Michael OlsonWhile dysfunction in the Republican Party is getting a fair amount of attention in the U.S., the British are engaging in a debate on the left between Sociatlists and Labour supporters. “I have never voted. Like most people I am utterly disenchanted by politics. Like most people I regard politicians as frauds and liars and Read more →
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Archives for October 2013
“Vigilance is crucial in fighting invasive zebra mussels. The tougher question of who should pay for that vigilance is up for debate. Officials and private groups in Becker County want the state to spend more, but they aren’t waiting for that to happen,” writes MPR News reporter Dan Gunderson. In Becker County, where officials are Read more →
Photo: Cell phone tower by Gary Lerude via Flickr Law enforcement agencies subpoena cellphone location data regularly. But civil liberties groups hope a series of state-level legal victories will usher in stronger protections. Reporter Larry Abramson writes for NPR: You probably know, or should know, that your cellphone is tracking your location everywhere you go. Read more →
“Not happy with your job? Just wait.” (AP) A study by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 9 in 10 workers who are age 50 or older say they are very or somewhat satisfied with their job. Older workers reported satisfaction regardless of gender, race, educational level, political ideology and income Read more →
“By scanning blogs of brain activity, scientists may be able to decode people’s thoughts, dreams and intentions,” writes Kerri Smith in Nature Magazine. Although companies are starting to pursue brain decoding for a few applications, such as market research and lie detection, scientists are far more interested in using this process to learn about the Read more →
“YouTube is preparing a premium on-demand music service — akin to a Spotify, but with video — to launch later this year, according to several sources familiar with the plans,” writes Alex Pham for Billboard. The service, designed with mobile listening in mind, will have a free component and a premium tier that offers unlimited Read more →
“The loose collective running the site today, estimated to be 90 percent male, operates a crushing bureaucracy with an often abrasive atmosphere that deters newcomers who might increase participation in Wikipedia and broaden its coverage,” writes Tom Simonite for MIT Technology Review. The sixth most widely used website in the world is not run anything Read more →
Photo by Summer via Flickr Expecting and new mothers hear a steady refrain from medical professionals and child-rearing experts of “breast is best” when it comes to feeding their newborns. Some of those that can’t or have trouble providing breast milk are turning to online marketplaces. A cottage industry has sprung up facilitating the sale Read more →
Minnesota State Capitol Dome by Furqan Rauf via the MPR News Flickr pool “If Gov. Mark Dayton has his way, next year’s legislative session will be unlike any other.” “Dayton has already dubbed 2014 the ‘unsession,’ because he wants legislators to spend much of their time eliminating old, outdated state laws rather than adding new Read more →
“In a bid to reduce instances of officer misconduct and help the Minneapolis Police Department defeat frivolous brutality complaints and lawsuits, city officials are considering whether to issue wearable cameras to police officers,” writes MPR News reporter Brandt Williams. The city has paid more than $20 million to resolve misconduct lawsuits and claims during the Read more →