| Time |
Event |
| 8:05p |
|
| 8:05p |
Effort to exclude wildfire from pollution record
* Across the US, local governments, lobbyists and industry have spent
millions to get [wildfires' air] pollution excluded from the record.*
As wildfires become more frequent, the effects of this policy will
shift from disguising a rare unusual situation to misrepresenting the
usual state of affairs.
|
| 8:05p |
Higher numbers of pedestrians dying from car collisions
It is not clear why more pedestrians are dying from car collisions now
in the US than before, but some people are certain of whet remedy they
want to impose.
Their argument is, "Whether or not it's a good solution,
it has to do some good, right?" They also say, "If it saves
even one life, it is worth doing." I don't think those are valid.
The right approach is to figure out what benefit various possible
changes would give, and then decide which change is best.
We know that the increasing number of SUVs increases casualties, and
that it increases greenhouse gas emissions which which increase
casualties from climate disaster. I suspect — though I have no basis
to be certain — that the most effective way to address all these
problems is to strongly discourage SUVs.
For instance, we could increase the fee to register an SUV
substantially each year. People would start selling their SUVs.
|
| 8:05p |
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| 8:05p |
Tory leaders spreading disinformation
Tory leaders are spreading disinformation about Labour's plans.
What else would you expect?
|
| 8:05p |
Australian prisoner killed in prison
It seems that Australian prisoner Selesa Tafaifa was killed in an
Australian prison by putting a spit hood on her. It hampered her
breathing and caused a heart attack. An emergency medicine specialist
watched the video in court and explained what was happening to her at
each point.
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| 8:05p |
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| 8:05p |
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| 8:05p |
Marcon takes advantage of emotional reaction
An apparent Islamist fanatic, already under suspicion and monitored by
the state, murdered a teacher in a French high school. Macron took
advantage of the emotional reaction to the murder by calling for a
"ruthless" response.
I can't see how "ruthlessness", as such, would help prevent future
terrorist murders. It sounds like a way to stir up hatred against
Muslims.
A more strict system of surveillance, applied by
courts to people whose actions have justified it, might help.
|
| 8:05p |
Climate crisis threatens seed production
The climate crisis (specifically floods, freezes and heatwaves)
threatens seed production in the US.
The weather no longer follows
the normal seasons.
|
| 8:05p |
UAE permitted Iranian agents to kidnap dissident
The UN accuses the UAE of permitting Iranian agents to kidnap exiled dissident Jamshid Sharmahd from Dubai airport. Iran has announced plans
to execute him.
Human Rights Watch warns dissidents from other countries not to
transit through Dubai, because the UAE might jail them or worse.
I have no reason to think I am important enough that the UAE might
bother to harass me, but why take the chance? I never even consider
such flight itineraries. Not all the victims listed in
stay-away-countries.html for the UAE were famous.
If rejection for this reason hurts the business of Emirates airlines,
that by itself is a good thing.
Countries that support human rights should reject and denounce all
plans to hold important international conferences (for instance,
climate conferences)
in the UAE or other similar repressive countries.
|
| 8:05p |
Pro-democracy supporters who fled Hong Kong
* Pro-democracy supporters who fled Hong Kong for Britain speak about
continued harassment, threats and physical attacks [by China's agents].*
|
| 8:05p |
Covid deaths on the rise again
*Covid deaths are on the rise again, so what happens? Mask-wearing in
hospitals is scrapped.*
That abandons people to the risk that a medical system ought to
use discipline to protect people from.
Even if your politicians are cowards, we can use courage to make each
other safe. A disciplined group can sometimes protect most of its
members from threats that individuals can't defend against. Covid-19
is one example. But there is another clearer and more vivid one.
In ancient and medieval times, infantry could protect themselves from
charging cavalry if they had pikes and knew how to stand firm with
them in a line. An individual infantryman was defenseless against
charging cavalry, but a close infantry line with pikes was stronger
than cavalry and could stand the horses off. They could save their
lives together by being firm and disciplined.
We are not likely ever to be in that situation, but it can teach
us how to resist Covid-19 together.
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| 8:05p |
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| 8:05p |
Likely to die young in Republican states
In US states controlled by Republicans, people are considerably more likely to die young.
They die young from smoking, diabetes, heart attacks, car crashes,
and despair.
Republicans don't win these states' elections honestly.
They do it via gerrymandering
and voter suppression
as well as spending lots of billionaires' money
to distract voters.
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