U.S. EPA announces action on microplastics, but Michigan critics say it’s not enough

The federal government announced a new $144 million program to study microplastics and the risks they pose to human health. But some environmental groups say the action isn't aggressive enough.
U.S. EPA announces action on microplastics, but Michigan critics say it's not enough - Great Lakes Now

Simple solution

#webcomic #krita #miniFantasyTheater

We made good progress on automated hardware testing in postmarketOS, resulting in being able to run pmaports changes on a real OP6T! Thanks to everybody who donated to postmarketOS or contributed their time to make this possible! ❤️

More about this and future plans:
https://postmarketos.org/blog/2026/01/21/hw-ci-mvp/

#linuxmobile #CI_tron

Our vision is crystal clear: social spaces should belong to the people, forever. 🏡💙

No ads, no manipulative algorithms, no hidden agendas: a platform governed by and for its community.

Support Mastodon. Keep the internet in the hands of the people: Donate #SupportMastodon

https://joinmastodon.org/sponsors#donate

A single page load on a basic font-download site triggered all of this:

• 29 separate ad-tech and tracking companies, each making multiple calls
  
• Google’s entire ad stack (DoubleClick, AdServices, GStatic, GVT beacons, FundingChoices, anti-fraud checks)
  
• Amazon’s ad marketplace (aax.amazon-adsystem.com)
  
• Header-bidding networks like PubMatic, AppNexus/Xandr, Rubicon/Magnite, SmartAdServer, OneTag
  
• Fingerprinting and identity-sync systems including Dotomi, LiveIntent, OnAudience, Evolution.ai, BTLabs
  
• Cross-site device matchers (Bidswitch, DeepIntent, CPE Dotomi)
  
• Telemetry/redirector nodes like 4DEX, Infolinks, Erne, Bumlam
  
• Behavioral profiling engines (bttrack.com)
  
• Dozens of DNS lookups in parallel just to build a single ad frame
  
• A fragile multi-stage real-time auction, where every bidder must respond for the ad to render
  
• Repeated fallbacks and retries, because the chain breaks constantly
  
• Aggressive layout shifts, “expanding shelf” ads, and late-loading frames caused by auction timing
  
• No functional relevance to the site, just monetization layers stacked on a simple font page
  
• Silent third-party data exposure across global trackers and brokers
  
• Nearly 2,400 logged network events for a page that should need maybe 20

I am happy to announce that my book, "Shadows of the Upper Peninsula", will be on sale on #smashwords as part of their End of Year Sale 2025 starting on December 8.

During the sale you can get a copy of "Shadows" for free on Smash Words. Other stores will be at regular price.

Smash Words link - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1804752

All Stores - https://books2read.com/shadows-of-the-upper-peninsula

#EoYSale25 #Smashwords #ghosts #ghoststories #fiction #shadows #mysteries