One of the leading independent news outlets on the Fediverse, the Texas Observer, unexpectedly finds itself having to fight to stay open.

They've been a progressive news source since 1954, and have recently been promoting the Fediverse as a way for news media to escape corporate capture.

If you want to help them stay alive, here are some options:

- Give a donation at https://www.gofundme.com/f/laid-off-texas-observer-journalists-and-staff

- Boost their appeal for help at https://texasobserver.social/@TexasObserver/110098765781725050

- Follow them at @TexasObserver

Tech podcast Decoder has an interview with Mastodon's Eugen Rochko today!

Nilay Patel describes Mastodon as 'This tiny mostly volunteer labor of love might very well be the future of social networking, and, if you believe the hype about activitypub, might have some part in the future of the web.'

Listen to the episode here: https://pca.st/p5rcfaf3

Alabama in one sentence:

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has proposed using more than $300 million from Alabama's education budget for prison construction and a whitewater rafting development.

Alabama’s spend per student is 50% below the national average. They are 49th in the nation for K-12 education.

Things that did _not_ kill kids today:

- a renaissance sculpture
- a film about Ruby Bridges
- drag queen story time
- the word ‘tampon’
- critical race theory
- woke banks
- saying that Rosa Parks was Black
- gender-affirming care
- ‘The Bluest Eye’

What did:

-an AR-f––ing-15

For the children:🙏

#Nashville

NEWS:

In partnership with the Armenian outlet Hetq, Forensic News uncovers a massive financial laundromat running through Armenia.

"nearly 100 Armenian citizens ...since 2017, have served as proxy directors for a network of shell companies that have been used by prominent oligarchs to move hundreds of millions of dollars out of Eastern Europe, evade taxes, and pay for lobbying services in the United States."

https://www.forensicnews.co/the-oligarchs-armenian-laundromat-2/