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While I focus on Technology, Innovation, and Publishing, because I have a platform, I also flag items that I think are important and try to include a bunch of resources & opportunities. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter.
Important Items
Yes, They Are Coming for Your Birth Control
https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a44290204/birth-control-laws-abortion-2023/
Arizona governor approves over-the-counter contraceptive medications at pharmacies
Nine out of 10 people are biased against women, says ‘alarming’ UN report
RT @GenderAvenger Yikes! It’s been 10 years since this study was last conducted and the numbers are not trending in the right direction.
Republican AGs Declare LGBTQ+ Merchandise May Be Obscene
MT @ErinInTheMorn In a troublesome development, 7 AGs have signed a letter stating that LGBTQ youth merchandise may violate obscenity laws. It follows many states increasingly using obscenity laws to target books, drag, and schools. Subscribe to support her work.
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/republican-ags-declare-lgbtq-merchandise
Youngkin officials quietly pull LGBTQ+ youth resources offline
VA Gov. Youngkin of eliminated suicide prevention resources for LGBTQ youth from the state’s Department of Health website, after the administration received questions from The Daily Wire, an outlet co-founded by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/07/06/youngkin-lgbtq-resources-vdh/
Study says drinking water from nearly half of US faucets contains potentially harmful chemicals
https://apnews.com/article/pfas-forever-chemicals-drinking-water-813c1323f74d5adb798047eea39c778a
New Insights Into Long COVID Point To Damage To The Vagus Nerve
Reports from 2022 show that more than 65M people that were infected with Covid-19 developed long-lasting symptoms, a condition that is now defined as Long COVID. Long COVID symptoms, such as fatigue, difficulty breathing, and brain fog, can significantly interfere with one’s quality of life. Emerging studies now suggest that many of these symptoms may be a consequence of damage to the vagus nerve. As the body’s primary communication superhighway, the vagus nerve extends into every major organ in the body, including the heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. Injury to this nerve, therefore, can disrupt the systems we rely on to breath, digest, and simply function on a daily basis.
NY Landlords Ask US Supreme Court to Hear Rent Control Challenge
RT @MarkLevineNYC The most right-wing Supreme Court in history may soon take a case with catastrophic consequences for NYC tenants: a lawsuit by landlords challenging the constitutionality of rent regulation.
https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2023/05/08/landlords-take-rent-law-challenge-to-supreme-court/
A Georgia teacher’s ouster exposes the essence of anti-work MAGA fury
MT @jonfreadom “The essence of this mania is that it is forever hunting for new offenders on the flimsiest of pretexts. As GOP legislatures put the force of state power behind this push, they are creating an array of blunt weaponry”
Innovation
AI Could Change How Blind People See the World
Seeing-eye products are using AI to describe objects and people to help visually impaired people see the world in a whole new way.
https://www.wired.com/story/ai-gpt4-could-change-how-blind-people-see-the-world/
Full-Body AI Scans Could Be the Future of Preventive Medicine
Managing Type 1 Diabetes is Tricky. Can AI Help?
https://www.wired.com/story/managing-type-1-diabetes-is-tricky-can-ai-help/
NASA is creating a ChatGPT-like assistant for astronauts
https://www.engadget.com/nasa-is-creating-a-chatgpt-like-assistant-for-astronauts-081903604.html
NASA’s Solar Probe Mission to Safeguard Earth’s Internet from Geomagnetic Storm Threat
Technology
Code Interpreter comes to all ChatGPT Plus users — ‘anyone can be a data analyst now
Code Interpreter “lets ChatGPT run code, optionally with access to files you’ve uploaded.” “You can ask ChatGPT to analyze data, create charts, edit files, perform math, etc.”
OpenAI makes GPT-4 generally available
https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/06/openai-makes-gpt-4-generally-available/
5 Uses for ChatGPT that Aren’t Fan Fiction or Cheating at School
https://www.wired.com/story/5-surprising-uses-chatgpt/
We must address the AI risks right in front of us today
Black Artists Say A.I. Shows Bias, With Algorithms Erasing Their History
RT @michellemanafy Many Black artists are finding evidence of racial bias in artificial intelligence, both in the large data sets that teach machines how to generate images and in the underlying programs that run the algorithms.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/04/arts/design/black-artists-bias-ai.html
How Easy Is It to Fool A.I.-Detection Tools?
ChatGPT Users Abused Web Browsing Feature So OpenAI Has Turned It Off
https://decrypt.co/147300/openai-disables-web-browse-bing-chatgpt
The Impact of the EU AI Act on Developers Explained
The Act rolls out a red carpet of dos and don’ts for AI practices, mandatory disclosures, and an emphasis on ‘trustworthy AI development.’
https://encord.com/blog/what-the-european-ai-act-means-for-you/
‘F*cking Dogsh*t’: G/O Media Editor Tears Into Management Over ‘Embarrassing’ AI-Generated Article ‘Riddled With Basic Errors’
Adobe Limits Its Employees’ Use of Generative AI
Adobe has restricted employees’ use of external AI tools, urging them to use in-house offerings instead. This mirrors policies at Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, and Samsung, indicating a broader trend in data protection and promotion of proprietary tech.
https://petapixel.com/2023/07/06/adobe-limits-its-employees-use-of-generative-ai/
New York City Starts to Regulate AI Used in Hiring Tools
https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-city-starts-to-regulate-ai-used-in-hiring-tools-79a2260f
The privacy changes as part of Apple iOS 17 and Google’s Chrome could mean a messy month for marketing
The largest newspaper publisher in the US sues Google, alleging online ad monopoly
https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/20/tech/gannett-newspapers-google-lawsuit
U.S. Looks to Restrict China’s Access to Cloud Computing to Protect Advanced Technology
How Amazon Taught Alexa to Speak in an Irish Brogue
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/01/technology/amazon-alexa-irish.html
Twitter competitor Threads won’t let you delete your account unless you also delete Instagram
https://mashable.com/article/threads-meta-twitter-delete-account-instagram
Twitter silently removes login requirement for viewing tweets
https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/05/twitter-silently-removes-login-requirement-for-viewing-tweets/amp/
TikTok launches its subscription-only standalone music streaming service
Media & Publishing
Seven Ways AI Will Impact Authors And The Publishing Industry
HT Study finds English libraries generate at least £3.4bn in yearly value
“The evidence is clear: investing in libraries brings huge returns for local communities and the public purse.” They generate this value through services supporting children’s literacy, digital inclusion and health, a study has found. Researchers at the University of East Anglia discovered that the services that a typical branch provides in a year are worth £1m, and that libraries’ value could equate to six times their running costs.
The Highest-Rated Book in Each Country, Mapped
If you want to add more diversity to your reading list, check out the map below. It features the top-rated books by local authors in more than 130 countries, according to Goodreads users.
https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/highest-rated-books-in-each-country
How big will your book advance be? Results of a nonfiction author survey.
MT @victoriastrauss Interesting survey of nonfiction book advances by author Josh Bernoff. Median advance: $17.5 K (via Jane Friedman and $hotsheetpub)
https://bernoff.com/blog/how-big-will-your-book-advance-be-results-of-my-nonfiction-author-survey
European Accessibility Act Case Study: France
https://inclusivepublishing.org/blog/eaa-case-study-france/
Hoopla, Overdrive/Libby now banned for those under 18 in Mississippi
Via @veronikellymars Despite the age of consent in Mississippi being 16, no one under the age of 18 will have access to digital materials made available through public and school libraries without explicit parental/guardian permission. Mississippi has a new law on the books directly impacting access and use of digital resources like Hoopla and Overdrive for those under the age of 18 throughout the state. Even if granted parental permission, minors may not have materials available to them, if vendors do not ensure every item within their offerings meets the new, wide-reaching definition of “obscenity” per the state. Mississippi Code 39-3-25, part of House Bill 1315, went into effect July 1, 2023, and libraries across the state have scrambled for how to be in compliance.
https://bookriot.com/hoopla-overdrive-libby-now-banned-for-those-under-18-in-mississippi/
Library updates library card policy to comply with new MS House Bill
HT @NoetheMatt WCVPL is updating its policy regarding library card registration to comply with House Bill 1315 (Mississippi Code §39-3-25), which goes into effect on July 1, 2023. The library will be working with vendors of its digital platforms, which contain eBooks, digital audiobooks, etc., to restrict all patrons under 18 years of age to children’s online materials. Effective immediately, the public library is raising the minimum age to receive a library card without a parent/legal guardian’s permission from 16 to 18. Additionally, all patrons, ages 16 and 17, who are current registered library users, must bring a parent/legal guardian to sign responsibility for their library accounts. Until such time, the library will place these accounts on hold.
https://vicksburgnews.com/library-updates-library-card-policy-to-comply-with-new-house-bill/
The push to combat DeSantis’ banned book movement
HT @publishingtrend In Orlando, MoveOn unveiled its “Banned Bookmobile,” from which it will distribute banned books, hold readings with authors whose works have been removed from school libraries and work with local activists and elected officials on a multistate tour. The goal: to raise awareness of what MoveOn derides as a “censorship” movement spearheaded by Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/the-recast/2023/07/05/moveon-banned-books-bus-tour-00104738
Thousands of educators protest Florida book ban outside of convention center
RT @FLFreedomRead Educators are speaking out against new FL ed policies that include banning some books from classrooms. Thousands protested FL book-banning policies in the sweat-inducing heat, outside of the Orange County Convention Center for the Freedom to Learn rally.
The Bluest Eye Under Attack in Klein ISD
VIa @frankstrong The book was part of a college-credit course offered in conjunction with a local community college. The book is not part of a required course and, according to the district’s Chief Academic Officer, parents sign waivers acknowledging that the class’s texts include mature content. Further, students can request alternative assignments for any text. Finally, before students read The Bluest Eye in the course, the instructor previewed the book’s difficult passages and gave students the option of not reading them. See the author’s Facts & Context document for this text: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12ZtJfr55Tw3y5xyBEPfZsl1UCXZFkzO3kKaXcMc0zJk/edit
https://franklinstrong.substack.com/p/the-bluest-eye-under-attack-in-klein
Request a Free RIGHT TO READ Kit
MT @PenguinClass Don’t wait for Banned Books Week to get active! Request a FREE Banned Books kit for your library, school, or community! Kit includes customizable signage, resources, & postcards to write your representatives and make your voices heard. #teamPRH
https://x5h4gde8rss.typeform.com/right-to-read
Resources & Opportunities
The Battle for the Bookshelf: How to Fight Back Against Book Bans
Women’s Media Group is hosting a program via zoom on Mon. 7/17 from 12-1pm ET. With panelists Dominique Cimina (SVP of Publicity at Random House Children’s Books), Stephana Ferrell (Co-Founder at Florida Freedom to Read Project), Nina Lorez Collins (Board Chair of the Brooklyn Public Library), and Caroline Richmond (Executive Director at We Need Diverse Books), and moderated by Kelly Jensen (Editor at Book Riot). FREE for Women’s Media Group members, $15 for non-members. Hope to see you there!
https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-5325775
WRITERS FOR DEMOCRATIC ACTION presents the DEMOCRACY BOOK CLUB
7/10 7pm ET @WritersforDA
https://www.crowdcast.io/e/writers-for-democratic-3/register
Latinx Kidlit Book Database
MT @diversebooks Looking for kidlit latinx books for your classrooms or bookshelves? The search just got easier! @LatinxKidLitBF‘s free database offers kidlit book lovers a personalized experience to search for stories from Latinx creators.
https://www.latinxkidlitbookfestival.com/latinx-kidlit-book-database
Feminist Press submissions open for the month of July
MT @MargotAtwell Feminist Press has open submissions for the month of July! I’m very excited about speculative fiction, leftist manifestos & accessible books on money & the economy by BIPOC, queer, trans & disabled writers. Find out more & submit here:
https://www.feministpress.org/submissions
MTA seeks contract for next phase of Second Ave. Subway extension to 125th St. in Harlem
MT @MarkLevineNYC Step forward on long-awaited phase two of Second Ave Subway, which will extend up to E.125th St. MTA is soliciting first contracts to start work. And first-ever renderings released:
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