Robinhood Sued By Family of 20-Year-Old Trader Who Committed Suicide

Robinhood was sued Monday for wrongful death by the family of Alex Kearns, a 20-year-old customer who took his life last summer after believing he had racked up big losses on the millennial-favored stock trading app. CNBC reports: “This case centers on Robinhood’s aggressive tactics and strategy to lure inexperienced and unsophisticated investors, including Alex, to take big risks with the…

Mass Die-Off of Birds in Southwest US ‘Probably Linked to Climate Crisis’

The Guardian reports: The mass die-off of thousands of songbirds in south-western U.S. was caused by long-term starvation, made worse by unseasonably cold weather probably linked to the climate crisis, scientists have said. Flycatchers, swallows and warblers were among the migratory birds “falling out of the sky” in September, with carcasses found in New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Arizona and Nebraska. A…

Due to Covid-19, Apple Closes Nearly a Fifth of Its Retail Stores

“New COVID-19 restrictions and worsening outbreaks have compelled Apple to temporarily close nearly one fifth of its retail stores during one of the busiest shopping weeks of the holiday season,” reports 9to5Mac. 401 of Apple’s 509 locations worldwide remain open as of publication. Most open locations in the US are limited to Express storefront pickup of online orders and Genius Support….

US Antitrust Regulators Could Target Google’s Chrome Browser For Breakup

Slashdot reader alternative_right shares a report from Politico:
Justice Department and state prosecutors investigating Google for alleged antitrust violations are considering whether to force the company to sell its dominant Chrome browser and parts of its lucrative advertising business, three people with knowledge of the discussions said… The conversations — amid preparations for an antitrust legal battle that the Department of Justice…

What is a derecho? An atmospheric scientist explains these rare but dangerous storm systems

The derecho in the U.S. East on June 3, 2020, killed 4 people and left a million without power. A Colorado derecho on June 6 had winds in excess of 100 mph. Europe, Asia and South America also have derechos. Here’s what scientists know about them. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/what-is-a-derecho-storm-system…

Covid-19 spreads through the air. That’s a big challenge for reopening

Clear, straightforward information on how a virus spreads, from a scientist who studies infectious disease Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/coronavirus-covid19-how-virus-spreads-through-air-reopening…

How coronavirus drifts through the air in microscopic droplets

Aerosols are the tiny particles of liquid and material that float around in our environment. When they come from an infected person, they may be a significant source of coronavirus transmission. The science of infectious aerosols. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/coronavirus-microscopic-droplets-infectious-aerosols…

Should Facebook, Google Be Liable For User Posts?

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday questioned whether Facebook, Google and other major online platforms still need the immunity from legal liability that has prevented them from being sued over material their users post. “No longer are tech companies the underdog upstarts. They have become titans,” Barr said at a public meeting…

Watch Mars disappear behind the moon on February 18

Given clear skies, all of the U.S. (except Alaska and Hawaii) can watch the red planet Mars disappear behind the moon – or reappear, or both – on the morning of February 18, 2020. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/lunar-occultation-of-mars-february-18…