Reading archive 2025-01-08

Enough With the Land Acknowledgments

Drilling ban? Trump has bigger oil problems - "That’s because the country is already producing more oil and exporting more natural gas than any other nation. Drilling for more fossil fuels than the world’s markets could absorb would be bad business, leading to potential price dips, economic instability and financial losses for oil producers."

Some Texas business leaders are apprehensive about Trump’s pledged deportations: “We wouldn’t survive” without undocumented workers, one South Texas produce business owner said. By one estimate, 8% of Texas’ workforce lacks legal status. - "The state comptroller’s office did a study in 2006 to find out how the state economy would look without the estimated 1.4 million undocumented immigrants living in Texas in 2005. The study said their absence would cost the state about $17.7 billion in gross state product — a measure of the value of goods and services produced in Texas. The state has not updated the study since; analysis replicated by universities and think tanks have reached similar conclusions that undocumented Texans contribute more to the economy than they cost the state."

How could Trump's proposed tariffs impact the North Carolina economy?: Leaders in the state's agriculture community are concerned about retaliatory actions impacting farmers.

What really undid the Biden presidency: Biden’s confidence in his ability to guide America through a troubled era was part of the problem.

Is your phone listening to you?: Yeah, but probably not to target ads. The specifics of the theory that your phone is eavesdropping probably aren’t true, but the paranoia is justified.

Landlords are accused of colluding to raise rents. See where.

Meta ends fact checking. Here’s how to find the truth on social media.: Facebook, Instagram and Threads will no longer have fact checking in the United States. Here’s what that means for your feeds and how you can avoid falling for misinformation. - "The number one way to avoid falling for posts circulating on social media is to consider how it makes you feel. If it elicits a strong emotional reaction, like anger, anxiety, fear or even glee, that’s a sign it may be untrue. Take a beat and investigate.

"Misinformation has a variety of sources, from deliberate lies spread to influence public opinion to accounts using outrage to go viral and profit. Where a nuanced factual post might not get much engagement, a juicy conspiracy will lead to more clicks, shares and engagement. 

"'Another good sign is that you want to believe it,' says Abbie Richards, a misinformation researcher and content creator. 'When you encounter misinformation, the biggest factor in whether you fall for it is when you want it to be true.'"

Why Is the US Not Vaccinating Poultry Against Bird Flu? - "'The USDA is currently subsidizing chicken companies when they have outbreaks,' deCoriolis said.

"'American taxpayers have spent billions in the last two years bailing out chicken and turkey companies that have had outbreaks. If they don't vaccinate, they keep their export market; if they have a bird flu outbreak, they get a bailout.'"