What's in the news?

[TheGlyphstone]

He gave medical science the middle finger for over 50 years. Kinda felt like he would be around forever.

[Lustful Bride]

There has been a terrible bridge collapse at Florida University.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/foot-bridge-collapses-at-florida-university-several-killed-reports/ar-BBKgDSH?ocid=spartandhp&ffid=gz

[Nachtmahr]

He gave medical science the middle finger for over 50 years. Kinda felt like he would be around forever.

I know how you feel. When I first heard, I definitely had that momentary feeling of; "Wait, but.. He can't die?"

It's a shame to lose such a strong voice of reason in this day and age. If there's anything we need right now, more than ever, it's reason and rationale.

[AmberStarfire]

This story's really touching:

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/good-news/homeless-man-joins-twitter-after-being-given-a-phone-by-a-stranger-and-lands-job-interview-a-week-later/news-story/a0ad12f3f44e51f3bfe0a76524d6e941

[Beguile's Mistress]

BREAKING: An engineer on the Florida bridge project that collapsed called the state of Florida two days before the collapse to report the existence of cracking.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2018/03/16/recovery-efforts-continue-following-florida-bridge-collapse-at-least-6-dead/?utm_term=.7919a7beedd3&wpisrc=al_news__alert-national&wpmk=1

[Lustful Bride]

China shows new method of controlling the populace. Preventing them from using public transport or even planes of their online presence is too critical of the government.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/gizmodo.com/chinese-citizens-with-bad-social-credit-to-be-blocked-f-1823845648/amp#ampshare=https://gizmodo.com/chinese-citizens-with-bad-social-credit-to-be-blocked-f-1823845648

The funny thing is. Extra Credits predicted this.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

https://youtu.be/lHcTKWiZ8sI

[Arianna]

China shows new method of controlling the populace. Preventing them from using public transport or even planes of their online presence is too critical of the government.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/gizmodo.com/chinese-citizens-with-bad-social-credit-to-be-blocked-f-1823845648/amp#ampshare=https://gizmodo.com/chinese-citizens-with-bad-social-credit-to-be-blocked-f-1823845648

The funny thing is. Extra Credits predicted this.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

https://youtu.be/lHcTKWiZ8sI

When I first read the title, it reminded me clearly of Black Mirror, and then saw the article mentions the "Nosedive" episode as well. This is probably the scariest thing about modern times... and there is not much that can be done about it... :(

[gaggedLouise]

Winning by a comfortable landslide despite having hardly made any campaigning at all, Vladimir Purin is reelected president of Russia for six more years. There was no meaningful competition allowed in the field - anyone who might have a serious chance of getting to even 20% of the vote and really challenging his politics was blocked from standing - so it was always a given thing that he would win this.

Remembering last time around, in 2012, a correspondent for a Swedish daily wrote about how she had visited a rally in Moscow the day after the election. It was supposed to look like a spontaneous show of sympathy and joy at Putin's victory, but as she walked through the crowd, she noticed many people looking tired, nonplussed or clearly going through the motions: most of the crowd had been ordered out through their employers to greet him. When she asked some of them how they felt and why they were here, they turned their backs on her, muttered "Get lost!" or simply ignored her. One man offered the stinging reply: "Provocateur!"  :P

[Lustful Bride]

DC councilman apologises for anti semetic joke.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/03/19/politics/dc-council-member-apology-anti-semitic-comment/index.html#ampshare=https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/19/politics/dc-council-member-apology-anti-semitic-comment/index.html

I almost wish politicians could be forced to wear those old Dunce caps when they do stuff like this. :P

[gaggedLouise]

Local news: Sofiero, a former royal summer castle in the same county where I live, is rumoured to be a contender for hosting the upcoming Kim-Trump summit. It has lovely gardens and is probably an easy place to keep under heavy surveillance for a while. I've been there for concerts in the summer once or twice. :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofiero_Palace

Sweden has long been, in diplomatic terms,a protecting power for the US in North Korea; this and our not being a Nato member makes Sweden a serious alternative for handling this unique summit.

[Blythe]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/18/two-injured-in-explosion-in-austin-police-say/?utm_term=.040d302b600e

There have now been 4 bombings in I think about 17 days. This is really disturbing. :/

[Beorning]

I've heard about it. Some sort of serial bomber..?

[Oniya]

I've heard about it. Some sort of serial bomber..?

Three of them seem to have a similar 'signature' - packages left on doorsteps in minority neighborhoods.  The most recent was in a different part of the city, and they suspect it used a trip-wire detonator.  Two guys walking their bikes triggered it, both are badly injured but expected to survive.

[HairyHeretic]

https://futurism.com/ubers-self-driving-car-just-killed-pedestrian/

This is a news story I'm curious to see how turns out.

[gaggedLouise]

https://futurism.com/ubers-self-driving-car-just-killed-pedestrian/

This is a news story I'm curious to see how turns out.

It topped BBC World News this hour. I would never want to ride in a driverless car, not to mention a driverless bus or train. No, Sir.  ::)

[HairyHeretic]

As technology and AI develop, things like this will become commonplace, I believe. It's getting the technology to a safe place that is the key factor.

[gaggedLouise]

As technology and AI develop, things like this will become commonplace, I believe. It's getting the technology to a safe place that is the key factor.

Yeah, but what happens if there's a software glitch. or if somebody else - the human owner of another autopilot car - has decided to sort of overclock their car and make the AI guidance cut a few corners to get around faster?  ::) Making that car a sleeper danger to everyone else. 

[LisztesFerenc]

Yeah, but what happens if there's a software glitch. or if somebody else - the human owner of another autopilot car - has decided to sort of overclock their car and make the AI guidance cut a few corners to get around faster?  ::) Making that car a sleeper danger to everyone else.

  If someone decides to overclock their AI car, they probably wouldn't be that safe a driver in any care to begin with. And yeah, software can glitch, but humans can, and will, glitch more often, that's kinda the point. AI cars won't stopp 100% of accidents, but they will reduce the amount.

[Hades]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/federal-judges-reject-gop-attempt-to-block-new-pennsylvania-map

As expected, the US Supreme Court turned down the request by Pennsylvania GOP officials to get involved in a state issue, and striking down the Pennsylvania Supreme Court-ordered congressional districts.   Meaning that the non-gerrymandered districts are in effect for this year's election and giving the Democrats a much better chance of taking the US House come November.

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/20/africa/last-male-white-rhino-dies-intl/index.html

:'( last male white rhino has died, leaving only two females alive.

[gaggedLouise]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/20/africa/last-male-white-rhino-dies-intl/index.html

:'( last male white rhino has died, leaving only two females alive.

Only the northern subspecies. The southern group is much less threatened.

The white rhinoceros or square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is the largest extant species of rhinoceros. It has a wide mouth used for grazing and is the most social of all rhino species. The white rhinoceros consists of two subspecies: the southern white rhinoceros, with an estimated 19,682–21,077 wild-living animals in the year 2015,[3] and the much rarer northern white rhinoceros. The northern subspecies had very few remaining, with only two confirmed individuals left in 2018 (two females; Fatu, 17 and Najin, 27), both in captivity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_rhinoceros

[Callie Del Noire]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/federal-judges-reject-gop-attempt-to-block-new-pennsylvania-map

As expected, the US Supreme Court turned down the request by Pennsylvania GOP officials to get involved in a state issue, and striking down the Pennsylvania Supreme Court-ordered congressional districts.   Meaning that the non-gerrymandered districts are in effect for this year's election and giving the Democrats a much better chance of taking the US House come November.

I read the courts response yesterday, it was literally one sentence. 
I think that the other pending cases might have a chance but given the state constitution’s stated ‘fair play’ commentary they don’t have a leg to stand on. I wish that was the case for my homestate of North Carolina

[Deamonbane]

The high school in Great Mills, Maryland, was locked down after a shooting there this morning, St. Mary's County Public Schools said in a statement.

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/maryland-high-school-lockdown-shooting-incident-contained-school-125404410--abc-news-topstories.html

[Hades]

That's the norm when the Supreme Court declines cert.  It's actually very rare for them to give more than just "Plaintiff's request is denied" as their reply.   But the fact that another article I read on the topic said that there were no dissent does give me some measure of hope that the Wisconsin case will have a similar outcome.  Or at least we can hope anyway.

Personally I think every state should do like Pennsylvania just did, and have an outside agency draw the lines to make it be as fair and equal as possible.  A candidate should win or lose by the merit of their arguments and not based on if they happen to be in the same party that was lucky enough to be in power when the census is done.

The high school in Great Mills, Maryland, was locked down after a shooting there this morning, St. Mary's County Public Schools said in a statement.

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/maryland-high-school-lockdown-shooting-incident-contained-school-125404410--abc-news-topstories.html

Just saw that on Facebook since one of my friends graduated from there actually.   :'(

[Lustful Bride]

Remember when Jim Carrey used to be funny. I miss those days :/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/celebrity/jim-carrey-responds-to-outrage-over-sarah-huckabee-sanders-painting-says-he’s-‘gratified’-by-the-reaction/ar-BBKsULU?ocid=spartandhp&ffid=gz