#Policy changes

[bildswoman]

What annoys me most about the policy changes is the fact that 4 years ago they changed the handbook to discourage prejudice, saying that it is contrary to God's commandments, and encouraged members to only seek information from reliable, factual sources.

[thoughtlessarse]

As experts continue monitoring and surveying the environment and the nation's food supply for H5N1 bird flu, a rash of dead cats has many officials on edge. From pet cats in Los Angeles County and Oregon to captive wild cats in Washington and Colorado, dozens of felines have died as a result of consuming H5N1-infected raw pet food and raw milk. Although the products carrying the virus were largely marketed for animals—with the exception of raw milk—experts say the presence of the virus in commercial meat and dairy highlights the vulnerability of the U.S. food chain to this virus. "With multiple diagnosed cases of H5N1 mortalities, can we in good conscience fail to provide widespread public warnings that raw meat... has been linked to multiple big cat mortalities," said John Korslund, a retired U.S. Department of Agriculture veterinarian epidemiologist, in an email. The deaths prompted policy changes announced Friday by the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration, which focus on pre-slaughter rules for select poultry farms in Minnesota and South Dakota, as well as changes in food safety risk assessments for raw pet food producers. And they underscore the murky and largely unregulated industry of raw pet-food manufacturing.

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[kittykichi]

Bro, tumblr is charging TWICE the amount for ad free? I don't need ANY of those perks. But also, I'm noticing there's been a limit to liking posts?? Insane. No siree, I am not going to have any of that.

Check your plans, folks.

[val-the-flatworm]

Youtube's new policy will prevent anyone from viewing videos on their website unless they are viewed in Google Chrome web browser

Well I just found this load of bull today. I'm pretty sure this comes under monopoly law.

How does that even work with monotisation? Surely that's now a conflict of interest.

And they can't make that tired excuse of "If you don't like it, shop somewhere else" When Youtube has been shutting down Any rival business that shows up.

Can't say I didn't see this coming. What did we expect from a company That is literally run by Russian oligarks?

That's not a rumor by the way. You can easily look it up.

Don't look it up on Google, you idiot.

Apparently they've already lost a ton of stuff from this and it's not even been 24 hours yet since they revealed their new plans.

Investors are pulling out. Partners are seeking alternatives. Content creators are moving to Twitch.

Who's hairbrained scheme was this? Did you honestly expect this to turn a profit? You're even stupider than Disney right now.

[beta-lactam-allergic]

I need to check what the laws state in Australia. I'm usually okay with automated lines, but I know people who aren't.

[starksh]

Navigating Minority-Owned Business Growth Amid DEI Policy Changes

Minority-owned businesses have long been vital contributors to the U.S. economy, driving innovation, job creation, and community development. Historically, these enterprises have faced challenges such as limited access to capital and systemic inequities. In recent years, various policies have been implemented to promote equity and economic empowerment for minority entrepreneurs. However, the…

[dybca1]

How Policy Changes Impact Affiliate Marketing in 2024

The affiliate marketing landscape in 2024 is being reshaped by evolving policies and technological advancements like AI Swades. As regulations tighten and compliance demands grow, marketers must adapt strategies to align with transparency and data protection laws. AI Swades streamlines adaptation by offering real-time insights, ensuring campaigns stay effective. Navigating these shifts requires agility and innovation to thrive in a competitive, policy-driven market.

[morganablenewsmedia]

Tinubu Continues To Policy-Somersault – Farounbi

Tinubu Continues To Policy-Somersault – Farounbi As He Indicates The President Has Become The Shadow Of His former Self Due to continue and frequency in changes of policies, Farounbi has expressed his doubt and concern over present administration. Dr. Yemi Farounbi, Nigeria’s former Ambassador to The Philippines, has indicated that unstable and frequent-changed policies of Tinubu’s administration…

[signode-blog]

Potential Impacts on India if Narendra Modi Loses the 2024 Lok Sabha Election: Stock Markets, Economy, and Growth

If Narendra Modi loses in the Lok Sabha election 2024, it would represent a significant political shift for India, potentially impacting the stock markets, economy, and overall growth trajectory of the country. Here’s a detailed analysis of the potential impacts: Stock Markets Immediate Market Reaction: Volatility and Uncertainty: The initial reaction of the stock markets is likely to be one…

[reasonsforhope]

No paywall version here.

"Two and a half years ago, when I was asked to help write the most authoritative report on climate change in the United States, I hesitated...

In the end, I said yes, but reluctantly. Frankly, I was sick of admonishing people about how bad things could get. Scientists have raised the alarm over and over again, and still the temperature rises. Extreme events like heat waves, floods and droughts are becoming more severe and frequent, exactly as we predicted they would. We were proved right. It didn’t seem to matter.

Our report, which was released on Tuesday, contains more dire warnings. There are plenty of new reasons for despair. Thanks to recent scientific advances, we can now link climate change to specific extreme weather disasters, and we have a better understanding of how the feedback loops in the climate system can make warming even worse. We can also now more confidently forecast catastrophic outcomes if global emissions continue on their current trajectory.

But to me, the most surprising new finding in the Fifth National Climate Assessment is this: There has been genuine progress, too.

I’m used to mind-boggling numbers, and there are many of them in this report. Human beings have put about 1.6 trillion tons of carbon in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution — more than the weight of every living thing on Earth combined. But as we wrote the report, I learned other, even more mind-boggling numbers. In the last decade, the cost of wind energy has declined by 70 percent and solar has declined 90 percent. Renewables now make up 80 percent of new electricity generation capacity. Our country’s greenhouse gas emissions are falling, even as our G.D.P. and population grow.

In the report, we were tasked with projecting future climate change. We showed what the United States would look like if the world warms by 2 degrees Celsius. It wasn’t a pretty picture: more heat waves, more uncomfortably hot nights, more downpours, more droughts. If greenhouse emissions continue to rise, we could reach that point in the next couple of decades. If they fall a little, maybe we can stave it off until the middle of the century. But our findings also offered a glimmer of hope: If emissions fall dramatically, as the report suggested they could, we may never reach 2 degrees Celsius at all.

For the first time in my career, I felt something strange: optimism.

And that simple realization was enough to convince me that releasing yet another climate report was worthwhile.

Something has changed in the United States, and not just the climate. State, local and tribal governments all around the country have begun to take action. Some politicians now actually campaign on climate change, instead of ignoring or lying about it. Congress passed federal climate legislation — something I’d long regarded as impossible — in 2022 as we turned in the first draft.

[Note: She's talking about the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Act, which despite the names were the two biggest climate packages passed in US history. And their passage in mid 2022 was a big turning point: that's when, for the first time in decades, a lot of scientists started looking at the numbers - esp the ones that would come from the IRA's funding - and said "Wait, holy shit, we have an actual chance."]

And while the report stresses the urgency of limiting warming to prevent terrible risks, it has a new message, too: We can do this. We now know how to make the dramatic emissions cuts we’d need to limit warming, and it’s very possible to do this in a way that’s sustainable, healthy and fair.

The conversation has moved on, and the role of scientists has changed. We’re not just warning of danger anymore. We’re showing the way to safety.

I was wrong about those previous reports: They did matter, after all. While climate scientists were warning the world of disaster, a small army of scientists, engineers, policymakers and others were getting to work. These first responders have helped move us toward our climate goals. Our warnings did their job.

To limit global warming, we need many more people to get on board... We need to reach those who haven’t yet been moved by our warnings. I’m not talking about the fossil fuel industry here; nor do I particularly care about winning over the small but noisy group of committed climate deniers. But I believe we can reach the many people whose eyes glaze over when they hear yet another dire warning or see another report like the one we just published.

The reason is that now, we have a better story to tell. The evidence is clear: Responding to climate change will not only create a better world for our children and grandchildren, but it will also make the world better for us right now.

Eliminating the sources of greenhouse gas emissions will make our air and water cleaner, our economy stronger and our quality of life better. It could save hundreds of thousands or even millions of lives across the country through air quality benefits alone. Using land more wisely can both limit climate change and protect biodiversity. Climate change most strongly affects communities that get a raw deal in our society: people with low incomes, people of color, children and the elderly. And climate action can be an opportunity to redress legacies of racism, neglect and injustice.

I could still tell you scary stories about a future ravaged by climate change, and they’d be true, at least on the trajectory we’re currently on. But it’s also true that we have a once-in-human-history chance not only to prevent the worst effects but also to make the world better right now. It would be a shame to squander this opportunity. So I don’t just want to talk about the problems anymore. I want to talk about the solutions. Consider this your last warning from me."

-via New York Times. Opinion essay by leading climate scientist Kate Marvel. November 18, 2023.

[smalltofedsblog]

Ability One Contracts For Workers With Disabilities Opens To Price Competition

The program’s overarching regulatory framework has been largely preserved since it was established in the 1930’s. A new rule finalized in March allows price to be an evaluation factor in contract selection.

[sergle]

No fucking WAYYYYYY YOUTUBE CHANGED THEIR TOS TO AVOID PUNISHING SSSNIPERWOLF FOR DOXXING

[ncfcatalyst]

Cupid’s wings clipped: COUP moved to March 2

Display of the COUP fundraising art. Left image by Alexandra Denner. Right image by Riley Bucklin. Photo courtesy of Beaux Delaune. The New College campus is no stranger to student-hosted parties, namely Walls, Center of the Universe Parties (COUP) and everything in between. Conventionally, the Spring semester  includes both a Valentine’s Day COUP and a Graduation COUP. This year things seem to…

[perplexingly]

I kinda wish they bonded over their dead man walking like behavior…