Places and Things

Noisy Cicadas Are Widely Misunderstood When red-eyed cicadas start crawling out of the ground and up tree branches, they almost always cause a stir. Such events are happening right now in parts of Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. Continue Reading . . . https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/noisy-cicadas-are-widely-misunderstood/

Donald Trump weakens environmental regulations with new executive order President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday allowing major infrastructure projects and energy projects to move forward without rigorous environmental review. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/4/21280728/donald-trump-executive-order-energy-infrastructure-environmental-review-coronavirus

Senators criticize AT&T for not counting HBO Max toward data caps Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CO) have written a letter to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson criticizing the company’s decision to exempt HBO Max streaming data from counting toward AT&T mobile customers’ data caps. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/4/21280914/sen-ed-markey-at-t-zero-rating-hbo-max-net-neutrality

Hydroxychloroquine study retraction shows the problems of speedy science A recent large study on the controversial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine was just retracted by The Lancet, the scientific journal that published it. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/4/21280738/hydroxychloroquine-retraction-lancet-surgisphere-speed-study

Sony to Announce Ultra-Wide 12-24mm f/2.8 GM Lens If you’re a landscape photographer, you’re in for a treat. Sony is preparing to announce its brand-new, ultra-wide 12-24mm GM lens, which will offer a great range of focal lengths, an impressive f/2.8 maximum aperture, and (likely) stellar optics. Continue Reading . . . https://www.mikezpix.net/post/sony-to-announce-ultra-wide-12-24mm-f-2-8-gm-lens

Trump’s Twitter order violates the First Amendment, new lawsuit claims President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting social media companies faced its first legal challenge Tuesday, claiming that Trump violated the companies’ rights to free speech. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/2/21278517/donald-trump-twitter-executive-order-lawsuit-challenge

Ban them all Emerging after days of darkness, President Donald Trump threatened Americans on Monday night with a military crackdown involving “thousands of heavily armed soldiers. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/21277579/ban-trump-violence-twitter-facebook