IT'S ABOUT TIME

Scrabble Bans 236 Racist Words and Slurs From Official List

Good riddance

Racism is no longer Scrabble sanctioned.
JONATHAN BRADY/PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES

BY KAYLA KIBBE / JULY 10, 2020

If you’ve ever watched a peaceful game of Scrabble deteriorate into a heated debate over whether or not you can play that obscure piece of slang or seemingly illegible mashup of leftover letter tiles, you know Scrabble has an official holy book of words the great Scrabble overlords have deemed acceptable. As of Wednesday, however, that official list is now short 236 words and slurs that have been stripped of their Scrabble approval status due to racist or bigoted meanings and associations.

“Removing slurs is the very least that we can do to make our association more inclusive,” John Chew, CEO of The North American Scrabble Players Association said in a statement Wednesday. “How can we in this day tell prospective members that they can only play with us if they accept that offensive slurs have no meaning when played on a board?”

While the association, for obvious reasons, did not share the full list of banned words, Chew told NPR “the N word,” was naturally the first to get cut.

“If a word is so offensive that it can only be referred to by its initial, does that not indicate that it retains its meaning in all contexts?” Chew said in the statement.

Unfortunately, while scrapping hateful language from the game should have been a no-brainer, the decision was met with some inevitable controversy from the members of the official association, with opposition on both sides of the debate.

“Some members threatened to leave the association if a single word were removed; others threatened to leave the association if any offensive words remained,” said Chew. “There were a lot of good and bad arguments on both sides.”

Ultimately, the association voted to scrap 236 offensive words, though Chew told NPR that “words that are potentially offensive but are not considered slurs — such as those for parts of the body — remain.”

Renaming Redskins May Be Profitable for Washington Owner Dan Snyder

A rebranding will cost money up-front, but could be a financial win in the long run

Team owner Daniel Snyder of the Washington Redskins. 

(George Gojkovich/Getty) GETTY IMAGES

BY EVAN BLEIER / JULY 9, 2020

Though changing the name of Washington’s football team will cost owner Daniel Snyder and the NFL (due to revenue sharing) some money in the short-term, it could end up being quite profitable to get rid of the Redskins moniker.

It won’t be instantaneous, but as fans gradually replace all of their Washington Redskins gear — from jerseys to jackets to coolers to couch covers — Snyder will start to recoup some the up-front costs of getting rid of the team’s offensive name on short notice.

Also, if the name isn’t changed, Snyder may completely lose the team’s lucrative corporate sponsorships, which means a rebranding will likely be a financial win no matter what.

“If it costs you seven figures to go through a rebrand, but your naming-rights partner wants to take you to court, or your pouring-rights partner says they’re pulling out … the economics of it are no longer tenable,” David Carter, an associate professor of sports business at USC’s Marshall School of Business, told The Washington Post.

If Snyder wants to get his burgundy and gold team back in the black in terms of merchandise sales, he should greenlight a name change sooner rather than later.

In recent days, Amazon has pulled merchandise for the team from its website as have retailers including Walmart, Nike, and Target.

While it has been reported there will be no Native American imagery in a new team logo, as if that should have even been under consideration given the circumstances, burgundy and gold will remain Washington’s colors.

Study: Fox News, Anderson Cooper Among Most Trusted News Sources for Cheaters

But many of them are also cheating on Fox with a certain CNN anchor

Patiently waiting for Fox and Ashley Madison to collab on a new dating app and/or reality show. RAFAEL HENRIQUE/SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES

BY KAYLA KIBBE / JULY 9, 2020

If you were having an extramarital affair, where would you go for trusted reporting on current events and need-to-know news? Statistically speaking, the answer is probably Fox News.

That’s according to a recent survey from married dating site Ashley Madison, which found that Fox News is the most trusted news source among its users, preferred by 43 percent of members.

REPUBLICAN FAMILY VALUES

This news isn’t terribly surprising for a platform that has historically trended conservative in its user base, according to Ashley Madison Chief Strategy Officer Paul Keable. “Historically, our membership in the US has been largely Republican, so it comes as no surprise that our data reveals Fox News to be the top news network in terms of views and trustworthiness,” Keable said in a press release.

CNN came in second place, preferred by 29 percent of Ashley Madison users, while MSNBC took third place with just 11 percent. “This ranking is consistent with the top three most watched and most trusted networks among Ashley Madison members, 90% of whom say they watch the news,” said Keable.

Are you keeping up with current affairs or are you just currently having affairs? pic.twitter.com/bwO878JD2u
— Ashley Madison (@ashleymadison) July 7, 2020

However, while Ashley Madison users may prefer Fox as a network, many of them seem to have a soft spot for a certain CNN reporter. According to the Ashley Madison report, CNN’s Anderson Cooper is the most trusted news anchor among the platform’s users, preferred by 33 percent. Fellow CNN reporter Wolf Blitzer took fourth place, while the remaining spots were taken up by Fox’s Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham and Chris Wallace.

If some Fox News loyalists are cheating on the network with Anderson Cooper, Keable says the diversity among preferred journalists reflects an open-mindedness not unlike that often involved in extramarital affairs. “What we’re seeing is that political affiliation doesn’t always dictate what news you watch or trust,” said Keable. “Some may consider that cheating, so to speak, but, as with marriages, sometimes the best thing to do is broaden your horizons and explore what else is out there.”

This isn’t the first time Ashley Madison has discovered political inconsistencies among its users. Back in May, the platform found that the top 20 cities for extramarital affairs during the coronavirus pandemic all went blue in the last election, despite Ashley Madison’s historical tendency toward the conservative end of the political spectrum.

“It’s been said that politics makes for strange bedfellows, so in a time of huge societal shifts it shouldn’t be a surprise that even the membership of Ashley Madison is changing,” said Keable.

This all goes to show that infidelity knows no political bounds. In these increasingly divided times, maybe cheating on our spouses is the one thing holding this nation together.

Guns N’ Roses, Pearl Jam, Green Day Among Bands Who Received PPP Loans

The funds will go towards supporting and retaining crew and staff

Axl Rose and Slash of Guns N' Roses perform at the 2019 ACL Fest.

GARY MILLER/GETTY IMAGES

BY BONNIE STIERNBERG / JULY 10, 2020 

We tend to forget that bands are businesses, that for every artist who’s currently out of work due to the pandemic, there are also crew members and staff who find themselves strapped for cash thanks to canceled tours and performances. And as Rolling Stone found, more than 50 musicians and groups have received small business loans from the government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

The money from the loans will go to supporting and retaining the artists’ crews and staff. The Eagles, Pearl Jam and Disturbed reportedly took out the largest loans, being granted somewhere between $350,000 and $1 million. (As Rolling Stone notes, the Eagles’ loan is listed under their touring company and will save 50 jobs.) Green Day, Weezer, Imagine Dragons, Jason Isbell and My Chemical Romance were also among the acts who received PPP loans.

“Like most tours that were happening this year, My Chemical Romance’s world tour was cancelled,” the group told Rolling Stone. “MCR received PPP money to ensure their crew is funded in these times of uncertainty until we are able to be out on the road again. We are so grateful to these skilled, dedicated people – some of them are parents, others caretakers, still others who simply have rent to pay – and this money helps them take care of themselves and their families.”

Read the full story at Rolling Stone

Comet whizzing by Earth for 1st time in 6,800 years is visible to the naked eye
By Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist and staff writer
Published Jul. 8, 2020

July brings the rare opportunity to see a comet with the naked eye. Here’s how to find Comet NEOWISE and its long tail in the sky.

Stargazers have the opportunity to spot a rare object in the sky this month as a newly discovered comet flies through the inner solar system for the first time in 6,800 years.

Comet NEOWISE has been getting brighter and brighter in the early-morning sky, and in the coming days, it will make an appearance in the evening after sunset.


“Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) – discovered back in March by NASA's NEOWISE mission – is getting the attention of skywatchers across the Northern Hemisphere this month,” NASA said.

Earlier in 2020, two other newly discovered comets, Comet SWAN and Comet ATLAS, were showing promising signs of eventually becoming bright enough to see with the unaided eye, but both eventually fizzled. The third time was the charm when Comet NEOWISE was discovered as it has lived up to astronomers' predictions that it could become a visible feature in the night sky.

It is now brighter than Halley’s Comet appeared when it zipped through the inner solar system back in 1986

How to see Comet NEOWISE in the sky

Comet NEOWISE can be seen with the naked eye, but onlookers need to know what time and what direction to look to see it as it will not be a prominent feature in the sky.

Right now, it is only visible in the early morning about one to two hours before sunrise in the northeastern sky. This may mean waking up at 4 a.m. (local time) to spot it before the comet gets lost in the daylight.

Comet C/2020 F3 photographed low in the morning sky on July 7. (NASA/Bill Dunford)

Evening stargazers will be able to see the comet starting on the week of July 13 off to the northwest, just below the Big Dipper.

“From mid-July on, it's best viewed as an evening object, rising increasingly higher above the northwestern horizon,” NASA said. “Its closest approach to Earth will be on July 22, at a distance of about 64 million miles (103 million kilometers).” For comparison, the sun is about 93 million miles from Earth.

Comet NEOWISE will climb higher and higher in the evening sky through the second half of July. (NASA)

If cloudy conditions obscure the sky, onlookers can wait until the next night to try to look for the comet as it will be visible throughout the balance of July.

However, people may want to look for it sooner rather than later as it will gradually become dimmer and dimmer later in the month as it moves farther and farther away from the sun.
What Comet NEOWISE will look like

Many pictures of Comet NEOWISE on social media depict it as a brilliant object filling an area of the sky, but to the unaided eye, it may just look like a fuzzy star with a faint tail.

However, a simple telescope or pair of binoculars can reveal more details, especially when it is seen before twilight in the morning or after twilight in the evening.

Many of the images of Comet NEOWISE circulating on the internet were taken over a long period of time by cameras zoomed in on the object.

Comet NEOWISE over central Pennsylvania before daybreak on July 9, 2020. (AccuWeather/Brian Lada)

For people trying to take pictures of the comet, it is recommended to use a long exposure to allow the camera to capture more light, revealing more details of the comet.

A photo with an exposure of 5 to 10 seconds should be enough to capture the glow of the comet and its long tail with detail that the human eye simply cannot see.

Some smartphones are able to take long exposure photographs, either with the built-in camera or with the help of an app. A tripod is also a necessity to keep the camera still for several seconds.

Comet NEOWISE will certainly be an interesting feature to look for in the sky, but it won’t be as grand as Comet Hale-Bopp, which put on a spectacular show in 1997.

Astronomers measure the brightness of objects in the night sky using a measurement known as magnitude. The lower the magnitude number a celestial body is given, the brighter it appears in the sky.

To be visible with the naked eye, an object must have a magnitude of 5 or 6. The full moon has a magnitude of around -12.


The brightness of celestial objects as they are seen from the Earth is measured in magnitude. The lower the number, the brighter the object appears in the sky. (NASA)

As of July 8, Comet NEOWISE had a magnitude of 1.6, according to TheSkyLive.com, a website that provides real-time data on the brightness of objects in the night sky.

For comparison, when the well-known Halley’s Comet visited the inner solar system in 1986, it had a magnitude of around 2, according to Scientific American.

However, Comet Hale-Bopp was one of the rare comets to be brighter than a magnitude 0 and was visible to the naked eye for more than a year.

After Comet NEOWISE leaves the inner solar system, it won’t return for another 6,800 years.

It is difficult to know when a long-period comet, such as Comet NEOWISE, will come along and put on a bright display in the sky, so be sure to take advantage of this rare opportunity to see a comet before it's too late.

China's Great Firewall descends on Hong Kong internet users

Residents rush to erase digital footprints as law gives police powers over online activity

Lily Kuo in Beijing

Wed 8 Jul 2020
 

Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong hold up their mobile phones. The territory faces a dramatic decline in internet freedoms. Photograph: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images
At midnight on Tuesday, the Great Firewall of China, the vast apparatus that limits the country’s internet, appeared to descend on Hong Kong.

Unveiling expanded police powers as part of a contentious new national security law, the Hong Kong government enabled police to censor online speech and force internet service providers to hand over user information and shut down platforms.

Many residents, already anxious since the law took effect last week, rushed to erase their digital footprint of any signs of dissent or support for the last year of protests. Charles Mok, a pro-democracy lawmaker who represents the technology sector, tweeted: “We are already behind the de facto firewall.”

Hong Kong is facing a dramatic decline of one of its most important advantages – a free and open internet – a defining trait that sets it apart from mainland China where Facebook, Twitter, Google and most major foreign news sites are blocked.

The prospect of Beijing-style internet controls – where residents are not just restricted but monitored and punished for what they post online while companies are forced to censor their platforms – is worrying for citizens, activists and businesses in Hong Kong.


China's grip on Hong Kong eroding its status as financial hub, investors believe
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/08/chinas-grip-on-hong-kong-eroding-its-status-as-financial-hub-investors-believe

The law gives authorities the power to demand individuals and service providers remove content, or access to content deemed threatening to national security. Noncompliance can result in fines and imprisonment for company staff or individuals. Police investigating national security cases can surveil communications and confiscate electronic devices.

“The law seems to be building up the Great Firewall locally in Hong Kong. Personal freedom on the internet will be eliminated,” said Charles Low, the chairman of the Hong Kong chapter of the Internet Society. “If you say something wrong they can request the service provider to give your IP address or mobile number so they can grab you.”

After the new measures were announced late on Monday, Facebook, Microsoft, WhatsApp, Google, Twitter, Telegram and others said they would not process information requests from the government until they had reviewed the law. TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, said it was leaving Hong Kong altogether.

“We used to be an internet and telecom hub in the region. Companies moved services from the mainland to Hong Kong and now Hong Kong has become like China, so they will leave,” said Mok.

Protesters who have relied on digital tools over the last year to mobilise demonstrations now find those same platforms could be used against them. Political groups have already disbanded and formerly outspoken activists have quietly left social media, while others have deleted old comments.

“We had freedom before and now it is being taken away. It is extremely painful for me to experience that,” said Glacier Kwong, a digital rights activist. “There will be a loss of information available to the public because people are afraid to speak up. They are controlling the discourse, how people can think about things and what they can think about. It’s very dangerous.”

Experts say it is precisely because Hongkongers used digital tools so effectively against the Beijing-backed government that authorities are now targeting the online space. The movement that erupted last year managed to mobilise itself without leaders through platforms such as the LIHKG forum and messaging app Telegram – with a level of organisation that Beijing has tried to point to as evidence to claim the demonstrations are coordinated by foreign forces.

“It comes back to how effectively Hong Kong used the internet. To crack down on the protests you’ve got to take away that tool,” said Elise Thomas, a researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute focusing on internet freedom.

Experts point out that China’s Great Firewall – which allows the government to inspect data as well as block IP addresses and domain names – could not be immediately replicated in Hong Kong, home to several private internet service providers and internet exchanges.

“It will take at least a few years to build up the wall,” said Low, adding that what is more likely is a partial blackout, cutting off access to certain sites such as LIHKG or Telegram.

Others worry the measures could go even further than in mainland China. The law covers not only permanent residents and foreigners within Hong Kong, but anyone seen as violating the law, regardless of where they are in the world.

The security law may also add to the Balkanisation of the internet, with countries having their own fenced-off versions, and major international tech companies will be under pressure not to contribute to that.

“If we’ve been talking about the ‘splinternet’ and the idea of these cracks skewing through the ice, the national security law is really an ice pick,” said Thomas. “It’s driven a nail in, it is driving those cracks much deeper and faster than before.”

One goal of the restrictions in Hong Kong could simply be making access to certain platforms and technology difficult enough that regular citizens will not bother – a strategy analysts say authorities also use on the mainland.

But Hongkongers, accustomed to decades of unrestricted access to information, may not be so easily deterred. Since Beijing announced its plan in late May to enforce the security law, searches and purchases of virtual private networks (VPNs) and proxies to hide IP addresses have soared.

Many have migrated from Telegram to the encrypted messaging app Signal, and some residents have turned to sim cards from providers in other countries. Kwong says it is not just young protesters who are taking action – her parents recently moved their family group chat to Signal.

“People are indeed kind of panicked and trying to install VPNs and have no idea what it can and cannot help,” said Low, noting that volunteers have been holding workshops to teach residents how to use such tools and how to better protect themselves.

“I have faith in Hong Kong people. They will not forget about the freedom we once had.”

The world threw away $57 billion in gold, silver, copper found in E-waste

CAPITALISM IS WASTE OF NATURAL CAPITAL

Neils Christensen Tuesday July 07, 2020 Kitco News

(Kitco News) - Consumers around the world threw away $57 billion last year, according to a report from the United Nations’ Global E-waste Monitor 2020.

According to the latest report published Monday, e-waste, anything with a plug or battery, hit a record 53.6 million tons in 2019, increasing 21% from the previous year.

Out of all the electronic items thrown away, only 17.4% valued at $10 billion were recycled last year, the report said.

“This means that gold, silver, copper, platinum and other high-value, recoverable materials conservatively valued at US $57 billion—a sum greater than the Gross Domestic Product of most countries—were mostly dumped or burned rather than being collected for treatment and reuse,” the report said.

Asia generated the highest volume of e-waste last year, totaling, some 24.9 million tons; meanwhile, followed the Americas produced 13 million tons of e-waste and Europe created 12 million tons. Africa and Oceania generated 2.9 million tons and 0.7 million tons, respectively.

The United Nations projects that e-waste could rise to 74 million tons by 2030.

“It is essential to substantially increase the officially documented 17.4% global e-waste collection and recycling rate, especially in view of the rapid growth of this waste stream,” the report said.

Margaret Atwood Speaks Out in Support of the Trans Community

Unlike some people...

Congratulations to Margaret Atwood, who knows that trans women are women.

LARS NIKI/GETTY IMAGES FOR NEW YORK WOMEN IN FILM & TELEVISION

BY KAYLA KIBBE / JULY 8, 2020 

After a certain female author came under fire recently for a series of transphobic rants from which she has repeatedly refused to back down, fellow noted female author Margaret Atwood has spoken up in support of trans rights.

Earlier this week, the Handmaid’s Tale author shared an article on “The New Science of Sex and Gender” from Scientific American, encouraging her followers to “Rejoice in Nature’s infinite variety!”

“Biology doesn’t deal in sealed Either/Or compartments,” Atwood wrote in a tweet. “We’re all part of a flowing Bell curve. Respect that!”

Some science here: "When Sex and Gender Collide." https://t.co/oOxAsEWJm8 #TransGenderWomen Biology doesn't deal in sealed Either/Or compartments.
We're all part of a flowing Bell curve. Respect that! Rejoice in Nature's infinite variety!

— Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) July 6, 2020

The Canadian writer went on to defend trans rights in several subsequent tweets as the inevitable anti-trans backlash came rolling in.

“What the piece is talking about is that sex and gender don’t always go together and are not experienced by all people in the same way. That appears to be undeniable,” Atwood replied to one user who wrote, “When it comes to sex, it all falls into female or male.”

Atwood also had a reality check for another user who commented that it was “sad” to see Atwood “capitulate to this nonsense” while her books are known for revealing “that women have been and still are oppressed because of their biology.”

“Of course they have been and are oppressed! That’s covered in this Scientific American collection, as well,” Atwood replied. “Nobody is saying that men and women are the same in all respects. Please read the actual pieces.”

Of course they have been and are oppressed! That's covered in this Scientific American collection, as well. Nobody is saying that men and women are the same in all respects. Please read the actual pieces.

— Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) July 6, 2020

While Atwood’s tweets do not directly reference J.K. Rowling, the Canadian writer joins several other authors and public figures, including Stephen King, who have spoken out in support of the trans community since Rowling’s anti-trans sentiments made headlines last month.

Atwood’s tweets were posted just one day before her name appeared alongside Rowling’s on a controversial open letter against cancel culture signed by a number of other celebrities and public figures.

Jack Dorsey to Fund Universal Basic Income Experiment in 14 Cities

The Twitter CEO is sinking $3 million from his non-profit into the program

Dorsey is flexing his philanthropy muscles once again.

  VICTOR BOYKO/GETTY IMAGES FOR CHROME HEARTS

BY CARL CAMINETTI / JULY 10, 2020 

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will be throwing millions behind a universal basic income experiment. The tech billionaire has announced he will be working with 14 US mayors to launch universal basic income trials in their cities, Forbes reported.

Dorsey’s contribution is part of a larger initiative called Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. The program is expected to affect 7 million Americans across 14 different cities, including Los Angeles, Atlanta and Newark, New Jersey. The group has not specified how eligibility for payment for will determined, nor how much eligible citizens will receive under the plans. Mayors involved said they plan to launch the trial programs in their cities at an unspecified date. Meanwhile, at least two of the 14 cities involved already have guaranteed income pilot programs in effect, while others including Chicago, Newark, and Atlanta have task forces “exploring the feasibility of guaranteed income pilots” in those cities, according to the organization’s website.

$3M to @MichaelDTubbs and @mayorsforagi for #guaranteedincome programs in cities across the country. This is one tool to close the wealth and income gap, level systemic race and gender inequalities, and create economic security for families. #UBIhttps://t.co/1APG505xZH

— jack (@jack) July 9, 2020

Dorsey will be contributing $3 million from #startsmall, his philanthropic limited liability company, to the program. Dorsey made headlines after launching #startsmall earlier this year, transferring $1 billion worth of Square shares to the LLC and pledging to devote much of his charitable efforts to coronavirus relief.

Universal basic income has gained traction in recent years, and the policy was widely publicized as a major component of Andrew Yang’s 2020 presidential campaign. In May, Yang announced he will give $500 to 20 New Yorkers every month for the next five years as a trial run of his policy. And while critics have often dismissed universal basic income as an unlikely and improbable policy, the one-time stimulus checks Americans received at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic have been called an interim universal basic income by Business Insider.

Montreal Coach Thierry Henry Kneels for 8:46 During MLS Game

Henry is one of two Black head coaches in MLS

Head coach of the Montreal Impact Thierry Henry in March. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty)

BY EVAN BLEIER / JULY 10, 2020 10:27 AM

To call attention to the amount of time George Floyd had his neck knelt on while he was being murdered by a former Minnesota police officer, Montreal Impact coach Thierry Henry knelt for eight minutes and 46 seconds after his team kicked off against the New England Revolution on Thursday night.

✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿@ThierryHenry took a knee for the first 8:46 in memory of George Floyd. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/ddn1TYOu1T

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 10, 2020

Clad in a Black Lives Matter shirt, the former France, Arsenal and Barcelona striker knelt with his head down and his hand raised in a closed fist for part of the time while the game went on in front of him before getting to his feet at the 8:46 mark.

Thierry Henry took a knee for the first 8 minutes and 46 seconds of tonight’s game in memory of George Floyd. pic.twitter.com/3n025jVeL5

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 10, 2020

“It was just to pay tribute and show support to the cause,” Henry said. “That was basically it and pretty simple.”

A former World Cup winner, Henry has taken action against racism in the past by launching the Stand Up Speak Up campaign along with other soccer players. The 42-year-old has also been a supporter of Show Racism The Red Card.

“We all have stories that we can tell, but for the first time other ethnicities are involved,” Henry told ESPN’s Taylor Twellman on Wednesday. “I always say back in the day, when stuff like that was happening, that I get insulted on the field for the color of my skin … I would like other ethnicities in my team to walk out before I walk out, then that would be pretty powerful.”

Players, coaches and even referees also showed their support for the Black Lives Matter movement a day before Henry’s team took the field prior to the opening match of the MLS is Back Tournament.

Montreal lost Thursday evening’s match with the Revolution 1-0.