by Kurt Stolz

The advent of fall is  a wonderful and mysterious time. As the amount of sunshine decreases, so does chlorophyll production in leaves. Chlorophyll is what turns leaves green and, with the decrease, the striking oranges and yellows that were masked by the green chlorophyl make their appearance. Other pigments can then turn leaves black, blue, red, and purple, among other colors.
Colors vary greatly based on region thanks to factors that …

Midweek Update – News That Matters: Severe Winter Weather Forecast, Biden Commutes 1,500 Sentences, Macy’s Employee Makes $151 Million Error, Russia’s Threats, Congress Tackles Pharmacy Benefit Subsidiaries

by Anna Breuer

“Midweek Update – News that Matters” is a weekly feature that offers brief overviews of important news that might have been overlooked at the start of a busy week. Here’s what you may have missed in the period December 9 through December 12, 2024.
Sections today include @BARTLEBY ON LANGUAGE (our language column), @DEADLINE (the latest news at deadline), and @IN DEPTH (an in-depth examination of a topic).
@BARTLEBY
[Editor’s Note: @Bartleby is …

Unnerved By FBI Warnings? Here’s How to Switch to Encrypted Messaging for Users Not on Apple iMessage

by Kurt Stolz

If you don’t currently use secure messaging apps, i.e. those which have end-to-end encryption, and in fact aren’t even sure what that actually means, it might be a good time to learn about your options and start.
Last week, U.S. officials said that Salt Typhoon, a massive Chinese hacking campaign, has compromised the private communications of an unknown number of Americans.
Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security …

Long Covid Monitor-Pandemic Day 1,735: Financial Toll of Long Covid on Individual Patients, Bivalent Boosters Lower Long Covid Risk

by Jonathan Spira

FROM THE CHIEF LONG COVID OFFICER ON THE 1,735TH DAY OF THE PANDEMIC
We may not yet have a diagnostic test for Long Covid nor a Long Covid-speciific medication, but researchers are documenting what one Center for Long Covid client called her most distressing Long Covid symptom: “financial ruin.”
Just like everyone else, my get-up-and-go got up and left in early 2021. Had it not been for the generous unemployment benefits and …

Weekend Update – News that Matters: Arrest in UnitedHealth CEO Shooting, EPA Bans Multiple Carcinogens, U.K. Antisemitism, Daniel Perry Found Innocent, Mysterious Illness Kills 143

by Anna Breuer

“Weekend Update – News that Matters” is a weekly feature that offers brief overviews of important news that you may have missed during a busy holiday weekend. Here’s what, no pun intended, may have flown under your radar in the period December 6 through December 9, 2024.
@BARTLEBY
[Editor’s Note: @Bartleby is our newest addition to the “News That Matters” reports published throughout the week. Herman Melville’s short story “Bartleby the Scrivener” …

Kraftwerk Celebrate 50 Years of ‘Autobahn,’ Announce 2025 North American Tour

by Kurt Stolz

Kraftwerk, an innovative German electronic band that was formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider, will return to the United States and Canada next year.
The band announced that it would travel to North America to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its monumental album “Kraftwerk” in November 1974  and its first U.S. tour in 1975.
Kraftwerk’s tour will combine electronic music, computer animations, and performance art, the band …

Friday Update – News That Matters: Weekend Forecast Calls for Snow, Strong Winds, Blizzard Conditions in U.S.; Earthquake; Tsunami Warning; TikTok Ban Upheld; Woman’s Racist Rant on United Flight; Words of the Year

by Paul Riegler
Friday Update – News That Matters: Weekend Forecast Calls for Snow, Strong Winds, Blizzard Conditions in U.S.; Earthquake; Tsunami Warning; TikTok Ban Upheld; Woman’s Racist Rant on United Flight; Words of the Year

“Friday Update – News that Matters” is a weekly feature that offers brief overviews of important news that might have been overlooked over the course of a busy week. Here’s what you may have missed in the period December 4 through December 7, 2024.
@BARTLEBY
[Editor’s Note: @Bartleby is our newest addition to the “News That Matters” reports published throughout the week. Herman Melville’s short story “Bartleby the Scrivener” is likely one …

A Krampus Story: It’s the ‘Most Scariest’ Time of the Year

by Kurt Stolz

Happy Krampus.   Gruß vom Krampus.
What, you didn’t realize it was Krampusnacht. The night of December 5 is always the night of Krampus.  That’s the time when Krampus, also known as Kramperl and Bartl, the frightfully scary figure who accompanies St. Nicholas, makes his rounds.
Tonight, children in Austria and many other countries will likely be running for their lives because of Santa’s not-so-jolly Christmas companion, and I can attest that this …