On Monday, the Supreme Court reversed two court rulings on Republican-backed laws from Florida and Texas meant to restrict social media firms' capacity to filter material on their sites.

Noting that lower courts had failed to properly examine the First Amendment objections to the statutes, the Supreme Court is forwarding both cases back to them for additional scrutiny.

"In such a case, the issue is whether the unconstitutional applications of a law are significant relative to its constitutional ones," Justice Elena Kagan noted in the ruling. "A court must ascertain the whole spectrum of applications of a legislation, assess which are constitutional and which are not, and then compare the one with the other in order to render that conclusion. Neither court conducted the required necessary research.

Adopted in 2021, both regulations sought to answer grievances from conservatives who felt social media firms such as Facebook and X (previously Twitter) were unlawfully suppressing conservative political opinions. The worries grew more intense after Facebook and X deleted former president Donald Trump's accounts following the Capitol building attack on January 6.

The legislation sought to prevent social media corporations from deleting specific political accounts or messages. The trials might decide whether social media firms ought to be allowed to control hate speech, false information about elections, spam on their own platforms.

Arguing that the rules violated the speech rights of the social media sites, NetChoice, a tech sector lobbying group, filed to have the laws overturned. The group contended that the provisions give the government undue authority over material posted on privately held social media sites.

Lower courts decided differently on the laws as Texas law was maintained but important Florida law measures were denied. Neither statute, however, has been implemented; both were put on hold until the Supreme Court rendered its ruling.

The following is a press release issued by the Institute of Museum and Library Services:

The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today released InformationLiteracy.gov, a website with specialized tools and resources designed for library and museum professionals to engage diverse communities in developing critical information literacy skills. The website and resources will debut at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego, California.

The work of the Information Literacy Initiative focuses on providing library and museum professionals with successful practices, tools, and programs related to financial, health, digital, and other information literacy subject areas. In 2022, the U.S. Congress and the White House invited IMLS to explore ways to improve information literacy across the country. Under the guidance of the Information Literacy Taskforce, this effort focuses on disseminating training and technical assistance resources for professionals in libraries, museums, zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens, arboretums, nature and science centers, archives, and other community-serving institutions.

“Guided by an Information Literacy Taskforce comprised of 16 federal agencies, we set out to help confront the challenges, faced by people of all ages and backgrounds, of a lack of information literacy in many areas,” said IMLS Acting Director Cyndee Landrum. “We want to empower these trusted library and museum professionals who play a critical role in helping improve digital, financial, and health literacy to serve the needs of diverse communities.”

Landrum and IMLS Deputy Director for Museum Services Laura Huerta Migus are featured in a new video showcasing the mission and program highlights of the IMLS Information Literacy Initiative.

IMLS will be an exhibitor at the ALA Library Marketplace showcasing Information Literacy toolkits and marketing collateral that will help library and museum professionals better serve the needs of their patrons and community members. IMLS has developed a comprehensive website with resources and engagement ideas for professionals. A key feature of the website are toolkits for professionals that include lesson plans, community engagement materials, and suggestions for partnership outreach. Landrum will be on site at the ALA Conference representing the IMLS leadership team.

IMLS will be in good company, as the ALA Conference promises to offer top-quality education and best practices, special programming for library professionals, and a roster of A-list featured speakers including Trevor Noah, Taraji P. Henson, and MSNBC Host Ali Velshi.

For more information on the IMLS Information Literacy Initiative and to access resources, visit www.InformationLiteracy.gov.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The following is a press release issued by the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

On Thursday, July 4, 2024, the National Archives will hold its annual Fourth of July program featuring prominent speakers, musical performances, and family activities to celebrate the 248th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. 

Celebrate with us!

PROGRAM INFORMATION:  July 4th at the National Archives

WHEN:      Thursday, July 4, 2024

                     Ceremony: 10 a.m.–11 a.m.  

                     Family activities: 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 

                     Exhibits (including the original Declaration of Independence): 10 a.m.–7 p.m. 

WHERE:    National Archives Building, Constitution Avenue steps 

                     Between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, Washington, DC

                     A riser will be reserved for the press.

Note: The 10 a.m. ceremony will be livestreamed on the National Archives YouTube channel and on the US National Archives Facebook page. Follow the celebration—and share your photos!—on social media using the hashtag #ArchivesJuly4.

This family event is free and open to the public. Seating on the Constitution Avenue steps is available on a first-come, first-seated basis.

Patriotic Shopping at the National Archives Tent Store on Constitution Avenue
8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

Live Musical Performance by The Experience Band and Show
9 a.m.–9:45 a.m. 

Declaration of Independence Reading Ceremony
10 a.m.–11 a.m.

• Greetings by WUSA9 News Anchor Allison Seymour
• Presentation of colors by the Continental Color Guard*
• Live performance of the national anthem by the Marymount University Chamber Singers directed by Dr. Kimberly Hess
• Performance by the Fife and Drum Corps*
• Remarks by Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan
• Keynote Speech by CMSAF JoAnne S. Bass, USAF (Retired)
• Dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence by costumed interpreters  portraying historical characters, including Abigail Adams, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, James Forten, John Hancock, Ned Hector, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington 
• Live performance of “America the Beautiful” by Millicent Scarlett, Soprano

* Continental Color Guard and Fife and Drum Corps provided by U.S. 3rd Infantry, the Old Guard.

Live Musical Performance by The Experience Band and Show
11 a.m.–11:45 a.m.

Stay and enjoy front-row seats for the National Independence Day Parade at 11:45 a.m.

Family Activities
10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Participate in hands-on family activities:

• Sign the Declaration of Independence
• Declaring Independence Scavenger Hunt
• Make your own Independence Day button
• Fun craft activity stations
• Meet and have your picture taken with Revolutionary figures Abigail and John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Ned Hector, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington between noon and 4 p.m.
• And a whole lot more!

All activities are free and open to the public. In celebration of the Fourth of July, the National Archives Galleries will have extended hours of 10 a.m. until 7 p.m on July 3 to 5. 

National Archives Building in Washington, DC, is located on Constitution Avenue at 9th Street, NW. Free admission and fully accessible. Metro: Yellow or Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial station.

July 4th at the National Archives is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Comcast Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, John Hancock, and Dykema.

About the National Archives

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent federal agency that serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our government, so people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The agency supports democracy, promotes civic education, and facilitates historical understanding of our national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries and online at www.archives.gov. 

About the National Archives Foundation

The National Archives Foundation is an independent nonprofit that increases public awareness of the National Archives, inspires a deeper appreciation of our country’s heritage and encourages citizen engagement in our democracy. The foundation generates financial and creative support for National Archives exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives, introducing America’s records to people around the U.S. and the world. Learn more at www.archivesfoundation.org.

The following is a press release issued by the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Public Library:

Age Group: Adult

Program Description

Presented by the library’s Special Collections staff and members of the Ranger Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), these events are free, open to the public, and appropriate for all levels of interest and experience. All levels will learn something new!

Ever feel like you've hit a brick wall in your genealogy research? You've scoured census records, birth certificates, and marriage licenses, but the trail seems cold. Fear not, fellow family history detective! John Barr, a professional genealogist, is here to show you the power of hidden treasures: derivative sources.

This program will take you on a journey beyond the typical primary documents. We'll delve into the fascinating world of history books – how they're created and the wealth of family records they can hold. John will unveil surprising examples of family information tucked away in these historical accounts.

The true magic unfolds as John demonstrates how derivative sources can act as breadcrumbs, leading you to the original documents that paint a vivid picture of your ancestors' lives. Imagine adding context to their stories by understanding the historical events that shaped their world.

Ready to unlock these forgotten gems? John will introduce you to powerful tools like WorldCat and HathiTrust to locate obscure history books. And don’t forget your citations! We’ll learn the proper way to cite derivative sources so you can be sure your research is meticulously documented. Join us on this exciting adventure and discover the wealth of information in the world of derivative sources!

This program will be held on Zoom. Register for the link!

About the Presenter

John M. Barr is the proprietor of Old Northwest Genealogy, an Indiana-based genealogy research company specializing in the 18th and 19th centuries with an emphasis on Land and Probate records. With expertise in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota, John can also navigate research throughout the US. He is an active member of The Association of Professional Genealogist and has served as President of the Indiana Chapter of the APG. You can learn more about John at oldnorthwestgenealogy.com.

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, I found it interesting:

"Missed it by THAT much"

An asteroid the size of a football stadium threaded the needle between Earth and the moon Saturday morning — the second of two astronomical near misses in three days. Near miss, in this case, is a relative term: Saturday's asteroid, 2024 MK, came within 180,000 miles of Earth. On Thursday, meanwhile, asteroid 2011 UL21 flew within 4 million miles.

But the Saturday passage of 2024 MK — which scientists discovered only two weeks ago — coincides with a sobering reminder of threats from space. Sunday is Asteroid Day, the anniversary of the 1908 explosion of a rock from space above a Russian town — the sort of danger that, astronomers warn, is always lurking as the Earth hurtles through space... In 2013, for instance, an asteroid about 62 feet across that broke apart nearly 20 miles above Siberia released 30 times as much energy as the atomic bomb that hit Hiroshima. While most of the impact energy was absorbed by the atmosphere, the detonation triggered a shock wave that blew out windows and injured more than a thousand people.

You can read more at: https://bit.ly/45NyPyY.

The Government of Canada is working to make information about residential school sites and buildings more accessible to Survivors, Indigenous communities and researchers as part of efforts to ensure that data about Indigenous Peoples is made available for their use.

Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, announced the launch of a new interactive mapping tool and environmental scan report of the 140 former residential schools recognized in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. These tools make publicly held data and information about residential schools more accessible, reducing the barriers that Survivors and their families and communities face when trying to find data and information about former sites and buildings. These tools support Indigenous Data Sovereignty, which is a key part of Indigenous cultural heritage, an important means of capturing and sharing collective stories, and central to reconciliation and Indigenous self-determination.

The Former Indian Residential Schools Environmental Scan: Status of Sites and Buildings report is the culmination of work by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) that began in 2022–2023. The Department used publicly accessible research and datasets to investigate the current condition and ownership of former residential schools sites and buildings. ISC commissioned the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to develop a companion report that sets out considerations, approaches and principles that should be taken into account for any local or national engagement with Indigenous partners concerning future use or protection of former residential school sites and buildings. To further complement this work, ISC created an interactive map that allows users to visualize the location and historical context of former residential school sites. The mapping application integrates contemporary and historical aerial photos, providing a powerful tool for Survivors. The environmental scan report and interactive map are now available online.

These tools align with initiatives and legislation that call for Indigenous Data Sovereignty, including Action Plan Item #30 of the Government of Canada’s United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action and the 2023–2026 Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service. The Government of Canada, in collaboration with Indigenous partners, is committed to an open approach to the management and sharing of data to support self-determination and Indigenous Data Sovereignty.

Quotes

“The foundation of reconciliation is truth. People in Canada for too long have had the truth of colonialism hidden from them, harming us all, and delaying the healing that is essential to our country’s health and prosperity. This new tool will empower Survivors and communities in their journey toward healing from the pain and trauma caused by residential schools. It will also advance Indigenous Data Sovereignty and provide another tool of self-determination. Facing the past is painful but essential in the healing we must all do together.”

The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Indigenous Services

Quick facts

• The report provides an overview of the current condition, jurisdictional ownership and complexities related to sites and buildings of the 140 former residential schools recognized in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

• The mapping tool integrates the data held by various publicly available datasets and offers users the ability to visualize residential school sites, access historical contexts, and use advanced analytical features, such as search, filters and measurement tools.

• Approximately 150,000 Indigenous children were removed and separated from their families and communities and forced to attend residential schools.

• A National Residential School Crisis Line is available to access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line at 1-866-925-4419.

• The Hope for Wellness Help Line is also available at 1-855-242-3310 or via the online chat function through their website.

Associated links

• Indian Residential Schools Environmental Scan: Report
• Indian Residential Schools Interactive Map
• Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement
• 2023–2026 Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan
• The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
• Delivering on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action
• Addressing former residential school buildings and sites on reserves
• Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program

From Google’s Translate Blog:

Google Translate breaks down language barriers to help people connect and better understand the world around them. We’re always applying the latest technologies so more people can access this tool: In 2022, we added 24 new languages using Zero-Shot Machine Translation, where a machine learning model learns to translate into another language without ever seeing an example. And we announced the 1,000 Languages Initiative, a commitment to build AI models that will support the 1,000 most spoken languages around the world.

Now, we’re using AI to expand the variety of languages we support. Thanks to our PaLM 2 large language model, we’re rolling out 110 new languages to Google Translate, our largest expansion ever.

From Cantonese to Qʼeqchiʼ, these new languages represent more than 614 million speakers, opening up translations for around 8% of the world’s population. Some are major world languages with over 100 million speakers. Others are spoken by small communities of Indigenous people, and a few have almost no native speakers but active revitalization efforts. About a quarter of the new languages come from Africa, representing our largest expansion of African languages to date, including Fon, Kikongo, Luo, Ga, Swati, Venda and Wolof.

The following is a press release issued by  East View Information Services:

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman. 

“I found it online, so it must be true!”

Of course not. If you have been involved in researching your family tree for more than a few months, you already know the truth about online genealogy data. Or do you?

You can go to almost any of today’s online genealogy sites and find information that appears to be false. I’ll pick on FamilySearch.org as it is a free and open database, making it a good example that everyone can see. However, similar examples exist on most of the commercial (paid) genealogy databases as well.

The first example is that of Mary Allyn. According to FamilySearch at http://www.FamilySearch.org, Mary married Henry L. Brooks in Connecticut on 21 April 1564.  You can find that “record” at https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F7G9-14N. 

As I remember from my history classes in school, Connecticut didn’t exist in those days. The only people found there in the mid 1500s would have been American Indians, and the name “Mary Allyn” sure doesn’t sound like an Indian name to me! In fact, Dutch explorer Adriaen Block first visited the area in 1614. The first settlement from the New Netherlands colony was a trading post not far from present-day Hartford, and the first English settlers arrived in 1635. It would therefore seem silly to claim marriages in the area in 1564.

In a similar vein, you can find a birth record in FamilySearch for John Smith born in Hadley, Massachusetts, on 6 May 1600, as listed at https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FHGP-ZHL. That is obviously twenty years before the Pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts and 59 years before the town of Hadley was first settled! 

A third example is for a location I know well. Again, looking at data in FamilySearch, Sophia Robinson is listed as born in Thetford Township, Orange County, Vermont, on 1 May 1604, shown at https://bit.ly/3L1LC7x. That's a neat trick considering that 1604 was many years before the first settlers arrived in Vermont and 157 years before the town of Thetford was created in 1761!

I picked on FamilySearch.org simply because it is a free site and the claims are easily found. However, if we look at most any other online genealogy database containing “records” submitted by the general public, we will see thousands of similar, obvious errors.

These are but a few of the obvious errors; there are many thousands more. In fact, most of the errors are not so obvious. I picked a few examples of births before each area was settled, but most errors sound much more plausible. A birth in Massachusetts in the 1700s or in Texas in the late 1800s might be equally inaccurate but much less obvious since those areas were well populated at the time.

Shouldn’t these so-called “facts” be checked? Isn’t the Internet increasing the amount of bad data floating around? Isn’t it a bad thing to allow false information to be posted online where others will find it?

Let’s study each of those questions:

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