In the rush to get families online in time for distance learning, it’s Wi-Fi hot spots to the rescue. In the Ozarks, they’re parking school buses equipped with Wi-Fi routers for kids to use while sitting in the parking lot. Chicago is spending millions to give hot spots to individual families and also connect homes to broadband. But is this sustainable? And will there be any going back from Wi-Fi for all? Molly speaks with Christopher Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the nonprofit Institute for Local Self-Reliance. He says this expanded access could be here to stay.

In the rush to get families online in time for distance learning, it’s Wi-Fi hot spots to the rescue. In the Ozarks, they’re parking school buses equipped with Wi-Fi routers for kids to use while sitting in the parking lot. Chicago is spending millions to give hot spots to individual families and also connect homes to broadband. But is this sustainable? And will there be any going back from Wi-Fi for all? Molly speaks with Christopher Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the nonprofit Institute for Local Self-Reliance. He says this expanded access could be here to stay.

This week, a group of venture capital firms announced that they’re planning to make diversity a core part of their deals with startup founders. The 10 firms committed to including new standard language in the contracts, called term sheets, they make with startup founders. It’s a diversity rider that says that the company and lead investor will make “every attempt” to include a member of an underrepresented group as a co-investor. It’s not binding, but the idea is that it’ll create opportunity for underrepresented investors to participate in deals and attract founders who prioritize a commitment to equity. Molly Wood speaks with Alejandro Guerrero, who started the initiative and is a principal with the Los Angeles-based firm Act One Ventures.

This week, a group of venture capital firms announced that they’re planning to make diversity a core part of their deals with startup founders. The 10 firms committed to including new standard language in the contracts, called term sheets, they make with startup founders. It’s a diversity rider that says that the company and lead investor will make “every attempt” to include a member of an underrepresented group as a co-investor. It’s not binding, but the idea is that it’ll create opportunity for underrepresented investors to participate in deals and attract founders who prioritize a commitment to equity. Molly Wood speaks with Alejandro Guerrero, who started the initiative and is a principal with the Los Angeles-based firm Act One Ventures.

Good ventilation and airflow can help reduce the spread of viruses in shared indoor spaces. But during big wildfires, like the ones in California that are sending smoke across the United States right now, or in areas with high levels of everyday air pollution, bringing in air from the outside isn’t a good option. Experts say the unhealthy air from fires in California can actually make people more susceptible to COVID-19 because their lungs and immune systems get overtaxed. So better filtration gets a lot more important. Molly speaks with Jeffrey Siegel, a professor of engineering at the University of Toronto who specializes in indoor air quality. He says whether it’s a standalone device or smart building technology, there are options.

Good ventilation and airflow can help reduce the spread of viruses in shared indoor spaces. But during big wildfires, like the ones in California that are sending smoke across the United States right now, or in areas with high levels of everyday air pollution, bringing in air from the outside isn’t a good option. Experts say the unhealthy air from fires in California can actually make people more susceptible to COVID-19 because their lungs and immune systems get overtaxed. So better filtration gets a lot more important. Molly speaks with Jeffrey Siegel, a professor of engineering at the University of Toronto who specializes in indoor air quality. He says whether it’s a standalone device or smart building technology, there are options.

As we learn more about how COVID-19 spreads, it’s clear that air flow is a big deal, and that’s why masks are effective at slowing infection. That’s a problem for offices and commercial buildings and some homes, because over the last couple of decades buildings have less ventilation. Instead, they recirculate air to save energy by not letting that cooled or heated air escape. But these buildings also end up recirculating viruses, especially if heating and cooling systems aren’t paired with really good filters that remove viral particles from the air. Molly speaks with Jeffrey Siegel, a professor of engineering at the University of Toronto who specializes in indoor air quality.

As we learn more about how COVID-19 spreads, it’s clear that air flow is a big deal, and that’s why masks are effective at slowing infection. That’s a problem for offices and commercial buildings and some homes, because over the last couple of decades buildings have less ventilation. Instead, they recirculate air to save energy by not letting that cooled or heated air escape. But these buildings also end up recirculating viruses, especially if heating and cooling systems aren’t paired with really good filters that remove viral particles from the air. Molly speaks with Jeffrey Siegel, a professor of engineering at the University of Toronto who specializes in indoor air quality.

Epic, Apple and Google are in a feud over the game Fortnite. In mobile apps, whenever you buy a digital item, like an e-book, avatar skins or weapons, Google and Apple charge a 30% fee on that purchase. Recently, Epic started letting players buy in-app purchases on their credit cards so Apple and Google wouldn’t get the fee. Apple and Google both yanked Epic’s game Fortnite from the App Store and Google Play. Epic sued, saying these digital fees are antitrust violations. Molly Wood speaks with Nicole Carpenter, the deputy news editor at the gaming news site Polygon. She says this is about more than just Fortnite, especially on iOS.

Epic, Apple and Google are in a feud over the game Fortnite. In mobile apps, whenever you buy a digital item, like an e-book, avatar skins or weapons, Google and Apple charge a 30% fee on that purchase. Recently, Epic started letting players buy in-app purchases on their credit cards so Apple and Google wouldn’t get the fee. Apple and Google both yanked Epic’s game Fortnite from the App Store and Google Play. Epic sued, saying these digital fees are antitrust violations. Molly Wood speaks with Nicole Carpenter, the deputy news editor at the gaming news site Polygon. She says this is about more than just Fortnite, especially on iOS.