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Mexico City just outlawed gay conversion therapy. These cities have not

Mexico City, already progressive, takes more steps to protect its LGBT+ citizens.

John Moore/Getty Images
  • Mexico City has just issued a ban protecting its citizens from "conversion therapy."
  • "Conversion therapy" is a loose term covering a wide variety of "treatments" which claim to alter a person's sexuality.
  • With the law, Mexico City joins a small club of countries, provinces, and municipalities with such a law.
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Google to fund 100,000 online certificate scholarships

The Silicon Valley titan has promised scholarships for its tech-focused certificate courses alongside $10 million in job training grants.

(Photo: PxHere)
  • America is facing a "middle-skills gap" thanks to the rapid digitalization of work.
  • Google announces new online certificate courses and 100,000 need-based scholarships to train people for in-demand skills.
  • The need for middle-skills will grow as the COVID-19 pandemic hastens technological adoption.
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    Anti-vax disinformation spreads unchecked on Facebook

    Despite fact check campaigns, anti-vaccination influence is growing.

    Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images
    • Despite announcing plans to combat disinformation, anti-vax groups continue to gain influence on Facebook.
    • An analysis of over 1,300 Facebook pages with 100 million followers shows that anti-vaccination agendas are having a profound impact.
    • Only 50 percent of Americans are certain they'll receive an approved COVID-19 vaccine.
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    Is mask-shaming effective?

    To empathize or scream, that is the question.

    Photo by David McNew/Getty Images
    • NYU associate professor Jennifer Jacquet writes that effective shaming can be a powerful tool for social change.
    • Tess Wilkinson-Ryan, law and psychology professor at the University of Penn, believes shame is useless in the case of the pandemic.
    • The politicization of the coronavirus takes our attention away from the failure of the administration.
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    Education vs. learning: How semantics can trigger a mind shift

    The word "learning" opens up space for more people, places, and ideas.

    • The terms 'education' and 'learning' are often used interchangeably, but there is a cultural connotation to the former that can be limiting. Education naturally links to schooling, which is only one form of learning.
    • Gregg Behr, founder and co-chair of Remake Learning, believes that this small word shift opens up the possibilities in terms of how and where learning can happen. It also becomes a more inclusive practice, welcoming in a larger, more diverse group of thinkers.
    • Post-COVID, the way we think about what learning looks like will inevitably change, so it's crucial to adjust and begin building the necessary support systems today.
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