Happy #NewstodonFriday! We really really wanted to keep it light, breezy and election-free this week. But if democracy dies in darkness, we must celebrate those newsrooms and reporters that are committed to shedding light.
This week, we are featuring news on how the plastics industry would welcome a second Trump administration, but teachers would loathe one. Texas Observer has a deeply reported story on the way mass deportations would devastate their state. New Hampshire’s election workers are under threat, but they’re standing up. An overlooked item on the Arizona ballot? Policy on how the state would treat unhoused people. A tech story on everyone’s favorite online retailer and how it says it has a First Amendment right to union bust. There’s a look at why people continue to support Donald Trump, despite the… everything. And sprinkled in, find articles on how kids become bilingual, the rise of Scientology in Ukraine, specimen collections in museums, clever cats, and zombie movies. Please support these newsrooms who have an active presence in the fediverse — give money, subscribe, read, share and comment.
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Can cats understand human words? This week our @ScienceDesk shared this story about feline cognition and language comprehension. A new study showed that cats could associate human words with images — building on older research that suggested cats know their names. What could this mean for bonds with our furry friends?
https://www.earth.com/news/cats-can-associate-human-words-with-images/
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@[email protected] @[email protected]
The research I have read suggests that cats can understand as many as 20 words or phrases, especially if you pronounce and annunciate them the same every time.
Our boos recognize about that many, including names. Also, boy cat has quite a vocabulary; he can make 20-30 different calls that indicate mood, from hungry, frustration, happiness, joy, anger, etc. We’ve gotten used to his lingo, so it’s an effective method of communications.
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Former President Donald Trump says he’ll implement the “largest deportation in the history of our country.” This could target around 1.6 million undocumented people in Texas alone — and they’re the backbone of industries such as construction. “All this means Texas would be uniquely disrupted by Trump’s plans, with the tearing apart of mixed-status families placing a possibly massive burden on the state’s meager social services systems, and the exiling of a chunk of its workforce imperiling the economic development and affordability known as the so-called Texas Miracle.” writes Francesca D’Annunzio for @[email protected].
https://www.texasobserver.org/how-mass-deportations-would-devastate-texas/
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Bilinguality is a huge advantage for children and adults. Nearly 22 percent of Americans speak a language other than English at home, and many kids struggle to achieve full proficiency in two tongues. @[email protected] spoke with Adriana Weisleder, a developmental psychologist and language scientist, about learning to speak and read two languages at the same time, and how schools, parents and caregivers can help kids.
https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/society/2024/how-a-child-becomes-bilingual
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Donald Trump says if elected, he wants to close the Department of Education. Title IX protections and early education are on the line, and Trump wants to implement universal school choice and make it easier to fire “bad teachers.” In response, educators are getting out the vote for Kamala Harris, with some also citing gun reform, union protections, and Tim Walz as reasons to support the Democratic candidate. Here’s more from @[email protected].
https://www.damemagazine.com/2024/10/24/americas-teachers-dont-want-another-trump-term/
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Scientology is much more popular in Ukraine than in neighboring countries. In 2014, the country had 26 centers for the religion, while in Poland, there were none and one in each of Moldova, Georgia and Belarus. Alessandra Hay and Mariana Lastovyria write for @[email protected]’s Counteroffensive about why Scientology has been able to gain a foothold in Ukraine.
https://www.counteroffensive.news/p/the-rise-of-scientology-in-ukraine
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Election workers are trying their very best to ensure every eligible person can cast a ballot in the upcoming U.S. election, and some people are doing their best to thwart that. @[email protected] learned what’s going on in New Hampshire — threats, intimidation, rumors and lies that have led to resignations and retirements of election workers across the state.
https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2024-10-23/new-hampshire-election-workers-are-under-threat-and-theyre-standing-up
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Museum specimens have been collected over many years — sometimes centuries — and those jars of frogs, lizards and most often, tissue samples, are used now as much as ever. “Museums provide scientists with ready access to several kinds of biological materials such as preserved specimens that can be used for molecular analysis of tissues, as well as digital images for anatomical studies, which can all be used to understand and document biodiversity, for taxonomic research, and even understanding the impact of climate change on various species,” writes Don Lyman for @[email protected].
https://www.thexylom.com/post/perspective-the-legacy-of-specimen-collections-in-modern-museums
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For @[email protected], Alex Hinton, a professor of anthropology, attempts to answer the question: Why do people still back Trump? The answers: Media distortion, perceived financial benefits, fear of immigrants, and more.
https://theconversation.com/why-do-people-still-back-trump-after-everything-5-things-to-understand-about-maga-supporters-thinking-239031
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And finally, if the real-life horror story is too much for you, @CultureDesk shared this roundup from @DazedMagazine of the best zombie movies of all time. In the fediverse poll, “28 Days Later” came out on top, while Dazed preferred “Train to Busan,” but we’re most intrigued by “Zombie For Sale,” which the magazine placed at No. 4. A Korean movie, a horror comedy that is certified Fresh (89%) on Rotten Tomatoes. ”It’s perfect for people who are adjacent fans of the zombie genre because it’s surprisingly sweet, but even true zombie-horror enthusiasts will appreciate its touching portrayal of the undead,” said Dazed’s Laura Pitcher. We know what we’ll be watching on Nov. 5.
https://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/64876/1/the-best-ever-zombie-movies-for-halloween-28-days-later-train-to-busan
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@[email protected] @KnowableMag Can also recommend Kletsheads, the English version of the Dutch podcast by linguist and mother to bilingual kids, Dr. Sharon Unsworth. It’s aimed at parents, teachers and speech language therapists. Children, parents and professionals share their experiences in the episodes. It ran from October 2020 until November 2023.
@[email protected] @KnowableMag Thanks so much for sharing!