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Twitter Ranks Worst in Climate Change Misinformation Report (Maria)
The author writes, “A report ranking climate change misinformation gave Twitter (recently rebranded as X) only a single point out of a 21-point scorecard when assessing policies aimed at reducing inaccurate information — the worst out of five major tech platforms. The Climate of Misinformation report by Climate Action Against Disinformation looked at Meta, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok and Twitter for their content moderation policies and efforts to mitigate inaccurate information such as climate denialism. The group, which is made up of dozens of international climate and anti-disinformation organizations including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, released the report to draw attention towards climate misinformation on major platforms.”
What It Takes to ‘Preserve, Protect and Defend’ the Constitution (Al)
From The Bulwark: “The Constitution and the nation are at an inflection point. Former President Donald Trump, who with his supporters damaged or destroyed many of the norms and customs that bolstered our democratic institutions, is now vying to return to office. Polls suggest he has an even chance of doing so. … It is worth reflecting on the fragility of the Constitution and how the recent indictments of the former president are an essential step to restoring some of those important norms and customs.”
A Black Student Was Suspended for His Hairstyle. The School Says It Wasn’t Discrimination (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “A Black high school student in Texas has served more than two weeks of in-school suspensions for wearing twisted dreadlocks to school. When he arrived Monday with the same hairstyle, he was suspended again, his mother said. Darryl George, a junior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, was initially suspended the same week his state outlawed racial discrimination based on hairstyles. School officials said his dreadlocks fell below his eyebrows and ear lobes and violated the district’s dress code.”
Regulators Blast Union Pacific for Running Unsafe Trains (Mili)
From ProPublica: “The nation’s largest freight rail carrier failed to fix and continued to use faulty equipment, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Managers reportedly pressured inspectors to leave the yard so they could keep freight moving.”
A ‘Green Nudge’ Cut Single-Use Plastic Waste in China, Study Suggests (Russ)
The author writes, “Pollution and climate change fueled by disposable plastics is a scourge of modern times — but recent research suggests a few simple changes can push people to use fewer single-use plastic utensils. Writing in the journal Science, Chinese researchers report on how incorporating ‘green nudges’ into a popular Chinese online food delivery service dramatically cut single-use cutlery orders. The nudges, if applied at a larger scale, could cut both plastic waste and deforestation, the scientists say.”
Industrial Plants in Gary and Other Environmental Justice Communities Are Highlighted as Top Emitters (Laura)
From Inside Climate News: “A new report on toxic pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, health metrics and environmental justice indicators could guide investments to clean up heavy industry.”
Can We Talk to Whales? (Sean)
The author writes, “Researchers believe that artificial intelligence may allow us to speak to other species.”