You're In The Red

Climate change is kicking our ass.

Monday, August 9, 2021 - The Day's Most Fascinating News from Dave Pell

Subscribe Store Current Share Archives Monday, August 9, 2021 1 YOU'RE IN THE RED The fight that pits humanity vs climate change isn't over. But so far, humanity has been beaten up, knocked around the ring, and dropped to the canvas a few times. And even in this heat, climate change has barely broken a sweat, choosing to just sit back and watch as humanity punches itself in the gut. In short, the bad news is that the scientists we ignored when they accurately warned us about the risks of temperature hikes, sea rises, and deadly weather patterns are back to inform us that what they said would happen has happened and things are, inevitably, going to get worse in the coming years. BBC: Climate change: IPCC report is 'code red for humanity.' The good news is that all is not lost. We know what's causing the changes and we know how to slow things down before the Earth turns into a rolling fireball. All we have to do is come together as humans, follow the science, and do what it takes to change course before it's too late. You know, sort of how we handled Covid. + Five things we have learned from the IPCC report. + "There's no going back." Vox: The devastating new UN report on climate change, explained. + Meanwhile, firefighters tackle historic California wildfire, and the Greece wildfires? "It's like a horror movie but it's real life." (And there's not much time to change the script.)     2 NOMO CUOMO? The walls continue to close in around Andrew Cuomo and his supporters. Melissa DeRosa, his top aide, has resigned. And "Time's Up leader Roberta Kaplan resigned Monday over fallout from her work advising Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration." Cuomo, as we've seen, won't be satisfied until he's inflicted maximum damage to his aides, former supporters, party, and state. Communism, Fascism, and Authoritarianism aren't the biggest threats to democracy. Narcissism is.     3 TAIPEI ATTENTION "In Taipei, young people like Nancy Tao Chen Ying watched as the Hong Kong protests were brutally extinguished. Now they wonder what's in their future." NYT Mag (gift article for ND readers): Is Taiwan Next? (No one stopped China in Hong Kong or Xinjiang. So why would they stop themselves?)     4 EYE PHONE "Apple says these new features preserve privacy as they combat child abuse. For critics, though, the biggest question is not about what the technology might do today; it's about what it could become tomorrow." It's awesome. And it's worrisome. MIT Tech Review: Apple's radical new anti-abuse technology provoked both criticism and praise by scanning directly on iPhones. + The excellent John Gruber has a deep dive on this subject. Apple's New ‘Child Safety' Initiatives, and the Slippery Slope.     5 SEEKING A HIRE POWER "Employers in the U.S. face an interesting challenge ahead – how to fill nearly 10 million job openings with about a million fewer workers than there are positions available." CNBC: There are about 1 million more job openings than people looking for work.     6 HAT TRICKS "There are three types of pimps. Megan Lundstrom will tell you this. First, there's the boyfriend pimp, the one who romances you with promises of a family, who coaxes you into turning tricks each night to finance a blissful future—the one you think you're in love with, until the abuse becomes too much to bear. If you try to escape, the boyfriend pimp flips out. Then there's the CEO pimp. He's flirty at first, but instead of wooing you, he works you to exhaustion with promises of modeling fame. He charges a "choosing fee" to enter his enterprise and a "leaving fee" to exit. He, too, gives you bruises, but this is business, and you've got a quota. You go on autopilot, which numbs the pain. Finally, there's the gorilla pimp. You might meet him at a bar and wake up later having been drugged, kidnapped, and raped." Elle: The Unlikely Story of a Sex Trafficking Survivor and the Instagram Account That Saved Her Life.     7 WE'RE SURROUNDED "In 2019, there were ~2k high-tech devices orbiting the planet. Today, there are more than 6k. By 2030, there will be an estimated 50k ... Satellites are set to grow by 1,000% in the next decade. They might help us predict pandemics and save the planet." (They might also turn space into a junkyard.) How the explosive growth in satellites could impact life on Earth.     8 IT'S THE CYCLE OF LIFE "Some 700,000 people were expected to celebrate their enthusiasm for motorcycles at the 10-day event that kicked off Friday in the western South Dakota city ... Law enforcement in Sturgis and Meade County are reporting their calls for service during the first few days are up dramatically compared to previous years." Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the busiest in years. (Media outlets should just reprint headlines from 2020. The story is basically the same...) + "That may mean that this is a six-month phenomenon in a country, rather than a two-year phenomenon. But I do caution people that this is the delta variant and we have not run out of Greek letters so there may be more to come." Larry Brilliant on the pandemic, the variants, and where we are in the fight. The world is nowhere near the end of the pandemic.     9 TOKYOMG Tokyo Olympics: Toughest Games? Decathletes and heptathletes say probably (amazing photos). Heptathlon winner Nafissatou Thiam: "I was just looking forward to being done with it." (I felt the same way about trying to figure out the Peacock app.) + Pat Forde: I've Covered Nine Olympics. Nothing Prepared Me for Seeing My Daughter Win a Medal. (Nothing prepared me for how often my daughter responds to my texts with, "IDC.") + 21 striking photographs from the Olympic Games.     10 BOTTOM OF THE NEWS Dan Kois in Slate: "The Segway also reminds me of my fallibility. To this day, thinking about it fills me with dread. That's because in 2001, I was a young literary agent—and Dean Kamen's book was my first-ever big deal. The cascading series of miscues that tanked the Segway began with that book proposal, its leak, and the ensuing hype. And I've always had a sick sense that the leak was somehow my fault. So I set out to report the story, to wade back into the mess I made when I got in way over my head, and to figure out once and for all the answer to a question that's eaten at me for 20 years: Did I kill the Segway?"     Thanks, Dave Pell Managing Editor, Internet Subscribe Store Current Share Archives NextDraft 600 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 You are receiving this because you signed up for Dave Pell's Next Draft newsletter. If you'd like to stop receiving these emails, simply unsubscribe. No hard feelings. If this email isn't looking quite right, you can view it in your browser. Did some awesome person forward this issue to you? Subscribe at NextDraft and get it in your own inbox.

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if airport efficiency were an Olympic sport

Singapore would take gold 🥇

View this email in your browser Enjoying Below the Fold? We'd love to know! In fact, we're even sharing reader reviews on social media to help illustrate how our newsletter benefits readers. Simply tweet at us (@belowfoldnews) with what you think, and we'll not only post it, but be forever grateful. TRAVEL The reports are in: U.S. airports got a D+ Mon Aug 2 Hate going to the airport? Might be because you're at one in America. Not only are U.S. airports among the world's worst, but not a single one appears in the top 30 best airports ranked by aviation group Skytrax. And earlier this year, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave America's aviation system a D+. What's driving these results? Long lines that have been consistent since 9/11, when enhanced security required use of already limited space on TSA checkpoints and baggage screening systems. More recently, pandemic-driven health screening checkpoints further complicated how airport space is used and navigated. Unruly passengers only make matters worse. Overcrowding and delays due to more flights scheduled than gates available. A single delay can also have a compounding effect. For example, one late plane can miss its entry to a gate, end up having to taxi on the runway, and then delay boarding for that plane's next flight — which brings that delay along to its new destination. Ultimately, these issues are rooted in old airports that haven't been properly maintained. Airport construction first took off after WWII with federal grants, building for the size and traffic needs of that time. As the number of passengers doubled between 1954 and 1959, airports struggled to keep up, facing a slew of problems such as noise complaints and small storage facilities that couldn't hold newer jets. Now, a group of Republican senators are trying to play catchup through a bipartisan bill that includes $25 billion dedicated to increasing efficiency, from check-in to boarding, and making air travel a little greener. Delays are expected, though, as progressive Democrats push for the larger infrastructure plan to include funds for health care, education, and climate change. How are airports in other countries better? While the U.S. leaves airport responsibilities to state and local governance, the same is not true internationally. For example in China, the federal government handles all financing, planning, and construction. What's more, some of the top ranked airports are themselves a destination worth visiting. Singapore has been number one in the world for eight years. In addition to endless food and shopping options, travelers love its orchids, butterfly garden, and rooftop pool. Tokyo comes second with its advanced and efficient system linking terminals within the airport. Travelers also enjoy several open-air rooftop restaurants. Amsterdam ranks ninth, featuring a free art museum before heading to one of the 223 gates spread around a single terminal.   Our Sources:  → Extensive coverage: Vox → Infrastructure bill with airport funds: New York Times → Why funding wasn't enough to update airports: Our Airports and Business Insider   Post Tweet Share WORKER CONDITIONS Nationwide strikes are changing horrific worker conditions and low wages Mon Jul 26 There have been more labor strikes this year than any year in the past decade. Most recently in Kansas, 600 Frito-Lay workers are celebrating after a nearly three week strike demanding an end to long hours, forced overtime, and stagnant wages. The worst offense of all was what some call "suicide" shifts, when employees start another shift only eight hours after ending one, leaving no time for family, errands, or even a proper night's sleep. Their new contract puts an end to these shifts, increases wages by 4%, and mandates at least one day off a week. Similar wins are playing out across the country. In Illinois, 2,500 service employees are hopeful after an 18-day strike and ten months of negotiations, marking the longest public sector strike in Chicago's recent history. After workers across 15 cities in May went on strike for better pay, McDonald's raised their minimum wage to $15 an hour. New York's excluded workers (those left out from federal benefits during the pandemic) went on a hunger strike for three weeks in April. This resulted in the state creating a $2.1 billion assistance fund for those workers. Despite this progress, the U.S. as a whole is still behind in fair labor practices. A study from 2007 found that even when the stock market was strong and CEO compensation grew rapidly, hourly wage employees weren't earning more despite working the equivalent of over a month more per year. In fact, wealth grew for the top 1% while dropping for 60% of American households. Today's $7.25 federal minimum wage has not been raised in over 10 years. The Action Network currently has an active petition calling on Congress, state legislators, and city councils to raise the federal minimum wage to $15.   Our Sources: → Frito-Lay strike coverage: Business Insider and CNN → Rise in strikes over past year: Labor Notes → Strikes, successful and not, across the country: Democracy Now → Report highlighting how behind U.S. worker wages are: Economic Policy Institute → Strike against McDonald's nationwide: Vice  Post Tweet Share CLASSIFIEDS The first question new freelancers ask our founder is always the same: How much should I charge? That's why we're stoked to share an awesome resource from Mandy Ellis. She created the Freelance Writer's Pricing Guide, filled with information to navigate all the custom work that hits your inbox. The best part? It's free to Below the Fold readers. Check it out! >> Check out the free pricing guide ASCII-ING ABOUT THE NEWS __ _ \ `/ | \__`! / ,' `-.__________________ '-'\_____ LI`-. <____()-=O=O=O=O=O=====--) `.___ ,-----,_______...-' / .' / .' / .' hjw `-' You must be from Singapore. How do you know? You seem pretty fly to me! Art Credit: Ascii Art Archive Copyright © 2021 Below the Fold, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Below the Fold 2261 Market St # 4135 San Francisco, CA 94114-1612 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.