GenealogyBank: Genealogy 101: Using the Dictionary of American Regional English for Genealogy. “In this article – part of an ongoing ‘Introduction to Genealogy’ series – Gena Philibert-Ortega describes a helpful resource for genealogists, the ‘Dictionary of American Regional English,’ and how it can help with your family history research. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book ‘From the Family Kitchen.'”
United States
Wired: Iran Tensions Increase Social Media Surveillance at the US Border
Wired: Iran Tensions Increase Social Media Surveillance at the US Border. “Just days after the United States assassinated Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, US Customs and Border Protection reportedly detained more than 60 Iranian Americans and Iranians, including children, at the US–Canada border. Multiple sources present claim that while some of those detained were held, in certain cases for up to 10 hours, CBP confiscated some of their phones, ordered them to hand over their social media passwords, and questioned them about their political views and social media activity.”
CNN: Hacking attempts originating in Iran nearly triple following Soleimani strike, researchers say
CNN: Hacking attempts originating in Iran nearly triple following Soleimani strike, researchers say. “Hackers looking to breach US computer networks sharply intensified their efforts following the death of Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani, but have had limited success, according to internet security researchers and state government officials. Soon after the strike that killed Soleimani, Iran-based attempts to hack federal, state and local government websites jumped 50% — and then continued to accelerate, said network security company Cloudflare.”
Poynter: How to use your phone to spot fake images surrounding the U.S.-Iran conflict
Poynter: How to use your phone to spot fake images surrounding the U.S.-Iran conflict. “Military conflicts — like the one that is sparking between the United States and Iran — are usually surrounded by false images and outdated videos that go viral on social media. It happened in Turkey the other day. To avoid that misinformation scenario, the International Fact-Checking Network developed a step-by-step guide to teach citizens how to verify images, from asking simple and rhetorical questions to using reverse image search on cell phones.”
The Africa Report: China’s new Twitter diplomacy in Africa used to challenge US critics
The Africa Report: China’s new Twitter diplomacy in Africa used to challenge US critics. “After many years of silence, Chinese envoys are now finding their voice… on Twitter. The Chinese government’s rapid adoption of Twitter over the past several months now appears to be entering a new phase as envoys across the continent are using the social media platform to launch much more pointed attacks against the United States and other critics.”
Read, Hot and Digitized: South by—The Border Studies Archive at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (TexLibris)
New-to-me from TexLibris (what a GREAT name): Read, Hot and Digitized: South by—The Border Studies Archive at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. “The Border Studies Archive (BSA) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) has fostered really interesting digital collections of borderlands materials in recent years. These projects include Traditional Mexican American Folklore; Border Wall and Border Security; Border Music; Latinas and Politics; Spanish Land Grants; and Visual Border Studies. Each of these collections offers insight into a vast array of cultural elements that combine to depict life along the U.S.–Mexico border.”
Cornell University: Einaudi program promotes nuclear freeze movement’s legacy
Cornell University: Einaudi program promotes nuclear freeze movement’s legacy. “Forty years ago this month, disarmament advocate and researcher Randall Caroline Watson Forsberg told peace activists assembled for Mobilization for Survival’s annual meeting that a bilateral nuclear arms freeze ‘could change the world.’ Forsberg’s vision launched a powerful local- and state-level grassroots lobby for a U.S.-Soviet nuclear arms freeze in the 1980s.”
