Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

Report: Facebook turned a blind eye to violence-inciting posts to appease India’s government

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India is one of the biggest markets for Silicon Valley giants such as Facebook and Google. It’s also a slippery slope in terms of politics as the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) yields a lot of power over how these companies can operate. In the past, the parliamentary committee had summoned Twitter’s Jack Dorsey to question him about the platforms’s alleged left-leaning bias. Because of this power, platforms often think about taking actions on incriminating posts by leaders of the party — even if they violate their content policy. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Ankhi Das, Facebook India’s…

This story continues at The Next Web

Or just read more coverage about: Facebook

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Belarus opposition leader says she’s ready to lead if security forces switch sides

Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is calling for new laws to allow another election to take place in Belarus, telling security forces and police officers past behaviour will be forgiven if they stop supporting President Alexander Lukashenko.

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Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is calling for new laws to allow another election to take place in Belarus, telling security forces and police officers past behaviour will be forgiven if they stop supporting President Alexander Lukashenko.

US chickens ‘literally sitting in each other’s waste’ says RSPCA | Environment | The Guardian

Chickens in a shed on a farm in Delaware, United States

US hens have half the living space of UK birds and are dipped in chlorinated water after slaughter to kill bacteria growing on them as a result of the birds “literally sitting in each other’s waste”, according to a new video being launched today by the RSPCA.

Aiming to highlight the welfare differences between US and UK farm animals as trade talks resume between the two countries in September, the UK’s largest animal welfare charity is taking the unusual step of releasing a video that “exposes the realities of animal welfare” and warns consumers against US dairy, egg and meat imports.

 

Source: US chickens ‘literally sitting in each other’s waste’ says RSPCA | Environment | The Guardian

Facebook’s Algorithm Is ‘Actively Promoting’ Holocaust Denial Content

Facebook’s own recommendation algorithm is dragging people deeper into the world of Holocaust deniers by “actively promoting” similar content to its users, a new study has found. The study was conducted by Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London-based think tank, and found that simply typing the word “holocaust” into Facebook’s search engine results in suggestions for denial pages, which in turn recommend links to publishers that sell revisionist and denial literature, as well as pages dedicated to the notorious British Holocaust denier David Irving. After a user joins one of these communities, Facebook’s algorithm “leads you towards just more political extreme-right pages,” ISD research coordinator and co-author of the report, Jakob Guhl told VICE

Source: Facebook’s Algorithm Is ‘Actively Promoting’ Holocaust Denial Content

China partygoers cram into Wuhan water park as city recovers from coronavirus, East Asia News & Top Stories – The Straits Times (Did extreme lockdown work this well?)

The lockdown was lifted in April, and there have been no new domestically transmitted cases officially reported in Hubei province, where Wuhan is the capital, since mid-May.

Source: China partygoers cram into Wuhan water park as city recovers from coronavirus, East Asia News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

Oklahoma officials say infected student knowingly went to class

Officials at an Oklahoma school district said a student knowingly came to school last week on the first day of classes with COVID-19.

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Officials at an Oklahoma school district said a student knowingly came to school last week on the first day of classes with COVID-19.The Moore Public School District was made aware of the inciden…

Open Thread | Schools, Reopening, and How History Will See Us

More from Andy Slavitt. I consider him a heroic voice during this time.

Here is a

good thread:

He is so thoughtful:

 

I think about the things we all try to teach our kids.
-being safe
-following the golden rule
-showing consideration
-using evidence
-looking out for those less fortunate

And I thought WTF are they going to say about us when they grow up? 3/

— Andy Slavitt @ 🏡 (@ASlavitt) August 4, 2020

 

That the governor in Arizona threatened to take a school district’s budget if they didn’t open even after a teacher died there.

That we have some studies now that show school age kids get & spread COVID-19 & the president still asked EVERY school to be open even w high spread.5/

— Andy Slavitt @ 🏡 (@ASlavitt) August 4, 2020

They see European & Asian countries have done those things.

They’re smart. They’re curious. They’re observant. They know it’s not impossible.

Do they think we can’t? That we won’t? 7/

— Andy Slavitt @ 🏡 (@ASlavitt) August 4, 2020

They will learn as you will that the Koch Brothers has people tinkering with CDC plan on school openings. That they were allowed.

9/

— Andy Slavitt @ 🏡 (@ASlavitt) August 4, 2020

That we let people stand in line for food & lose their housing like the 1930s

That even after losing 150,000 people, we sat by knowing 70,000 more would be lost if we did not change. And we did not change. 11/

— Andy Slavitt @ 🏡 (@ASlavitt) August 4, 2020

My grandmother, like so many others, came here with nothing without her parents. She was 8.

Everything I have including the “liberty” & “rights” were nothjng I earned. They were gifted them from her & many others who sacrificed. 13/

— Andy Slavitt @ 🏡 (@ASlavitt) August 4, 2020

But this pandemic. This pandemic could absolutely be our moment to redeem ourselves. To show what we are made of. We can save lives.

I think about the opportunity to show we can leave a legacy in these times. Show how pulled together. Valued human lives. Helped people in need.15

— Andy Slavitt @ 🏡 (@ASlavitt) August 4, 2020