How animal rescue groups are finding homes for dogs via virtual adoptions
While much of the country is under orders to shelter at home, pet rescue groups across the country have reported skyrocketing interest in adoption and fostering. But considering that in most cities pounds and rescue groups are deemed nonessential businesses, the organizations have had to get Read More...
People will now be able to vote via the mail in New York and Kentucky
As the US ramps up for what is sure to be an unprecedented election season, two states are making it easier for citizens to cast their vote without coming into contact with others: New York and Kentucky. Governors Andrew Cuomo and Andy Beshear both signed executive orders on Friday for Read More...
Online education platform Coursera offers free courses to the unemployed
Coursera is opening access to its online education platform in a bid to help people unemployed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Coursera Workforce Recovery Initiative is an extension of the company’s Coursera for Government training program, an initiative originally launched in 2017 to help Read More...
A revived old custom in Italy is helping those in need during the pandemic
In Italy, where the coronavirus has shuttered more than 2 million businesses and left one in every two workers without income, some Italians are putting a new twist on an old custom to help the needy and restart the economy. In Rome, the Piazza San Giovanni Della Malva used to echo with the noise Read More...
Sweden closes last coal plant two years ahead of schedule
Sweden celebrated the closure of its last coal plant this month and even did so two years ahead of schedule. Swedish utility company Stockholm Exergi announced the closure of the KVV6 plant on April 16. The plant first opened in 1989 and was projected to be in use until 2022, but after the Read More...
Builders are back on site to rebuild Notre Dame
After a fire engulfed Notre Dame last year, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild the 850 year old cathedral within five years. COVID-19 put a slight dent in those plans, but now the workers are back on site this week to continue the effort. The rebuilding challenges have not been Read More...
Robots are already making contact-free deliveries in some American cities
You might not see many people walking down the sidewalk in downtown Fairfax, Virginia, during the pandemic, but it’s possible that you’ll see a robot. The city is the latest to partner with Starship Technologies, a company that makes small delivery robots and now operates a fleet of 20 in Read More...
How the coronavirus is forcing us to reconsider how we measure productivity
Since the period of the industrial revolution, we’ve used one primary scale to measure productivity: hours. But is this really an effective way to gauge actual performance or output? Not exactly. Measuring productivity in hours alone can discourage workers from being more efficient with their Read More...
These birds are helping endangered rhinos avoid trouble
Red-billed oxpeckers hitching rides on the backs of black rhinos are a common sight in the African bush. The birds are best known for feeding on pesky parasites found on a rhino’s skin. Now, new research suggests the birds may also serve as sentinels that help the endangered animals avoid humans, Read More...
Scuba divers are using ocean plastic to make face masks
While some people are heading outside in snorkeling masks as makeshift protection, a group of scuba divers is using their social distancing time to help people and the oceans. They're making face masks from plastic water bottles recovered from the oceans, as CNN reported. The masks are made by Read More...