“Barriers to aid are as old as aid itself, and they exist for reasons as varied as concerns about fraud, the bureaucratic tension between accuracy and speed, and hostility toward people in need. But the perils of red tape have drawn new attention since the coronavirus pandemic left millions of Americans seeking government help, many for the first time.” NYT (Gift Article): How Tech Is Helping Poor People Get Government Aid. “Jimmy Chen graduated from Stanford, worked at Facebook and left for a fellowship, hoping to produce software for people in poverty. His start-up, Propel, offers a free app that five million households use to manage their food stamp benefits.”

+ WaPo: Two teens went missing 21 years ago. A scuba-diving YouTuber solved the cold case.

+ Five miles of Northern California coastline to be bought by San Francisco environmental group.

+ More liquor stores in Oakland are selling fresh produce. (And it’s selling out).

+ With just 75 cents and a smartphone, you can now trade crypto in Indonesia.

+ Chicago 7-year-old raises money for hospital’s pandemic gear.

+ A Dunkin’ Donuts employee in Ohio received the surprise of a lifetime from one loyal customer: a fully furnished home. (Damn, I thought of myself as a good tipper.)