"Garment workers in the US are paid far below minimum wage. New legislation, if implemented successfully, would change that. For decades, the “Buy American” movement rested on the belief that such labels guaranteed a certain standard of quality and care. There lingered an assumption that US-made garments were produced in a more ethical manner than their foreign competitors, particularly those imported from lower-cost countries. The reality, however, is a bit more complicated"  More at The Nation ➜

"Your immune system requires a delicate balance to operate properly. When it’s out of balance, your immune system itself can cause disease. Healthy immune systems don’t need to be “boosted.” ... immunologists know that too much of an immune reaction could result in allergies, autoimmune disorders or chronic inflammation. On the flip side, too little of an immune reaction could result in illness or infection"  More at The Conversation ➜

Image credit: NIH NIAD (Scanning electron micrograph of a T cell)

Louie Schwartzberg is an American director, producer, and cinematographer. Since 2004, he has worked as a director for films, including the 2019 film, Fantastic Fungi, and the 2014 Netflix series, Moving Art. More

A digital platform has been created in Brazil to help preserve indigenous languages. Teens are using artificial intelligence to help translate, store, and spread these languages. The platform also helps create audio recordings and videos, and allows teens to access online courses, encouraging youth to learn the languages and keeps them alive for future generations More at Reasons to be Cheerful ➜

"It's that time of year again! Acorns have been popping up all over the place. This is a sign of a "mast year," which happens when trees produce an unusually high amount of nuts and fruits. Mast years are important because they provide food for animals and birds, and also help with seed dispersal". But why and how do trees do it? More at The Conversation ➜

West Bengal in India is seeing a remarkable recovery of its forests. Thanks to a successful collaboration between local communities and the government, the region has seen a significant increase in tree cover over the past few decades. The project has been so successful that the area now has more trees than it did in 1973! With the help of the local communities, the government is replanting trees, protecting wildlife, and utilizing the forests for sustainable economic growth. This inspiring example of collaboration and conservation shows the potential for positive change. More at Reasons to be Cheerful ➜

"This year's  Halloween spending by American shoppers is expected to break a new record. A National Retail Federation survey estimated that an average shopper would spend $108 on candy, costumes and decorations". About 12.2 billion dollars More at The National Retail Federation ➜

In Massachusetts, the onetime cranberry capital of the world, former bogs are transforming into thriving, carbon-storing swamps. More at Reasons to be Cheerful ➜

"A group of three researchers earned the 2023 Nobel Prize in physics for work that has revolutionized how scientists study the electron – by illuminating molecules with attosecond-long flashes of light .... Atto is the scientific notation prefix that represents 10-18, which is a decimal point followed by 17 zeroes and a 1. So a flash of light lasting an attosecond, or 0.000000000000000001 of a second, is an extremely short pulse of light. In fact, there are approximately as many attoseconds in one second as there are seconds in the age of the universe". More at The Conversation ➜

 "First, the shrimp disappeared. In late 1980s, the catch became so poor that Diane Wilson, a fourth-generation shrimper, had to take a job running a fish house in Seadrift in Calhoun County, Texas, where she grew up and still lives. Then beached, diseased 300-pound dolphins started appearing, and dead pelicans kept floating to the shores of Lavaca Bay"  More at Reasons to be Cheerful ➜

"A vaccine against tuberculosis, the world’s deadliest infectious disease, has never been closer to reality, with the potential to save millions of lives. But its development slowed after its corporate owner focused on more profitable vaccines" More at ProPublica ➜

The national debt is composed of distinct types of debt, similar to an individual whose debt may consist of a mortgage, car loan, and credit cards. The different types of debt include non-marketable or marketable securities and whether it is debt held by the public or debt held by the government itself (known as intragovernmental). The U.S. has carried debt since its inception. Debts incurred during the American Revolutionary War amounted to $75 million, primarily borrowed from domestic investors and the French Government for war materials. More at the US Department of the Treasury ➜