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.
10/27/17
TechNews for the week: October 27; October 25; October 23;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Iran Saps Strength of Revolutionary Guards With Arrests and Cutbacks;
Israeli brass casts doubt on blaming shelling on Hezbollah; Did a Russian Missile Really Hit an Israeli F-35;
Iraq's prime minister was tough on ISIS. But it was his approach to the Kurds that really made him popular;
Iraqi Kurds offer to suspend independence vote; Baghdad rejects Kurdish proposals to end autonomy crisis;
As ISIS Is Driven From Iraq, Sunnis Remain Alienated; Tillerson makes unannounced visits to Afghanistan, Iraq;
Administration sees no change in rules or mission of U.S. troops in Niger;
ISIS Threat in Philippines Spreads in Remote Battles; The U.S. invited Indonesia's military chief to visit - then denied him entry;
China unveils new leadership, grants Xi Jinping five more years as leader - with no obvious successor in sight;
Spain Will Remove Catalonia Leader, Escalating Secession Crisis;
Spain's Senate gives unprecedented powers to central government to take over Catalonia after region declares independence;
Trump pledges at least $430,000 of his own money to help cover aides' legal costs related to Russia probes; What the Trump dossier says - and what it doesn't;
Hopes Dim for Congressional Russia Inquiries as Parties Clash; The Clinton campaign and the DNC helped fund research that resulted in the now-famous Trump dossier;
Russia Probe Investigating Brother of Hillary Clinton Campaign Chair;
Some Trump voters who got aid after Hurricane Harvey say Puerto Ricans should 'fix their own country up';
Congress approves $36.5 billion disaster-relief package, providing much-needed aid to Puerto Rico;
Democrats Call For Investigation Of $300 Million Contract For Firm With Ties To Zinke; FEMA disavows Puerto Rico power contract;
Trump authorizes release of JFK assassination documents despite concerns from federal agencies;
Study: Body Cameras Have Little Effect on Police Behavior; In St. Louis, Protests Over Police Violence Disrupt Economy, and Win Attention;
E.P.A. Cancels Talk on Climate Change by Agency Scientists; The E.P.A. Shifts on Toxic Chemicals. An Industry Insider Helps Call the Shots;
Siding With Trump, Judge Clears Way for Trial Over Health Subsidies;
Federal judge bars Pentagon from blocking citizenship applications by immigrant recruits;
In the dead of night, Republicans vote to give lawsuit immunity to banks;
Trump's top economist provided a dishonest look at who benefits from corporate tax cuts; Cohn Defends GOP Tax Plan Amid Charges of 'Wealth-Fare';
Corker says White House should stay out of tax debate; Trump fires back with insult; Trump meets with Republicans as Corker slams him for 'untruths, 'debasing' the country;
Behind Flake's decision to bow out of Senate, a disillusioning, disheartening year;
Deficits, schmeficits: House conservatives cast aside fiscal warnings to make way for tax cuts;
House Adopts Budget, Setting Up Release of Tax Bill Next Week; House Freedom Caucus Proves It's A Deficit Scam;
GOP tax leaders threaten to break Trump's promise not to change 401(k) rules; Congress might take away the 401(k) for the wrong reason;
Sen. Corker: Some of the 'ridiculous' things in tax reform are just 'buying off' special interests;
White House Considers Raising Federal Gasoline Tax To Fund $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan;
As Trump Proposes Tax Cuts, Kansas Deals With Aftermath Of Experiment;
Steve Bannon: George W. Bush's Presidency Was the Most 'Destructive' in U.S. History;
GOP majority in Senate hangs in balance as McConnell allies declare open warfare on Bannon;
He Didn't Vote in a Few Elections. In the Next One, Ohio Said He Couldn't;
Georgia election server wiped just after lawsuit was filed against officials;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
The Science of Interrogation; House considers Hacking Back bill; CSE Releases Malware Analysis Tool;
DHS, FBI Warn Energy, Industrial Firms About Hacking Campaigns; UN Organization Considers Ban on Checking Laptops in Luggage;
New Botnet Could Cause "Next Cyber Hurricane"; Risk Of Electromangetic Pulse Attack On U.S.; New ransomware is causing major issues across Europe and Russia;
Kaspersky to Submit Source Code for Review by Security, Gov't Officials; How Kaspersky Lab got on the US government's bad side;
Kaspersky: NSA staffer's laptop was infected with malware; Kaspersky Confirms Reports of Role in Leaking Classified Material;
Facebook Loses Ruling by EU Court Adviser on Data Protection; German Lawmaker Sees Renewed Focus on Safety for Internet Devices;
Math and science
Climate scientists warn New York City's fate is closely tied to Antarctic ice; Seawater desalination will quench the thirst of a parched planet;
How Will 'Really Big One' Earthquake Shake Out? Researchers Run 50 Simulations;
Researchers Discover Distant Star That May Have Consumed 15 Planets;
Researchers Use Machine Learning To Tackle Alzheimer's;
Einstein scribbled his theory of happiness in place of a tip. It just sold for more than $1 million; The Battle That Created Germany;
Here's how you make a hologram;
Web and computing issues
Social Media Site Favored by Alt-Right Plans to Drop Google Lawsuit; Russia's Favored Outlet Is an Online News Giant. YouTube Helped;
How the Republican Party is getting played on Instagram; Why the Fact-Checking at Facebook Needs to Be Checked;
Twitter Will Start Labeling Political Electioneering Ads; Twitter bans ads from Russian-sponsored news sites;
Quantum Computing Brings Promise and Threats;
SC News and Politics
Look Beyond Corruption At Statehouse; South Carolina Gov. calls on DHEC to hold off beach-building restrictions;
As Other Republican Senators Bolt, Lindsey Graham Cozies Up to Trump; Many folks don't vote for the people who affect their lives most;
Finance and Economics
Saudi Arabia's Grand Plan to Move Beyond Oil: Big Goals, Bigger Hurdles; Saudis aims to diversify economy with new $500bn city;
Americans Are Retiring Later, Dying Sooner and Sicker In-Between; GAO Says Climate Change Is Costing Government Billions;
Iowa abandons bold attempt to jettison ACA rules; Cheaper Health Plans Promoted by Trump Have a History of Fraud;
Moody's Analytics chief economist: Why the Republican tax plan is set up to fail; Republicans Consider Sharp Cut in 401(k) Contribution Limits;
Puerto Rico Still Dealing With Widespread Outages; Puerto Rico's unusual $300 million deal with small Montana energy firm draws scrutiny;
Perry: US Ready To Partner With African Nations To Spread Electricity;
Wind Technician Is Fastest Growing Occupation In U.S; Wind Energy Developers Move Forward On Offshore Projects In New Jersey;
Study Links Raton Basin Earthquakes To Oil And Gas Wastewater Injections;
Cities Pile on Tax Breaks, Perks to Host New Amazon Headquarters; Investors Push Into a Resurging Market: House Flipping;
FCC ends decades-old rule meant to keep local control of TV and radio;
The Carlyle Group changes leadership after three decades;
United Airlines becomes latest carrier to put economy passengers in rows of 10 seats;
Other news
'Bing, bing, bing': Trump reveals his thinking behind firing off all those tweets;
How Much Cash Should I Keep in the Bank; Is a $100,000 income middle class in America?
Commanders of Chaos: The 5 Worst Generals in U.S. History;
Education:
U.S. News Releases 2018 Best Global Universities Rankings; Studies Call Into Question Value Of Education Certificates; From Liberal Arts to Making a Living;
Why teenagers need more sleep;
Colleges Incorporating Climate Change, Sea Level Rise In Multiple Disciplines; Spreading the Word About Inquiry-Based Math;
Challenges of Diving Deeply Into Online Education; After Controversy, New Mexico Adopts Next Generation Science Standards With Some Annotations;
More US Students Pursing Degrees Abroad To Save Money; Grant Aid Failing To Keep Pace With Tuition Increases;
Trump's Plans To Cut College Work-Study Program "Troubling"; Some For-Profit Colleges Victimizing Veterans;
DeVos rescinds 72 guidance documents outlining rights for disabled students; Education Dept. withdraws nearly 600 policy documents that it says are outdated;
ED Announces Further Delay Of Borrower Defense Rules; AGs In 25 States Call On DeVos To Reject Student Loan Industry's Request For Immunity;
Russian-Linked Account That Targeted Professor Also Posted About Berkeley and DeVos ; This Professor Wants to Teach Administrators Not to Cave In to Right-Wing Outrage;
Sessions' Justice Dept. Is Wading Into Another Campus Free-Speech Case; Republicans Want to Talk About Campus Free Speech. What About the Rise in Hateful Speech?
U. Arkansas System Considers Changes to Ease Tenured-Faculty Firings; What It Looks Like When a University Tries to Revoke a Professor's Tenure;
After Outcry, U. Wisconsin Drops Plan to Suspend Admissions to 2-Year M.B.A. Program;
Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney are 2017's highest-paid coaches;
10/20/17
TechNews for the week: October 20; October 18; October 16;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
A new poll says Almost half of Republicans want war with North Korea; North Korea's underground nuclear test site could be suffering from 'tired mountain syndrome';
If North Korea Attacks the U.S. With a Nuclear Bomb, Everyone and Everything Will Be Destroyed in the Target Area;
U.S.-backed force claims capture of Islamic State's de facto Syrian capital Raqqa; With Loss of Its Caliphate, ISIS May Return to Guerrilla Roots;
After Raqqa, the U.S. sees Russia, Assad looming over remaining Syrian battlefield;
Iraqi forces move to seize Kurdish-held oil fields, military base; Clashes between Iraq and Kurdish forces give Iran the upper hand; Iraq approaches BP to develop Kirkuk oilfields;
Taliban storm army base with suicide car bombs, killing 43 Afghan soldiers;
An Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities wouldn't go unanswered;
Europeans say Trump has no power to cancel Iran nuclear deal; Khamenei calls on Europe to defend nuclear accord;
More Israeli settlements OK'd in Hebron; Israel responds after Syrian shell hits Golan;
Austria turns sharply to the right in an election shaped by immigration;
Spain moves to take over Catalonia's government in unprecedented effort to stop region's bid for independence;
Trump claims U.K. crime is up because of 'Radical Islamic terror.' The agency behind the data disagrees;
Why the world is watching Xi Jinping and China's party congress;
End to Health Care Subsidies Puts Congress in a Tight Spot; Subsidies' end may not pinch where you'd expect;
Showdown brewing over Affordable Care Act raises specter of government shutdown; States scramble for solutions for insurers that were counting on Obamacare payments;
Senators reach bipartisan deal to fund health-care subsidies that Trump ended and president voices support; Top Republicans, Business Leaders Come Out Against Trump;
Another last-ditch effort to overhaul Obamacare stalls within hours of its release; President Trump's false claim that insurance companies 'have made a fortune' from Obamacare;
Trump administration's ACA enrollment schedule may lock millions into unwanted health plans; GOP Lawmaker Says Emergency Rooms Should Be Able To Turn People Away;
Federal judge orders Trump administration to allow abortion for undocumented teen; Appeals court to review judge's order; court upholds undocumented teen's right to abortion;
Congress allied with drug company lobbyists to derail DEA's war on opioids; Trump says drug czar nominee Tom Marino is withdrawing;
A federal judge blocks third version of the Trump administration's travel ban; Second judge rules against latest travel ban, saying Trump's own words show it was aimed at Muslims;
Amnesty Is Everywhere: And central to how the nation's legal system works;
Federal judge refuses to erase Joe Arpaio's conviction, despite Trump pardon;
9 States (including SC) Will Require Passports for Domestic Flights Within the U.S.;
Interior looks at behind-the-scenes land swap to allow road through wildlife refuge; Court rules Towering cross-shaped monument on public land is unconstitutional;
Appeals Court Urged To Rule On Obama-Era Climate Rules By States, Environmental Groups;
White House document, alleging free-trade policies increase abortions, infertility and spousal abuse, surfaces amid NAFTA talks;
Many Trump voters who got hurricane relief in Texas aren't sure Puerto Ricans should;
Senate Republicans pass budget that will add $1.5 trillion to deficit, slash Medicare and Medicaid; The GOP's tax cut plan has cleared one hurdle. Now comes the hard part;
The dirty secret of tax reform: It's all about cutting business taxes; Trump has a credibility problem on tax reform; Mick Mulvaney: 'The appetite for spending reductions is very low';
FCC chair on Trump's NBC tweet: 'The FCC will stand for the First Amendment'; GOP lawmakers walk the line between defying Trump and alienating their base;
'Disrespectful lie': Anger grows over Trump's claims about past presidents and fallen troops; Trump promised $25,000 to a grieving military father in a phone call. He never paid up;
Newly surfaced video contradicts Kelly claim; White House press secretary: It's 'highly inappropriate' to question a 4-star Marine general;
George W. Bush Launches Barely Veiled Rebuke of Trump's Presidency;
Trump campaign legal bills topped $1 million last quarter;
Special Counsel Interviews Cybersecurity Researcher Tied to Trump;
Charity's $498,000 to Roy Moore, a U.S. Senate candidate, was not reported to IRS as income;
North Carolina Republicans 'rig the system' by cancelling 2018 judicial elections; In North Carolina, Republicans Stung by Court Rulings Aim to Change the Judges;
Bannon: Kochs 'would own' Pence if he became president;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
October Crypto-Gram Newsletter, Hack of the NSA, Password Best Practices, and more; IoT Cybersecurity: What's Plan B?
Researchers uncover flaw that makes Wi-Fi vulnerable to hacks; New KRACK Attack Against Wi-Fi Encryption; Patchs for KRACK Wi-Fi vulnerability available right now;
Wary of Hackers, States Move to Upgrade Voting Systems;
Cybersecurity Officials Say Twitter Deleted Tweets Useful to Investigators; Russian Troll Account Remained on Twitter 11 Months After Notice;
CIA director distorts intelligence community's findings on Russian interference;
Iran Cyberattack Compromised 90 Accounts in British Parliament; North Korean Hacking Group Linked to $60M Theft from Taiwanese Bank;
Microsoft responded quietly after detecting secret database hack in 2013;
Supreme Court to hear a dispute between the U.S. government and Microsoft about emails stored overseas;
Cyber Wars: How The U.S. Stock Market Could Get Hacked; Could Algo Trading Cause a Bigger Crash Than 1987?
Math and science
Declining Research Funding For Midwest Universities Threatens Economic Troubles;
Scientists detect gravitational waves from a new kind of nova, sparking a new era in astronomy; LIGO Detects Fierce Collision of Neutron Stars for the First Time;
2017 LMS Popular Lectures are now on YouTube;
This Is Not Arthur Laffer's Famous Napkin;
Web and computing issues
A Bot That Makes Trump's Tweets Presidential; Even Trumpworld Got Tricked into Spreading Russian Propaganda;
Google Serves Fake News Ads in an Unlikely Place: Fact-Checking Sites;
Retired 'Navy SEAL' praising Trump on Fox News was a fake;
SC News and Politics
State audit shows multiple issues at The Citadel concerning diversity, cadet discipline; the complete report;
Audit faults Citadel's governing board for poor diversity, secrecy and too much disciplinary authority ;
Criminal conspiracy charges lodged against Richard Quinn, 4 others in S.C. Statehouse corruption case; Look Beyond Corruption At Statehouse;
S.C. legislators work to ensure equality remains irrelevant;
Charleston History Commission grapples with reconciling Calhoun's legacy and bigoted beliefs; The origins of Charleston's most controversial monument;
GOP asks Is America Divided?
Finance and Economics
China economy records 6.8% growth in third quarter; Why the Trade Deficit Matters, and What Trump Can Do About It; Opinion: Dow 23,000 Is (Even More) Stupid;
Iraq-Kurdistan conflict drives up oil prices; Saudi Aramco considers shelving international IPO;
Mexican Tech Sector Looks To Gain From Trump Anti-Immigration Policies;
States say Timing of White House actions unrolling parts of ACA 'couldn't be worse';
The Trump Wall Now Estimated to Cost $21.6 billion;
EPA To Restrict Settlements With Environmental Groups;
Australia Debates: Does a Warming Planet Really Need More Coal?
States Pushing Clean Energy Efforts; Coal power plant closures ramp up in spite of White House plans; Pruitt assures GOP senators on biofuels mandate;
Equifax's Grip on Mortgage Data Squeezes Smaller Rivals;
Boeing Invests In UAV Tech Developer Near Earth Autonomy;
T-Mobile, Sprint to Merge Without Asset Sale; Complaint Filed Over Westinghouse's Use Of Unlicensed Engineers;
Influential investor thanks God that 'white people populated America, and not the blacks';
Other news
The Founding Fathers designed impeachment for someone exactly like Donald Trump; 5 reasons the GOP won't dump Trump;
Cub Scout Ousted From Den After Asking Politician Tough Questions;
Education:
America Has Jobs, Needs Skilled Workforce; RAND Report: STEM Education Grows In Importance As Older Workers Retire;
California Voters Express Strong Support For Expanded Science, Computer Education; Minnesota Delegation Pushes Non-College Postsecondary Options;
California Colleges Dumping Test Scores, Adopting GPA to Define College Readiness;
Employer Advice Most Valued, Least Used in Choosing College Major; Using Economic Theory To Keep Students On Path To Graduation;
Recruiting: The Lure of the Lazy River; Colleges Use Facebook Ads to Target Applicants, Parents, and Lawmakers;
FTC, State AGs Fight Student Debt Relief Scams; Continuing Coverage Of Gainful Employment Rule Lawsuit;
Campus Fears Drive Boom in Threat-Assessment Teams;
Governor Declares Emergency Tied to White Nationalist's Planned Speech at U. of Florida; Pro-Trump Protesters Shout Down Democrat's Speech at Whittier College;
Bill Would Bar U. Wisconsin Employees From Working at Planned Parenthood;
Colleges Increasingly Sharing Facilities To Cut Costs;
Making It OK to Ask for Help; Could do better: my first half term as a maths teacher;
10/13/17
TechNews for the week: October 13; October 11;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Trump on North Korea: 'Sorry, but only one thing will work!'; Trump's Iran policy has emboldened North Korea;
Trump to withdraw presidential 'certification' of Iran nuclear deal; E.U. leaders seek to save Iran deal they helped draft from Trump pressure;
Afghan president, U.S. general vow ambitious air war to defeat Taliban;
U.S. government halts most visas from Turkey as ties with President Erdogan deteriorate; American Held as ISIS Suspect, Creating a Quandary for the Trump Administration;
Israel approves plans for thousands of new settlement units in the West Bank; Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah reach unity plan after 10-year split;
U.S. withdraws from UNESCO, the U.N.'s cultural organization, citing anti-Israel bias;
Eighty Five Percent Of Puerto Rico Still Without Power; Trump threatens to abandon Puerto Rico recovery effort;
Courts Thwart Administration's Effort to Rescind Obama-Era Environmental Regulations;
Chief justice: Pay no attention to the rigged election behind the curtain; Sonia Sotomayor tore apart partisan gerrymandering with one simple, devastating question;
Supreme Court dismisses case against Trump's expired travel ban;
Donald Trump To Speak At Hate Group's Annual Event, A First For A President; 'We will keep coming back:' white nationalists leads another torchlight march in Charlottesville;
Trump administration releases hard-line immigration principles, threatening deal on 'dreamers';
Hoping to Have Trump Cleared, Legal Team Eases Resistance to Inquiry; Newly disclosed email sheds light on Trump Jr. meeting with Russian lawyer;
Google uncovers Russian-bought ads aimed at influencing the 2016 election on YouTube, Gmail and other platforms;
Trump campaign's embrace of Facebook shows company's growing reach in elections;
White House Makes Hard-Line Demands for Any 'Dreamers' Deal; Some Democrats threaten a government shutdown if Trump doesn't deal on 'dreamers';
Corker calls White House 'an adult day care center' in response to Trump's latest Twitter tirade; Bob Corker tirade encapsulates five reasons why Trump has failed at governing;
A 'pressure cooker': Trump's frustration and fury rupture alliances, threaten agenda; The Trump White House's dangerously authoritarian response to criticism;
Trump reportedly didn't know about the loophole in the 25th Amendment that lets 14 people remove a sitting president from office;
Donald Trump threatens to shut down NBC and other TV news networks that criticise him; Wants "equal time" from every late night show;
A brief history of Trump challenging people to IQ tests;
Bannon to Target All Incumbent Senators Except Ted Cruz; Conservative leaders call on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to resign;
President Trump has made 1,318 false or misleading claims over 263 days; Sanders defends Trump's false tax claim: 'We're just going to have to agree to disagree';
Trump reportedly threatened to sink the entire tax cut plan over a single provision; Trump said to be angered by state-local tax issue, seeks changes;
Trump says corporate tax cuts will mean $4,000 extra in your pocket. Economists aren't so sure; Kansas Tried a Tax Plan Similar to Trump's. It Failed.;
Under President Trump's new budget, if you don't work, you don't eat: Republicans are kicking people off SNAP;
Trump signs order to eliminate ACA insurance rules, undermine marketplaces; Trump's executive order has a history. And the government says it's not all great;
In a move likely to threaten ACA marketplaces, Trump to end cost-sharing payments that help lower-income consumers afford plans;
Trump taps AccuWeather CEO to head NOAA, breaking with precedent of nominating scientists;
Undisclosed deal guaranteed Roy Moore $180,000 a year for part-time work at charity;
House Ethics Office Says New York Congressman May Have Violated Rules;
Trump says he directed Pence to walk out of game if 49ers protested;
Lawmakers Press Perry On FERC Directive; Perry Mistakenly Calls Puerto Rico A Country;
Trump 'Voter Fraud' Commission Violates Federal Law, Lawsuit Claims;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
House Committee Schedules Hearing on Kremlin Links to Kaspersky Lab; Kaspersky's role in NSA data theft; More on Kaspersky and the Stolen NSA Attack Tools;
Israel warned the US about Kaspersky after hacking its network; Israel and Russia's overlapping hacks of Kaspersky complicate espionage narrative;
Study says Russian operatives used Twitter and Facebook to target veterans and military personnel; Russian-Linked Campaign Used Pokemon Go to Exploit Racial Tensions;
Russian Firms Acquire Microsoft Software Despite U.S. Sanctions;
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly's Cell Phone was Tapped;
A 'liberal teacher' became a conservative enemy for a viral Vegas tweet. But does she actually exist?
Criminals Turn to LinkedIn to Gain Trust from Unsuspecting Users; 'Malvertising' Attack Targeted Millions of Pornhub Users;
Data breaches highlight how Social Security number has to be phased out;
Equifax Says 15.2 Million Client Records Compromised in Britain;
How to tell if your Facebook has been hacked (and what to do); Changes in Password Best Practices;
Math and science
Worrying research finds the ocean is cutting through a key Antarctic ice shelf; Failing Plans To Cut Emissions, "Carbon-Sucking" Projects Would Be Needed By 2030s;
Scientists say There's enough wind energy over the oceans to power human civilization; Copernican Principle: Estimates when humans will go extinct;
Half the universe's missing matter has just been finally found;
If you exercise a lot, you probably think your heart is in good shape. Maybe not; You're going to be eating crickets, so just get over it;
Can Social Science Tell Us How Much Gerrymandering Is Too Much?
Researchers Develop AI To Detect Objects Hidden By Blind Corners; Nvidia Unveils Computer Chips For Full Autonomous Vehicles;
Web and computing issues
'60 Minutes' profiles the genius who won Trump's campaign: Facebook; Fake news is still here, despite efforts by Google, Facebook; How to spot fake news;
The notorious Kremlin-linked 'troll farm' and the Russians trying to take it down;
Twitter Bars Senate Candidate from Promoting 'Inflammatory' Video; Twitter Reverses Decision to Block 'Inflammatory' Campaign Video;
Your Data Is Biased, Here's Why;
SC News and Politics
Courts Sidestep the Law, and South Carolina's Poor Go to Jail;
Demand Real Gun Control; Priority:Bike Lanes or Drainage, (Why not both?);
Finance and Economics
Global Economy's Stubborn Reality: Plenty of Work, Not Enough Pay; Why Big Cities Thrive, and Smaller Ones Are Being Left Behind;
Iowa Employers Struggle To Recruit STEM Workers As Pay Lags National Average;
Puerto Rico bonds plunge after Trump pledge to wipe out debt; AFL-CIO Calls On SEC To Investigate Large Navient Stock Trades;
Trump Twitter bombs and a negotiating standoff: How NAFTA talks could fail;
Trump's tax plan gives Wall Street everything it wants - and that's bad news for them; Fed Still Puzzled by Inflation, but Rate Increase Is on Track;
Amazon Merchants Face Deadline Over Collection of Sales Taxes;
China Working Towards A Future Of Electric Vehicles; Autonomous Vehicle Push Tests Limits Of Battery Technology;
Wind Generation Expected To Expand After Successes Of Block Island Wind Farm; Pruitt Calls For End Of Tax Credits To Wind Industry;
Kobe Steel's Falsified Data Is Another Blow to Japan's Reputation; Kobe Steel Problems May Be More Widespread, Raising Fears on High-Speed Rail;
Aerospace Industry Looking Toward Autonomous Planes; Honeywell To Retain Aerospace, Spin Off Two Business Units;
Factories attack Perry's plan for power grid; Pro-Trump Energy Group Criticizes Perry Plan To Aid Coal, Nuclear;
Trump Attempt To Save Coal, Likely In Vain; Bloomberg Gives $64M To Fight Coal;
An Epic, and Costly, Boardroom Battle at Procter & Gamble;
10 Ideas for Generating Monthly Dividends;
Other news
Fake news thrives because we desperately want to believe it; How Russia Harvested American Rage to Reshape U.S. Politics;
New report claims Donald Trump probably obstructed justice and could face impeachment;
American Kakistocracy;
Education:
Increase In Borrowing By Colleges, Universities Could Drive Higher Tuition Costs; Californians Want Increased College Aid For Low- And Middle-income For Public Colleges;
With Title IX Guidance in Flux, It May Be 'Open Hunting Season' for Lawyers; House Democrats Propose Making Obama-Era Title IX Guidance Into Law;
STEM Education Advocate Warns Against ED's Proposal To Stop Collecting AP Data;
What Students Can Learn From Workplace Hierarchies; Teachers Abhor State Tests While Supporting State Standards;
Purdue's President Says Free-Speech Policy Forces Him to Defend Faculty Critic; What Berkeley's $800,000 Did - and Didn't - Buy During 'Free Speech Week';
U. of Wisconsin System Proposes Merging 2-Year and 4-Year Colleges; Wisconsin Charts Its Own Course for Change;
National Lab Scientists Criticize New Mexico Science Standards; Albuquerque School Board Votes To Oppose State Education Proposal For Using Term Climate "Fluctuations";
Inside an Unprecedented' Increase in Campus White-Supremacist Recruiting;
Chapel Hill Is Spared Penalties in NCAA Investigation of Academic-Athletic Scandal; North Carolina ruling proves NCAA is useless;
In UNC Case, No Watchdog for Major Academic Fraud; Where the Buck Stopped in the UNC Fraud Scandal (Hint: Not at the Top);
Albright College Athlete Is Dismissed From Team for Kneeling During National Anthem;
10/6/17
TechNews for the week: October 6; October 4; October 2;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Tillerson: U.S. is in direct contact with North Korea over nuclear tests; Trump, diverging from his secretary of state, says Tillerson is 'wasting his time' on North Korea talks;
Trump signed presidential directive ordering actions to pressure North Korea; Arms cache seized in the Suez canal highlights North Korea's illicit and profitable small-arms trade;
North Korea appears to have a new Internet connection thanks to the help of a state-owned Russian firm;
As Kurdish Borders Close, War of Words Heats Up; Tillerson says Kurdish independence referendum is illegitimate and U.S. does not recognize it;
Syria fighting worst since Aleppo, air strikes deadly;
Netanyahu pledges to build in settlement, annex it to Israel; Netanyahu rejects Palestinian reconciliation unless Hamas disarm;
Trump told UN head Netanyahu is bigger peace obstacle than Abbas;
Catalonia and Spain map out their next moves after chaotic vote for independence; Catalonia poses a real crisis for both Spain and Europe;
Saudi King, in Russia, Seeks Warmer Ties With a Longtime Foe;
How Trump's time at his golf club hurt the response to Maria in devastated Puerto Rico; San Juan Mayor Rebukes Trump Administration for Rosy Comments on Relief Effort;
Trump says Puerto Rico officials should be 'proud' more haven't died like in Katrina; Statistics On Drinking Water, Electricity Removed From FEMA Web Page;
Trump Tells Puerto Rico Officials Hurricane Threw Budget 'Out Of Whack';
White House Dials Back Trump's Vow to Clear Puerto Rico's Debt; Did President Trump add $33 million to Puerto Rico's debt by bankrupting a golf course there?
U.S. will expel 15 Cuban diplomats, escalating tensions over mystery illnesses;
Trump's generals thwart him on the Iran deal; Trump to 'decertify' Iran nuclear deal, kicking issue to a reluctant Congress and throwing accord into disarray;
Supreme Court takes up Wisconsin as test in partisan gerrymandering claims; Ginsburg Slaps Gorsuch in Gerrymandering Case;
John McCain attacks gerrymandering and tells Supreme Court to 'return control of our elections to the people';
The Supreme Court discussed my research on gerrymandering. There were some misconceptions;
Unsealed documents reveal Kobach's secret plans to undermine voting rights; Kobach plan for Trump included federal voting laws changes;
Senate Unveils Budget Blueprint Allowing $1.5 Trillion in Tax Cuts; Senate Republicans' budget proposes cutting $450 billion from Medicare;
The 'pass-through' loophole in the Trump tax plan is a huge handout to the 1%; Mnuchin: Can't guarantee tax cut for entire middle class;
House passes 2018 budget in crucial step toward tax legislation; Republicans Are Reconsidering Full Repeal of State and Local Tax Deduction;
9 million kids get health insurance under CHIP. Congress just let it expire;
Trump administration issues rule narrowing women's access to birth-control coverage under the Affordable Care Act;
Facebook Provides 3,000 Russian-Linked Ads to Congressional Committees; Russian ads on Facebook showed a black woman firing a rifle, amid efforts to stoke racial strife in U.S.;
Russians took a page from corporate America by using Facebook tool to ID and influence voters;
Russian-linked Facebook ads targeted Michigan and Wisconsin; New research says Russian propaganda may have been shared hundreds of millions of times;
Trump's company had more contact with Russia during campaign, according to documents; GOP Congressman Meets With Lawyer at Center of Russia Investigation;
Tillerson says he never planned to quit, won't discuss report he called Trump a 'moron';
How Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Jr., Avoided a Criminal Indictment;
At least 50 dead, 200 wounded at shooting on Las Vegas Strip; The Trump administration has already been rolling back gun regulations;
Trump administration plans to scrap Obama's key effort to combat climate change;
GOP insurgency plans for a civil war in next year's midterm elections; Steve Bannon warns it will be 'the end of everything' if Trump supports gun control;
Virginia Republican Goes Full Willie Horton In New Ad About MS-13 'Sex Slaves';
GOP Kansas Leaders Defiant After Schools Ruling;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
US pressured North Korea by overwhelming hackers with data traffic;
Russian hackers get U.S. cyber defense details from NSA; Yet Another Russian Hack of the NSA - This Time with Kaspersky's Help;
White House Official Calls Foreign Gov't Reviews of U.S. Software 'Problematic'; HP Shared ArcSight Source Code with Russians;
Privacy implications of e-mail tracking; Congress Considers Legislation to Protect Consumers from Hacking;
Lawmakers Unveil Bill to Limit Warrantless Internet Surveillance;
DHS Creates Voting System Cybersecurity Task Force;
Facebook Sought Exemptions from FEC for Political Ad Disclosures;
Your Yahoo account was definitely hacked - here's what to do;
Some Macs Vulnerable to Exploits Even After Updates;
Remote Malware Attacks on ATMs;
Replacing Social Security Numbers;
Math and science
Research Team Makes Majorana Particle Discovery, Stands To Influence Computer Building;
Engineering Professors Discuss Ways To Reduce, Prevent Earthquake Damage;
Scientists mapping Greenland have produced some surprising - and worrying - results; One of the oldest climate change experiments has led to a troubling conclusion;
Experts say Hybrid Drone To "Revolutionize" Warfare; For Electric Car Owners, 'Range Anxiety' Gives Way to 'Charging Time Trauma';
Web and computing issues
Trump can tweet almost anything he wants;
How social media trolls capitalized on the Las Vegas shooting; A running list of viral hoaxes and misinformation about the Las Vegas shooting; Another List;
The state of women in computer science: An investigative report;
SC News and Politics
Revisionist Spin Machine On Rinse For Haley's Record;
GOP says Trump Tax Plan Focuses on Manufacturing, Middle Class;
Finance and Economics
After hurricanes, U.S. economy loses 33,000 jobs in September as unemployment falls to 4.2 percent; Companies can't find workers to rebuild after Harvey and Irma;
Where machines could replace humans-and where they can't (yet); 3 Ways Millennials are Shaping Today's Workplace Tech;
Landscaper's 'hire American' plan ended with bringing in Mexican workers to finish the job; Construction Industry Waits For Clarity On Administration's Infrastructure Plans;
Europe hits Ireland over $15B in unpaid Apple taxes; Luxembourg liable for $294M in Amazon taxes;
U.S. Chamber of Commerce suing to block rule allowing consumers to sue their banks;
Tax Cuts, Sold as Fuel for Growth, Widen Gap Between Rich and Poor; Hedge fund billionaire flew top Mnuchin aide on private jet to Palm Beach;
As ACA enrollment nears, administration keeps cutting federal support of the law;
Fear of Federal Debt Has Faded, but Risks Remain; Stocks that May Outperform in the Next Market Crash;
Perry Embraces Electricity Pricing Policy To Benefit Coal, Nuclear Plants; Eleven Industry Groups File Opposition To DOE Directive To FERC;
Wind Energy A Growing Source Of Revenue In Ohio; Wind Energy Giant Says Trump's Anti-Wind Rhetoric Empty So Far;
G.M. and Ford Lay Out Plans to Expand Electric Models; GM Reports Test Fleet Of Robot Cars Was In Six Minor Crashes Last Month;
Ford CEO Unveils Five-Year Growth Plan To Transition Into Electric, Autonomous Vehicles And Mobility;
Self-Driving Car Legislation Receives Criticism For Lack of Safety Measures, Privacy Protection;
Other news
Trump's coverup now makes sense; Away from his teleprompter, Trump causes more trouble for himself;
Democracy's Disappearance; Textual analysis is crucial to citizenship;
German breweries bring 1,000-year-old beer making into the modern age;
Education:
Pew Report: Hispanic High School Graduations, College Enrollments Up; Can a 20-Minute Test Tell Employers What a College Degree Cannot?
Study Credits College Graduation Gap In Illinois To High In-State Tuition, Fees; Students From Poor Families Have More Student Loan Defaults;
For-Profit College Students Twice As Likely To Default Than Those At Public Colleges; Veterans Agency Seeks to Scrap Ethics Law on For-Profit Colleges;
Preschool Teachers Are Uncomfortable with Science, Teach It Rarely; A Math Dept. Welcomes Students to Its Discipline;
New Mexico Officials Will Not Discuss Origins Of Proposed Science Standards; Student Speaks Out Against Proposed Science Standards;
Support For College Endowment Reform Spans Political Spectrum;
The Free-Speech Case That Caught Jeff Sessions' Eye; DOJ Investigating Harvard Admissions Practices;
U. Wisconsin Regents Approve a 3-Strikes Policy to Deal With Students Who Disrupt Speakers; Evergreen State College Students Are Penalized for Protests;
Basketball Scandal Highlights the Power of the Assistant Coach - and the Limits of Oversight; Roy Williams has 'amnesia' when it comes to college basketball's seedy underworld;