Global heating
14 January 2022
Here's an article that tries to convince us that what's really bad about global heating is that it treats disprivileged groups worse than privileged groups.
Sure, unfairness is wrong. But if most people in every group are going to be killed -- plus over half the other living species -- isn't that much worse?
If, in that killing of billions, an equal fraction were going to be killed in every ethnic or racial group, that would not make it ok.
NYC fire
14 January 2022
NYC's new mayor, in regard to the recent fire, downplays the owner's failure to maintain and operate the building safely, and focuses on the tenants' dangerous methods for coping with those flaws.
It's generally better to fix the system than to try to teach many individuals to work perfectly within the existing flawed system. At one level, that's the reason to require central heating. At another, that's the reason for building codes. At another, that's the reason for progressive politics.
Blood donation crisis
14 January 2022
Blood donations in the US are down, due to the spread of Covid-19, and supplies of some blood types are running dangerously low.
Soon, injured people may start dying because there is no blood available to give them transfusions.
Election process
14 January 2022
*Trump loyalists form alliance in bid to take over election process in key states.*
Campaign against teachers
14 January 2022
Republican fanatics are now leading a blacklisting campaign against teachers that explain racism in American history.
Vaccination mandate
14 January 2022
The right-wing justices on the US Supreme Court rejected OSHA's vaccination mandate for medium and large businesses. With this ruling they began to support the Republican Party's strategy to incapacitate the US with disease, and blame the consequences on Democrats.
ICBMs
14 January 2022
Calling for the elimination of ICBMs, to eliminate the hurry to launch a nuclear attack because one seems possibly to be on its way.
Filibuster
14 January 2022
*What would the Supreme Court's "originalists" think of the filibuster?
If they were honest, they'd find it unconstitutional.*
Shot dead for no reason
14 January 2022
An Israeli writes about his long friendship with his Palestinian Aseel friend, who worked for peace, and was shot dead for no reason by Israeli thugs while standing unarmed in the middle of a nonviolent rally.
Real adventures
14 January 2022
Covid-19 has transformed commercial sea cruises into real adventures! (I'd rather stay home.)
Wealth tax
14 January 2022
As the rich show off their wealth, they show we need to impose a wealth tax.
Refusing to debate
14 January 2022
The Republican Party will refuse to debate Democrats for the presidency.
Democrats should invite the Green Party and the "Libertarian" Party to the debate, so that the Republicans will miss out on the chance rather than cancel it.
Felon disenfranchisement
14 January 2022
*Mississippi: felon disenfranchisement is a racist labyrinth worthy of Kafka.*
The people who set up that system chose a set of felonies to trigger disenfranchisement, not because they were the worst of felonies, but because they were likely to disenfranchise blacks.
Coup consequences
14 January 2022
If the wrecker captures the presidency through a coup, the US could fall apart in chaos.
Urgent: Regulate methane emissions
14 January 2022
US citizens: push the EPA to regulate methane emissions.
Cost increase for Medicare
14 January 2022
The department of HHS is pushing back on a cost increase for Medicare that would be needed to pay for an exorbitantly expensive drug that might prevent Alzheimer's disease.
The approval of that drug may have been a mistake, and some corrupt influence is suspected.
Complaint against Rep. Cawthorn
14 January 2022
The complaint against Rep. Cawthorn requires him to demonstrate he is eligible to run for the House of Representatives — specifically, that he was not involved in the Jan 6 insurrection.
Rejecting applicants for being poor
14 January 2022
Several prestigious US universities are being sued for illegally rejecting applicants specifically for being poor.
A special law allows universities to collaborate (rather than compete) on how much financial aid they offer, but only with the condition that they don't consider need for financial aid as a criterion for admissions.
All in all, other countries do a much better job of keeping the cost of higher education down.
Refusing Covid-19 precautions
14 January 2022
People who refuse the basic precautions against the spread of Covid-19 endanger people who get badly sick or injured in any way.
Effectiveness of lockdowns in Britain
14 January 2022
The lockdowns in Britain whose purpose was to reduce cases of Covid-19 were effective for that. They also prevented nearly all of the expected hospitalizations of children for flu, meningitis, tonsillitis, and bronchiolitis: over 70,000 cases in all.
Coal-ash ponds
13 January 2022
*EPA begins enforcement on clean up of toxic coal-ash ponds.*
Argentina
13 January 2022
Argentina's new center-left government is doing surprisingly well at climbing out of the economic hole that the previous right-wing government and the IMF contrived to put it into.
(Satire) No Past
13 January 2022
(satire) *Man Horrified After Genealogy Test Confirms He Has No Past.*
Texas schools blocking sites that help queer students
13 January 2022
Texas schools are blocking internet access to sites that help queer students avoid suicide, and cope with hatred.
Antichrist
13 January 2022
Arguing that the corruptor really is an antichrist. That statement doesn't make any supernatural claims.
(Satire) Gates Philanthropy
13 January 2022
(satire) *Gates Foundation Sues Thousands Of Charities For Infringing On Trademark Concept Of Philanthropy.*
The Gates Foundation's announcement fell into a common confusion by equating trademarks with patents. This sort of confusion turns almost any statement into conceptual garbage.
See https://gnu.org/philosophy/not-ipr.html and https://gnu.org/philosophy/komongistan.html.
Amazon Unionization
13 January 2022
Workers at an Amazon warehouse will get a new vote on unionization.
Pie-in-the-sky net-zero climate strategy
13 January 2022
*UK government sued over "pie-in-the-sky" net-zero climate strategy.*
Child Tax Credit
13 January 2022
93% of the children in West Virginia were supported last year by the Child Tax Credit. Senator Manchin of West Virginia says he couldn't possibly justify continuing that support to the people of his state.
Interrogation official
13 January 2022
One of Assad's interrogation officials fled from Syria and described the system which tortured people to get information, which he participated in as a supervisor. Now he is on trial for his role in the system.
Filling hospitals
13 January 2022
Covid-19 is again filling US hospitals in many states. In addition, with so many medical workers sick with Covid-19, it is hard for the hospitals to treat so many the patients.
Rebuilding flammable residences
13 January 2022
A Tory minister has promised that the UK government will pay for rebuilding the flammable construction of residences in Britain. But this is no legal commitment, just a personal promise. He could be replaced as minister with the promise unkept.
Pushing millions into penury
13 January 2022
The UK is going to push millions into penury with rising prices for fossil fuel. Labour has joined the push for a windfall profits tax, such as the US adopted in the oil shortage of the 1970s.
The Tories have adopted plans to reduce use of fossil fuels, but they have cancelled them before it was time to spend money. That's because "more for the rich" is its priority.
Labour's plan is not particularly bold. It is an adequate plan, and much better than none at all. However, we won't see any bold plans from Labour now that it has kicked out Corbyn and his supporters. It has decided against boldness.
Speed of carbon cuts
13 January 2022
*German climate minister says speed of carbon cuts needs to be trebled* to achieve the country's targets.
Tax those who refuse vaccination
13 January 2022
Quebec plans to tax those who refuse Covid-19 vaccination, on the grounds that they are choosing to impose costs on the NHS.
Vaccination is so important that this is justified. However, it would be wrong to extend that to much actions that don't put others in danger; that would lead to a pervasively repressive society.
Anger on Bogus Johnson
13 January 2022
Bogus Johnson's decision to invite officials and friends to a party at his office, disregarding the strict rules that said no one else in Britain could have such a party, have focused anger at him.
Planet-roaster Tories want to seize the opportunity to replace him with someone who will officially cancel Britain's climate commitments.
Half population infected
13 January 2022
WHO Europe forecasts that half the population of Europe will be infected with Omicron soon.
The article presents recommendations, including mandating high-quality masks, priorities for vaccination, and others.
Writer charged over critical tweets
13 January 2022
*Ugandan writer charged over tweets critical of President Museveni.*
So many countries are repressive to those who criticize the rulers.
Covid and global heating
13 January 2022
*Covid has undermined fight against global heating, says WEF.*
Coping with climate mayhem
13 January 2022
*Cuba Shows How to Take Action [to cope with climate mayhem].
The more important climate action is to reduce the amount of global heating. As we do more of that, we spare every region lots of work coping with climate mayhem, because there will be less climate mayhem to cope with.
Oath to defend the constitution
13 January 2022
*Voters move to block [the corrupter's] ally Madison Cawthorn from re-election,* citing the constitutional amendment barring candidates that have taken the oath to defend the constitution and violated it.
Last years
13 January 2022
The last seven years were the seven hottest since records began.
The last three years set records for the heat of the oceans.
Concealing background
13 January 2022
Prejudice against Dalits is so powerful in India that those Dalits who make it into middle-class society work desperately to conceal their background. They could be shunned, fired, even murdered.
Small killer robots
13 January 2022
Small killer robots are feasible now — especially if they find their target by the IMSI and IMEI codes in the transmissions from a portable phone.
It is possible to prevent their use in war, with a treaty. But I think that criminal gangs will use them for assassination.
Urgent: FCC
12 January 2022
From Free Press: US citizens, please phone Senator Maria Cantwell at (202) 224-3441 and call on her to hold the vote to confirm Gigi Sohn in the FCC before the end of January. If no one answers, please leave a message.
Climate-based disasters
12 January 2022
Climate-based disasters in 2021 cost the US $145 billion last year.
This is going to get a lot worse over the next few decades, until we stabilize the greenhouse gas levels.
White-supremacist murderers sentenced to life in prison
12 January 2022
Ahmaud Arbery's murderers were sentenced to life in prison.
I think this is justice. However, for the goal of eliminating white supremacism, it is just a small step.
Major course correction needed
12 January 2022
*Sanders Says Democrats Need 'Major Course Correction' to Prevent GOP Takeover. "In too many ways the Democratic Party has turned its back on the working class," argues the Vermont senator.*
Climate mayhem
12 January 2022
Climate mayhem is wiping out the terns and puffins that lived on the islands of Maine. The water there is now too hot for the fish that used to live there.
*How the speed of [global heating] is unbalancing the insect world.*
Regain sense of control
12 January 2022
(satire) *Man Tries To Regain Sense Of Control In Chaotic Universe By Learning To Juggle.*