Tag: National

North Dakota to Join Group of 13 States Threatening to Sue California Over Coal Divestment Initiative

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Politics, policy, and activism all go hand in hand, and sometimes the best way to advance an agenda is through the back door. At least, that’s the what North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem suspects with regard to recently introduced policy by California’s Insurance Commissioner that would force insurance companies to disclose investments in fossil

Read & Share   sourced from: Say Anything Blog.com

Congress Working on National Self-Driving Car Regulations

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The U.S. Congress has finally acknowledged that self-driving cars are coming whether we’re afraid of them or not. And if that’s the case, then we should probably have a few laws and regulations that govern the who, how, and when they’re operated. And as lawmakers are quickly finding out, self-driving cars not only a new

Read & Share   sourced from: WIRED

Google is positioning its new job-search product as an effort to save America

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Disruption in the job market, as well as a general shortage of workers, has led Google to step into problem solving mode for America. Google strength is information gathering and aggregating, and they’re hoping to leverage those abilities into creating an aggregate job board that better connects workers and companies. Quartz has the story.

Read & Share   sourced from: Quartz

Opioid epidemic is swamping U.S. hospitals with 1.3M ER trips, hospitalizations

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The opioid drug crisis is one of those issues that might not hit home unless you have a personal experience with a family member or friend, but the trickle-down impacts of the problem are effecting all of us in less obvious ways. And one area where the crisis is putting pressure on our systems is

Read & Share   sourced from: The Washington Post

New Sniff Tech Could Protect Cops From Synthetic Opioids

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

A less-considered consequence of stronger drugs like fentanyl on the streets is increased likelihood of accidental ingestion by law enforcement officers. And there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest this is a problem. Eric Niiler with WIRED has the story on new technology that’s helping police identify drugs and protecting officers at the same time.

Read & Share   sourced from: WIRED

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Trump tells CEOs he’ll only back shovel-ready infrastructure

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Investing in America’s infrastructure was a common theme throughout President Trump’s campaign, and his rhetoric is now turning towards the issue. The condition he’s placing on the investments he wants to make — that they’re shovel ready. It’s news worth noting here in Minot where we have several hundred million dollars of infrastructure with permitting

Read & Share   sourced from: Associated Press

Montana Senate passes broadband internet privacy measure

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

It now seems plausible that with the federal repeal of Internet privacy restrictions on Internet service providers (ISP), we’ll end up with a hodge-podge of state enacted privacy laws. The Montana Senate passed a law barring ISPs the ability to bid on state contracts if they collect customer data without consent. Other states are considering

Read & Share   sourced from: Associated Press

Tech leaders, others launch $14M ‘News Integrity’ nonprofit

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Trust in journalism and the news is a problem we are just coming to grips with. And leaders in the tech industry are searching for solutions. Facebook and Mozilla are among the organizations contributing to a non-profit with a goal of increasing news literacy and increasing trust in journalism.

Read & Share   sourced from: Star Tribune

Heroin use, addiction up sharply among U.S. whites

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Senator Heitkamp was in Minot recently talking about the opioid epidemic that’s taking hold in North Dakota. Her attention to the matter adds credence to news stories like this story from Reuters that calls out evidence that heroin usage is up enormously in the last decade. And the demographic where it’s most prevalent? It happens

Read & Share   sourced from: Reuters

Congress Votes to Allow Broadband Providers to Sell Your Data Without Your Permission

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The websites you visit, the apps you use, your behavior on the could now be for sale to the highest bidder. Yesterday, the U.S. House voted to roll-back soon-to-be-implemented privacy rules on things like requireing Internet Service Providers like SRT and Midcontinent to notify users if there’s a data breach. The vote fell largely on

Read & Share   sourced from: Slate

Migrants may have been lost in perilous blizzard conditions

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

A story out of Manitoba earlier this week provides a stark reminder about the perils of traveling on the prairie in winter. But perhaps of equal concern is the reason people were on the road in the first place. This news sets the state for Mr. Maxson’s commentary below.

Read & Share   sourced from: Winnipeg Free Press

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How will we be judged?

by: Jim Maxson  |  

It is difficult to predict the future. While the USA is restricting immigration, Canada is encouraging it. As a skeptic, allow me to speculate that if there were an influx of attractive young women from eastern Europe and/or Scandinavia seeking our borders, they may become more open. If we look into the past, this is

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Google Takes on Cable With ‘YouTube TV’—40 Channels for $35

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

It’s a cord cutters delight — 40 channels you can watch directly through Youtube or your internet connected device. If you’re a limited TV viewer and just want the basics, this another competitive option in the cable television marketplace.

Read & Share   sourced from: WIRED

Trump administration is reevaluating Obama era rules for self-driving cars

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Elain Chao, U.S. Transporation Secretary, said her department would be taking a second look at regulations designed to shepherd our transition to self-driving cars. One of her larger concerns is the need to educate a skeptical public on how the vehicles and industry changes will impact the general public.

Read & Share   sourced from: The Verge

Trump to order review of WOTUS regulations

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The Waters of the U.S. Rule appears is on official hold pending what is likely to be some type of rollback. The 2015 EPA and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers rule from 2015 sought to redefine and expand the scope of waters and waterways that are federally protected.

Read & Share   sourced from: Reuters

Congressman Cramer on the Dakota Access Easement Ruling

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Congressman Cramer weighs in with an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal. He lays out the facts of the issue and lays the lawless outcome directly on the shoulders of President Obama.

Read & Share   sourced from: Wall Street Journal