boston:

Zimmerman to be charged in Trayvon Martin shooting

- The charges against neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in the shooting of 17-year-old Martin will be announced at 6 p.m., according to a law enforcement official.

thedailywhat:

Breaking Same-Sex Marriage News of the Day: Maryland today became the eighth state to legalize same-sex marriage after the state’s marriage equality bill passed in the state Senate by a vote of 25 to 22.

The state House passed the bill last week, and Gov. Martin O’Malley has already vowed to sign it.

If the legislation avoids a challenge from opponents who want a referendum on same-sex marriage — a scenario which remains uncertain — same-sex couples can begin tying the knot in January. 

If, however, the issue does get added to November’s ballot, the result is currently unclear. The latest polls show Maryland voters evenly split on same-sex marriage.

[bmoresun / photo: flickr.]

boston:

Twitter may censor tweets in individual countries

- This screen shot shows a portion of the Twitter blog post of Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012, in which the company announced it has refined its technology so it can censor messages on a country-by-country basis.

thedailywhat:

Internet Blackout of the Day: The Great Wikipedia Blackout of 2012 has begun.

Reddit, TwitPic, Mozilla, Mojang, and thousands of others will soon follow suit. The Internet is officially on strike! Why? Because the House and Senate are conspiring with the entertainment industry to break the Internet.

Make no mistake: SOPA has not been shelved. And a vote on PIPA is just around the corner. Luckily, hundreds of companies, charities, and notable individuals with strong moral character have joined forces to stop these dangerous Big Brother bills from moving forward.

The fight is far from over, but hopefully today’s blackout will help bring this important matter to the attention of folks who rely on the Internet for entertainment and education, but have so far remained oblivious to SOPA and PIPA and their harmful consequences.

If you absolutely must scab, here are a few useful links: 

• Five ways to survive the Wikipedia Blackout.

• Wikipedia Blackout: Survive with these 12 alternatives.

• #altwiki: A collaborative crowd-sourcing alternative to Wikipedia.

• How to access Wikipedia during the blackout.

[wikipedia.]

boston:

Low to moderate marijuana use didn’t affect lungs

- Smoking low levels of marijuana over decades does not harm lung function, according to a study led by researchers from the University of California-San Francisco.

massachusettsthings:

submitted by: http://sharkbait-hoo-ha-ha.tumblr.com/

SERIOUSLY. I feel like a part of me is dying.