Dangerously Stressed Parents, Paralympics, & Corn Sweat

News without the noise.

Adam Rogers
August 29, 2024

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Google has agreed to give California millions of dollars to support local journalism.

The deal will direct public and private funds to help local news organizations survive. However, some experts and journalists are unhappy with the agreement, saying it mostly benefits Google and allows them to avoid paying ongoing fees to news publishers.
Critics argue that California missed a bigger opportunity by killing a bill that would have required Google and other tech companies to continuously pay for using news content. Instead, Google & California will provide $250 million over five years to newsgroups and research. UC Berkeley’s journalism school will divide the funds among approved newsrooms.
Many journalists and labor unions are upset that they were excluded from the deal's negotiations. They feel the agreement doesn’t provide enough funding compared to what Google pays in other countries and doesn’t address the power imbalance between tech companies and local news outlets. On the other hand, some journalism groups support the deal, seeing it as a way to help struggling news organizations.
Others say it will give Google, California’s government, and Berkeley unchecked control over California’s media industry.

The U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has warned that parenting can seriously harm mental health due to high levels of stress.

He shared that, while being a parent is the most rewarding job, it's also the toughest. Murthy highlighted that 41% of parents feel so stressed that they can’t function most days, which impacts their children and communities.
Murthy explained that today’s parents face new challenges, such as social media, a youth mental health crisis, and widespread loneliness. These issues add to the stress, guilt, and shame many parents feel, creating a cycle that worsens their mental health. Earlier this year, Murthy advocated for social media to include warnings about its mental health effects on young people.
To help parents, Murthy suggests policy changes and community programs, like paid time off for caring for sick children, affordable childcare, and better mental health resources. He also believes that cultural norms should change to value parenting as important work and encourage parents to talk openly about their struggles.

Israeli forces began a large military operation in the West Bank, targeting the city of Jenin and other areas.

The operation is one of the biggest in months and killed at least 10 Hamas militants. The military also arrested several suspects and blocked access to Jenin, including hospitals.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the raids, calling them a serious escalation. Israel said that the operations are necessary to prevent attacks and dismantle militant groups. The dispute over land rights in the West Bank has become more intense since the war in Gaza began. Over 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank under Israeli military rule. They believe the raids prove Israel wants to expel them from territories they want for a future state.
The war in Gaza, which started after a Hamas attack on Israel last October, has resulted in massive casualties on both sides. Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed over 40,000 Palestinians, and the conflict has displaced millions. Efforts to mediate a cease-fire have not succeeded with no clear resolution in sight.

An 18-year-old was arrested in Nassau County, New York, for wearing a mask in public — the first arrest related to the county's new face-covering ban. Police were called about a "suspicious male" in Levittown, and when they found the teenager, he was wearing a ski mask and acting shady. Officers discovered he was hiding a 14-inch knife in his waistband. (More)

Paris kicked off the 2024 Paralympics with a nearly four-hour opening ceremony on Wednesday. Athletes paraded down the Champs-Elysées to Place de la Concorde, where French President Emmanuel Macron officially opened the games. More than 4,000 athletes with various impairments will compete in 22 sports today through Sept. 8. (More)

A former Nevada politician, Robert Telles, was found guilty of killing journalist Jeff German in Sept. 2022. Prosecutors said Telles stabbed German after the reporter exposed corruption in his office, which ruined Telles' political career and marriage. He pleaded not guilty to murder and could face life in prison. (More)

Authorities caught a murder suspect after he literally fell into their laps through a ceiling. Deario Wilkerson was on the run for months after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with a fatal shooting in Memphis. The U.S. Marshals tracked him to a residence in Memphis, and once inside, they didn't have to search long to find him. (More)

Lowe’s is scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies due to growing conservative backlash, especially after the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in college admissions. It joins multiple other companies implementing DEI rollbacks. The company plans to combine various employee resource groups into one. It will also stop sponsoring events like parades, fairs, and festivals. (More)

Some parents are serving their kids dinner at 3:45 pm.

A boy accidentally smashed a 3,500-year-old Jar at an Israeli museum.

How “corn sweat” makes heat waves worse.

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