֎ Internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon are free to slow down, block or prioritize internet traffic as they wish, without interference by the federal government. That’s the effect of an October ruling by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, upholding a 2017 ruling by the Federal Communications Commission that reversed rules requiring what is called “net neutrality” – treating all internet traffic equally, regardless of where it’s from or what kind of data it is. See:
֎ In the lush foothills of central Kentucky, Berea seems like your average small, private college, down to its stately brick buildings and its inspiring school anthem. Berea College has not been collecting tuition from students since 1892. All its students are poor.
Also in Kentucky, move about a hundred miles east to another college in the tiny town of Pippa Passes – . Alice Lloyd College. Alice Lloyd doesn’t charge tuition either. Berea was wise enough to start an endowment in 1852 which is worth $1.2 billion today; dividends pay tuition. Alice Lloyd depends on fundraising and a stiffer commitment from professors asking them to carry heavier instruction loads. [NPR]
֎ 800 million jobs
Automation, algorithms, and artificial intelligence already have reduced the amount of human labor in specialty manufacturing, warehouse parcel delivery and resume screening. But a new report from analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch estimates the rise of automation could make up to 800 million jobs — nearly half of all jobs worldwide — obsolete by 2035. [Yahoo Finance]
֎ Angioplasty — was measurably better than pills at reducing patients’ chest pain during exercise. But the study, called ISCHEMIA, found no difference in a constellation of major heart-disease outcomes, including cardiac death, heart attacks, heart-related hospitalizations and resuscitation after cardiac arrest. There was no benefit to an invasive strategy in people without chest pain.
Overall, the keenly anticipated ISCHEMIA study results suggest that invasive procedures, stents and bypass surgery, should be used more sparingly in patients with stable heart disease and the decision to use them should be less rushed, experts said.
֎ Incumbent Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) overcame a tough challenge from the President Trump-backed businessman Eddie Rispone to be re-elected Louisiana governor to a second term late Saturday.
Why it matters: The tight race pit the only Democratic governor in the Deep South against a Republican challenger in Trump country. The result is a major blow for Trump, who tried to drum up support for Rispone at two presidential rallies in Louisiana this month and in tweets leading up to the vote. [AP]
֎ Presidential hopeful and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has soared to the top of the latest Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll of 2020 Democratic candidates, released Saturday evening.
The big picture: The poll shows he’s the first choice for 25% of caucus-goers polled, with a 9-point lead over his closest rival, Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Buttigieg also topped a Monmouth University poll released Tuesday, where he’s the favored candidate among 22% of those surveyed.
֎ Chicago’s homeless public school students will now have a chance to work with advocates helping them stay in school and find housing resources.
In October, Chicago public school teachers went on strike demanding smaller class sizes and additional staff. But, as Newsy reported, teachers also wanted administrators to address homelessness, which affects 17,000 Chicago students.
Chicago joins Boston as one of the two largest school districts in the country that addresses student homelessness in labor contracts. Jackson Potter teaches history and is part of the Chicago Teachers Union bargaining team. He has seen firsthand how homelessness impacts students. [Newsy]
Somehow, many issues are based on housing. This is something that only government – state and federal – can address. Private enterprise will be led by profit.
Ancient Mariner