plan will delay the mail. What it means for your Zip code;
Google Streamlines Health Division By Reducing Staff, Creating Groups Focused On Clinical Work And AI;
U.S. to End Exemptions Allowing Export of Government Funded Research;
US Spending Billions On Rare-Earth Minerals, But Analysts Say The Challenge Is Selecting The Right Projects;
Chip Shortage Impacting Production Numbers Of Foreign Companies More Than Chinese Ones;
Economists, Executives Say Supply Chain Disruptions Could Continue Through Year's End;
Russian supply curbs exacerbate squeeze on European gas market;
Israel is Already Testing its Central Bank Digital Currency;
American Airlines cancels hundreds of flights due to staffing crunch, maintenance issues;
GM Announces Hydrogen Fuel Cell Deals; Hyundai Completes Acquisition Of Boston Dynamics;
Major Tech Companies Seeking To Break Into Autonomous Vehicle Industry;
U.S. bars imports of solar panels linked to forced labor in China's Xinjiang region;
GE Announces Date of 1-for-8 Reverse Stock Split, Declares Regular Quarterly Dividend;
Finance
Banks Slowly Offer Alternatives to Overdraft Fees, a Bane of Struggling Spenders ;
Sports
Supreme Court rules against NCAA restrictions on colleges offering educational perks to compensate student-athletes;
Max Scherzer, Joe Girardi and the fastball at the center of MLB's messy sticky stuff drama;
Other news
The US's greatest danger isn't China. It's much closer to home;
A Brief History Of How Racism Shaped Interstate Highways;
Inside the extraordinary effort to save Trump from covid-19, an illness that was far more severe than the White House acknowledged;
Inside the 'shadow reality world' promoting the lie that the presidential election was stolen;
Top U.S. Officials Consulted With BlackRock as 2020 Markets Melted Down;
How ranked-choice voting could change the way democracy works;
Education:
Study Shows Decrease In Undergraduate Enrollment, But Trends Are Encouraging For Women In STEM;
Survey: What Worked And What Did Not Work For College Students Learning Through Pandemic; How Students Believe The Pandemic Affected Their Academic Progress;
Survey: 35% Of Students In Debt Have Stopped Repaying Their Loans; Millions In Employer-Funded Education Benefits Go Unused;
College Board, ACT Tests Remaining A Gatekeeper For Higher Education Discussed; Google Planning Termination Of Engineering Residency Program Following Criticism;
International Students Face Difficulties Getting To US Campuses This Fall;
How Colleges Should Handle Threat Of Ransomware Attack;
University Of North Carolina Board Of Governors Denies Appointment Of Distinguished Professor;
Florida Mandates Ideology Surveys For Public College Students, Faculty;
Towson University Removes Slave Owners' Names From Campus Buildings; Bard College Declared "Undesirable" In Russia;
6/18/21
TechNews for the week: June 18; June 16; June 14;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Long overlooked, Israel’s Arab citizens are increasingly asserting their Palestinian identity; Yair Lapid Won't Be Israel's Next Leader. But He's the Power Behind the Throne;
Netanyahu uses last speech as prime minister to attack Biden on Iran; New Israeli government wins majority vote, ending Netanyahu tenure;
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu removed as parliament approves new government to be headed by right-wing lawmaker Naftali Bennett;
Property disputes in Israel come with a complicated back story – and tend to end with Palestinian dispossession;
Poll finds dramatic rise in Palestinian support for Hamas; New Israel government vows change, but not for Palestinians;
New Israeli government and Palestinian Authority reach deal on transfer of COVID vaccines;
Israeli nationalists march in East Jerusalem, raising tensions with Palestinians;
Israeli jets strike Gaza targets days after leadership shake-up; Israel bombs Gaza City in 2nd day of strikes since breaking cease-fire;
Israelis Wonder When or Whether Netanyahu Will Exit Official Residence;
G-7 leaders try to signal that the page has turned on Trump era; G7 Summit Heralds the Return of In-Person Diplomacy;
G-7 leaders end summit adopting Biden's 'build back better' mantra, vowing to end pandemic and combat climate change;
G-7 takes stronger stand against China, at U.S. urging;
Boris Johnson infuriated after Emmanuel Macron suggested Northern Ireland was not part of UK ;
Factbox-Judge, banker, negotiator among candidates for Iran's presidency; Many Expected to Shun Iran Vote Seen as Presidential Race of One;
US officials: Iranian ships changing course away from Venezuela;
'Intense' Iran nuclear talks resume as Germany calls for rapid progress; Caution on Iran nuclear deal as G7 leaders vow to stop bomb;
Biden administration wants nuclear deal done before Iran's new president takes power;
Putin says Russia would accept conditional handover of cyber criminals to U.S. ;
Ransomware's suspected Russian roots point to a long detente between the Kremlin and hackers;
Biden says he won't hold a joint press conference with Putin because he doesn't want to get 'diverted' by who 'talked the most';
4 takeaways from the Biden-Putin summit; After meeting with Putin, Biden says his agenda is 'not against Russia,' but U.S. will speak out against human rights violations;
With Putin, Biden Tries to Forge a Bond of Self-Interest, Not Souls;
Republicans parroted Putin's propaganda. Republicans parroted Putin's propaganda. Now Putin parrots Republican propaganda;
China warns NATO to stop 'hyping up' threat posed by Beijing; Taishan nuclear plant: China admits damage to fuel rods;
Elite Afghan Forces Suffer Horrific Casualties as Taliban Advance ;
Saudi Embassy has helped its citizens facing criminal charges flee the U.S.;
Five big upcoming Supreme Court decisions; Supreme Court puts off decision on reviewing Harvard race-conscious admissions system;
Affordable Care Act survives third Supreme Court challenge, as case from Trump administration and GOP-led states is rejected;
Supreme Court unanimously rules for Catholic group in Philadelphia foster-care dispute;
White House returns $2 billion from Trump's border wall to the military. The former president built 52 miles, at an average cost of $46 million per mile;
Texas governor vows to build Mexico border wall and increase arrests of migrants;
Senate confirms D.C. Circuit nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace Merrick Garland;
Senate confirms Lina Khan, a critic of tech companies' business practices, to the Federal Trade Commission;
Biden names ambassadorial picks, including diplomats for Israel and NATO, and taps C.B. 'Sully' Sullenberger for aviation post;
Congress votes to make Juneteenth, or June 19, a federal holiday. The day commemorates the end of slavery in Texas in 1865;
The 14 House Republicans who voted against a Juneteenth holiday;
House votes to repeal 2002 war powers measure that gave authority to president to invade Iraq after 9/11;
More Senators Sign On To Bipartisan Infrastructure Proposal; Senate Democrats, Republicans prepare to sell nearly $1 trillion infrastructure deal to White House;
White House signals bipartisan strategy on infrastructure could shift later this month;
GOP's Stefanik defends Trump DOJ secret subpoenas; Justice official resigning amid uproar over Dems' subpoena;
The misleading claim that Biden would raise taxes $28,000 per household;
Louisiana judge blocks Biden administration’s pause on the sale of oil and gas leases on federal land;
N.C.'s 20-week abortion ban is unconstitutional, appeals court affirms;
McConnell vows to block voting bill in Senate, spurning Manchin’'s proposed compromise;
Republican attacks on Biden agenda can't break through conservative media's culture wars;
Rand Paul offers an accidentally useful Jim Crow analogy in rationalizing his party’s illiberal shift;
One America News is the face of the GOP-led Arizona election audit. Its reporter is also helping pay for it;
Secret recordings, leaked letters: Explosive secrets rocking the Southern Baptist Convention;
Trump news and investigation
New emails detail how Trump pressured the Justice Department to take up his false election-fraud claims;
We're learning more about how Trump leveraged his power to bolster his election fantasies;
Trump endorsement shakes up GOP Senate primary in NC;
Pence heckled with calls of 'traitor' at conservative conference;
Capital Riot and fallout
Chicago officer charged in Jan. 6 riot wore a police sweatshirt to the Capitol;
Newly released video shows former NYPD cop striking officer with flagpole during Capitol riot;
COVID-19
G-7 should bear most of cost of vaccinating low-income countries, say former leaders;
U.S. surpasses 600,000 deaths from the virus; NIH study suggests coronavirus may have been in U.S. as early as December 2019;
Red states vulnerable as Delta variant spreads; Another respiratory illness is spreading across the South, CDC warns. What is RSV?
FDA decides 60 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine must be be discarded; 10 million can be released;
CDC says vaccine link to heart inflammation is stronger than previously thought;
University Of Cincinnati Study Says Poorly-Fitted Face Masks Increase Risk Of COVID Infection;
Judge dismisses lawsuit against employer's vaccination mandate;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
June Crypto-Gram Newsletter, Ransomware, Vulnerabilities, and more; VPNs and Trust;
At Summit, Biden and Putin Agree to Address Proliferation of Cyberattacks;
Andrew Appel on New Hampshire's Election Audit;
Insurance Carriers Reevaluating Coverage for Ransomware Attacks;
Police in Ukraine Make Mass Arrest of Ransomware Gang Members; Math and science
The Human Genome Is—Finally!—Complete;
A satellite launch this week keeps GPS upgrade rolling; Pioneering Space Reproduction Research Yields Healthy Baby Mice;
China launches first astronauts to its new space station, as race with U.S. heats up;
Spacesuit Issues During Spacewalk Prevent Installation Of Solar Panels On ISS;
NASA says Earth currently traps an 'unprecedented' amount of heat;
Inventor creates new material that can keep buildings cool without air conditioning;
Furor rages over FDA approval of controversial Alzheimer's drug; Web, computing, technology and social media issues
Democrats, Republicans Agree on Competition Law Changes Targeting Tech;
Facebook Oversight Board Officials Want Company to Adopt Guidance;
Tech giants have to hand over your data when federal investigators ask. Here's why; Apple Tightens Rules for Responding to Legal Requests for User Data;
Supreme Court Dismisses Ruling Against LinkedIn in Scraping Case;
Groups Urge Biden to Pick FCC Candidate Who Will Reinstate Net Neutrality;
Study of 20,000 Health and Fitness Apps Finds Many Privacy Concerns; SC News and Politics
'I didn't take an oath to defend Donald Trump': Rep. Tom Rice tests whether Republican voters will support a conservative who crossed Trump;
Duke Energy IRP rejected by South Carolina regulator;
Business and Economics
While Fed Says Inflation Will Be Fleeting, Some Economists Warn It Could Last; Fed boosts expectation for inflation this year, while pointing to lower inflation next year;
US Economy Driving Up Global Inflation, Causing Central Banks To Raise Rates;
Commerce Department: US Retail Sales Fell 1.3% In May; U.S. crude stocks down, fuel inventories rise;
Dow Jones industrial average records its worst week since last year, down 3.45 percent; Stocks drop after hawkish Fed signals, Dow posts fifth straight session of declines;
Private Inequity: How a Powerful Industry Conquered the Tax System;
To Fill Millions of Open Jobs, Many Workers Need More Than Skills; A Fading Coal County Bets on Schools, but There's One Big Hitch;
ASCE Gives US Infrastructure C- Grade; America Falls Behind Peers In Infrastructure; South Dakota rocked again as a wind turbine plant shuts its doors;
Lordstown Motors Announces Resignations Of CEO, CFO; In an about-face, Lordstown Motors says it has enough money and will start building trucks;
Nord Stream 2: Russia's controversial 764-mile-long natural gas pipeline;
FCC Proposes More Restrictions on Chinese Telecom Equipment; Operator says China nuclear plant facing 'performance issue';
US Faces Tough Competition To Secure Chip Manufacturing;
Biden, E.U. reach trade deal on aircraft, seeking to set aside differences in 17-year dispute and calm relations after Trump; Airbus/Boeing deal explained;
Hyundai, GM Say They Could Have Flying Cars Operational In 2025;
GM Increases Spending On EVs, Plans To Build Two New US Battery Plants;
Global Chip Shortage Continues To Impact Auto Production, Prices;
Senate Panel Rejects Proposal To Allow Deployment Of Thousands Of AVs;
Department Of Energy Says EVs Have Lower Maintenance Costs Than Internal Combustion Engine-Powered Cars;
Finance
A detailed guide to how cryptocurrency works;
Other news
The Republicans' back-up plan in case they can't suppress enough votes;
Why The Two-Party System Is Wrecking American Democracy;
A Guide to Ranked-Choice Voting;
Education:
Report Examines Impacts Of Pandemic On Undergraduate Enrollment, Housing And Finances;
Higher Education Organizations Rebuke "Cynical" Critical Race Theory Bills; Teachers nationwide rally to protest restrictions on lessons about racism;
Colleges Fight Attempts To Stop Them From Withholding Transcripts Over Unpaid Balances;
California Community Colleges Losing Students To More Expensive For-Profit Colleges; Applications From International Students Increased By 43% For Next Year;
Humanities Programs Shrinking Everywhere Except Community Colleges;
Gallup Survey Finds Majority Support For Requiring Students Get Covid Vaccinations;
Arizona Governor Blocks Arizona State University Policy Requiring Masks For Unvaccinated Students;
Rhodes College Charging Unvaccinated Students $1,500 Health And Safety Fee;
6/11/21
TechNews for the week: June 11; June 9; June 7;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
A Historic Moment for Israeli Arabs, but With a Question Mark; How Arab Israelis could seal Netanyahu's defeat;
Possible Israeli leadership shift prompts hasty rethinking in Washington; What will change under Israel's new government?
Naftali Bennett: The many faces of Israel's prime minister in waiting; Palestinians see little difference in old and new Israeli leaders; Israeli forces kill 3 in West Bank raid;
Israeli parliament to vote on approving new government by June 14; Israel domestic security warns of violence as Netanyahu faces unseating;
Israel arrests Jerusalem activists in contested neighborhood; Israel suspends ultranationalists' march in east Jerusalem;
Netanyahu alleges Israeli election fraud, accuses rival of duplicity; For Netanyahu, like Trump, Only 'Fraud' Can Explain His Defeat;
Israel's Netanyahu lashes out as end of his era draws near; Netanyahu channels Trump as he makes his last stand;
Ex-Mossad chief signals Israel attacked Iran nuclear assets; Ex-Mossad director dismisses China threat, criticizing hardline U.S policy;
Israeli foreign ministry effectively boycotts new EU envoy for the Middle East peace process;
Palestinian officials arrive in Egypt for talks ahead of planned meeting; Mapping the destruction left by Israeli strikes on Gaza;
Iran's Proxies in Iraq Threaten U.S. With More Sophisticated Weapons; Russia to supply Iran with advanced satellite system, boosting Tehran's military capability;
Iran regains U.N. vote after U.S. enables U.N. payment;
Iran sends warships to Atlantic amid Venezuela concerns;
U.S. Weighs Possibility of Airstrikes if Afghan Forces Face Crisis;
U.S. Versus China: A New Era of Great Power Competition, but Without Boundaries; Young Chinese take a stand against pressures of modern life — by lying down;
Backlash against Chinese campus in Hungary gives Orban pause for thought;
Elite German Police Unit Disbanded Over Far-Right Group Chat ;
Network of jailed Russian opposition leader Navalny declared 'extremist' by Moscow court;
Left and Right Clash in Peru Election, With an Economic Model at Stake;
Nicaragua's Democracy Hangs by Thread as Crackdown Deepens; Nicaraguan government launches mass arrests of presidential candidates;
President Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agree to a revitalized Atlantic Charter in first meeting;
What are the key issues at stake at the G-7 summit?;
Survey: Under President Biden, global approval of the United States has rebounded;
State Department lowers dozens of countries from 'Do Not Travel' to 'Reconsider Travel' status;
CBP data shows May was busiest month along Mexico border since Biden took office;
Supreme Court rules against immigrants with temporary status; High court won't review men-only draft registration law;
California's assault weapon ban overturned by federal judge; Appeals court to rehear Arkansas' Israel boycott pledge case;
Biden administration moves to protect wetlands, undoing a major Trump move;
Biden administration moves to restore road ban in Alaskan national forest, overturning one of Trump’s biggest conservation rollbacks;
Garland to expand Justice Department's voting rights unit, vows to scrutinize GOP-backed voting restrictions and ballot reviews;
White House rejects latest GOP offer on infrastructure; White House infrastructure talks with Sen. Capito collapse, leading to fingerpointing as Biden shifts strategy;
Ten Senate Democrats and Republicans say they reached five-year, nearly $1 trillion infrastructure deal;
FBI probe of DeJoy threatens bipartisan overhaul bill; 'Get used to me': Postmaster evokes Trump style in Biden era;
Manchin to oppose voting rights bill pushed by U.S. Senate colleagues;
Senate Republicans hold up Biden personnel nominee over 'critical race theory' and abortion rights;
House panel takes up Democrats' $547 billion roads, transit bill with focus on environment;
Democratic Report Raises 2022 Alarms on Messaging and Voter Outreach ;
For a second year, most U.S. police departments decline to share information on their use of force;
For decades, police misconduct has fueled outrage and reform. Then scrutiny wanes, practices revert and the cycle begins again;
FBI director berated for Jan. 6 failures and Giuliani probe as he testifies before House committee;
Oregon GOP legislator ousted over state Capitol breach;
People of Praise, a Christian group tied to Justice Amy Coney Barrett, faces reckoning over sexual misconduct allegations;
State abortion policies have become more extreme — without Roe v. Wade, the divide could widen;
Veterans group official resigns over censorship of Memorial Day speech that highlighted Black history;
Trump news and investigation
Donald Trump Rails Against Facebook Suspension During Long Speech That Gets Limited Coverage By Major News Networks;
Trump and his allies try to rewrite, distort history of pandemic while casting Fauci as public enemy No. 1;
Emails show Trump called Arizona Senate president to thank her 'for pushing to prove any fraud' in election;
Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, pushed Justice Dept. to investigate baseless election fraud claims;
Justice Dept. continues appeal on behalf of Trump in defamation case brought by sexual assault accuser;
Trump Justice Dept. secretly subpoenaed the digital data of prominent Trump critics in Congress, their staffs and families;
Trump's Justice Department Subpoenaed Apple for Data in Leak Probe;
Senate Democrats threaten to subpoena Barr, Sessions for testimony over Justice Dept.'s secret pursuit of two House Democrats' data;
Justice Dept. inspector general to review Trump-era leak probes, including secret subpoenas for records from Congress, journalists;
Donald Trump: I trust Vladimir Putin more than US intelligence; Trump's false Lafayette Square exoneration;
Why the Pentagon isn't heeding calls to prosecute Michael Flynn under military law;
Jared Kushner reportedly wants 'a simpler relationship' with Trump and has 'mostly dropped out' of orbit of ex-campaign advisors;
Biden administration keeps long-sought Trump hotel documents under wraps;
State GOPs Can't Explain Millions In 'Trump Victory' Cash;
Capital Riot and fallout
Before violent Oregon Capitol breach, GOP lawmaker coached people on how to slip in, video shows;
Bipartisan Senate probe finds Capitol Police had intelligence Trump supporters planned armed invasion weeks before Jan. 6 riot;
Alleged supporters of right-wing Three Percenters group charged in Capitol riot conspiracy;
COVID-19
Despite Ample Shots and Incentives, Vaccine Rates Lag Far Behind in the South;
Delta variant accounts for 6 percent of new U.S. coronavirus infections; What we know about the highly infectious coronavirus delta variant;
G-7 should bear most of cost of vaccinating low-income countries, say former leaders;
U.S. to buy hundreds of millions of doses of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to donate to the world; G-7 leaders commit to donating 1 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines;
Scientists begin to unravel the mysteries of the coronavirus and brains;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
Papers on Democracy: Information Flows and Democracy;
High-Profile Ransomware Attacks Highlight Risk to Everyday Activities;
Justice Department task force recovers millions in ransomware payments from Colonial Pipeline hackers;
FBI/AFP-Run Encrypted Phone; FBI, Australian Federal Police Ran Encrypted Chat Platform to Identify Criminals;
Detecting Deepfake Picture Editing;
Vulnerabilities in Weapons Systems;
US investigates leak of records showing billionaires pay little tax;
The Supreme Court Narrowed the CFAA; Math and science
NASA Conducts Seventh Flight Of Ingenuity On Mars; European Space Agency Announces New Mission To Explore Venus;
Astronomers discovered a new planet with an important similarity to Earth; Dept Of Energy Supercomputer To Analyze The Universe, Dark Energy;
FDA approves first Alzheimer's treatment to slow cognitive decline in early-stage patients;
Two members of an FDA advisory committee quit after approval of Alzheimer's drug;
Google Researchers Say AI Could Design Computer Chips Better Than Humans;
Despite pandemic, level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reaches historic levels;
National Geographic now says there are five oceans on Earth;
We've Been Telling the Alamo Story Wrong for Nearly 200 Years. Now It's Time to Correct the Record;
Virginia Tech Researchers Discuss How Ducks Balance Water Pressure While Diving;
The Number That Becomes More Amazing the More You Study It; Web, computing, technology and social media issues
Amazon is about to share your Internet connection with neighbors. Here's how to turn it off;
Russia Pressures Social Media Companies to Remove Antigovernment Content; Russia Fines Facebook, Telegram for Not Removing Unlawful Content;
Biden revokes Trump's TikTok and WeChat ban, but White House to subject the apps to security review;
Ohio Files Suit to Declare Google Public Utility, Subject to Regulation; SC News and Politics
Lindsey Graham's New Spin On Trump's COVID-19 Failings Is Too Much For Folks Online;
Business and Economics
Prices jumped by 5 percent in May compared with a year ago, the largest increase in inflation since the Great Recession;
National Retail Federation Projects US Retail Sales Will Grow Up To 13.5% In 2021;
Senate approves roughly $250 billion bill meant to curtail China's economic and military ambitions;
Biden Administration Officials Suggest Infrastructure Bill Could Advance Without Republican Support; Biden Opposes EV Mileage Tax, Increases In Gas Tax;
These businesses found a way around the worker shortage: Raising wages to $15 an hour or more;
White House To Discuss Review Regarding Supply Chain Issues;
Federal prisoners hold $100 million in government-run accounts, shielded from some criminal scrutiny and debt collection;
G-7 countries agree on 15 percent minimum global tax rate, a deal that could reshape tax obligations of multinational corporations;
Treasury Secretary Acknowledges Challenge Of Selling Global Minimum Tax Deal To A Divided Congress;
Finance Leaders Reach Global Tax Deal Aimed at Ending Profit Shifting; Tech Firms Back Global Minimum Tax But Want Elimination Of Digital Services Taxes;
Deutsche Bank issues dire economic warning for America; World Bank Sees Strongest Rebound in 80 Years;
China rushes through bill tightening ban on abiding by western sanctions;
Russia raises key interest rate to 5.5% as it struggles to control inflation; Russia to U.S.: Lift sanctions on space sector or we'll exit space station;
El Salvador becomes first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender;
Biden administration proposes its first offshore wind lease sale ; Offshore Wind Farms Show What Biden's Climate Plan Is Up Against;
Keystone pipeline canceled after Biden had blocked permit; Pipeline protesters seize Minnesota construction site in bid to stop $4 billion project;
Alaska Native corporation to protect its land, dealing blow to massive gold mine project;
More delays seen for Southern's Georgia Vogtle 3 nuclear reactor;
Elon Musk's Boring Loop is finally transporting passengers in Las Vegas;
Automakers Post Record Sales Last Month Despite Inventory, Supply Issues;
GM Calls On Biden Administration To Give Automakers More Flexibility To Hit California's Emissions Targets;
California Startup Now Offers A Full EV Battery In Just 10 Minutes; EV Startup Based In Shuttered Ohio GM Plant Warns It May Cease Operations;
Major websites experience outages, including New York Times, CNN and Reddit;
Sports
Sticky stuff: 'This Should Be the Biggest Scandal in Sports';
Other news
The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax;
Education:
Some Universities Turned Attention To Drop-Outs Amid Pandemic; CDC: Fully Vaccinated College Campuses Can Resume In-Person Classes;
Survey Shows What Students Think About COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements; Online Learning Leaders Want To Prioritize Flexibility Post-Pandemic;
Texas Universities Receive More State Funding Than They Anticipated; New Mexico Lottery Scholarship Program Will Cover Full In-State Tuition For Eligible Students;
South Carolina Governor Allocates $8M To Tech School Partnership With Department Of Employment And Workforce;
State's finding of racism, sexism at Virginia Military Institute has divided powerful alumni;
Date Shows Diversity In Tenured Positions At North Carolina Universities Is Rare;
Parent Plus Loans Discussed For Keeping Parents In Debt;
Study Shows Why Girls Are Better At Math, But Do Not Get Jobs In STEM;
6/4/21
TechNews for the week: June 4; June 2;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
From Tehran to Jerusalem via Gaza: A Hamas rocket's trajectory;
Lod in Israel has been an epicenter of violence between Jewish and Palestinian Israelis. Much of its Jewish population are relocated settlers evacuated from Gaza in 2005;
Ten Days After Cease-fire, Israeli Restrictions Leave Gaza With Scarce Power; Israeli official rolls back army chief comments on AP Gaza;
Israeli opposition parties reach agreement to oust Netanyahu, after more than 12 years as prime minister;
Israel's Netanyahu fights to block opposition parties from taking power; Netanyahu challenge to legality of rival's PM bid is rebuffed;
Deadline looms in Israel as Netanyahu foes work to form ideologically diverse unity government;
Israel rejects US plan to reopen consulate in occupied Jerusalem;
Israel to ask U.S. for $1 billion in emergency military aid;
Israel minister leads settler raid of Al-Aqsa Mosque;
Israel arrests top Hamas leader in predawn raid; Israeli press says Netanyahu attempted to block social media;
Isaac Herzog elected as Israel's 11th president; What might new Israeli PM Bennett mean for the US?
Netanyahu says Israel will risk tensions with Biden to block Iran; Netanyahu claims his successor-in-waiting won't stand up to Biden;
UN Gaza relief chief called in by bosses after comments over Israeli air strikes;
Israelis, Emiratis meet in Dubai to discuss investments; Investor magnet Israel tarnished by Palestinian conflict, but pull still strong;
Palestinian support for Hamas surges after its confrontation with Israel;
Supporters of a tougher line on Israel split over tactics and message; Google diversity chief claimed Jews have an 'insatiable appetite for war and killing';
Iran-backed militias turn to drone attacks, alarming U.S. forces in Iraq;
Iran's largest warship catches fire, sinks in Gulf of Oman; Massive fire breaks out at oil refinery near Iran's capital;
U.S. records show Iran oil cargo landed in U.S. one month after ship seizure; US sells off Iranian crude oil seized off coast of UAE;
Iranian warships appear to begin first Atlantic crossing as U.S. warns against weapons transfers;
Russia's Prague embassy stronghold cleared out in spy dispute;
French president says wiretapping 'not acceptable between allies,' after new report about an old NSA program;
After Erdogan Angers a Loyal Province, His Opponents See an Opportunity;
Malaysia says 16 Chinese jets threatened its sovereignty;
As U.S. troops begin pullout and reduce airstrikes, Afghan war enters more brutal phase;
North Korea rebukes U.S. for allowing Seoul to build up missile capability;
Facing a demographic crisis, China to allow three children per family;
German far-right taps into popular anger at Covid lockdown measures;
Biden's $6 Trillion Budget Aims for Path to Middle Class, Financed by the Rich;
Biden offers concession to GOP on corporate taxes as part of effort to secure infrastructure deal;
Jobs report fuels partisan fighting over White House economic agenda, infrastructure;
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is being investigated by the FBI in connection with his political fundraising;
Tribes to Confront Bias Against Descendants of Enslaved People;
The Republican plot to steal the 2024 election; How the Texas voting bill would have created hurdles for voters of color;
'Contested, Heated Culture Wars' Mark Ultraconservative Texas Session;
Texas Republicans finalize bill that would enact stiff voting restrictions, make it easier to overturn election results;
Texas Democrats block restrictive voting bill by walking off the floor to deny GOP-majority House a quorum;
As pandemic wanes, Florida's DeSantis seizes national stage;
Why a New Mexico House Race Is a Crucial Test of the G.O.P. Focus on Crime;
Observers of Arizona's GOP-led election audit document security breaches, prohibited items on counting floor;
As a vet spoke about Memorial Day's roots in Black history, his mic was cut. It was no accident;
A Law Student Mocked the Federalist Society. It Jeopardized His Graduation;
North Carolina county bans Coca-Cola machines after company criticizes Georgia voting law;
Trump news and investigation
Justice Dept. asks judge to toss lawsuit against Trump, Barr for violent clearing of Lafayette Square;
Prosecutors propose that ex-federal judge should review Giuliani's mobile devices, computers for privilege issues;
Trump's longtime ally Roger Stone has warned that the former president must prepare to be indicted for fraud in the coming weeks;
Former Trump advisor Michael Flynn said the US should have a coup like Myanmar, where the military overthrew the democratically elected government;
Ex-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell showed up to a QAnon conference in a biker vest and falsely claimed Trump could be 'reinstated' as president;
Trump has reportedly been telling people he'll be 'reinstated' by August; Ballot reviews consume Trump as he touts falsehood of stolen election;
Trump scraps short-lived blog that was created in wake of social media ban;
Facebook suspends Trump for 2 years in response to Oversight Board ruling;
Trump Justice Dept. secretly obtained New York Times reporters' phone records;
FEC spares Trump but fines tabloid publisher for hush-money payment to ex-Playboy model who claimed affair with him;
Trump's company puts D.C. hotel lease up for sale again;
Capital Riot and fallout
Four more indicted in alleged Jan. 6 Oath Keepers conspiracy to obstruct election vote in Congress;
Jan. 6 riot caused $1.5 million in damage to Capitol. U.S. prosecutors want defendants to pay;
Army falsely denied Flynn's brother was involved in key part of military response to Capitol riot;
COVID-19
Citing increased hospitalizations of teens with covid-19, CDC director urges parents to vaccinate those 12 and older;
Biden launching effort to recruit 1,000 Black-owned barbershops and salons to accelerate coronavirus vaccinations;
US unveils plan to donate millions of Covid vaccines globally;
Latin Americans Head to U.S. for Covid Shots; Vietnam detects highly contagious new coronavirus variant as infections surge;
Vaccines 2.0: Next-gen COVID-19 shots are going to be better than ever;
WHO renames coronavirus variants with 'non-stigmatizing' Greek letters;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
The DarkSide Ransomware Gang; Secret Chats Show How Cybergang Became a Ransomware Powerhouse;
U.S. government raises alarm on rising threat of ransomware; World's Largest Meat Supplier Victim of 'Organized Cybersecurity Attack';
Hacking Group Linked to Chinese Government Accessed MTA's Computers; Massachusetts Ferry Service in Cape Cod Affected by Ransomware Attack;
Justice Department Seizes Two Domain Names Used in Spear-Phishing Attacks;
Supreme Court Narrows Scope of Computer Fraud and Abuse Act; Math and science
NASA Releases Image Of Milky Way's Center;
Polar Pod Floating Lab Will Drift Around Antarctica To Research Southern Ocean;
Study Shows How Pandemic Has Rolled Back Gains for Women In STEMM;
Machine Learning Faces Credibility Crisis; Web, computing, technology and social media issues
Facebook to end a longtime exception made for politicians who break its hate-speech rules;
Facebook's popularity plummets as users suspect censorship during Israel-Hamas conflict; Instagram Changes Algorithm for Reshared Posts After Palestinian Complaints;
Social Media Firms, But Not Twitter, Comply with India's New IT Rules; SC News and Politics
US Rep Mace: Vandalism at South Carolina home 'very scary';
Nikki Haley's Ugliest Trump Hypocrisy Yet;
Business and Economics
Economy picked up 559,000 jobs in May as the recovery from the pandemic continued; Manufacturing Increased In May, But Labor, Raw Materials Shortages Persist;
Fed Says Economy Grew At Somewhat Faster Pace In April, May; Companies are concealing higher prices with smaller packages;
Federal Reserve to unwind its emergency purchases of US corporate bonds;
Growing Number Of Companies Building Factories In Southwest States;
OECD Says Global Economy To Recover From COVID-19 Pandemic Faster Than Expected;
Biden officials to suspend oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, overturning Trump drilling decision;
Oil prices gain 1%, boosted by U.S. economic data; How will China's latest oil probe affect the world's biggest crude importer?
Biden Proposes 15% Minimum Corporate Tax In Return For $1T In New Infrastructure Spending;
US wields $2bn tariff threat against 6 nations over digital taxes;
Washington to bar US investors from 59 Chinese companies;
German inflation hits highest rate since 2018; Russia completes Nord Stream 2 route in face of western opposition;
Intel CEO Sticks To Chip Supply Shortage Timeline; Chipmakers Leaning On AI To Spot Defects;
European Consumer Organisation Backs EU Antitrust Case Against Apple;
United Airlines Plans On Buying 15 Supersonic Planes From Boom Supersonic;
Ford Electrified Vehicle Sales Surge 184% In May, Overall Autos Up 4.1%;
Sports
The NBA at 75: From Mikan to LeBron, how the game has changed;
Other news
What is critical race theory, and why do Republicans want to ban it in schools?
Fact Check: Greene's ahistorical claim that the Nazis were socialists;
Why the next stage of capitalism is coming;
Education:
College Enrollment Declines Hit Students Of Color The Hardest; Transfer Student Enrollment Losses At Two-Year Colleges Deepen;
Report Shows How Federal Stimulus Funding For Higher Education Was Spent;
Colleges Beg Biden For Visas To Bring Back International Students; Shorter College Semesters Discussed;
Disputing Racism's Reach, Republicans Rattle American Schools; Critical race theory ban leads Oklahoma college to cancel class that taught 'white privilege';
Texas bill to ban teaching of critical race theory puts teachers on front lines of culture war over how history is taught;
University System Of Georgia's Chancellor Search Highlights Problems Of Political Partisanship;
Investigation finds Virginia Military Institute has tolerated racist and sexist culture' and must change;
Judge Temporarily Blocks Montana Campus Carry Law;