| Time |
Event |
| 10:47a |
Swing-state voters swapping with non-swing-state votes
*Swing-State Voters Disillusioned With Kamala Harris Can Swap for Two
Non-Swing-State Votes.*
A similar idea was used by supporters of Ralph Nader's presidential campaign
on at least one occasion. It sends the desired message without risking
putting the worst candidate into office.
I voted for Nader at least once, I am proud to say.
If we had ranked choice voting, it would be easy to send such messages
without ever risking putting the worst candidate into office. It is a
defect of our system that it compels people to vote for the so-so
candidate rather than the one they really support.
</li> |
| 10:47a |
Israel to sever ties with Unrwa
*Israel formally tells UN of intent to sever all ties with Unrwa
relief agency.*
I don't know whether this will make a difference to Palestinians in Gaza,
since Israel is already choking off food, water and medicine for them.
But it could overwhelm the West Bank with suffering.
</li> |
| 10:47a |
Survey on making Big Oil pay for climate damage
A survey of people in eight countries found that most want to make
Big Oil pay for the damage done by climate disaster.
That would be fair, but will it be possible? That depends how much
the damages add up to. Eventually they will equal the total value of
all human wealth and all of nature. Long before that, they will far
exceed the market value of the oil companies.
The point is, the idea of getting compensated for the destruction
of nature and human works is inherently foolish — an excuse for
not focusing on preventing that destruction.
</li> |
| 10:47a |
UK deported man on administrative technicalities
The UK deported a man based on administrative technicalities caused by
delays due to the pandemic, without the hearing he was entitled to, and
then gave him just three days to leave.
This demonstrates that humans can be as rigid as robots if they are
taught to do so.
</li> |
| 10:47a |
|
| 10:47a |
Toxicity of PFAS mixtures
*PFAS mixtures more toxic than single compounds, [which would
tend to be the danger worse than previous estimates.]*
</li>
Republicans challenging voters |
| 10:47a |
Republicans with no particular authority or evidence are now empowered
to challenge large numbers of voters, forcing each one to prove
per eligibility to vote. They cite various stretched reasons, but
the real reason is often the person's ethnic background.
One of 900 voters challenged in Savannah had written her doctoral thesis
on this particular abusive system.
She appealed this and won her voting rights back, but many others
really lose their voting rights.
I think the Voting Rights Act used to prohibit this, before voter-suppressing
Republicans took control of the Extreme Court and neutralized most of it.
</li> |
| 10:47a |
|
| 10:47a |
Columbia pays $395,000 to student
*Columbia pays $395,000 to student suspended over protest "fart spray".*
I think Columbia went too far in punishing the student for expressing
perself in a way that was annoying but not actually harmful to anyone.
It is proper that the university was punished for this.
However, we must not forget that most of the punishment is being
directed mainly at critics of Israel's massacres, not at supporters of
them, and much of that punishment is also unjust.
</li> |
| 10:47a |
EU's Common Agricultural Policy
The EU's Common Agricultural Policy was supposed to protect biodiversity and the environment, but has failed to achieve that goal.
Things are getting rapidly worse.
</li> |
| 10:47a |
|
| 10:47a |
Tory Party snoopphone app
The Tory Party released a snoopphone app (nonfree, like nearly all of them)
which sends back data about its users.
I wonder what Tory supporters think about these nasty business practices
when used by that party against them.
</li> |
| 10:47a |
Suspicions about Netanyahu's war aims
*Increasingly violent siege of north [Gaza] raises suspicions about Netanyahu’s
war aims.*
The concern is that he may aim to annex part or all of Gaza, and expel
any living Palestinians. Before that,the fighting could kill most of
the people in North Gaza. That would indisputably be genocide.
</li> |