Today for @matternews.bsky.social: Flock has had a busy month here in Columbus. Here's a rundown of everything that's happened so far, in advance of the next big step—a public hearing on whether we should renew the Flock contract—in August. #flock matternews.org/community/po...

Local Politics: A rundown of what the Flock is going on – Matter News

The Columbus City Council is seeking public testimony ahead of an early August hearing on the future of Flock, a license-plate-reading surveillance camera system.

matternews.org

Today for @matternews.bsky.social : A petition to ban data centers in Ohio won’t be going to the ballot this year. So here's how organizers are working locally instead. matternews.org/voices/local...

Local Politics: The small-time data center resistance – Matter News

A petition to ban data centers statewide won’t be going to the ballot this year. So organizers are working locally instead.

matternews.org

Last week for @matternews.bsky.social : a look at how Columbus is funding the fight against homelessness, and why the $13 million allotment isn't nearly enough to make a long-term difference. matternews.org/voices/local...

Local Politics: City funding can’t meet the scale of the growing homelessness crisis – Matter News

Why Columbus’ $13 million investment in services for the unhoused is unlikely to make a difference.

matternews.org

Last week, the Columbus City Council unanimously approved more than $13 million in funding for a nonprofit fighting homelessness in the city. But that hefty sum probably still won’t be enough to make a long-term difference writes @julesaroscoe.bsky.social. matternews.org/voices/local...

Local Politics: City funding can’t meet the scale of the growing homelessness crisis – Matter News

Why Columbus’ $13 million investment in services for the unhoused is unlikely to make a difference.

matternews.org

Ohio's primaries are on Tuesday. If you live in Columbus, here are the races you should pay attention to: matternews.org/community/po...

Local Politics: There’s nothing secondary about primaries – Matter News

Here are the local candidates on Franklin County’s ballot this year.

matternews.org

A very cool one today for Refractor: Researchers used pollen trapped in an ancient Roman shipwreck's waterproofing to map where it travelled across the Adriatic Sea. refractor.io/history/roma...

A 2,200-year-old ship's life, charted from pollen and pitch

An ancient Roman ship was repaired multiple times, with multiple techniques, and in multiple places around the Adriatic Sea before it sank, a new study suggests. The findings highlight the expansive n...

refractor.io

Today for @huffpost.com: after the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, President Trump said the law enforcement agents who took down the gunman were "really attractive." Here's why some psychologists think he might have said that. www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...

Trump Uttered 2 Awkward Words About Secret Service That Are Turning Heads

The president said he saw “really attractive” law enforcement agents during the press gala shooting, which made him feel “very, very safe.”

huffpost.com

My very first for Refractor: DNA extracted from parrot feathers in a tomb in Peru provide new evidence for an expansive ancient trade network spanning across the Andes Mountains. A fascinating study. refractor.io/history/feat...

Tomb feathers from wild parrots reveal extensive ancient trade route

Parrot feathers found at a thousand-year-old burial tomb in Peru provide new evidence for an expansive live bird trade network across the Andes Mountains that pre-dates the Inca Empire, a new study su...

refractor.io

This week for @matternews.bsky.social: Ohio is considering a formal trade partnership with Israel. Businesses say good for business. Residents wonder why state is spending time on this instead of "literally anything that would benefit a single regular person." matternews.org/voices/local...

Local Politics: Proposed trade partnership with Israel draws criticism  – Matter News

A bill to create an Ohio-Israel trade partnership is under review in the State Senate. Reactions in the city have been mixed at best.

matternews.org

Today for @matternews.bsky.social : Can you refuse to serve an ICE agent? matternews.org/voices/local...

Local Politics: The fallout of serving ICE(d) coffee – Matter News

A local coffee chain has been under fire for saying it would not refuse to serve ICE agents. But the people who work there say that’s not the full story.

matternews.org

This week @matternews.bsky.social: A Columbus coffee chain has been under fire for saying it would not refuse to serve ICE agents; but the people who work there say that’s not the full story. Raises interesting questions about how businesses should handle ICE visits: matternews.org/voices/local...

Local Politics: The fallout of serving ICE(d) coffee – Matter News

A local coffee chain has been under fire for saying it would not refuse to serve ICE agents. But the people who work there say that’s not the full story.

matternews.org

This week at @matternews.bsky.social : Columbus received a fat check from the state this month, because for the past two years, people here have sold weed. And nobody seems to know what we’re going to use it for. matternews.org/voices/local...

Local Politics: Show me the (weed) money – Matter News

Under a new state law, Columbus will get payouts from a cannabis sales tax fund. We’ve been owed that money for two years.

matternews.org

Did you guys know that dots don't matter in Gmail handles? Because I didn't. Anyway, if you want to contact me about journalism, feel free to email me at julesroscoe.news@gmail.com OR julesroscoenews@gmail.com! You learn something every day.

This week for @matternews.bsky.social : Do we carry the flame? I wrote about Columbus educators' thoughts on Ohio's proposed Charlie Kirk bill. matternews.org/voices/local...

Local Politics: Are we Charlie Kirk? – Matter News

Here’s what Columbus educators have to say about the proposed Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act.

matternews.org

Guys, I was on a podcast! Huge thank you to @marksimon.bsky.social for letting me talk for way too long. Give a listen to hear how I approach stupid questions and what it's like to pursue journalism while working a full-time job. Crazy, but it can be done I think. open.spotify.com/episode/7wmT...

Jules Roscoe, Freelance Journalist (404 Media, Matter News, The Boston Guardian)

open.spotify.com

For @404media.co this morning: a group of immigrant rights organizers are helping people use Fortnite to practice what to do if they encounter ICE agents in the wild. And I got to see it. www.404media.co/ice-defense-...

Inside an ICE Defense Training on Fortnite

A group of immigrant rights organizers are helping people use Fortnite to practice what to do if they encounter ICE agents in the wild.

404media.co

This institutionalism is, in part, historical. ... In 1912, voters passed the city’s first charter, which switched the model from ward-based to fully at-large. In order to run city-wide, candidates would need substantially more resources than previously required. New from @julesaroscoe.bsky.social.

Local Politics: A step away from the status quo – Matter News

The District 7 City Council race stands as the most progress Columbus has made toward a democratic election in years.

matternews.org

This institutionalism is, in part, historical. ... In 1912, voters passed the city’s first charter, which switched the model from ward-based to fully at-large. In order to run city-wide, candidates would need substantially more resources than previously required. New from @julesaroscoe.bsky.social.

Local Politics: A step away from the status quo – Matter News

The District 7 City Council race stands as the most progress Columbus has made toward a democratic election in years.

matternews.org

Politics this month in Columbus: an unassuming end to the city's most contentious election this year might not be as disappointing as you think. matternews.org/voices/local...

Local Politics: A step away from the status quo – Matter News

The District 7 City Council race stands as the most progress Columbus has made toward a democratic election in years.

matternews.org

Guess who's now writing the Local Politics column for @matternews.bsky.social ! My first this month is about the Columbus Ohio school board elections next week— but it's actually a lot more than that. If you have city politics tips for Columbus, please find me :) matternews.org/voices/local...

Local Politics: What the federal government has to do with your school board vote – Matter News

With the U.S. Department of Education being stripped, local reinforcements to support students are more critical than ever.

matternews.org

A long time coming for @404media.co: @jasonkoebler.bsky.social and I looked at hundreds of pages of court docs to see what lawyers say when they're caught using AI. Some good ones include being a lawyer is hard, good advertising, and "I didn't mess up actually": www.404media.co/18-lawyers-c...

18 Lawyers Caught Using AI Explain Why They Did It

Lawyers blame IT, family emergencies, their own poor judgment, their assistants, illness, and more.

404media.co

Spent many (many!) hours pulling legal explanations and apologies from lawyers who were caught using AI that hallucinated in which they explained to a judge why they used AI. The explanations are astonishing and extremely good: www.404media.co/18-lawyers-c...

18 Lawyers Caught Using AI Explain Why They Did It

Lawyers blame IT, family emergencies, their own poor judgment, their assistants, illness, and more.

404media.co

Today for @wired.com (!): You're not ready for the next generation of scammers. What happens when AI tools get so sophisticated that even real-time video calls can't be trusted? www.wired.com/story/youre-...

Deepfake Scams Are Distorting Reality Itself

The easy access that scammers have to sophisticated AI tools means everything from emails to video calls can’t be trusted.

wired.com

Really heartbreaking, visceral piece from @julesaroscoe.bsky.social: www.404media.co/they-sometim...

'They Sometimes Worry That I’m Dead Already:' Deep-Sea Fishers Fight for Wi-Fi

Distant-water fishers are out on the ocean for up to 10 months at a time, with no contact to the outside world.

404media.co

powerful story from @julesaroscoe.bsky.social about deep sea fishers organizing for basic internet connection while they're on expeditions www.404media.co/they-sometim...

'They Sometimes Worry That I’m Dead Already:' Deep-Sea Fishers Fight for Wi-Fi

Distant-water fishers are out on the ocean for up to 10 months at a time, with no contact to the outside world.

404media.co

New from 404 Media: deep-sea fishers can spend 10 months at sea, but they're not allowed to use the ship's Wi-Fi, meaning they can't talk to their families back home. Now they're fighting back for change. www.404media.co/they-sometim...

'They Sometimes Worry That I’m Dead Already:' Deep-Sea Fishers Fight for Wi-Fi

Distant-water fishers are out on the ocean for up to 10 months at a time, with no contact to the outside world.

404media.co

Crazy story today: this group of distant water fishermen is fighting for Wi-Fi on their boats so they can talk to their families (or anyone else in the outside world) for the ten months a year they're out at sea. www.404media.co/they-sometim...

'They Sometimes Worry That I’m Dead Already:' Deep-Sea Fishers Fight for Wi-Fi

Distant-water fishers are out on the ocean for up to 10 months at a time, with no contact to the outside world.

404media.co

me and @jasonkoebler.bsky.social got to experience the Wikiportraits project firsthand yesterday – awesome work by the coolest people

Jules Eileen Roscoe Fitzgerald@julesaroscoe.bsky.social · last yr.

TODAY for @404media.co: Photos of famous people on Wikipedia are famously, famously, tragically bad. These volunteer photographers are trying to change that: www.404media.co/photographer...

TODAY for @404media.co: Photos of famous people on Wikipedia are famously, famously, tragically bad. These volunteer photographers are trying to change that: www.404media.co/photographer...

Photographers Are on a Mission to Fix Wikipedia's Famously Bad Celebrity Portraits

WikiPortraits, a group of volunteer photographers, has been covering festivals and shooting celebrities specifically to improve images in the public domain.

404media.co

I don't post much about this because it's a paper-first news org, but I've been covering some pretty drama-filled news for the Boston Guardian. e.g.: The city is pausing a new zoning plan after getting over 500 letters of opposition. But it gets better. 1/ read.thebostonguardian.com/the-boston-g...