Author: Reporter

Wisconsin Republicans show disregard for families in vote to end funding of state’s child care program

Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature voted on June 16 to end funding for a pandemic-era child care subsidy program over the objections of Democrats and child care providers who argued that the move would be devastating for needy families and the state’s economy. The GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee, which writes the state budget, voted to kill funding around 2:30 a.m. after the start of its meeting was delayed more than 10 hours. The Child Care Counts program handed out nearly $600 million to more than 4,900 child care providers from March 2020 through March 2023, according to the...

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Standing with Trump: Republicans in Congress amplify political attacks on the Federal justice system

Moments after Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he hoarded classified documents and then conspired to obstruct an investigation about it, the Republicans in Congress defended his alleged criminal actions. Speaker Kevin McCarthy dashed off a fundraising email decrying the “witch hunt” against the former president and urging donors to sign up and “stand with Trump.” Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell steered clear of criticizing the former president, refusing to engage in questions about the unprecedented indictment. And at a public meeting in the Capitol basement, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene compared the case against Trump to...

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Efforts to guide federal research of AI unveiled by White House with emphasis on collaboration

The White House announced efforts to guide federally backed research on artificial intelligence in late May, as the Biden administration looked to get a firmer grip on understanding the risks and opportunities of the rapidly evolving technology. Among the moves unveiled by the administration was a tweak to the United States’ strategic plan on artificial intelligence research, which was last updated in 2019, to add greater emphasis on international collaboration with allies. White House officials also hosted a listening session with workers on their firsthand experiences with employers’ use of automated technologies for surveillance, monitoring, evaluation, and management. And...

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Surviving an algorithm: Teaching internet literacy seen as helping students recognize misinformation

Shawn Lee, a high school social studies teacher in Seattle, wants to see lessons on the internet akin to a kind of 21st century driver’s education, an essential for modern life. Lee has tried to bring that kind of education into his classroom, with lessons about the need to double-check online sources, to diversify newsfeeds and to bring critical thinking to the web. He is also created an organization for other teachers to share resources. “This technology is so new that no one taught us how to use it,” Lee said. “People are like, ‘There’s nothing we can do,’...

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K-Pop Celebration: Seoul lights city landmarks to honor 10th anniversary of BTS

Skyscrapers, bridges, and other landmarks in South Korea’s capital will be lit up in purple on June 12 as the country begins celebrating the 10th anniversary of K-pop band BTS, whose global popularity is a source of national pride. The lights will provide the backdrop for various social media-driven events marking the 2013 debut of the seven-member group, which is now taking a hiatus as its singers begin to serve their mandatory military duties. From the evening of June 12, numerous Seoul structures, including City Hall – the 123-story Lotte World Tower, several Han River bridges, and the futuristic...

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Milwaukee’s claim still pending that Census Bureau missed thousands of residents in 2020 headcount

Some of the largest U.S. cities challenging their 2020 census numbers are not getting the results they hoped for from the U.S. Census Bureau. In Milwaukee, for example, the city claims that thousands of residents in communities of color were overlooked. Some successes have come from challenges to totals of “group quarters” — dorms, jails, and nursing homes. They were among the most difficult to count as campuses closed and prisons and nursing homes were locked down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Census Bureau created a separate program to handle these challenges. The Census Bureau has...

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