1. The FCC's big move on net neutrality
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler just announced a plan to impose the strongest net neutrality regulations to date. Net neutrality is the idea that internet service providers must treat all web traffic equally, meaning they can't decide to slow down or speed up access to particular sites.
[Vox / Timothy Lee]
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If you're looking for more detail on what net neutrality is and why it's so controversial, we've got you covered.
[Vox /Timothy Lee]
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Here's Wheeler's argument for his new regulations.
[Wired / Tom Wheeler]
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The maneuver relies on "reclassification," legally labeling broadband providers as "telecommunications services."
[Vox / Timothy Lee]
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In an ironic twist, Wheeler's plan is the direct result of a Verizon lawsuit aimed at blocking FCC net neutrality rules.
[Ars Technica / John Brodkin]
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The proposed new regulations are a victory for the huge citizen movement demanding stronger net neutrality protections.
[The Verge / Nilay Patel]
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Wheeler's announcement isn't just a big deal for consumers and internet service providers; it affects companies like Netflix, too.
[Washington Post / Brian Fung]
2. The backlash to ISIS's latest atrocity
ISIS fighters in Kirkuk, Iraq, in February 2014. (Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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Jordan's government has vowed revenge after ISIS released a video of their fighters burning a Jordanian pilot alive.
[AFP / Mussa Hattar and Kamal Taha]
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Jordan's monarchy has already executed two convicted jihadis in response.
[CNN / Greg Botelho and Dana Ford]
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The mood on the ground in Jordan is very, very, very angry.
[Buzzfeed / Sheera Frenkel]
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So if ISIS was trying to get Jordan out of the anti-ISIS coalition, as some experts think, it may well backfire.
[Newsweek / Robert Danin]
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That said, after the Jordanian pilot was captured in December, the UAE suspended airstrikes against ISIS, citing fears about weak search-and-rescue capabilities for downed pilots.
[New York Times / Helene Cooper]
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ISIS was probably trying to use the video to attract recruits and drive up its fundraising, as well.
[Vox / Zack Beauchamp]
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In a controversial move, Fox News decided to post the entire video of the pilot's execution on its site.
[Guardian / Nicky Woolf]
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The network is standing by its decision, arguing that people need to see the group's brutality, despite criticism that it's spreading ISIS propaganda.
[Washington Post / Erik Wemple]
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As if ISIS wasn't evil enough, new evidence out of Iraq suggests that ISIS is also crucifying kids, using them as suicide bombers, and burying them alive.
[Reuters / Stephanie Nebehay]
3. The scariest video you'll see today
Rescuers work to find survivors from the downed plane. (TVBS)
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TransAsia flight GE235 has crashed in Taiwan, and someone driving nearby captured it on camera.
[Vox / Timothy Lee, Todd VanDerWerff, and German Lopez]
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At least 25 people died in the crash.
[Telegraph / Grace Tsoi and Tom Phillips]
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One expert who watched the footage thinks the plane stalled out, but can't explain why.
[ABC News / Meaghan Keneally]
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This is the second fatal TransAsia crash in seven months.
[Reuters / Siva Govindasamy]
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Despite all of the recent news about crashes, it's worth noting that 2014 was a relatively safe year for air travel.
[Vox / German Lopez]
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And flying is much, much safer than driving.
[Vox / Susannah Locke]
4. Misc.
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America's biggest wars have wound down, which might be bad news for anti-war 2016 presidential hopeful Rand Paul.
[Bloomberg View / Jonathan Bernstein]
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Driverless cars are coming — probably sooner than you think.
[Nature / M. Mitchell Waldrop]
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Andrew Sullivan's The Dish, perhaps the most influential site in the development of blogging as a medium, is shutting its doors.
[The Dish / Andrew Sullivan]
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Scientists are using genetics to make better pot.
[Fusion / Daniela Hernandez]
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11 myths about transgender people, busted.
[Vox / German Lopez]
5. Verbatim
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"The country is so messed up that now we have to wait in line even to have sex."
[Bloomberg / Anatoly Kurmanev and Andrew Rosati]
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"So obviously the thing to do was ... send a super racist tweet making fun of the Chinese accent."
[Vox / Amanda Taub]
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"While some Wikipedia editors focus on adding content or vetting its accuracy, and others work to streamline the site’s grammar and style, generally few, if any, adopt Giraffedata’s approach to editing: an unrelenting, multi-year project to fix exactly one grammatical error."
[Medium / Andrew McMillen]
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"If Channing Tatum were your boyfriend, he would NEVER try to tell you about Slavoj Žižek."
[The Toast / Nicole Cliffe]
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