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Tech NewsPrivacy & SecuritySupreme Court Issues Radical New Reading of Anti-Hacking Law
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday said a Georgia police officer had not violated the country’s main anti-hacking law by improperly accessing a government database for financial gain, a decision likely to curtail prosecutions under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) of individuals who misuse computer systems to which they have legal access. The … Continued
By Dell Cameron -
Tech NewsArchivists Want to Make Sci-Hub ‘Un-Censorable’
For roughly the past decade, Sci-Hub—aka, the “Pirate Bay of Science—has been giving researchers, reporters, and open-source advocates unfettered access to countless scientific papers across every discipline you can imagine. In return, it’s been hit with multiple lawsuits, a suspended Twitter account, and an investigation from the United States Department of Justice. Now, people are … Continued
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Tech NewsPoliticsBen Shapiro Finally Manages to Get Wood
Today in people exhibiting tremendous, just absolutely off-the-charts LDE: Imp-like right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro is asking fellow patriots to go to their local Home Depot and buy a board or something to show their support for voter suppression laws. Atlanta-headquartered Home Depot has become the target of boycott calls from Black faith leaders in Georgia, … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsUK Police Warn Against Using Sci-Hub’s 85 Million Documents of Pirated Research
Police in the UK issued a warning over the weekend against visiting Sci-Hub, a website that offers over 85 million free research papers that are typically behind paywalls. Police claim that people associated with Sci-Hub are dangerous because they “steal” login credentials from students and faculty at universities, a claim the website’s administrators have previously … Continued
By Matt Novak -
ScienceHealthFlorida Sheriff Bans Masks As State’s Covid-19 Death Toll Breaks New Daily Record
Billy Woods, the sheriff of central Florida’s Marion County, banned masks for all deputies and visitors to the sheriff’s office starting Tuesday, according to a new report from the Ocala Star Banner—a strange decision to make in the middle of a pandemic that’s still wildly out of control. Sheriff Woods has instructed staff not to … Continued
By Matt Novak -
EartherA Record Number of Environmentalists Were Murdered in 2019
These are dangerous times to be an environmental defender. In 2019, a record number of environmental advocates were murdered. Every year, Global Witness, a human rights watchdog, releases a report detailing the number of murders against environmental advocates around the world. Every year, the numbers go up. This year’s report chronicling 2019 is unfortunately no … Continued
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EartherIndia Might Be Censoring Environmental Organizations Online
Three Indian environmental organizations’ websites appear to have been censored in the country. Yash Marwah, founder of the Indian environmental communications organization Let India Breathe, noticed something was wrong with his organization’s website late last month. “Followers kept coming and telling us that the site is not working,” he told Earther via WhatsApp. At first, … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
io9Books & ComicsThe Punisher’s Logo Can’t Be Turned Into a Symbol for Black Lives Matter or Real World Justice
For years now, American police officers and members of various branches of the American military have used Marvel Comics’ Punisher skull logo as a symbol to represent their own personal ideologies about what it means to be a person wielding a weapon. Those ideologies, interpreted through the lens of the logo, are simple: it is our … Continued
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SciencePhysics & ChemistryScientists Call for Academic Shutdown in Support of Black Lives
White supremacy is baked into science and academia, from racist language in textbooks to a culture that excludes Black scientists from innovating and advancing at the same pace as their colleagues. But rather than more milquetoast statements and diversity initiatives, researchers want action. Organizers are asking the scientific community to participate in a work stoppage … Continued
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Tech NewsPolice Claim Elderly Protester ‘Tripped and Fell’ Before Viral Video Exposed the Lie
Police in Buffalo, New York released a statement on Thursday claiming that an elderly man who was protesting police brutality had “tripped and fell” in front of Buffalo City Hall before being taken to the hospital. But that all changed when video went viral on social media showing the 75-year-old man had been pushed by … Continued
By Matt Novak -
EartherCriminalizing Protests Is a Dangerous Idea
Despite the Constitution granting us the right to peaceful assembly, many states have been pushing forth laws to make that a crime. That’s not only a bad idea but an incredibly dangerous one. Legal experts note that these bills and laws—which 38 states have considered and 21 have passed—threaten democracy at large by scaring the … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental JusticeThe Coronavirus Is Forcing the Climate Movement to Reimagine Itself
Earth Day was supposed to be part of a week of mass mobilizations in late April. Protestors were going to rally in the streets. Students were going to gather on their university campuses to demand they divest from fossil fuels. Those too young to vote were planning to knock on doors and educate voters about … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental JusticeGreta Thunberg Urges World to ‘Unite Behind the Experts’ as Youth Climate Strikes Move Online
For the last two weeks, youth climate organizers in New York have been discussing how climate striking may change now that the novel coronavirus had reached the state. These conversations have been happening elsewhere, too, including in Spain and Belgium. And now Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teen activist that galvanized the global climate strike movement, … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental JusticeMainstream Environmental Groups Are Finally Becoming More Diverse
A new report shows that environmental organizations are improving diversity among staff, but they’ve still got a long way to go. For five years, environmental group watchdog Green 2.0 has been putting out an annual report card of sorts on how different environmental nonprofits and foundations are doing when it comes to hiring and promoting … Continued
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EartherConservationA Second Butterfly Defender Has Been Found Dead in Mexico
Two butterfly activists have been found dead in Mexico in less than a week. The body of guide and conservationist Raúl Hernández Romero was found in the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Ocampo, Mexico on Friday, following the discovery of the body of activist Homero Gómez González the week before in a retention pond. Both activists … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental JusticeJane Fonda Saved Her Best DC Fire Drill Friday for Last
WASHINGTON, DC—Fire Drill Fridays have been a fixture in Washington since mid-October when Jane Fonda began a weekly climate strike in the nation’s capital inspired by Greta Thunberg and the youth climate strike movement. On Friday, under gray skies and 50-degree weather that felt much colder with a blustery wind, she staged her last fire … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
EartherWhy Indigenous Youth Were 2019’s Climate Warriors
If there was any year to honor the youth, 2019 sure as hell would be it. Around the world this year, young people took to the streets and demanded their governments take action to address climate change. Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg has been held up as the face of the new youth movement, but … Continued
