How to Make ‘Immunity Passports’ More Ethical; Scientific American, February 24, 2021

Nicole Hassoun, Anders Herlitz , Scientific American; How to Make ‘Immunity Passports’ More Ethical

"In short, immunity passports should only be offered to people who pose very little risk to others, and have ethical immunity passport systems, we must allow some exceptions.These must include health and welfare exemptions so that people who cannot access vaccines for health reasons but need to work, attend school, travel and so forth can do so when the expected benefits exceed expected costs. If prospective travelers, or their family members, have serious economic, health or other needs, they should be able to secure a limited passport to access essential services—whether that requires going to work, traveling or attending school as long as they agree to take appropriate precautions (e.g., get tested, wear a mask, and social distance insofar as possible)."

DU discusses Catholic universities, LGBTQ+ community; The Duquesne Duke, February 25, 2021

 Kellen Stepler, The Duquesne Duke; DU discusses Catholic universities, LGBTQ+ community

"How can Catholic universities welcome LGBTQ+ students?

On Feb. 24, Duquesne’s Faculty Senate, Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Gumberg Library held an event on Zoom with keynote speaker the Rev. James Martin titled, “Catholic Universities Welcoming LGBTQIA+ Students.”

Martin is the editor-at-large for the Jesuit Review magazine America and a consultor to the Dicastery for Communication of Vatican News. He shared practices to help Catholic colleges sustain an environment where LGBTQ+ students feel welcomed while honoring a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

“Duquesne is already doing such wonderful work. Even by having a conversation like this shows that they are open and welcoming,” Martin said. “But we can all improve; everybody can sort of do better.”"...

Martin encouraged Catholic institutions to be clear and creative with programs that welcome LGBTQ+ individuals, to stand with them and to make the whole school a place where LGBTQ+ individuals can feel safe and supported.

“It’s important for gay students to know that they are not alone, that there are others like them on campus and for them to form a support,” Martin said.

Being open to learning new things, asking questions when you don’t understand and educating yourself and the school can also make an environment feel more inclusive."

Life amid the ruinsof QAnon: ‘I wanted my family back’; The Washington Post, February 23, 2021

Greg Jaffe and 

Jose A. Del Real

, The Washington Post ; Life amid the ruins of QAnon: ‘I wanted my family back’ An epidemic of conspiracy theories, fanned by social media and self-serving politicians, is tearing families apart.

"Like many conspiracy theories, QAnon supplied a good-versus-evil narrative into which complicated world events could be easily incorporated. “Especially during the pandemic, Q provided a structure to explain what was going on,” said Mike Rothschild, author of “The Storm Is Upon Us,” which documents QAnon’s rise.

And it offered believers a sense of meaning and purpose. “We want to believe that we matter enough [that someone wants] to crush us,” Rothschild said. “It’s comforting to think that the New World Order would single us out for destruction.”

A big part of what made it novel was that it was interactive, allowing its followers to take part in the hunt for clues as if they were playing a video game. Social media algorithms, built to capture and keep consumers’ attention, helped expand the pool of hardcore believers by leading curious individuals to online groups of believers and feeding them fresh QAnon conspiracy theories."

Pizzagate’s violent legacy; The Washington Post, February 16, 2021

 Michael E. Miller, The Washington Post; Pizzagate’s violent legacy

The gunman who terrorized a D.C. pizzeria is out of prison. The QAnon conspiracy theories he helped unleash are out of control.

"Alefantis had hoped Pizzagate would be the end of the baseless claims, but it had been only the beginning. The sickness had spread to members of Congress. The fraying social fabric had snapped completely.

He still believed that the country would get through the madness. But he was no longer surprised when people came to Comet, screaming hate and searching for something, as Welch had, that did not exist.

“It’s not just a pizza place,” a male protester shouted into a megaphone on Jan. 19. "It’s a pedophilia place as well.”And so Alefantis did what he had done four years earlier, when the same group first showed up. He pumped music from Comet’s outdoor speakers to drown them out, and customers began to dance.

As Lady Gaga’s “Perfect Illusion” boomed, Alefantis greeted the picketers with a tray of champagne. A protester stepped forward, grabbed a coupe and poured it onto the sidewalk.

Then he tipped over the tray, and all the champagne came tumbling down in a riot of broken glass."

VA issues new data ethics principles; FedScoop, February 22, 2021

Jackson Barnett, FedScoop; VA issues new data ethics principles

"The Department of Veterans Affairs issued new ethics principles for accessing and handling veterans’ data, it announced Monday.

The nine principles are designed to ensure the safe and responsible use of data, especially personally identifiable information like medical data. With the increased use of data, particularly during COVID-19 response, comes thorny issues of how that data is used, protected and accessed, which the new principles aim to address.

In full, the principles developed by VA’s Data Ethics Group are:

• The primary goal for use of Veteran data is for the good of Veterans.
• Veteran data should be used in a manner that ensures equity to Veterans.
• The sharing of Veteran data should be based on the Veteran’s meaningful choice.
• Access to and exchange of Veteran data should be transparent and consistent.
• De-identified Veteran data should not be reidentified without authorization.
• There is an obligation of reciprocity for gains made using Veteran data.
• All parties are obligated to ensure data security, quality and integrity of Veteran data.
• Veterans should be able to access to their own information.
• Veterans have the right to request amendments to their own information.

“VA’s principle-based ethics framework takes a proactive approach to data management and privacy by setting standards for our partners to follow,” acting VA Undersecretary for Health  Richard Stone said in a statement. “VA is applying this framework to all data interoperability initiatives, including those tied to our COVID-19 response and modernization efforts.”"

The Librarian War Against QAnon; The Atlantic, February 18, 2021

 Barbara Fister; The Atlantic; 

The Librarian War Against QAnon

As “Do the research” becomes a rallying cry for conspiracy theorists, classical information literacy is not enough.

"We are experiencing a moment that is exposing a schism between two groups: those who have faith that there is a way to arrive at truth using epistemological practices that originated during the Enlightenment, and those who believe that events and experiences are portents to be interpreted in ways that align with their personal values."

The Marrakesh Treaty in Action: Exciting Progress in Access to Published Works for the Blind and Print-Disabled Communities; U.S. Copyright Office, February 22, 2021

Anandashankar Mazumdar, U.S. Copyright Office; The Marrakesh Treaty in Action: Exciting Progress in Access to Published Works for the Blind and Print-Disabled Communities

"The following is a guest blog post by Shira Perlmutter, Register of Copyrights and Director, U.S. Copyright Office

Domestic stakeholders, congressional staff, and the U.S. government all worked collaboratively to implement the treaty obligations into our law. In the 2018 Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act (MTIA), Congress made a few amendments to the scope of the existing exception in section 121 of the Copyright Act, and added a new section 121A. The latter allows nonprofit or governmental entities that serve blind or print-disabled persons—known as “authorized entities”—to import and export accessible format copies for the benefit of those patrons. For more details, the Copyright Office has information on both the treaty and the MTIA posted on our website.

The Marrakesh Treaty has already been a tremendous achievement for the blind and visually impaired communities in the United States. Since it entered into force in May 2019, much has been done, including here at the Library of Congress, to start reaping its benefits. The Library’s National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), founded in 1931, has long administered a free national library program that provides braille and recorded materials to people who cannot see regular print or handle print materials. U.S. membership in Marrakesh has allowed NLS, as an authorized entity, to make thousands of accessible format works available throughout the world, as well as to import over 1,700 foreign titles in at least 10 languages for its patrons. NLS has developed a number of practices and policies to support its work as an authorized entity under the MTIA.

One of NLS’s partners in leveraging the Marrakesh Treaty to maximize the availability of accessible format works worldwide is the Accessible Books Consortium’s (ABC’s) Global Book Service (GBS), a project under the aegis of WIPO."

Hundreds of helpless cold-stunned sea turtles rescued by Navy pilots and pickup trucks; The Washington Post, February 18, 2021

Alex Horton, The Washington Post; Hundreds of helpless cold-stunned sea turtles rescued by Navy pilots and pickup trucks

"“Most of these people didn’t have good conditions in their own homes,” he said. “But they came out to help.”

The hardships of the extreme weather, coupled with the pressure of the coronavirus pandemic, compelled the volunteers to do something tangible and positive amid the bleakness, Bellamy said.

“Things have been rough over the past year. It’s fun to see people come together focused on recovering these turtles. People just need it.”"

"The Longest Time"; Phoenix Chamber Choir, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, April 24, 2020

YouTube, Phoenix Chamber Choir, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; "The Longest Time"

"Wishing everyone the best of health from Vancouver, Canada! Stay home, stay safe, and keep singing!"

Two young women in Florida ‘dressed up as grannies’ to get vaccinated, health official says; The Washington Post, February 18, 2021

  

Meryl Kornfield, The Washington Post; Two young women in Florida ‘dressed up as grannies’ to get vaccinated, health official says

"The coronavirus vaccine is so coveted that two women in Florida went to extremes Wednesday to get inoculated: They dressed as if they were elderly, health officials said.

The women, both younger than 45, “dressed up as grannies,” wearing bonnets, gloves and glasses to disguise themselves as older than 65, the age cutoff to be prioritized to get the coronavirus vaccine in Florida, according to Raul Pino, the director of the health department in Orange County, where Orlando is located. He attributed the deception to growing interest in the vaccine, giving the example of the women while explaining how high demand is in the area...

Meanwhile, an Indiana health department issued a warning earlier this month against what it called “a substantial lack of morality” after people had lied to vaccination site workers about their addresses, jobs and ages."

Pennsylvania GOP official on Toomey: “We did not send him there to ‘do the right thing’”; Pittsburgh City Paper, February 16, 2021

Ryan Deto,  Pittsburgh City Paper; Pennsylvania GOP official on Toomey: “We did not send him there to ‘do the right thing’”

"We did not send him there to vote his conscience,” said Ball during the TV interview. “We did not send him there to ‘do the right thing’ or whatever he said he was doing. We sent him there to represent us.”"

Pitt Cyber Presents: Battling the Infodemic: Covid-19 Mis- and Disinformation; University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security, February 16, 2021

University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security ; Pitt Cyber Presents: Battling the Infodemic: Covid-19 Mis- and Disinformation

"February 16, 2021 - 

2:00pm to 3:30pm

Add to Calendar

Battling the Infodemic: Covid-19 Mis- and Disinformation 

Please join Pitt Cyber for a timely conversation about how mis- and disinformation could jeopardize control of the pandemic. Disinformation and medical experts will discuss what’s happening, what to expect, and what we can do. 

The discussion will feature: 

Michael Colaresi, Pitt Cyber Research and Academic Director and Professor of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh 

Beth Hoffman, Research Assistant, Center for Research on Behavioral Health, Media, & Technology; PhD student, Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh 

Jaime Sidani, Assistant Professor of Medicine; Core Faculty of the Center for Research on Behavioral Health, Media, & Technology; and Pitt Cyber Affiliate Scholar, University of Pittsburgh 

Todd Wolynn, CEO, Kids Plus Pediatrics 

February 16 | 2-3:30 pm 

REGISTER NOW!"

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is barred from Instagram over false coronavirus claims.; The New York Times, February 11, 2021

Jennifer Jett , The New York Times; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is barred from Instagram over false coronavirus claims.

"Instagram took down the account of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the political scion and prominent anti-vaccine activist, on Wednesday over false information related to the coronavirus.

“We removed this account for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines,” Facebook, which owns Instagram, said in a statement.

Mr. Kennedy, the son of the former senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, worked for decades as an environmental lawyer but is now better known as an anti-vaccine crusader. A 2019 study found that two groups including his nonprofit, now called Children’s Health Defense, had funded more than half of Facebook advertisements spreading misinformation about vaccines.

He has found an even broader audience during the pandemic on platforms like Instagram, where he had 800,000 followers. Though Mr. Kennedy has said he is not opposed to vaccines as long as they are safe, he regularly endorses discredited links between vaccines and autism and has argued that it is safer to contract the coronavirus than to be inoculated against it."

Meet the Four Harvard Law Grads Taking on the Entire Legal System; The New York Times, February 10, 2021

Stephanie Russell-Kraft , The New York Times; Meet the Four Harvard Law Grads Taking on the Entire Legal System\

The founders of the People’s Parity Project are hoping to eliminate harassment and discrimination within the legal profession — and everywhere it operates. “You’re not alone in this.”

"Kohnert-Yount: If I’ve ever tried to explain forced arbitration to a nonlawyer, they’re like, “Mmm sounds fake. It’s so ridiculous, how is it possibly legal?” And I say: “Wait until I tell you what else is legal! When you democratize the access to information that we’ve learned in law school, people get mad.”"

Warren Buffett Says These Often Ignored Traits Separate Successful Leaders From All Others; Inc., January 18, 2021

 Marcel Schwantes, Inc.; Warren Buffett Says These Often Ignored Traits Separate Successful Leaders From All Others

"2. Value your employees' whole being.

I have found that leaders of the best organizations value the whole person -- their emotional, mental, physical, and even spiritual well-being -- to achieve outstanding business outcomes. The evidence overwhelmingly asserts that a more humane and human-centered approach to leadership will produce great results.

3. Lead with empathy.

An empathetic leader is important in keeping employees engaged. Empathetic leadership involves investing in the individual contributors on the team and listening and acting on employee needs. However, if managers are not trained to understand how to recognize and respond to these needs, it can negatively impact employee engagement."

The Ethical Dilemmas Prompted By The Vaccine Rollout; FiveThirtyEight, February 5, 2021

 Anna Rothschild and Sinduja Srinivasan, FiveThirtyEight; The Ethical Dilemmas Prompted By The Vaccine Rollout

"Should you take a leftover dose of the COVID-19 vaccine? Should you pass up a dose if you think you don’t need it as much as someone else does? On this week’s episode of PODCAST-19, we talk to bioethicists to get their answers on these questions and more."

Want to Reverse Inequality? Change Intellectual Property Rules.; The Nation, February 8, 2021

Dean Baker, February 8, 2021; Want to Reverse Inequality? Change Intellectual Property Rules.

Changes in IP have done far more than tax cuts to increase inequality—and US protection of IP could lead to a cold war with China.

"While the Reagan, George W. Bush, and Trump tax cuts all gave more money to the rich, policy changes in other areas, especially intellectual property have done far more to redistribute income upward. In the past four decades, a wide array of changes—under both Democratic and Republican presidents—made patent and copyright protection both longer and stronger."