Trophies from hunting wild animals
6 May 2026
Arguing that banning or interfering with taking trophies from hunting wild animals is a misguided policy that interferes with protection of wildlife.
EPA budget cut proposal
6 May 2026
*Democrats say EPA head's budget cut proposal "reads like climate change deniers' manifesto".*
Magat federal prosecutors losing in court prosecuting protesters
6 May 2026
Magat federal prosecutors have lost in court in their prosecutions of protesters, because judges found them to be stretching the truth to the point where it snapped.
China regulations on Pretend Intelligence chatbots
6 May 2026
China will impose strict regulations on Pretend Intelligence chatbots that have conversations about suicide — a human must be notified to intervene.
Other things that chatbots will be prohibited from doing include encouraging violence, and emotional manipulation, and promoting "obscenity", gambling and crime, and misleading users.
An intelligent being can try to apply such rules because it can understands, more or less, the meaning of its communications. (Although it is not easy even for an intelligent being to understand reliably what a communication might imply to another intelligent being.)
A pretend intelligence will have trouble applying such rules beyond a superficial manner, because it is not capable of such understanding. It might have a discussion of "getting off this mortal coil" or "the big sleep" and not detect that as a reference to suicide or death.
Aside from that, I would expect that these rules will be interpreted by China as restricting discussion of political issues that lead to criticizing China. Alas, the US might restrict discussions of fascism and democracy, a few years from now.
Magats reopened "gun show loophole"
6 May 2026
The magats reopened the "gun show loophole", which allowed gun dealers to sell guns at gun shows without requiring a background check from the buyer.
Machine learning system for emergency triage
6 May 2026
A machine learning system did better than human doctors at providing a second opinion for emergency triage.
I think this justifies describing that system as "artificial intelligence", when used for that job.
Countries adopting plans for ending use of fossil fuels
6 May 2026
60 significant countries agreed to adopt plans for ending use of fossil fuels.
The most powerful countries, who are he biggest consumers of fossil fuels, did not participate, but the participants amount to half the global GDP, so their decision might shift the world's climate trajectory.
Cuts to bus service caused by end of federal subsidy
6 May 2026
Many low-income Americans can't easily get to a supermarket due to cuts in bus service caused by the end of a federal subsidy. (I suspect the wrecker ended it.)
However, there is no decrease in bus service in Somerville, Massachusetts. The MBTA has been increasing its bus service in the past few years and claims to have more bus service now than in 2019.
Supermarkets used to be far more numerous, a few decades ago. I think many independent small supermarkets went out of business.
Political enemies when they take offense over statement
6 May 2026
Never apologize to your political enemies when they take offense tactically over a statement that wasn't actually wrong.
Activists accuse Israeli soldiers of torture
6 May 2026
Activists on the latest Gaza aid flotilla accuse Israeli soldiers of violently torturing them after seizing their ships.
Israel says the flotilla's leaders will be taken to Israel for "questioning" — which may include torture.
British king Charles III urge US to respect legal rights
6 May 2026
British king Charles III, speaking to the US Congress, tried to urge the US to move back to democracy and respect for legal rights.
Will it change the minds of some Republicans?
Appeals court ruled against mailing abortion drugs
6 May 2026
An appeals court in the South, which is generally right-wing biased, ruled that abortion clinics cannot mail abortion drugs.
This will do terrible harm to women who can't afford to travel to a state where abortion is still lawful.
No Kings movement failing to follow up with local organizing
6 May 2026
Ralph Nader critiques the No Kings movement for failing to follow up with local organizing everywhere to demand removal of the would-be dictator.
Urgent: Call ABC to resist bully's censorship
5 May 2026
US citizens: call ABC to resist the bully's censorship demands.
See the instructions for how to sign this letter campaign without running any nonfree JavaScript code--not trivial, but not hard.
Urgent: Pass war powers resolution about Cuba
5 May 2026
US citizens: call on Congress to pass a war powers resolution about Cuba and end the humanitarian crisis that the US is causing there.
US citizens: Join with this campaign to address this issue.
To phone your congresscritter about this, the main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121.
Please spread the word.
Decrease in rate of homicides in California
5 May 2026
California officials point to changes in laws as the cause of a 35% decrease in the rate of homicides since 2024.
The article linked to just above displays symbolic bigotry by capitalizing "black" but not "white". (To avoid endorsing bigotry, capitalize both words or neither one.) I denounce bigotry, and normally I will not link to articles that practice it. But I make exceptions for some articles because I consider them important — and I present this comment about them.
Rejection of fascist "Christian nationalist" movement
5 May 2026
Most US Christians reject the fascist "Christian nationalist" movement and they increasingly organize to oppose it.
Repression of climate protesters
5 May 2026
Research suggests that repression of climate protesters is self-defeating: it builds the impetus for climate defense.
Refused afghan asylum seekers in UK
5 May 2026
The UK says it might send refused Afghan asylum seekers back to Afghanistan.
This would make the UK culpable for the repression that drives them to flee and beg for asylum.
Bad aspects of fame with antisocial media
5 May 2026
Arguing that antisocial media give each used the bad aspects of fame. Just not the good aspects.
Experiments with brainwashing North Korean prisoners
5 May 2026
The CIA experimented with attempts at brainwashing of North Korean prisoners of war starting in 1950. However, it did not try using mind-altering drugs for this until later.
Big Bad Bill federal tax voucher program
5 May 2026
The Big Bad Bill established a federal tax voucher program — a taxpayer paying tuition for private school could take the whole sum off per tax owed.
This takes that money straight off the public budget.
Schemes the cheater uses to receive money from supporters
5 May 2026
A survey of many schemes that the cheater and his family use to receive money from supporters, many of whom visibly receive special preference for giving the money.
SLAPP lawsuits endanger freedom of the press
5 May 2026
SLAPP lawsuits endanger freedom of the press; magat officials are now using them and tightening the screws to a level that few can resist.
To restore effective freedom of the press, we need laws to stop this practice. But officials that practice SLAPPing won't approve them.
If we had a supreme court full of honest supporters of freedom and democracy, they would interpret existing laws to prioritize citizens' freedom to participate in forming public opinion. But it is hard to count on that to come back.
(satire) Need to end journalism
5 May 2026
(satire) *[The bully] Claims Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Reinforces Need To End Journalism.*
Increasing Cuba's infant mortality rate
5 May 2026
US sanctions imposed on Cuba in two stages by the persecutor appear to be responsible for increasing Cuba's infant mortality rate from 4.0 per 1000 live births in 2028 to 9.9 per thousand as of 2025.
I suppose that non-infants in Cuba are also dying at a higher rate now.
Disneyland facial recognition
5 May 2026
Disneyland is joining the movement to get Americans accustomed to facial recognition everywhere and anywhere.
If it correctly recognizes you at a ride in Disneyland, that instance won't do you any harm. But the Orwellian general practice of using facial recognition facilitates finding and repressing dissidents or anyone else selected for persecution.
UK's advancing-age ban on selling tobacco
5 May 2026
I have reconsidered my conclusion about the UK's advancing-age ban on selling tobacco. It is a regulation on selling the drug, not a prohibition in the usual sense. So perhaps it is acceptable.
Persecutor threatening ABC TV with lawfare
5 May 2026
The persecutor is threatening ABC TV with lawfare as retaliation for Jimmy Kimmel's joke.
Press freedom categorized as "good"
5 May 2026
* While a fifth of the global population lived in a country where press freedom was categorized as "good" in 2002, that has now fallen to less than 1% of the world’s population.*
Voting Rights Act reduced
5 May 2026
Contending that the Supreme Court's vitiation of the Voting Rights Act made the US cease to be a democracy.
Voting Rights Act weakened again
5 May 2026
The Supreme Court overturned section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, paving the way for more Republican gerrymandering.
Public fines by private companies, UK
5 May 2026
UK local councils are arbitrarily prohibiting ordinary acts in public places -- from feeding birds to using a "dirty word", or political campaigning, or gathering in a group.
The fines are farmed out to private companies -- which should be prohibited absolutely. When a private company is empowered to impose fines, it tends to become oppressive, demanding payment even for fines that are not legally justified.
Rush to redraw electoral districts, US
5 May 2026
Several Republican-dominated states are rushing to draw new electoral districts to lock in more Republican elected officials, including in Congress.
Continuing violence against Jews, UK
5 May 2026
A violent form of antisemitism in Britain is motivating violent attacks on Jews, both attacks on synagogues and attacks on Jews chosen at random on the street.
The attackers seem to equate being Jewish with supporting Israel's atrocities against Palestinians and Lebanese. That is mistaken, foolish, and unjust.
Visa evaluation procedures in the US
5 May 2026
Visitors to the US will henceforth be refused a visa if they admit to any fear of persecution in their home country.
This is, I suppose, meant as an excuse to deny them asylum if they ask for asylum while visiting the US. It may be effective repression, but it goes against the spirit of the right to asylum.
Takeover in the US: science, medicine
5 May 2026
The saboteur in chief is eliminating the political independence of US medical and scientific agencies.
This will put all of us in danger.
Surveillance pricing, MD
5 May 2026
Maryland's law against surveillance pricing has several loopholes opened by industry lobbying.
One loophole is that the law allows the store to set a high official price and then offer discounts selectively based on personal data.
If every customer initially sees the high official price, that is not as devious as full-on surveillance pricing. If the official price is too high, the customer may simply decide not to purchase.
But if the store only shows that customer's personal discounted price, this is equivalent to surveillance pricing as currently practiced.
None of these problems affect me, because I don't identify myself to the store. The store can't generally track my location, either -- and at the time I buy there, my location is "right in front of the sales clerk".
Bulgaria's new government
5 May 2026
Just after Hungary escaped from right-wing extremism, Bulgaria has probably fallen into it.
Expelling doctors visiting from Cuba
5 May 2026
The bully is forcing various countries to expel their Cuban doctors. That leaves them with a shortage of doctors.
Two largest airlines propose to merge
4 May 2026
The world's two largest airlines (United and American) propose to merge.
The idea is absurd in principle, since it would undermine competition. Under a government that believed in preserving competition, they would never have proposed this. But the wrecker encourages the businesses that support him to merge and become a monster — as long as they use their power in devious ways to punish his designated enemies.
Atlantic meridional overturning circulation
4 May 2026
Scientists forecast that the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation is quite likely to collapse.
*A collapse would shift the tropical rainfall belt on which many millions of people rely to grow their food, plunge western Europe into extreme cold winters and summer droughts, and add 50-100cm to already rising sea levels around the Atlantic.*
Lobbying EU to keep datacenter emissions secret
4 May 2026
*US tech firms successfully lobbied EU to keep datacenter emissions secret.*
This shows that EU governments felt desperate for money ("investments") from those companies — so desperate that they betrayed their countries for those companies' favor.
Protester arrested to sue city for arresting her
4 May 2026
Protester Renea Gamble, who was arrested for wearing a penis costume, was found not guilty, and will sue the city for arresting her on absurd grounds. Perhaps also for knocking her down so that she hit her head on the ground.
The thugs said that at one point she had named herself as "Aunt Tifa", and prosecuted her for that too. I love her sense of humor.
FBI investigating reporter that investigated FBI
4 May 2026
A reporter investigated FBI head Patel's command for FBI personnel to act as security for his girlfriend. In response, the FBI began investigating the reporter.
For magats, whatever magat officials do for the benefit of magats, even if corrupt or illegal, is legitimate. For journalists to investigate such actions is "stalking".
Patel has also sued The Atlantic for investigating his official life.
Project to estimate cost to black Americans
4 May 2026
A project has tried to estimate the cost to black Americans in Fulton County, Georgia, of various racist laws and government practices, including slavery and Jim Crow, and sometimes having the KKK drive blacks off their land to take it away from them.
It also includes the wages they would normally have been paid for work that they were forced to do. It amounts to a large sum in today's money, though the article does not estimate an overall total.
The project aims ultimately to determine a just quantity of reparations to give to descendants of those who were robbed and cheated. I am interested in seeing the results. How to give a disprivileged group's members effective aid to surmount the inherited effects of being disprivileged is not obvious.
The article linked to above displays symbolic bigotry by capitalizing "black" but not "white". (To avoid endorsing bigotry, capitalize both words or neither one.) I denounce bigotry, and normally I will not link to articles that practice it. But I make exceptions for some articles, such as this one, because they are important. I want to help the article educate people about racism. At the same time I want to rebuke its bigotry — so I present this comment about it.
Compliance with Epstein Files Transparency Act
4 May 2026
*[Justice Department] inspector general to audit department's compliance with Epstein Files Transparency Act.*
The question this raises is whether this will be an honest audit (Did the department follow the law?) or a maga-audit (Did the department do what the corruptor wanted?).
Restructuring of the US Forest Service
4 May 2026
The restructuring of the US Forest Service may be intended partly to hamper research to understand global heating effects.
The new head of the Forest Service used to work for a logging company, and in his thoughts he still does.
Pushing Bosnia into corrupt pipeline deal
4 May 2026
The corrupter is pushing Bosnia to make a corrupt deal to have a pipeline built by a company run by loyal henchmen with no pipeline experience.
Aside from the diversion of funds to reward people for committing crimes for the corrupter, the social cost of this would be a bigger risk of pollution and increase of the general level of corruption. The EU is right to try to stop it.
Leader of English Green Party upholds Palestinians' rights
4 May 2026
Polanski, the leader of the English Green Party, is Jewish and upholds Palestinians' rights — and rejects the attempt to tar that as "antisemitic". He rebuked Starmer's criticisms, saying, "We've got into a bizarre situation in this country where a non-Jewish prime minister is attacking the one Jewish leader on a case of antisemitism."