How can we make the media less toxic?

S70

How can we make the media less toxic?   “We in the media must ask if we are truly honouring a world worth living in. Too often we are the poison in the bloodstream of our society.”So said the Indigenous journalist, academic and Q+A host Stan Grant last week, explaining his decision to take a break from the media. “I feel like I’m part of the problem and I need to ask myself how or if we can do it better.” Continued here

S55

4 Steps to Beating Burnout   Three symptoms characterize burnout: exhaustion; cynicism, or distancing oneself from work; and inefficacy, or feelings of incompetence and lack of achievement. Research has linked burnout to many health problems, including hypertension, sleep disturbances, depression, and substance abuse. Moreover, it can ruin relationships and jeopardize career prospects. Continued here

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S17

Rupert Murdoch: how a 22-year-old 'zealous Laborite' turned into a tabloid tsar   In September 1953, Rupert Murdoch arrived in sleepy Adelaide to take up his inheritance of News Limited. He was only 22 and had little experience of working at a newspaper, let alone running one, but his family had inherited a majority stake in the company following the death of Rupert’s father, the well-known journalist, editor and media executive Keith Murdoch. After Rupert had completed his matriculation at Geelong Grammar in 1949 with marks that had not impressed his parents, he had worked briefly as a cadet reporter at the Melbourne Herald under his father’s watchful eye, spending a few months at the police courts with a friend from school before heading off to the United Kingdom. Continued here

S9

Kids missing school: Why it's happening -- and how to stop it   Chronic absenteeism – defined as a student’s missing approximately 18 days of the school year – is on the rise. Compared with the years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, almost three-quarters of U.S. public schools are now showing significant increases.SciLine interviewed Dr. Joshua Childs, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Texas at Austin, who shared his thoughts on why students become chronically absent, the academic and social losses they incur by missing school, and the strategies available to boost student attendance, including the relationship between absenteeism and school athletics. Continued here

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S2

How to Minimize Stress Before, During, and After Your Vacation   You plan a vacation to relax, rejuvenate, and forget all about the stresses of work. But being out of the office often means doing a mountain of extra work before and after, which means taking a vacation often doesn’t reduce our stress. You can avoid this problem by ruthlessly prioritizing, over-communicating, and handing off key projects. Tell people you will be completely off the grid while you’re away. When you’re on vacation, truly unplug, and set an intention for your time away. When you come back, give yourself some extra time to get settled. Continued here

S42

Every Leaked 'Honkai: Star Rail' Character to Know About Before Version 2.0   Mark your calendars. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough free Stellar Jade around to pull for every single character in Honkai: Star Rail. We all need to make sacrifices, like picking between the Stellaron Hunters or accepting that you might need to wait over half a year to have another chance at pulling Jing Yuan. That’s why you need this handy-dandy list to see who’s coming up.Like Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail has a trail of leaks leading to its upcoming characters. Some of these are real characters to expect, considering they already appeared in betas and on HoYoverse’s social media accounts and blog posts. Note that we aren’t counting characters that have already been officially drip-marketed for Honkai: Star Rail version 1.1. Continued here

S4

The Leadership Lessons of Mount Everest   Our Twin Otter was descending at a dangerously steep angle, but at the last minute the pilot managed to pull the nose up and ease us onto the runway. We had arrived at the gateway to the Himalayas—a tiny airstrip surrounded by snow-covered peaks in the village of Lukla, elevation 9,350 feet. With fully laden backpacks and a keen sense of adventure, we began our journey into the mountain range capped by Mount Everest. Continued here

S11

Accra's market fires are devastating to informal traders - but they don't trust or understand what they're being told about managing risk   Ghana’s informal urban markets play a key role in the country’s economy. They employ more than 80% of the people who work in the informal sector. They create livelihoods for traders, give urban residents access to essential household products, and add value to the culture of urban life.Most market traders rely on credit from financial institutions, family and friends. Few have insurance. Without insurance, traders are left vulnerable to fire disasters, as urban markets are prone to fire outbreaks. Continued here

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S7

Mark McGowan quits in his own time, after dominating Western Australian politics   Martin Drum was a member of the Ministerial Expert Committee that advised the WA government on electoral reform.One of the most dominant premiers in recent Australian political history, Mark McGowan, has resigned as Western Australian premier and the member for Rockingham. Continued here

S43

The 8 Best Gaming Handhelds That Aren't the Steam Deck   When looking at gaming handhelds, the Steam Deck may be the obvious choice. It’s powerful, popular, and with a little know-how, it can do almost anything you want. Convincing though it may be, it’s not the only option. While Valve’s hardware has given new life to the handheld gaming world, there are a rising array of options that bring just as much bang for your proverbial buck, offering more portability, power, and a lot of flexibility. Continued here

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S8

What really started the American Civil War?   Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.The U.S. citizenship test – which immigrants must pass before becoming citizens of the United States – has this question: “Name one problem that led to the Civil War.” It lists three possible correct answers: “slavery,” “economic reasons” and “states’ rights.” Continued here

S10

China in Africa: Kenya railway study shows investment projects aren't a one-way street   China is an important economic player in Africa. In 2021 alone, China accounted for nearly US$5 billion in foreign direct investment in African countries. The rapidly increasing Chinese presence across Africa has become a contentious issue both for Beijing and African governments. In particular, mega projects funded by China have resulted in public controversies about the relationship between external investments and public debt. China is Africa’s biggest bilateral lender. In 2020, it held over US$73 billion of Africa’s public debt and nearly US$9 billion of its private debt. Due to this, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has accused China of leaving countries “trapped in debt”. Continued here

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S6

12 of the best TV shows to watch this June   It may be the oldest trope in time-travel stories: going into the past to try to change it. That idea gets a high-tech twist in the sci-fi thriller Vortex, a major hit when it was released in France last year. Ludovic (Tomer Sisley) is a police captain in 2025, when virtual reality allows investigators to revisit old crime scenes, an idea not far-fetched in itself. But a glitch in the VR allows Ludovic to talk to his late wife, who died on that same spot 27 years before. How can he not try to save her, even though he has remarried and has a child with his second wife? As it toys with the butterfly effect and romance, some parts of the show are set in the VR space. When the series began in France, Premiere magazine said that although the plot is improbable, the result is très efficace – very effective.Creator Sam Levinson's (Euphoria) latest series, with Abel Tesfaye, formerly known as The Weeknd, as a cult-like club manager and Lily-Rose Depp as a pop singer under his spell, was in the news months before its premiere last week at the Cannes Film Festival for all the wrong reasons. Amy Seimetz was replaced as director after most of the show was shot, with Levinson reshooting. A Rolling Stone article accused the revamped series of veering toward torture porn, which the creators disputed. And when the first two episodes were finally shown, the Cannes reaction was mixed at best, with some critics calling the series tamer than expected and many confused by its tone. The Hollywood Reporter's review said, "It makes you wonder if in trying so hard to be transgressive it becomes regressive". Critics agreed on one thing, that there is a lot of nudity and sex. Levinson is taking the "no publicity is bad "approach. At a Cannes press conference, he said that when his wife read him the Rolling Stone article, his response was, "I think we're about to have the biggest show of the summer." Continued here

S53

How to Spot an Incompetent Leader   If we want less incompetent men in leadership roles, those responsible for judging candidates need to improve their ability to distinguish between confidence and competence. The good news is that, for some time now, we have had at our disposal scientifically valid assessments to predict and avoid managerial and leadership incompetence. There are systematic individual differences in how people present themselves, and these differences predict people’s leadership style and competence. When you are able to put thousands of leaders through the same self-report questionnaires, and you link their responses to their leadership style, performance, and effectiveness, you can identify the key patterns of self-presentation that characterize good and bad leaders. The bad news is that, despite the availability of such tools, very few organizations are using them. Continued here

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S41

I Spent 2 Weeks Caring For an AR Pet and It Was Cuter Than I Expected   The creators of Pokémon Go have made an AR app that could be the start of something bigger.I haven’t been the best father to Simon. Despite the nagging of Peridot’s incessant notifications, it’s been a whole two days since I last checked on my virtual pet. Continued here

S26

The new Grocery Code of Conduct should benefit both Canadians and the food industry   The cost of filling your grocery cart in Canada increased by 10.3 per cent in 2022 and is projected to increase by an additional five to seven per cent this year. What is particularly troubling about the food crisis is that the high prices seem to be impacting all food product categories, suggesting the problem is affecting the entire food supply chain rather than specific items or sub-sectors. Continued here

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S12

African migration to Europe: forced returns run into resistance   The forced return of migrants from the European Union (EU) to their countries of origin continues to be a source of major tension in African countries as well as EU member states. The result has been that the EU – and individual member states – have been scrambling to come up with ways to improve cooperation on migration. What EU countries want is for countries of origin to take back migrants that are not able to live legally in Europe. But return rates from the EU to Africa are the lowest compared to other world regions and have even decreased in the last decade. For example, only 9% of Senegalese with an order to return from the EU did so between 2015 and 2019. In other words, of the 30,650 Senegalese migrants who received an order to leave from a European country between 2015 and 2019, only 2,805 did. Forced return necessitates the cooperation of countries of origin through for example issuing travel documents or allowing flights to land. Continued here

S5

A family recipe for Shanghai wontons   From meaty to veggie, fried to boiled, traditionally flavoured to globally inspired, there's a wonton to suit most palates. Wontons, unlike dumplings, tend to be made with a thin, square wrapper and served in soups. While eaten all over China, they are more popular in the southern part of the country, including Shanghai.Chef Kathy Fang is an expert on how to infuse a wonton with Shanghainese flavours. Fang grew up in the kitchen of her family's much lauded San Francisco restaurant, House of Nanking. She opened Fang restaurant in 2009 with her father, Peter, with whom she appears in a docuseries called Chef Dynasty: House of Fang. Fang is also a two-time champion on Food Network's Chopped. Continued here

S20

Shop around to beat electricity price spikes? It's not as easy as it should be   Australian consumers are painfully aware of the energy cost crisis. And from July 1, electricity bills are set to rise by a further 20-25% across South Australia, New South Wales, south-east Queensland and Victoria. The increases will add to cost-of-living pressures across households and small businesses. With the burden likely to fall yet again on the consumer, we’re being told to shop around for the best deal. Continued here

S22

Thinking of quitting your child's swimming lessons over winter? Read this first   The weather is getting chilly and the pool is looking less inviting than ever. At this time of year, with cooler temperatures and shorter days, swimming can be the furthest thing from our minds. It’s no wonder during winter many parents pause their child’s swimming lessons. Many local pools in country areas close during the cooler months, often reopening in spring. Continued here

S3

The Most Common Type of Incompetent Leader   The popular media is full of examples of bad leaders in government, academia, and business. But the most common kind of incompetent leader isn’t the ranting, narcissistic sociopath that might immediately come to mind. Rather, it’s the “absentee leader” — those in leadership roles who are psychologically absent from them. These people were promoted into management, and enjoy the privileges and rewards of a leadership role, but avoid meaningful involvement with their teams. Absentee leaders kill engagement and productivity. Research shows that being ignored by one’s boss is more alienating than being treated poorly, and that the impact of absentee leadership on job satisfaction outlasts the impact of both constructive and more overtly destructive forms of leadership. The chances are good, however, that your organization is unaware of its absentee leaders, because they specialize in flying under the radar by not doing anything that attracts attention. Nonetheless, the adhesiveness of their negative impact may be slowly and silently killing your organization. Continued here

S21

New DNA testing shatters 'wild dog' myth: most dingoes are pure   For decades, crossbreeding between dingoes and dogs has been considered the greatest threat to dingo conservation. Previous DNA studies suggested pure dingoes were virtually extinct in Victoria and New South Wales. Reinforcing this belief, the term “wild dog” has replaced the word dingo in most legislation and policy across Australia. “Wild dog” is a coverall term defined as “any dog living in the wild, including feral dogs, dingoes and their hybrids”. It’s the term used on signs in National Parks and other lands advertising the target and presence of meat baits impregnated with the poison 1080. These baits are laid to reduce the risk of wild dogs preying on livestock. Continued here

S54

Midjourney vs. DALL-E vs. Stable Diffusion: Which Is Better?   Let's pit the biggest AI art players against each other and see which comes out on top. DALL-E, Midjourney, or Stable Diffusion?Artificial intelligence has come a long way in the field of image generation. Generative apps like DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion have had a profound effect on the way we interact with digital content. Continued here

S18

From absurd dark humour to poignant emotional pull: why I deeply loved the music of Succession   Iconic television shows share unforgettable title sequences that have lived on as sonic calling cards we can quickly identify. The television show’s opening sequence has artfully evolved from the memorable tunes of bygone radio formats into an expositional bookmark that sets the tone of what’s coming in a series. Continued here

S23

What are the long-term effects of quitting social media? Almost nobody can log off long enough to find out   Being on social media has become synonymous with living in the 21st century. Year after year, we see new platforms and smarter algorithms roping us into highly addictive online worlds.Now, a growing number of people have noticed this trend and are actively making an effort to resist it. Continued here

S16

Pandemic babies' developmental milestones: Not as bad as we feared, but not as good as before   The COVID-19 pandemic created conditions that threatened children’s healthy development. Scientists and physicians raised concerns early in the pandemic, pointing out that increased parental stress, COVID infections, reduced interactions with other babies and adults and changes to health care could affect child development. Furthermore, some children could be especially vulnerable to the pandemic circumstances. Continued here

S13

Drink up, it's closing time: South African study calculates that limiting opening hours will save lives   Alcohol use contributes to over 200 different diseases, injuries and conditions. It is also a risk factor for gender-based violence and violent crime. My colleagues and I at the University of Cape Town recently conducted a modelling study. We wanted to determine the health and economic impacts of restricting the hours of onsite alcohol consumption. Continued here

S15

What Erdogan's reelection means for Turkey's political system, economy and foreign policy   Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been reelected as president, ensuring that his term as leader of Turkey will extend to a quarter century.The electorate returned Erdoğan to power in a runoff vote on May 28, 2023, with 52% of votes. But with 48% of voters siding with opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Erdoğan will have to govern a divided nation in its centennial year. Continued here

S35

On the “Succession” Finale, the Roy Kids Shit the Deathbed   A couple of days before the series finale of HBO's "Succession," DraftKings, an online-betting platform, drew up hypothetical odds for the next C.E.O. of Waystar Royco, the Murdochian media conglomerate established by the late Logan Roy which his adult children have spent the past four seasons of the show fighting over. Shiv, Logan's tough-as-nails-but-constantly-shafted daughter, was the front-runner, with +250 odds, followed closely by her older brother Kendall, once the tortured heir apparent, with +300 odds, and more distantly by the swaggery weakling Roman, Logan's youngest son, with +800 odds. Connor, the eldest Roy child, perennially discounted but never fully dismissed, came in next, with +1400 odds. And then there were the wild cards: Shiv's estranged brownnosing husband, Tom Wambsgans (+2000), and the bumbling beanpole Cousin Greg (+5000). America, or at least the part of it that watches "Succession," was holding its breath, waiting to see which of these abhorrent characters would emerge the victor.When I reviewed the third season of "Succession," created by the British comedy writer Jesse Armstrong, I argued that the show should be enjoyed not as a propulsive drama but as something closer to a sitcom: a near-static, tragicomic tableau in which characters rarely change, and situations end up repeating themselves with only very modest variations. For most of the show, this approach worked fantastically well, foregrounding the relentless game of musical chairs that the Roy kids were playing—an eternal wrangle for a seat of power that, at their father's yank, was always just slightly out of butt's reach. Continued here

S46

Amazon Keeps Selling Out of These 50 Cool, Cheap Things   Whether they help organize up your home, make your skin look better than ever, or simply solve problems you didn’t even know you had, all of these cool things on Amazon are worth grabbing. They’re all intriguing enough to show up on your feed and cheap enough that Amazon keeps selling out of them, and that’s always a good combo.Every single one of these cool, cheap things is actually functional around your home, in your car, or as a part of your daily routines. Just make sure to grab them quickly, because these listings won’t last long. Continued here