NEW RESOURCES

Cycling Industry News: New tool lists nearly 300 EU subsidy and tax incentives for bike firms. “A new tool developed by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) and the City Changer Cargo Bike project (CCCB) has curated a list of nearly 300 tax and subsidy benefits available in Europe. The national, regional and local incentives have been compiled in a first of its kind directory in the hope of giving bike firms and cycling groups a clear view on perks that may help them both in business and to subsequently grow cycling numbers in Europe.”

Vermont Law School: New “Labels Unwrapped” Website Breaks Down The Confusing Laws Behind Food Labels . “The website explains many of the common terms and claims found on labels through a series of interactive illustrated labels spanning different product categories: protein, dairy, grains, produce, fats and oils, sweets, and supplements. Users can hover over the various claims on each to learn more about common marketing terms like ‘gluten free,’ ‘all natural,’ ‘USDA organic,’ ‘grass-fed,’ and dozens more. Straightforward explanations outline what each claim means, as well as how (and if) it is regulated, and by whom. A ‘Labels 101’ section provides a breakdown of the general law of food labels and frequently asked questions.”

Inverse: Is Bigger Always Better? Scientists Explain The Evolution Of Sperm Size. “The researchers searched the scientific literature for data on sperm size, ultimately creating a database of sperm records from more than 3,000 species from 21 different animal groups known as ‘phyla.’ This is the largest known database on sperm length and fertilization methods, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. The study focuses on three classes of animals, depending on where and how their sperm fertilizes eggs during reproduction.”

TWEAKS AND UPDATES

Screen Rant: How To Try Twitter’s New Super Follows & Ticketed Spaces. “On June 22, 2021, Twitter formally unveiled Super Follows and Ticked Spaces. Both have been leaked and teased leading up to this, but they’ve now been fully unveiled in all of their glory. Super Follows stands to be the most game-changing of the two, as it reimagines the idea of following other users.”

AROUND THE SEARCH AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Washington Post: Rights group: Facebook amplified Myanmar military propaganda. “Facebook’s recommendation algorithm amplifies military propaganda and other material that breaches the company’s own policies in Myanmar following a military takeover in February, a new report by the rights group Global Witness says. A month after the military seized power in Myanmar and imprisoned elected leaders, Facebook’s algorithms were still prompting users to view and ‘like’ pro-military pages with posts that incited and threatened violence, pushed misinformation that could lead to physical harm, praised the military and glorified its abuses, Global Witness said in the report, published late Tuesday.”

New York Times: The Inequality of the GoFundMe Economy. “Turning to the internet for financial help didn’t work very well in a pandemic. That was among the discouraging conclusions of a new academic research paper that examined efforts on the fund-raising website GoFundMe to collect money for health care bills, groceries, funeral costs and other needs that resulted from the coronavirus crisis.”

ProPublica: How China Spreads Its Propaganda Version of Life for Uyghurs. “Thousands of videos of Uyghurs denying abuses against their community are showing up on Twitter and YouTube. They’re part of an elaborate influence campaign by Chinese officials to counter reports of human rights violations in Xinjiang.”

SECURITY & LEGAL

Courthouse News Service: Ninth Circuit Revives Suit Against Social Media Giants Over Nightclub Terror Attack. “A Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday largely answered the question of whether social media networks can be held liable for terror attacks around the world: they can’t. Unless the families of victims can show — as they may have in one case — that the tech giants knowingly allow terrorist groups to create and maintain public accounts and turning a deaf ear to complaints. But the panel also said it’s time for either the executive or legislative branches to do something about unregulated social media networks and the broad immunity provided them under the Communications Decency Act of 1996.”

WFLA: New law creates Florida database for teacher firings, resignations over sexual misconduct. “HB 131 requires the Florida Department of Education to create and maintain a list of people who are disqualified from teaching in the state. Included in the database would be reasons for termination as well as a list of teachers who resigned rather than be fired for sexual misconduct.”

Library of Congress: Library of Congress Announces Copyright Public Modernization Committee . “The Library of Congress announced today the membership of the new Copyright Public Modernization Committee (CPMC), which is being convened to enhance communication and provide a public forum for the technology-related aspects of the U.S. Copyright Office’s modernization initiative. The first CPMC meeting will be hosted by the Library on July 22, 2021.”

RESEARCH & OPINION

AP: Virginia hopes to remove time capsule along with Lee statue. “If a court clears the way, the state of Virginia expects to remove not just a soaring statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Richmond’s historic Monument Avenue but also a little-known piece of history tucked inside the massive sculpture’s base: a 134-year-old time capsule.”

Florida Museum of Natural History: iDigBio receives $20 million from NSF to sustain U.S. museum digitization efforts. “The National Science Foundation has awarded iDigBio nearly $20 million to continue its mission of digitizing natural history collections nationwide, making them available online to researchers, educators and community scientists around the world.” Good morning, Internet…

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