Surveillance at Madison Square Garden
11 August 2026
Madison Square Garden uses surveillance cameras to recognize people. It specifically tracks people on its enemies list, such as journalist Rachel Maddow. But it normally tracks everyone who enters and perhaps recognizes them all.
However, they made an exception for the audience at Taylor Swift's wedding, apparently because she had the clout to demand this.
People must be free to take photos in public places occasionally and publish them. But no one, and especially no business or organization or government, should be allowed to systematically record everyone that passes before a camera and put the records into a internet-connected system.
Pressuring Democratic candidates to stop avoiding climate issues
11 August 2026
A grass-roots campaign is pressuring Democratic candidates to stop avoiding the issue of growing climate disaster.
Focusing on "affordability" of everyday life is partly a mistake, and partly a response to pressure from billionaires who figure that will lead towards weak palliative measures rather to any big change to transfer wealth.
The increasing cost of living is a consequence of deeper injustices, one of which is the growing cost of climate disaster (including food plagued by agricultural failure). Another is the growing cost of medical treatment, which stems largely from the big role of businesses in it. Another is the long and slow shift that leaves the non-rich with less and less of society's productive capacity.
Scrapped plans to curb jury trials
11 August 2026
*Andy Burnham signals he will scrap plans to curb jury trials [in the UK].*
This is a victory, even though it only prevents a plan to make things worse.
The supposed "need" for restricting the right to a jury was a shortage of funds. I think Burnham has some plan to increase taxes on non-poor people so as to pay for this and other things to make the UK better.
(satire) Wrath of next ultimatum
11 August 2026
(satire) *[The bully] Warns Iran To Accept His Ultimatum Or Face Wrath Of Next Ultimatum.*
Climate emergency poses risk to global economy
11 August 2026
*A senior policymaker at the European Central Bank has said the climate emergency and the breakdown of nature poses a dramatically growing risk to the global economy.*
If we are unable to grow enough food, or if calamities substantially reduce the life expectancy, it is going to be hard for anything to be stable or predictable.
What we need to make sure of is that the billionaires won't be able to insulate themselves (and their servants) from sharing the fate the impose on us. And that they know they won't be able to.
Boycott Magnum for Ben and Jerry's
11 August 2026
Ben and Jerry sold their ice cream company to Unilever under an agreement to preserve the company's independence and social activism. They now say that Unilever has violated the agreement in several ways, and finally by reselling it to Magnum (as far as I can tell, without any ethical requirements). They call on supporters to boycott Magnum to pressure for it to sell Ben and Jerry's to someone who will restore them.
It is not a simple matter to draw up a contract that will prevent the buyer of a company, or of a program, from slipping out of agreements to follow ethical standards by transferring control in increments.
Tourette's syndrome slip
11 August 2026
John Davidson, who has Tourette's syndrome, said the taboo word "nigger" with no conscious intention while two blacks were on stage. People freaked out.
A few decades ago, antiracists understood the word as an unjust insult — when it was meant to characterize someone. But people could contemplate the word in the abstract, and discuss its meaning and implications (such as, a racist attitude) without losing their wits. They could criticize the word's racist attitude without terror of violating the taboo if they said which word they were criticizing. If they heard a touretter say it, and understood that the touretter did not mean to characterize anyone with it, they did not hold that against per.
The change to regard the word "nigger" as a shocking profanity rather than as an unjust racist attack has made it harder for society to cope with situations like this one, and harder to clearly express condemnation of racism.
(satire) Make-out point purchased by make-out conglomerate
11 August 2026
(satire) *Small Town’s Make-Out Point Purchased By Multinational Make-Out Conglomerate.*
(satire) Military Wife Draft
11 August 2026
(satire) *U.S. Instates Military Wife Draft.*
Underground report from Iran
11 August 2026
An underground report from Iran about torture and killing of imprisoned protesters.
Ticketmaster increased base price
11 August 2026
Ticketmaster was required by law to stop adding certain junk fees to ticket prices, so in some cases it increased the base price so that the total remained the same.
Is this a scandal? I don't think so. The scandal is that they would tell you a lower price, not including the junk fees, then charge you a higher price which includes the junk fees. Now they have to be more honest about the real price.
If we want to do something about the high price of concerts, we should adopt strict laws against overconsolidation of industry, and break up businesses that are too big. This would include the Ticketmaster/Live Nation near-monopoly and many others that mergers have created in the past few decades.
The corrupter's henchmen are encouraging new monopolies.
Sham promises to get Blanche confirmed
11 August 2026
The corrupter, seeking to have his personal lawyer Blanche confirmed as Attorney General, made sham promises to the Senate that Blanche would not approve the corrupter's slush fund and tax return immunity deal.
The promises are a sham because they are only temporary — if the Senate approves Blanche, he and the corrupter can cancel these promises and approve the deal anyway.
Academic scores and antisocial media use
11 August 2026
* Pupils who open [antisocial media] accounts [at the age of] 11 to 12 score lower in some subjects [at age 16] than those who wait a few years [to open such accounts], study finds.*
Climate change kills
11 August 2026
"Climate change kills": [Prime Minister] Pedro Sánchez speaks plain truth to Spain's deniers.
Prosecution of violent "settler" for killing Palestinian
11 August 2026
Israel is prosecuting one of the violent right-wing "settlers" for killing a Palestinian journalist in the West Bank.
Such a prosecution ought to regularly follow their crimes, but instead it is news, because Israel generally protects those killers.
Urgent: News coverage of subpoenas to Breakthrough News
10 August 2026
US citizens: call on news media to cover the subpoenas to Breakthrough News as an attack on freedom of the press.
Urgent: Block scheme for making deportation profitable
10 August 2026
US citizens: call on Congress to block the bully's scheme for making deportation profitable for some of his backers.
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.
Urgent: Terminate bully's NSPM-7 political persecution crusade
10 August 2026
US citizens: call on Congress to terminate the bully's NSPM-7 political persecution crusade.
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.
Urgent: Military contracts where corrupter personally profits
10 August 2026
US citizens: call on Congress to investigate military contracts in which the corrupter and his family would personally profit.
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.
Urgent: Stop Florida spying on wildlife advocates
10 August 2026
US citizens: call on Florida's legislature to stop the state from spying on wildlife advocates.
Block Paramount media takeover
10 August 2026
US citizens: call on Congress to block the Paramount media takeover.
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.
Urgent: Stop bully's bombing of civilian boats
10 August 2026
US citizens: call on Congress to stop the bully's illegal bombing of civilian boats.
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.
Urgent: Amazon contracts with deportation thugs
10 August 2026
US citizens: call on Amazon to end its contracts with the deportation thugs.
See the instructions for how to sign this letter campaign without running any nonfree JavaScript code--not trivial, but not hard.
Urgent: Stop CHEATERS Act
10 August 2026
US citizens: call on the House to pass the Stop CHEATERS Act to restore Biden's increased funding to making rich people and corporations pay their taxes.
See the instructions for how to sign this letter campaign without running any nonfree JavaScript code--not trivial, but not hard.
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.
Urgent: Defund Flock's Orwellian camera network
10 August 2026
US citizens: call on Tell Congress to defund Flock's Orwellian camera network!
See the instructions for how to sign this letter campaign without running any nonfree JavaScript code--not trivial, but not hard.
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.
Urgent: Pass Social Security 2100 Act
10 August 2026
US citizens: call on Congress to pass the Social Security 2100 Act.
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.
Urgent: No Pretend Intelligence data centers on federal lands
10 August 2026
US citizens: call for no Pretend Intelligence data centers on federal lands!
See the instructions for how to sign this letter campaign without running any nonfree JavaScript code--not trivial, but not hard.
Urgent: Block proposed autocratic grant rule
5 August 2026
US citizens: call on Congress to block the proposed autocratic grant rule, protect scientific independence, and stop political appointees from turning federal funding into an ideological loyalty test.
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.
Urgent: Thank New York Times
5 August 2026
US citizens: Thank the New York Times for Fighting Back against the magats' subpoenas against journalism.
Urgent: Keep DACA going
5 August 2026
US citizens: call on Tell Congress: vote to keep DACA going so that people who grew up in the US can stay here.
See the instructions for how to sign this letter campaign without running any nonfree JavaScript code--not trivial, but not hard.
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.
Urgent: Release money appropriated by Congress for public transit
5 August 2026
US citizens: call on the Dept of Transportation to release the billions of dollars already appropriated by Congress for public transit projects.
See the instructions for how to sign this letter campaign without running any nonfree JavaScript code--not trivial, but not hard.
Urgent: Media coverage of bully's Department of Injustice
5 August 2026
US citizens: call on news media to cover the bully's Department of Injustice as a rule of law crisis.
Urgent: Call on Congress to end corrupter's tax breaks
05 August 2026
US citizens: call on Congress to end the corrupter's tax breaks for millionaires, billionaires, and big corporations.
Take action.
Global heating effects in Europe
3 August 2026
Global heating is making winters wetter and summers drier and hotter in Europe. In addition to wildfires, and early death of humans from their smoke, frequent severe droughts will cause agricultural failures.
The recent European heat wave is estimated to have killed 20,000 people. What should we call the people who want to kill tens of thousands for their profit?
Urgent: Stop healthcare heist
3 August 2026
US citizens: call on your congresscritter and senators to stop the healthcare heist, reverse Medicaid cuts.
Take action at action network.
See the instructions for how to sign this letter campaign without running any nonfree JavaScript code--not trivial, but not hard.
European heat wave dried up rivers
3 August 2026
The European heat wave and drought have dried up rivers, cutting off shipping of freight.
In addition, nuclear power plants are shutting down for lack of cooling water. They are too expensive to be economically feasible.
Most of the alleged fraud in US medical funding comes from corporations
3 August 2026
An inspector general's report found that most of the alleged fraud in US government medical funding comes from corporations, not from the immigrants that magats try to blame.
Experts on immigrant rights and healthcare say the administration is using immigrants as a scapegoat for systemic fraud in the healthcare system that can be attributed to corporate greed, while shielding actual bad actors who profit from a broken system.
New York court where children face deportation
3 August 2026
Inside the New York court where children face deportation without access to attorneys.
This implies an unfair trial. But then, it is not a real trial, and the judge is not a real judge.
LLMs are pushing certain people into delusion and psychosis
3 August 2026
LLMs are just the thing to push certain people into delusions and psychosis.
I suspect that referring to them by the term "AI" facilitates this effect.
How do we protect children from addiction to [anti]social media
3 August 2026
Robert Reich: How Do We Protect Children from Becoming Addicted to [Anti]Social Media?
I agree with several of the proposed methods, but not entirely with one of them -- to ban people under 16 years old from using antisocial media. That sounds simple and harmless, but the methods that can tell who is under 16 years old tend to identify people, and that is a danger in its own right.
I propose prohibing platforms from operating any recommendation engines or suggesting the use of any particular ones.
Taylor Swift Sues Ella Langley
2 August 2026
(satire) *Taylor Swift Sues Ella Langley For Bangs Infringement.*
The serious point of this news parody is that the system of copyright, transformed by massive duplication technology into a system of oppressive extraction, inspires attempts to put legal monopolies on every aspect of human behavior.
Trump's grudge against Comey
2 August 2026
The persecutor has a grudge against James Comey, so his ultraloyal servants go to great lengths of distortion to imagine in Comey's actions some sort of violent threats.
Send paramedics not police
2 August 2026
*[New South Wales] to send paramedics not police to some mental health emergencies after multiple deaths.*
The people who advocated this in the US called it "defund the police". I was in favor of the change, but criticized that slogan for being offputting.
The hidden upward redistribution
2 August 2026
Robert Reich: How big US businesses profiteer from the wrecker's war with Iran and his arbitrary tariffs. They are bad for Americans in general, but great for billionaires.
Americans die younger
2 August 2026
Americans die younger on the average than Europeans -- looking at the causes of this.
Europe's fires causes
2 August 2026
The main cause of Europe's record-breaking fires is global heating, due mainly to burning too much fossil fuel.
Scientists have identified a secondary cause: people's abandoning many of the old farms, which have since been overgrown by wild vegetation.
If [the saboteur in chief]'s war on the climate is not met with strong resistance, things will only get worse.
The EU could, if it insists, impose fuel use taxes on both ships and planes traveling between the EU and elsewhere. For ships, the goal would be to increase their efficiency. For planes, partly to discourage their use.
Minimum wage misconceptions
2 August 2026
*Debunking the 7 most common minimum wage misconceptions.*
PISSI
2 August 2026
Some sort of residue of PISSI is inspiring terrorist plots in various countries.
Industrial chicken farming consequences
2 August 2026
*Industrial chicken farming accelerating spread of diarrhoea bacteria, study finds.*
Cars as surveillance systems
2 August 2026
Congress is considering whether to change or cancel a requirement that all new cars surveil their drivers so as to block the car from starting if a Supposed Intelligence system judges the driver to be drunk.
The existing law does not require protecting the data thoroughly against other uses, so this system will surely act as surveillance.
Even worse, these systems can misjudge a driver who is terrified (and trying to flee a real danger) as drunk. False positives can happen randomly, too.