War on journalism
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#17_July_2026_(War_on_journalism)
Published: July 18, 2026 02:37
On the situation of the wrecker's war on journalism.
🦜 Richard Stallman's Political Notes
@stallman.org.archives.polnotes.html@rss-parrot.net
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Daily political notes about what is happening in the world.
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Good and Pretti killing evidence
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#17_July_2026_(Good_and_Pretti_killing_evidence)
Published: July 18, 2026 02:37
The US government has handed over evidence to Minnesota about the killing of Renée Good and Alex Pretti. This will enable the state of Minnesota to consider prosecuting the killers.
Britain's heat wave
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#17_July_2026_(Britain's_heat_wave)
Published: July 18, 2026 02:37
Of 2500 articles about Britain's June heat wave, 3/4 of them did not mention global heating at all. And under 5% of them mentioned "net zero" policies to avoid making the heat get worse and worse.
Tax rich people
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#17_July_2026_(Tax_rich_people)
Published: July 18, 2026 02:37
An effective way to tax rich people's wealth is to remove the tax breaks that enable most rich people in the US to move most of their income out of taxation.
Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#17_July_2026_(Tyrannosaurus_rex_skeleton)
Published: July 18, 2026 02:37
A particularly well preserved skeleton of Tyrannosaurus rex is to be auctioned, but no museum can afford it. It may never be available for scientists to study.
Trump chemical safety board
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#17_July_2026_(Trump_chemical_safety_board)
Published: July 18, 2026 02:37
*The [corrupter and his henchmen have] stacked a top chemical safety board with industry-aligned scientists who have a range of financial conflicts of interest and stand to profit from deregulation, public health advocates say.*
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Lorenzo_Salgado_Araujo)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
Witnesses say that the deportation thugs are making false statements to protect the one of them who shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo dead. This is a repeated pattern, and presents a reason to suspect that their refusal to use body cameras and other cameras is…
"Intelligent design" idea
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Intelligent_design_idea)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
Among the reasons for rejecting the idea of "intelligent design" of the human body are the shockingly stupid instances of bad design in it. Occasionally someone has hands with six fingers. Could the human body have been designed by an LLM?
Endangered Species Act
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Endangered_Species_Act)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
The wrecker's henchmen just adopted a narrow standard of "harm" for the Endangered Species Act, in order to enable business activities that risk wiping out endangered species.
Myths behind global heating denial
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Myths_behind_global_heating_denial)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
Refuting the myths that people use to deny the danger of global heating.
Global heating denialist in charge
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Global_heating_denialist_in_charge)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
The saboteur in chief wants to put a global heating denialist in charge of official US government reports on the advance of global heating.
Free elections plan
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Free_elections_plan)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
*How to plan for an [free] election [even though] leaders are trying to subvert [it].*
Magat rules
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Magat_rules)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
* New [magat] rules would undermine longstanding research practices. It's death by a thousand cuts.*
"Intelligent design"
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Intelligent_design)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
The notion of "intelligent design" of humans and other living species is false -- our structure came about by step-by-step improvement with no way to eliminate kludges.
US government prosecuting reporters
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(US_government_prosecuting_reporters)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
The New York Times reported on apparent flaws in the plane that Qatar gave the corrupter. Now the government is demanding they identify their sources, saying it wants to prosecute them.
Hussam Abu Safiya's injuries
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Hussam_Abu_Safiya's_injuries)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
Hussam Abu Safiya, *one of Gaza's most prominent doctors is almost unrecognisable because of severe injuries inflicted in Israeli [prison], his lawyer has said, and faces "tangible danger to his life" after being held for 18 months without charge or…
Israeli border officer shooting at Palestinians
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
An Israeli border police officer threw a flashbang into a car then shut its door from the outside. When the passengers (Palestinians) ran out the other side doors, he shot at them. This sort of thing happens every day. (I heard from Israeli leftists…
Hunt for people to deport
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Hunt_for_people_to_deport)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
The persecutor has increased, not decreased, the hunt for people to deport (even illegally). It attracts less public attention now, because his henchmen have pulled back from the practice of operating with blatant crueity in Democratic cities to overawe…
Stop political donations
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Stop_political_donations)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
*UK must cap political donations to stop the rich buying influence.* The US must do this too, but the question of how it can be done is different in each country because of the difference in constitutions./p>
Free speech
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Free_speech)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
Analyzing arguments people cite on the issue of free speech.
Possible UK debt-inflation spiral
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Possible_UK_debt-inflation_spiral)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
If the UK borrows enough to carry out needed spending, it will fall into a debt-inflation spiral, according to a government economic monitor. This is one of the many bad aspects of the decision to borrow needed funds rather than get them by taxing the…
Graham Platner dropped out of election
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
Graham Platner has dropped out of the election for senator from Maine, after an accusation of rape. Now there is the question of how to choose another candidate. The word "rape" clearly states the gravity of the crime he is accused of. Why, I wonder,…
Extreme heat affecting one in three people
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
*Extreme heat now affects one in three people globally, study finds. Rising temperatures making it hard even for young, healthy people to safely do normal physical tasks in many regions.*
(satire) National Opera Lays Off 200 Phantoms
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
(satire) *National Opera Lays Off 200 Phantoms.*
Two Muslim governments seized "gay cruise"
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
Two Muslim governments (Turkey and Egypt) have seized on a self-designated "gay cruise" as an opportunity to demonstrate their religious bigotry, by refusing the ship entry. Turkey is ostensibly a secular democracy, but nowadays the tyrant Erdoğan is…
Bernie Sanders endorsed Troy Jackson to replace Platner
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
Bernie Sanders has endorsed Troy Jackson as a senate candidate to replace Platner. The article links to more information about Jackson.
US chemical accidents rising
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(US_chemical_accidents_rising)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
*US chemical accidents rising as [persecutor] rolls back protections, report finds.*
UK bill proposes maximum workplace temperature
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
A bill in the UK proposes to set a maximum temperature for workplaces, as a safety standard. This is needed, in the age of global heating disaster, to protect the lives of workers.
Nigel Barage
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Nigel_Barage)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
Candidate Nigel Barage, of the right-wing extremist Deform UK Party, who would be comic if he were not so dangerous, has discovered that his main opponent will a candidate who is intentionally comic: Count Binface.
Ebola outbreak in DR Congo
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Ebola_outbreak_in_DR_Congo)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is continuing to spread. Several factors are causing this, one being the monster's cancellation of US public health aid.
US artificially keeping coal alive
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(US_artificially_keeping_coal_alive)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
*[The wrecker] spends billions to kill clean energy and keep coal alive.* I don't think increasing Americans' electric bills is his goal, nor increasing sickness from air pollution. Those are side effects that do not matter to him. The goal that seems…
EU against Meta
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(EU_against_Meta)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
* EU regulators have accused Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, of failing to tackle the risks of its "addictive design" on the physical and mental health of users.* This is a very important problem, and one of the reasons to refuse to use…
Global heating deadliness
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Global_heating_deadliness)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
Due to global heating, Texas prison cells meant to make prisoners suffer now can kill them. The deadliness of global heat is not limited to prisons, but overhot places outside prison where people live and work are generally overhot because no one wants to…
USDA
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(USDA)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
(satire) *USDA Fills Key Advisory Role With Prominent Chewing Skeptic.*
Record wildfires in Europe
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Record_wildfires_in_Europe)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
*Record wildfires in Europe show failure to [curb global heating] carries a mounting cost.*
Marijuana effectiveness
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#16_July_2026_(Marijuana_effectiveness)
Published: July 17, 2026 02:37
A study has found that marijuana is not an effective treatment for widespread mental-related medical problems such as anxiety and anorexia. Likewise for *psychotic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder or opioid use disorder.*
UK political donations
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#15_July_2026_(UK_political_donations)
Published: July 16, 2026 02:37
Calling on the UK to clean up its political donation system by limiting the donations from any individual to a political party to a fixed maximum per year. This new rule would be a step forward, but does the UK have anything comparable to PACs? If so, I…
Bullshitter power
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#15_July_2026_(Bullshitter_power)
Published: July 16, 2026 02:37
The bullshitter gets his power from demonstrating that he will violate all rules, norms, and standards of decency in the course of bullying. This gives him he power to sabotage any functioning system that depends on mutual trust and trustworthiness -- by…
Ecological grief
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#15_July_2026_(Ecological_grief)
Published: July 16, 2026 02:37
*We know how to mourn other humans – but what about ecological grief? In Iceland, people commemorated its first glacier formally declared lost to climate change. Western culture needs more of these rituals.*
NYC banning hidden junk fees
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#15_July_2026_(NYC_banning_hidden_junk_fees)
Published: July 16, 2026 02:37
Mamdani is working on a New York City rule aimed at banning hidden junk fees and at requiring that cancelling subscriptions be easy.
Iranian people hate regime
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#15_July_2026_(Iranian_people_hate_regime)
Published: July 16, 2026 02:37
People in Tehran talk about their relatives killed by the regime's bullies during the protests in January. They hate the regime with a passion.
Right-wing publicity
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#15_July_2026_(Right-wing_publicity)
Published: July 16, 2026 02:37
The leader of an Australian right-wing party is seeking publicity through an interview with a British right-wing nationalist. *Dr Imogen Richards, a criminology researcher at Deakin University, said announcing or appearing on podcasts with contentious…
Urgent: US citizens call Big Banks not harass
Published: July 15, 2026 08:37
US citizens: call on big banks not to harass non-citizens for the bully. Check this action See the instructions for how to sign this letter campaign without running any nonfree JavaScript code--not trivial, but not hard.
The Flamingo Revolution protest in Albania) The Guardian view on the flamingo revolution: Albanians are standing up for their rights, as well as for nature. And also against the prime minister's evident surrender to the corrupter — a bad sign about any politician. 13 July 2026 (Urgent: Block new Medicaid Work Requirements
Published: July 15, 2026 08:37
US citizens: call on your state attorney general to sue to block the persecutor's new Medicaid Work Requirements. If they go into effect, the complex paperwork would be an insuperable burden for many of the handicapped veterans, who would need to satisfy…
Urgent: Block new Medicaid Work Requirements
Published: July 13, 2026 20:37
US citizens: call on your state attorney general to sue to block the persecutor's new Medicaid Work Requirements. If they go into effect, the complex paperwork would be an insuperable burden for many of the handicaped veterans, who would need to satisfy…
Professor takes action on bullshit generator
Published: July 13, 2026 20:37
A Brown U professor suspected that many of the students that were taking his class had chosen it as an opportunity to use bullshit generators to cheat. So he announced that the final exam would be presential, and almost 1/3 of them gave up. You can view…
Urgent: Block "SAVE America" act
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Urgent:_Block_SAVE_America_act)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
US citizens: call on Congress to block the perverse "SAVE America" that would require voters to show up-to-date federal ID cards with their current addresses. Poor US citizens can't afford the fees to update them when they change address (which they are…
Urgent: Resolution to protect voting rights
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Us citizens: call on your congresscritter to support the resolution to protect voting rights. 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…
Urgent: Call on Schumer and Jeffries to lead climate defense
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
US citizens: call on Senator Schumer and Rep. Jeffries to be leaders for climate defense.
Urgent: Nationwide high-interest loan businesses
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
US citizens: call on the Federal Reserve to block obscure local banks from setting up nationwide high-interest loan businesses.
Snoop phones surveilling and tracking
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Snoop_phones_surveilling_and_tracking)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Snoop phones have lured people into surveilling and tracking their relatives, friends, even coworkers — with their consent, which it does not occur to them to refuse. Businesses and governments started the tracking, but the relatives and friends impose…
Completely politicizing justice department
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
*[The persecutor] has "succeeded in completely politicizing" justice department, experts say, using it to punish his enemies.*
Restricting abortions in name of religious freedom
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Right-wing Christians in the US are seeking ways to restrict abortions in the name of doctors' religious freedom. Will they stop with doctors? They could give every employee in the hospital the "right" to opt out of an abortion, especially one that was…
Tech bros argue surveillance makes you "be good"
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
A number of tech bros argue that total surveillance will make everyone "be good". The implicit assumption is that the people that can use the data to punish you are good, and will always and only punish bad acts. The reality of surveillance is…
Urgent: Support "AI for the people" act
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Urgent:_Support_AI_for_the_people_act)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
US citizens: call on your congresscritter and senators to support what is being called the "AI for the people" act, but to remove the marketing hype term "AI" from the bill. Here is what I wrote about the term "Artificial Intelligence" in the letter I…
Death caused by heat
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Death_caused_by_heat)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
*[The persecutor] will cause some of you to die from the heat.*
Britain's environmental protection laws
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Britain's environmental protection laws focus on limiting construction, including projects for decarbonization and protection of endangered species. The article argues for focusing endangered species protection spending on projects that will do a lot of…
Delayed manifestation of core democracy loss
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
The US lost the core of its democracy in the 1970s-80s. After that, inertia kept parts of the democratic system sort of working. What we are seeing now is the delayed manifestation of the full consequences of that loss.
LLMs can sometimes identify an anonymous person
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
LLMs can sometimes identify a person who posts anonymously by correlating details in the anonymous posts with details posted non-anonymously on other sites. Please don't assume that LLMs constitute "intelligence"!
Ford re-hired previously fired engineers
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Ford fired experienced engineers and replaced them with automation, which harmed the quality of production. The company was compelled to rehire many of the engineers. I wonder if Ford will fire them again if it gets the automation to work better.
Avenues for Billionaires and Corporations to buy elections
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
*[Plutocratist Supreme Court] Campaign Finance Ruling Opens New Avenues for Billionaires and Corporations to Buy Elections.*
Dolphins follow fishing boats looking for food
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Due to overfishing in the Adriatic Sea between Italy and the Balkans, dolphins must follow fishing boats hoping for scraps.
Businesses requiring workers to act like robots
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Businesses are increasingly requiring workers to act like robots under the control of the employer's software. Cory Doctorow calls this the "reverse centaur" metaphor, suggesting that the human becomes the legs of some combined organism, while the boss…
US heat wave caused by global heating
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(US_heat_wave_caused_by_global_heating)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
The just-ended US heat wave could never have happened before global heating.
America should offer asylum for the persecuted
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Robert Reich: America should offer asylum for the persecuted — not persecute those seeking asylum. He quotes a moving part of Zohran Mamdani's recent speech.
mRNA vaccines are effective and safe
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(mRNA_vaccines_are_effective_and_safe)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
After billions of doses given, records show that mRNA vaccines are effective and very safe.
Jobs created by data centers is insignificant
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Data centers can receive enormous tax breaks for "creating jobs", but they are so automated that the number of jobs is insignificant.
Low reading and math skills of current undergraduates
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
There is some evidence tying the low reading and math skills of current undergraduates to habitual use of LLMs.
Exposed weakness in US Constitution
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Exposed_weakness_in_US_Constitution)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
The corrupter has exposed a weakness in the US Constitution. Now that we have seen it, and how dangerous it is, we cannot un-see it.
Romanians convicted of stabbing Iranian journalist
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Two Romanians were convicted of stabbing an exiled Iranian dissident journalist in London. The suspicion is that the Iranian state recruited them, but they may not have known (or cared) who they were working for. If they did not know, that was no…
Pretend Intelligence systems twisting messages
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Pretend Intelligence systems *are twisting online messages on sensitive political topics about everything from abortion to climate change, in ways that could snowball to reshape long-term public opinion, experts have said.* One example: *[PI] drafting…
Australia investments increasing fossil fuel extraction
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Australia's big retirement funds have "invested" in increasing fossil fuel extraction, and even in coal. Some made a big fuss about divesting, then later quietly reversed the move.
Vance's attacks
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Vance's_attacks)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Vance is pursuing outrageous (and absurd) exaggerated attacks on everyone who is not a right wing extremist. Conjecture: this is intended to convince right-wing extremists that if he is elected president he will show as little respect for the truth as…
US west water shortage
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(US_west_water_shortage)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
The US west is approaching even closer to running out of water.
Federal violent arrest
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Federal_violent_arrest)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Federal thugs violently arrested protest activist "Doberman" (known by her communication handle), giving her to think that they may charge her with some sort of crime, then offered her $200k to spy on her fellow activists.
Pacific oil export
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Pacific_oil_export)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Canada has pledged money to compensate the local problems that the new Pacific oil export pipeline will cause. That added expense clears the way to build the pipeline and thus aggravate the far worse global problem of climate disaster.
Indian dowry murders
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Indian_dowry_murders)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Dowry murders in India have become more frequent, but arouse much less public anger. This may be due to Modi's repression of any political activity on behalf of people who are poor, weak, or exploited.
"Ratepayer Protection Act"
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Ratepayer_Protection_Act)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
The "Ratepayer Protection Act" is supposedly intended to prevent datacenters from driving up electric rates on ordinary people, but experts say it is too weak and too easily bypassed, and is a figleaf rather than a solution.
Israeli killing machine
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Israeli_killing_machine)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
An Israeli machine learning system recommended 1000 "targets" a day in Gaza and Lebanon, but they could only check some 50 per day to see if they were really HAMAS or Hezbollah combatants. Israel wanted to attack more than that, so skipped the checking…
Oil extraction
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Oil_extraction)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Nearly all the big oil companies are planning to "invest" in increasing the rate of extraction, although the executives cannot help but know that this is going to kill a large number of people. I suggest laws to define starting a new oil or gas well as…
Reading capability
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Reading_capability)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
14% of incoming US college freshmen were reading at 10-year-old grade level recently, according to an OECD study.
Corruption increasing
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Corruption_increasing)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
There have always been corrupt politicians, but today in some countries they can increasingly win popularity by flaunting it.
Homeless people in Cornwall
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Homeless_people_in_Cornwall)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
The shortage of housing in Cornwall has driven homeless people to live in trailers. Now the government is fining the farmers that allow homeless people to put trailers in their farms.
Suggestions for crucial changes
https://stallman.org/archives/2026-may-aug.html#10_July_2026_(Suggestions_for_crucial_changes)
Published: July 11, 2026 02:37
Robert Reich's suggestions for crucial changes in how the US government operates. I mostly agree with his suggestion, but I think that eliminating the electoral college should wait until we are sure that the rest of the electoral system is not vulnerable…