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Massive Rolling Strikes Shut Down Quebec

Sonia Singh Labor Notes
After provincial bargaining stalled, 400,000 public sector workers across Quebec walked out in October and November on rolling one-day strikes.

The Savory Science of Umami

Lynn A. Kuntz Food Product Design
In the 1980s and 90s, science rediscovered the existence of umami and in 2002 identified its taste receptor. And, as they say, the rest was history. Not only has umami been universally recognized in sensory science, it’s become the darling of professionals looking to enhance the taste of savory foods. Umami can be leveraged, not just for tastier foods, but for healthier ones.

The Growth and Spread of Concentrated Poverty, 2000 to 2008-2012

Elizabeth Kneebone Brookings
Although severely concentrated disadvantage remains a predominantly urban phenomenon, suburbs now have nearly as many poor residents in high-poverty neighborhoods as cities. If these communities are ignored, they could become areas of concentrated poverty over time.

Smallpox: The Long Goodbye

Jeanne Guillemin Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
American and Russian officials always insist that their smallpox repositories, under WHO oversight, are well guarded. But experience tells us that scientists working in laboratories with the highest biosafety standards are still caught off guard by technical breakdowns, that their staffs make mistakes and break rules, and that a predictable institutional reflex is to cover up blunders.

Telecom Lobbying Dollars At Work

Telecoms not-so-subtle use of lobbyists and lobby dollars to influence some Civil Rights organizations to oppose net neutrality and the best interest of constituents.

Israel's Justification for Killing Civilians

Nicola Perugini and Neve Gordon Al Jazeera
For Palestinians living in Gaza today, spending time in schools, mosques, hospitals or even their own homes has become deadly. The question "when does it become a legitimate military target?" is merely rhetorical. Its real meaning is: "All houses in Gaza are legitimate targets" since all houses are potentially non-homes.