Free Tech Tools Are Keeping Communities Connected During Pandemic
Some Russians Are Resisting Putin's Power Grab ; Agency Rollbacks Continue as Pandemic Rages ; and More Picks
Colorado Abolishes the Death Penalty and Ends Prison Gerrymandering (DonkeyHotey)
From the Appeal: “Colorado is the 22nd state to repeal the death penalty, and the third since the fall of 2018 (alongside New Hampshire and Washington). It’s also the eighth state to end or restrict prison gerrymandering, and the fourth just over the past year (alongside Nevada, New Jersey, and Washington).”
Some Russians Are Resisting Putin’s Power Grab (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “The world might be heading into its biggest crisis since the second world war, Russians may be sweeping the shelves of supermarkets clean, but Vladimir Putin knows his priorities. On March 17th he decreed that his country must hold an ‘all-people vote’ on a constitutional change designed to keep himself in power indefinitely. … Mr Putin later said the vote could be postponed if need be, but for now it is to be held on April 22nd … It is as meaningless as were elections in the Soviet Union. The amendments that give the president vast powers and reset the clock on his term limits have already been signed into law by Mr Putin and approved by a pliant Constitutional Court.”
Trump Agencies Push Forward on Rollbacks as Pandemic Rages (Celia)
The author writes, “The Trump administration is rejecting appeals to slow its deregulatory drive while Americans grapple with the coronavirus, pushing major public health and environmental rollbacks closer to enactment in recent days despite the pandemic. As Americans stockpiled food and medicine and retreated indoors and businesses shuttered in hopes of riding out COVID-19, federal agencies in recent days moved forward on rollbacks that included a widely opposed deregulatory action by the Environmental Protection Agency.”
House Panel Warns Coronavirus Could Destroy Postal Service by June (Chris)
From Politico: “The U.S. Postal Service could be gone by June unless Congress immediately delivers billions of dollars to counteract the impact of the coronavirus crisis, a House committee chairwoman warned Monday night. Maloney, who was joined in the statement by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), indicated the Postal service has seen a ‘drastic’ reduction in mail volume and could shutter by the summer without intervention, a collapse that could, among other things, jeopardize access to mail-order prescription drugs for millions of Americans, especially in rural communities. A Postal Service shutdown would also affect the ability of voters to cast ballots by mail.”
An Army of Hungry Ducks Keeps This Historic South African Vineyard Pest-Free (Mili)
The author writes, “The vineyard deploys a daily bird-based battalion to pluck snails and insects off their plants.”
