If you have Irish ancestors, I bet you will be interested in this article:

One of Ireland's most popular museums has a service that allows you to uncover your Irish ancestry. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum tells the story of Irish emigration throughout the generations. 

It is a fascinating visit for any Irish American as it tells the story of why their family might have moved from Ireland to the United States hundreds of years ago. Many Americans can trace their heritage back to Ireland and for a large number of them, a vacation to Ireland feels like a visit home. 

But those wanting to go that bit further and learn exactly where they came from can do so at the EPIC museum in Dublin. A team of genealogists in the Irish Family History Centre here offer consultation to help people uncover their Irish roots and find out who they are descended from. 

A personalized one-to-one consultation begins with the genealogist finding out where you are on your research journey, what documents you have, and everything you know. From there, they go through available tools to develop a search strategy. 

According to David Cleary, EPIC's Sales & Operations Director, you will probably be surprised at what you can discover about yourself and your Irish roots. David spoke to IrishStar.com to explain how the process works and what sets it apart from other ancestry services. 

"Often when I go out and talk to people and meet Americans, they love to connect," he explained. "They love to tell their own stories. They love to say they're Irish and they've done their DNA [test]. It's a great conversation starter.

You can read the full article by Brian Dillon published in the irishstar.com web site at: https://bit.ly/3vTUx77.

Here is an article that is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However,  it is of concern to all Windows users and I suggest that all Windows users should be aware of this:

Microsoft is getting ready to annoy its faithful Windows 10 user base with yet another prompt. Microsoft wants Windows 10 users to switch from using a local account to their online Microsoft account. As first noticed by the outlet Windows Latest, the most recent Windows 10 update Release Preview includes some information about new notifications added to the operating system intended to make users switch from their local account to their Microsoft account. "New! This update starts the [roll out] of account-related notifications for Microsoft accounts in Settings > Home," reads the update, originally from the official Windows blog, which then lays out its case for using a Microsoft account.

Comment by Dick Eastman: Rather than bowing to Microsoft’s marketing pressure to upgrade add thereby add more money to Microsoft, I would suggest that all Windows users should instead switch to Macintosh (which I use and like), Linux  (which I use and like), Chromebook (which I use and like), Android, Apple iOS, or any other operating system. The transition might be a bit difficult but, after using the new operating system for a while, I suspect you will be glad you switched.

This is a follow-up (containing more details) to an article I published earlier at: https://eogn.com/page-18080/13345504: 

Anne Wojcicki, the CEO of 23andMe, is considering a proposal to take the genetic testing company private after its stock price tumbled more than 95% from its 2021 highs. A late Wednesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission said Wojcicki is working with advisors and plans to speak with possible financing sources and partners. She "wishes to maintain control" of the company and will "not be willing to support any alternative transaction," the filing said. [...]

In November, 23andMe received a deficiency letter from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department, which said the company had 180 days to bring its share price back above $1. The company's board of directors formed a "Special Committee" in late March to help explore options that could juice the stock.

A collection of photographs documenting the history of University of Galway has been published after being collected and archived in a project sponsored by Agallamh na Seanórach/Retired Staff Association.

More than 350 images, ranging from the late 19th century to the mid-1990s, have been discovered and digitised, illustrating the University in diverse ways from formal occasions; to connections to the city and the region; to real-life stories of students and staff; and the changing character and environment of the campus.

The project began in November 2021 as part of the celebrations which followed on from the 175th anniversary of the foundation of the University in 1845. The research and digitisation of old photos was one of six projects sponsored by the Office of the University President through a special fund to record and share our institutional history.

The result is visual history photographic database entitled Visual History of the University of Galway, Retired Staff Collection, which involved a partnership between research team and archivists in the University Library.

The collection and searchable database is available online at https://exhibitions.library.universityofgalway.ie/s/visual-history-retired-staff.

You can read more at: https://bit.ly/3wdvk7v.

The following is from the MyHeritage Blog:

Anzac Day offers a great opportunity to honor the legacies of Australian and New Zealander family members who fought for freedom. To make this Anzac Day even more meaningful, MyHeritage is providing free access to all 130 million records from Australia and New Zealand on MyHeritage from April 23–28, 2024.

Search free Australian and New Zealand records on MyHeritage

Usually, a Complete, Data, or Omni plan is required to view these records, but for a limited time only, you can search and view them for free. Note that you’ll be asked to create a free MyHeritage account to access these free records.

Over the past year, we’ve expanded our collection to include a vast array of historical newspapers. This new collection comprises over 24 million pages from 1,705 newspaper titles, covering every state and territory in Australia. These newspapers offer rich insights into local communities, society pages, and events that shaped the lives of your ancestors. We also host many essential military collections, including the esteemed Anzac Memorial records and the comprehensive Australian World War II Nominal Roll, 1939–1945. These resources, among others available on MyHeritage, can play a pivotal role in illuminating your relatives’ military service and contributing to a richer understanding of their lives.

Explore your family’s history today at myheritage.com/oceania.

Lest we forget. ️

Here is an article that is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, it is abput a subject that interests me and I would like to share it:

A 13-year-old from Arkansas wasn’t allowed to use Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give for a book report. A 16-year-old from Idaho was scared to check out LGBTQIA+ books from their library, “because I don’t want anyone to find out.” A 15-year-old from Ohio says the school library was “entirely cleared out and locked in a closet.” 

These are just a few of the stories from young people affected by the compounding impacts of book bans and limited access to reading material featured in a new report released by Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and The Seattle Public Library (SPL). Two years after the launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, “In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned” gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teens and young adults across the United States and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. 

More than 14,000 young people had signed up for Books Unbanned programs at the two libraries through February 2024, collectively checking out over 340,000 books. Books Unbanned cardholders have signed up from every state in the nation, as well as D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico.

“In an era of unprecedented challenges to the freedom to read, this report offers a chance to hear directly from the youth who are most affected,” said Tom Fay, Chief Librarian of The Seattle Public Library. “Their stories document, in heartbreaking and hopeful detail, both the serious impacts of censorship attempts and how programs like Books Unbanned are providing joy, representation and escape for a new generation of readers.”

“In Their Own Words” analyzes 855 stories shared by young people, ages 13 to 26, who signed up for a free Books Unbanned e-card from either BPL or SPL from April 2022 through December 2023. University of Washington Information School graduate students categorized and tagged the stories to identify common themes. The stories analyzed for the report are a subset of thousands that the two libraries have received in the past two years from every state in the nation, as well as D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico.

A key theme uncovered in the analysis was how formal acts of censorship, bans, challenges, and restrictions to reading material can create a climate of fear and intimidation for young people.

You can read more in an article in the  thecitylife.org web site at: http://bit.ly/44cfjvg.

More than 20 years after a mother found a human jawbone hidden in her son’s rock collection, genetic genealogy experts have unraveled the discovery and identified the partial remains of a US Marine Corps captain.

Adding to the decades-long mystery was that 30-year-old Capt. Everett Leland Yager, who died in a military training exercise in July 1951 over Riverside County, California, was previously thought to have been buried in Palmyra, Missouri.

The Ramapo College of New Jersey’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center, which opened two years ago, helped identify the bone as belonging to Yager in March, according to a news release.

The son had inherited the rocks from his grandfather, who was an avid rock collector, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office in Northern Arizona. In 2002, his mother found the collection, came across what looked to be human remains and contacted the sheriff’s office, authorities said in a statement.

You can read all the details at: http://bit.ly/3xN2RWK

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman. Please do not forward this article on to others without the author’s permission. 

NOTE: This essay contains various personal viewpoints.

I travel frequently and spend a lot of time with the officers and members of various genealogical societies. Almost everywhere I go, I hear stories of cultures diminishing in size, or maybe a few anecdotes about communities trying to keep what they have. Despite all of this "doom and gloom," I've heard a few unusual anecdotes about genealogical societies that are thriving and expanding year after year. Not only are these few societies recruiting new members, but they are also providing more and more services to their members with each passing year. 

Why do the majority of societies fail, while a few succeed?

I hear a variety of "reasons" why societies are diminishing these days. I assume those are not genuine reasons, but rather "shoot from the hip" justifications. Common justifications include "competition from the Internet," "the economy," and "people simply aren't interested anymore." 

To be sure, competition, economic obstacles, and even a lack of motivation are present everywhere. If society members and officers do nothing to counteract these tendencies, inertia takes hold and societies suffer. However, these factors affect all communities. Why do certain genealogy societies thrive and even expand, while others contract?

I believe the answer is a combination of several variables. However, looking back in time reveals some of the causes, and perhaps even some of the answers. Years ago, our forefathers witnessed and possibly contributed to similar issues in other sectors. Indeed, in recent years, even those of us alive today have witnessed similar falls and reversals in a variety of corporate ventures. Perhaps the solution to your genealogical society's future growth can be found by first reviewing the history of comparable difficulties in other fields of effort.

Here is the first question to consider: What happened to all of North America's railroads? 

The railroad industry in the United States expanded rapidly during the 1800s. In several aspects, it resembled today's Internet firms. Consumers couldn't get enough of the railroads' "product:" convenient and easy travel. People traveled to locations they had never been before, even if it was just to see family in another state. Corporations also rushed to ship their products by rail since it was more cost-effective.

Almost every year, inventors developed newer and more efficient locomotives. Steam came first, followed by petrol and diesel. Railroad cars used to transport passengers have also improved. Times were good, and America had a promising rail-based future.

So, what happened? Why isn't North America covered in train lines today? Why doesn't everyone use the railroad to travel to work?  

Railroad firms are now mere shadows of their former selves. Why? Because the automobile (and trucks) came along and ran the railroads down.

Senior managers of railroad corporations appeared to believe that "we are in the railroad business." In truth, they were in the transportation business, but few executives knew it. Over the years, just a few railroads have expanded into bus lines, trucking companies, even aircraft, and other transportation businesses. 

Railway Express serves as an excellent example. This corporation specialized in railroad freight brokerage and delivery, with a focus on smaller products that required far less transit than a full boxcar. Indeed, it was a "railroad company" that was eventually pushed bankrupt by a newer company that viewed the true business as carrying packages (parcels) by whatever means made sense: United Parcel Service. The new corporation, commonly known as "UPS," appears to be doing well ever since. FedEx came along later but added to the woes of railroads. 

The vast majority of railroad companies attempted to stay simply that: railroad companies. Then their executives inquired, "What happened to all the customers?"

The remainder of this article is reserved for Plus Edition subscribers only. If you have a Plus Edition subscription, you may read the full article at: https://eogn.com/(*)-Plus-Edition-News-Articles/13345775. (A Plus Edition password is required to access that article.)

If you are not yet a Plus Edition subscriber, you can learn more about such subscriptions and even upgrade to a Plus Edition subscription immediately at https://eogn.com/page-18077. 

In a 5-2 decision, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that names and addresses contained in a state database of people who died are not subject to disclosure under the state's open records laws.

Justices decided that particular information is protected health info.

Former Columbus Dispatch reporter Randy Ludlow wanted cause-of-death information from the Ohio Department of Health at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The department provided some information but withheld the names and addresses of those who died, saying state law prohibited release of protected health information.

Writing for the majority, Justice Patrick Fischer said the names and addresses combined with other medical information would constitute protected health information.

The court rejected Ludlow's claim that while the law protects privacy for living people, it does not apply to deceased people.

DNA testing firm 23andMe Holding Co.’s shares soared after Chief Executive Officer Anne Wojcicki said she’s considering taking the struggling company private, less than three years after it began selling shares.

Wojcicki told board members she is proposing to acquire the company in a potential go-private transaction, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The stock, which has traded below $1 a share since late last year, rose as much as 33% on Thursday, the biggest jump since August 2022, before paring some of the gain.

23andMe agreed to go public in 2021 via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company founded by billionaire Virgin Group founder Richard Branson. At the time, it was valued at $3.5 billion. In just a few years, the stock has lost more than 90% of its value as the personalized DNA revolution the company heralded has been slow to catch on.

In the filing, Wojcicki indicated that she plans to maintain control of the company and “will not be willing to support any alternative transaction.” The filing said she was working with advisers and intended to begin speaking to potential partners and financing sources. The Wednesday filing noted that she had informed members of a special committee of the board of the plan on April 13.

Company representatives declined to comment.

You can read more yahoo.com web site at: https://bit.ly/3Qx1RN5.