It is with great joy that I announce the completion of the Blue's News responsive redesign and the launch of the ad-free version of the site for our supporters. Though conversion of the news pages was done a while ago, the responsive forums were a temporary fix, and they are now properly mobile-friendly as well. Please join me in thanking Kxmode and Frans for all the hard work they put into this project, as it took a lot more time and effort than you might imagine to drag our 20+ year old code into the present. The entire site including the forums should now properly scale to any mobile device. Whether you visit the forums with your desktop or mobile you'll also notice some visual improvements and changes, including the use of new icons for some functions that I think turned out great. Frans made this forum post with complete patch notes and other information about what's new and different.

As I say, this also marks the launch of the promised ad-free version of the site for our backers. Ads are now off by default for supporters, though you can opt to turn them back on through your user settings. As Frans explains in his post about the news, we are carefully monitoring the impact of this on the server. There's a chance ads will have to resume for all on the main page if the load is too much, but so far this has not been a problem. We have plans to upgrade the server hardware fairly soon, so if we're forced to revert the ad-free code it will return on the new server. These changes also mark the end of founder's program, which will conclude tomorrow, so if you want to have the coveted founder's status as part of your profile or have been waiting for supporters to receive native ad-free viewing, now's the time jump in and become a backer. To all of you who do back the site, here is another huge thank you, especially considering these tough times. Ad revenue has fallen off a cliff lately, so your contributions are more vital than ever to help keep the lights on here.

Responsive Links
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Links

• How Chicago Reversed Its River- An Animated History. Thanks Cutter.
• Do Those Birds Sound Louder To You- An Ornithologist Says You're Just Hearing Things. Ornithologists are noted comedians. Thanks RedEye9.
• The Harsh Future of American Cities. Thanks Cutter.
• Inside Joe Manganiello’s Epic Dungeons & Dragons Campaign.

Stories

• Cold Arctic air could bring record low temperatures to Eastern US in May.
• “They’re making fun of us”: ‘Rick and Morty’ fans are very confused by the latest episode.
• Dum Dums lollipops prizes program is coming to an end.

Science

• The coronavirus mutated and appears to be more contagious now, new study finds.
• Coronavirus news: Belgian scientists reveal llama blood contains useful antibodies. Thanks brother19.
• Cold air rises—what that means for Earth's climate.
• This Is How Physics, Not Math, Finally Resolves Zeno's Famous Paradox. Thanks Max.

Media

• Snowboarding Taddy Cat.
• Nothing about this seems like a good idea.
• Exercise Stay fit.

Follow-up

• The Magic of Salt in Coffee. Thanks Max.