Skip to Content

MONDAY, 06 JANUARY 2025, 03:09

World

News24 | Major winter storm begins dumping snow, disrupting travel in US

Yesterday at 21:03 PM, via News24

Blizzard and winter storm conditions blasted the Midwest early on Sunday, as a massive weather system began tracking eastward across the United States, with authorities warning of some of the heaviest snowfalls in a decade and severe impact on transport.

Education

Banging the drum for music education: the UK school run with an orchestra

Yesterday at 17:00 PM, via The Guardian

Shireland CBSO academy in West Bromwich has put music at centre of its teaching in effort to revive interest

It is first thing in the morning at Shireland CBSO academy in West Bromwich, and the school corridors are filled with music. Scattered throughout the classrooms are a steel pans class, a keyboard group, a guitar group, a wind band, a jazz orchestra, a percussion group, a string orchestra...

Education

New year, new Keir? Labour have big plans for 2025 – including taking inspiration from Thatcher

Saturday at 21:32 PM, via The Guardian

The party’s manifesto promised big policy reforms. Now, with his popularity in freefall, the prime minister must deliver to change the political narrative

As the popularity of his government has nosedived in recent weeks, Keir Starmer has turned up the heat on his cabinet ministers. Since early last month, individual secretaries of state have been summoned by the prime minister to attend...

Education

Trump promised to shut down the education department. Is it possible?

Saturday at 15:00 PM, via The Guardian

President-elect said he would give states the power to control education, but it would be extremely difficult

Donald Trump issued a bold campaign promise to his voters: he would eliminate the US Department of Education and give states all power to control education.

He didn’t lay out how he could get rid of the cabinet-level agency, but he alone cannot eliminate a department, making it an...

Science/Tech

How the OS/2 Flop Went On To Shape Modern Software

Today at 02:49 AM, via Slashdot

“It’s fair to say that by 1995, OS/2 was dead software walking,” remembers a new article from the Register (which begins with a 1995 Usenet post from Gordon Letwin, Microsoft’s lead architect on the OS/2 project). But the real question is why this Microsoft-IBM collaboration on a DOS-replacing operating system ultimately lost out to Windows…?If OS/2 1.0 had been an 80386 OS, and had been able...

Science/Tech

Employers are Offering Remote Work with Lower Salaries

Yesterday at 23:35 PM, via Slashdot

“In many instances, there’s a catch: flexible work but at lower pay…” writes Fortune. “Remote workers are accepting lower salaries in order to achieve remote status. Some are taking as much as 5% to 15% less pay to do so, while other employers are reversing the strategy to entice workers to come to the office at higher salaries…”Today, nearly half of managers anticipate challenges in meeting...

Science/Tech

Are US Computer Networks A ‘Key Battlefield’ in any Future Conflict with China?

Yesterday at 22:34 PM, via Slashdot

In a potential U.S.-China conflict, cyberattackers are military weapons. That’s the thrust of a new article from the Wall Street Journal:The message from President Biden’s national security adviser was startling. Chinese hackers had gained the ability to shut down dozens of U.S. ports, power grids and other infrastructure targets at will, Jake Sullivan told telecommunications and technology...

Science/Tech

Should First-Year Programming Students Be Taught With Python and Java?

Yesterday at 21:35 PM, via Slashdot

Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes: In an Op-ed for The Huntington News, fourth year Northeastern University CS student Derek Kaplan argues that real pedagogical merit is what should count when deciding which language to use to teach CS fundamentals (aka ‘Fundies’). He makes the case for Northeastern to reconsider its decision to move from Racket to Python and Java later this year in an...

Health

Telemedicine for Seniors Gets a Last-Minute Reprieve

Yesterday at 12:00 PM, via New York Times

Some older Americans have come to depend on virtual consultations with doctors, covered by Medicare. To keep that option in the future, Congress will have to act quickly.

Health

Surgeon General Calls for Cancer Warnings on Alcohol

Friday at 14:00 PM, via New York Times

Dr. Vivek Murthy’s report cites studies linking alcoholic beverages to at least seven malignancies, including breast cancer. But to add warning labels, Congress would have to act.