Daily Archives: 12/20/2019


Twitter Removes 5,929 Saudi Accounts it Deems State-Backed

Twitter says it has removed nearly 6,000 accounts it has deemed tied to a state-backed information operation in Saudi Arabia.Twitter says the accounts violated its “platform manipulation policies” and targeted discussions related to Saudi Arabia and advancing its geopolitical interests.The …


Boeing’s Starliner Capsule Launches on 1st Space Flight

Boeing’s new Starliner capsule rocketed toward the International Space Station on its first test flight Friday, a crucial dress rehearsal for next year’s inaugural launch with astronauts.The Starliner carried Christmas treats and presents for the six space station residents, hundreds …


Ethiopia Launches First Satellite

Ethiopia has launched its first satellite.The satellite was launched into space Friday from at a space station in China. Ethiopian and Chinese officials and scientists, however, watched a live broadcast of the Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite launch at the Entoto Observatory …


Virginia Biochemist Camille Schrier is Crowned Miss America

Organizers wanted to make it clear the 99th Miss America competition isn’t your grandmother’s beauty pageant, and their winner did just that on Thursday.Virginia biochemist Camille Schrier won the crown just minutes after wowing the crowd with science. Dressed in …


Senate Passes Anti-robocalls Bill, Sending it to Trump

The Senate approved a bill Thursday to crack down on robocalls, sending to President Donald Trump a measure meant to combat a persistent and costly problem for Americans.The bill, which Trump is expected to sign, would stiffen enforcement and require …


Canada Health Minister Proposes Bans on Vaping Product Advertising

Canada’s minister of health, Patty Hajdu, on Thursday proposed banning promotion and advertising of vaping products in public spaces, convenience stores and online, in an effort to curb youth use of e-cigarettes.Hajdu also announced new mandatory health warnings on vaping …


The Film Dark Waters Rings the Alarm on Chemical Hazards

The legal thriller “Dark Waters” by filmmaker Todd Haynes, follows corporate defense attorney Rob Billot as he investigates over a 20-year period the causes of widespread illness and death of cattle and people in a farm community of West Virginia. …


Federal Study Finds Race, Gender Affect Face-Scanning Tech

A study by a U.S. agency has found that facial recognition technology often performs unevenly based on a person’s race, gender or age.But the nuanced report published Thursday is unlikely to allay the concerns of critics who worry about bias …