From a political point of view, Florida and Texas appear to be in a race to the bottom. The governors and state legislatures in both of these densely populated sunbelt states are working overtime to forward a reality that spookily mirrors the dystopian states that some of our best writers have depicted. The politicians are not acting alone. Many citizens in these states and elsewhere are in favor of banning books, …
Virtual Private Networks Play Critical Role During Wartime
Surfshark, a VPN company based in Lithuania, has experienced a 3500% surge in sales inside of Russia since February 24th–the day Russia invaded Ukraine. According to Surfshark's analysis, the Russian telecoms regulator Roskomnadzor has forced Google to delist more than 36,000 URLs that link to VPN services over the past month. The most significant spike of requests was recorded amid the second week of the war, …
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Worst Case Scenario: Rent from Hertz, Get Reported for Car Theft
Hertz is being sued by hundreds of US customers who allege they were wrongfully arrested after the rental company reported them to the police for stealing cars they say they had legitimately rented. One woman spent 40 days in jail – away from her kids and two-month-old baby – because she was arrested for car theft. Another customer spent seven months in jail and eventually signed a plea deal just to bring the …
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War in Ukraine Leads Western Firms to Close the Door on Russia
Horrible news and painful images are pouring out of Ukraine every day now, as the European country of more than 40M people struggles to survive and repel Russia's lethal invasion. The images and news from inside Russia are also disturbing as the Kremlin is viciously attacking anti-war protestors, closing media outlets, and tightening its grip before it loses its grip completely. Everyone loses in war. Here's …
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Supply of Avocados from Mexico Cut Short by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Before the Super Bowl on Sunday, Michoacán Gov. Alfredo Ramirez Bedolla boasted about the state’s avocado sales on Twitter, writing that “regardless of who wins the game today, the avocado produced in Michoacán is already the real winner of the night.” Solamente en febrero, se espera una venta de aguacate por 350 millones de dólares. Sin importar quién gane el partido de hoy, el aguacate producido en Michoacán es …
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It’s Not News, We’re Suffering from Disinformation Blues
Misinformation and disinformation are both proliferating today and consequently polluting minds. While both misinformation and disinformation can deceive audiences and thus both pose a real danger, the distinction is that disinformation is intentionally, maliciously deceptive. According to a recent study from NewsGuard, $2.6 billion per year is spent by big brands advertising on websites that carry …
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Are You Ready To Stir Up Your Digital Routine with Kahlúa?
How bad is 'digital distraction' in your home? Is an obsessive amount of screen time getting in the way of your most important relationships? The data points to a real problem for millions of people who freely admit to spending five to six hours on their phones every day. According to Pew, 62% of 30- to 49-year-olds and 52% of 18-to 29-year-olds who are in a romantic relationship say their partner is at least …
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Bias Against People Over 50 Is the Work of Feeble-Minded Novices
Divisiveness is a fact of life in America today. Sadly, too many brands and their agency partners see an opportunity in it. When you make fun of one group, it excites another group and moves them to action. That's the idea and it's not wrong. What's wrong is using fear, judgment, and other wedge issues to sell. Ken Dychtwald is a nationally recognized expert on aging and ageism. In a new article for AARP, he …
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