Guardian: Catholic Belgian university ‘deplores’ comments by Pope Francis moments after speech
UCLouvain staff and students express ‘incomprehension and disapproval’ over pope’s views on role of women.
The Press: Quad bikes on Kaikōura beach questioned after dotterel dies
Ailsa McGilvary-Howard and her banded dotterel study team have been following the bird since 2018, but on September 21 the bird was found dead, thought to have been run over while she was hatching her chicks.
Banded dotterels are a threatened endemic bird, with a declining population of about 50,000. Their breeding season is from July to January.
NYT: Beth Macy: I Grew Up Much Like JD Vance. How Did We End Up So Different?
I hail from western Ohio, not far from JD Vance’s hometown, Middletown. Like him, I grew up in a family marred by addiction, with a grandmother who was also my rock.
In the small city of Urbana, many of the mills and factories closed not long after I left for college in the 1980s, the same hollowing out Mr. Vance later witnessed in Middletown, as detailed in his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” The work my mom did building airplane navigation lights was shipped overseas or replaced by automation, our flagship factory sold to a Cleveland corporation in 1977 and, two mergers later, bought by an international conglomerate. Such moves were cheered by economists and pushed by Democrats and Republicans alike.
⋮
My first clues to the changes taking place in my hometown were the many Confederate flags I spotted flying in a region that was once an important stop on the Underground Railroad and encounters with former classmates who now openly embrace QAnon. In my hometown, I learned, mental-health emergency calls have soared by a factor of nine.
Apple: Commands for dictating text on iPhone
Spencer Greenhalgh: 📚 bookblog: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ for Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Biggest Sting Operation Ever, by Joseph Cox
This is the story of when the FBI ran an encrypted phone company marketed to criminals. Working with Australian Federal Police and European partners, they had a glimpse into gangsters’ and drug dealers’ conversations for years before they wrapped it up with a series of worldwide arrests.
It’s a wild story that sounds like fiction but happens to be true. In fact, that’s Cory Doctorow’s blurb on the back—his recommendation on his blog is what got me to check this out. I’m also a fan of 404 Media, so it felt good to support one of its founders.
The Atlantic: Remember That DNA You Gave 23andMe?
23andMe is not doing well. Its stock is on the verge of being delisted. It shut down its in-house drug-development unit last month, only the latest in several rounds of layoffs. Last week, the entire board of directors quit, save for Anne Wojcicki, a co-founder and the company’s CEO. Amid this downward spiral, Wojcicki has said she’ll consider selling 23andMe — which means the DNA of 23andMe’s 15 million customers would be up for sale, too.
Last Updated: 29.Sep.2024 19:59 EDT
