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Daily political notes about what is happening in the world.
Site URL: stallman.org/archives/polnotes.html
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Posts: 92
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Urgent: Make Billionaires pay
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#31_August_2025_(Urgent:_Make_Billionaires_pay)
Published: September 1, 2025 08:39
Protest on Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 1). Protest again on Sept. 20 (Saturday). These are nation-wide protests to demand we make billionaires pay for the damage and harm they are doing with help from the repressive government.
Urgent: Overly hasty mining projects
Published: September 1, 2025 08:39
US citizens: call for stopping fast-tracked mining projects that threaten wildlife.
Urgent: Stop price gouging
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#31_August_2025_(Urgent:_Stop_price_gouging)
Published: September 1, 2025 08:39
US citizens: Become a grassroots co-sponsor of the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act.
Urgent: Military takeover of D.C.
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#31_August_2025_(Urgent:_Military_takeover_of_D.C.)
Published: September 1, 2025 08:39
US citizens: call on Congress to stop the persecutor's military takeover of Washington D.C. If you phone, please spread the word! Main Switchboard: +1-202-224-3121
Urgent: Stop global heating denial
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#31_August_2025_(Urgent:_Stop_global_heating_denial)
Published: September 1, 2025 08:39
US citizens: Stop the wrecker's plan to burn up NASA's climate watchdogs.
Urgent: HUD translation services
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#31_August_2025_(Urgent:_HUD_translation_services_)
Published: September 1, 2025 08:39
US citizens: call on HUD to continue offering translation services to people in their official requests and transactions. Here's how to make the actionnetwork.org letter campaign linked above work without running the site's nonfree JavaScript code. (See …
Alberta book bans
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#30_August_2025_(alberta_book_ban_canada)
Published: August 31, 2025 02:39
Right-wing movements in parts of Canada are imposing restrictions on schools and libraries to keep children ignorant about many aspects of sex. Among the books to be banned is 1984
beaver burrowing concern
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#30_August_2025_(beaver_concerns_netherlands_dyke)
Published: August 31, 2025 02:39
Breed beavers intelligent enough to understand why they should not mess with a dyke?
Trump’s militarization of the DC police
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#30_August_2025_(jan_6_trump_chicago_military)
Published: August 31, 2025 02:39
The wrecker may be planning to send soldiers into US cities on election day in 2026, to ensure that his urban supporters find it hard to vote. This would go with his order for states to eliminate voting by mail. Eliminating that would make it harder for…
Whitehouse fund withholding over gender idealogy
Published: August 31, 2025 02:39
The bully demands states delete mention of trans people from their sex education curricula, or he will deny them the funds for sex education. Republican-ruled states will rush to obey, and I see no way of stopping them. But what about state governments…
Trump's national guard DC beautification
Published: August 31, 2025 02:39
National guard troops sent to Washington DC are being used for cruelty against US citizens (homeless ones) as well as non-citizens.
FEMA staff on leave after Trump critique
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#30_August_2025_(trump_fema)
Published: August 31, 2025 02:39
Greg Palast writes about helping to rescue people from the wreckage caused by Hurricane Katrina. FEMA was debilitated at the time because Dubya and the Republicans did not treat it as a priority. FEMA employees recently published an open letter…
US border agents detaining firefighters
Published: August 31, 2025 02:39
The deportation thugs arrested firemen for deportation from the site where they were fighting the largest wildfire in Washington State.
Controversial migration amendment
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#30_August_2025_(australia_due_process_law_cruelty)
Published: August 31, 2025 02:39
Australia is trying to abolish it's counterpart of the US concept of "due process of law", as regards deportation. Australia has a long history of flat-out cruelty to people who are looking for asylum.
Trump's surveillance tech
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#30_August_2025_(trump_surveillance_students)
Published: August 31, 2025 02:39
*How Student Protesters and Immigrants Became Targets of Trump’s Surveillance Tech.*
CDC officials resign in protest
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#30_August_2025_(cdc_rally_staffers_protest_monarez)
Published: August 31, 2025 02:39
The CDC is in chaos after being attacked by crazed, corrupt Republican officials. They tried to fire the newly confirmed head of the CDC, Susan Monarez, but she says they lack the authority to do so — that only the saboteur in chief can do it. Apparently…
New generation of Democrats unhappy with political establishment
Published: August 29, 2025 08:39
* A new generation of Democrats is deeply unhappy with the entrenched political establishment. So they’re going to try to take it over.* I support this movement. Instead of the DCCC, which supports plutocratist Democrats, I…
Flunky in charge of Federal Housing Finance Agency
Published: August 29, 2025 08:39
The flunky that the bully put in charge of the Federal Housing Finance Agency is using his power to threaten opposition officials with charges of crimes. It is not absolutely impossible that the charges are valid. But when someone makes false…
Most intense heatwave on record
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#28_August_2025_(Most_intense_heatwave_on_record)
Published: August 29, 2025 08:39
*Heatwave that fueled deadly wildfires was Spain's "most intense on record."*
PFAS levels in blood of women that had miscarriages
Published: August 29, 2025 08:39
* Research tracking about 200 women found those who had at least two miscarriages had higher levels of [PFAS] in their blood.* I have mixed feelings about this effect. On the one hand, I don't wish a miscarriage on anyone. On the other, this is a bad…
English boy whose memoir inspired Oliver Twist
Published: August 29, 2025 08:39
On the 19th century poor but capable English boy whose childhood memoir inspired Oliver Twist.
Egyptian officials in New York beat two Gaza protesters
Published: August 29, 2025 08:39
*Egyptian Officials in New York Beat Two Gaza Protesters on Video. The NYPD Arrested the Protesters.* I suppose the Egyptian thugs have diplomatic immunity, so the NYC thugs could not have arrested them. The way the system is supposed to work is that…
Equality feels like oppression to those accustomed to privilege
Published: August 29, 2025 08:39
Nick Clegg, British former "centrist" politician, afterward worked for Facebook. He reports a general attitude of self-pity among the rich executives. "It is a cultural thing, through from Elon Musk's chainsaw-wielding stuff to any Silicon Valley…
Bully backtracked on freezing billions in education funding
Published: August 29, 2025 08:39
The bully had to backtrack from freezing billions in education funding to various states that responded by suing.
Parents in DC scared to bring children to school
Published: August 29, 2025 08:39
Some parents in Washington DC are scared to bring their children to school, scared that the deportation thugs will use it as an opportunity to seize them to deport them, Teachers say the school department has given them no help or guidance. I walked…
Global heating effects on international tourism
Published: August 29, 2025 08:39
Global heating effects are starting to interfere with mass international tourism, which is a substantial contributor to global heating.
Ukraine war is about democracy
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#27_August_2025_(Ukraine_war_is_about_democracy)
Published: August 27, 2025 20:40
*[The bully] needs to understand what the war in Ukraine is really about. It's not about NATO or the Soviet Union. It’s about democracy.* I think the bully already understands that, but he wants to do away with democracy.
Urgent: Costco pharmacy mifepristone
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#26_August_2025_(Costco_pharmacy_mifepristone)
Published: August 27, 2025 08:40
US citizens: tell Costco’s Board of Directors and CEO Ron Vachris: Don’t cave to extremists. Allow your pharmacies to carry mifepristone nationwide now. Here's how to make the actionnetwork.org letter campaign linked above work without running the site's…
Urgent: Abortion care for veterans
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#26_August_2025_(Urgent:_Abortion_care_for_veterans)
Published: August 27, 2025 08:40
US citizens: call on Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins to protect access to abortion care for all veterans.
Urgent: Stop AIPAC money
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#26_August_2025_(Urgent:_Stop_AIPAC_money)
Published: August 27, 2025 08:39
US citizens: call on politicians to stop taking AIPAC money: demand your representatives reject AIPAC's right-wing billionaire brand of politics.
ICE's surveillance on wiretransfers
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#25_August_2025_(ice_immigrants_wire_transfers)
Published: August 26, 2025 08:39
The US is tracking financial payments to find people to deport. The deportation thugs could do this with bank card payments, too. (The bully's henchmen can disregard and flatten privacy laws.) The targets do not have to be limited to people who entered…
Danish zoo controversy
Published: August 26, 2025 08:39
*Danish zoo asks pet owners to donate rabbits and horses (that need to be euthanized) to feed its predators.* Many predators can't eat much of anything except meat. Normally they eat the meat of animals that were raised only for that. It is less…
Detention of Mario Guevara
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#25_August_2025_(ACLU_mario_guevara)
Published: August 26, 2025 08:39
The ACLU accuses the US of keeping reported Mario Guevara in jail to silence him.
Renewable energy needs reduced by 2050
Published: August 26, 2025 08:39
Proposing solar power satellites again. In the 1980s, I was part of the L-5 Sociey, which campaigned for solar power satellites. It is too bad they were not built.
26 Countries demand press access to Gaza
Published: August 26, 2025 08:39
27 countries, including UK, Germany and Australia, demanded that Israel open Gaza to foreign journalists. That is a start, but to make Israel do that, they will need to put pressure on.
UK Lawyers for Israel accused
Published: August 26, 2025 08:39
*UK Lawyers for Israel accused of sending "vexatious and legally baseless" letters to silence support for Palestine.*
Anti-immigrant dragnet
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#25_August_2025_(incommunicado_in_secret)
Published: August 26, 2025 08:39
Ecuadorian asylum seekers, rejected, were deported — after being held incommunicado in a secret location until the flight.
Sanders and Greene urge US to end Gaza famine
Published: August 26, 2025 08:39
*Marjorie Taylor Greene joins Bernie Sanders in urging US to end Gaza famine.* This is an amazing surprise. If Greene pushes for this alongside Sanders, it could make a big difference to the chance of convincing the persecutor. Alas, on the even more…
Light pollution concerns
Published: August 26, 2025 08:39
*Light pollution causes urban birds to stay awake for a longer part of each day, study finds.*
Fears on streets of Belfast
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#25_August_2025_(vigilantes_and_race_hate_belfest)
Published: August 26, 2025 08:39
Gangs of violent racists in Belfast have switched from violent harassment of women to violent harassment of nonwhites. Racists are also ganging up to harass and threaten asylum seekers in London.
Refugeeism in the UK
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#24_August_2025_(Refugeeism_in_the_UK)
Published: August 24, 2025 20:40
*Far-right anger over asylum hotels is destroying the very idea of refuge — and that's probably the goal.*
Urgent: Military as "liberators" for US
Published: August 24, 2025 20:40
US citizens: call on your state attorney general to keep the military off America's streets.
Urgent: BLS nominee unqualified
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#24_August_2025_(Urgent:_BLS_nominee_unqualified)
Published: August 24, 2025 20:40
US citizens: call on the Senate to reject the bully's nominee to take charge of wrecking the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Urgent: US report denies climate crisis
Published: August 24, 2025 14:39
US citizens: Stand with scientists against the new denialist US climate report.
Prime minister of Spain connecting current fires with global heating
Published: August 23, 2025 08:39
Sánchez, prime minister of Spain, is connecting the current wave of fires with global heating. That is better than most governments dare do, but it is not sufficient. Fires, floods, diseases and crop failures are symptoms of global heating. To focus…
US Secretary of Interior denounced renewable energy
Published: August 23, 2025 08:39
At a conference on so-called "artificial intelligence", the wrecker's Secretary of the Interior denounced renewable energy and lauded "incredibly clean" coal-fired electric generators. The president of Google responded by cheering.
(satire) Trump rushed to watch breast exam
Published: August 23, 2025 08:39
(satire) *Trump Rushed To Walter Reed To Watch Breast Exam.*
Violence against US health agency workers
Published: August 23, 2025 08:39
*US health agency workers accuse RFK Jr of fueling violence against them.* Rhetoric of violent hatred tends to encourage a fraction of the public to hate the target. A fraction of them will go to the point of harassment. A fraction of them will commit…
The end-Permian great extinction
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#22_August_2025_(The_end-Permian_great_extinction)
Published: August 23, 2025 08:39
The end-Permian great extinction wiped out nearly all life on Earth, after 300,000 years of super volcanoes had caused great but lesser disaster, when hot magma set huge underground fossil fuel deposits on fire. The resulting CO2 is what caused almost…
Medical subcontractors in privatized prisons
Published: August 23, 2025 08:39
Privatized prisons' subcontracted medical subcontractors make extra money by not doing actual medical treatment — It's cheaper to make excuses. But some of them were sued and lost. Whoever runs the prison should be 100% responsible for the quality of…
Federal court blocks law requiring ten commandments in classrooms
Published: August 23, 2025 08:39
*Federal Court Blocks Texas Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Every Public School Classroom.* A few years ago, this would have been so predictable as to attract little news coverage. That it merits news reports is a measure of how far Christian…
Wildfire particulates danger update
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#21_August_2025_(Wildfire_particulates_danger_update)
Published: August 22, 2025 14:39
*Wildfire smoke [is 14 times] more dangerous to health than [was] thought.*
Urgent: Investigate and shut down abusive deportation prisons
Published: August 22, 2025 02:39
US citizens: call on Congress to investigate and shut down abusive deportation prisons. If you phone, please spread the word! Main Switchboard: +1-202-224-3121
Urgent: Protect access to abortion and contraception
Published: August 22, 2025 02:39
US citizens: Protect access to abortion and contraception.
Capuchin monkeys keeping pets
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#21_August_2025_(Capuchin_monkeys_keeping_pets)
Published: August 22, 2025 02:39
In one band of capuchin monkeys, some males seize baby howler monkeys and carry them around, almost as pets. Alas, they have not come up with a way to keep the howler babies alive — for instance, food that can replace their mothers' milk. This leads me…
Urgent: Limit broadcast channels one owner can own
Published: August 22, 2025 02:39
US citizens: call on the FCC to preserve the limits on how many broadcast channels one owner can own.
Press lawsuit against DHS
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#21_August_2025_(Press_lawsuit_against_DHS)
Published: August 22, 2025 02:39
*Press Lawsuit Against DHS Reveals Pattern of Excessive Force Against Journalists.* Especially by the deportation thugs.
Google search output
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#21_August_2025_(Google_search_output)
Published: August 22, 2025 02:39
Google Search output now starts with summaries produced by a bullshit generator. Sometimes that directs people to a scammer instead of the business the user is searching for.
Privatizing the development of emergency evacuation plans
Published: August 22, 2025 02:39
Greg Palast: Dubya fed the disaster of Hurricane Katrina by privatizing the development of emergency evacuation plans. As often happens, the contractors increased their profit by skimping on the job. The saboteur in chief is simply following the…
Court case of Mata Velasquez
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#21_August_2025_(Court_case_of_Mata_Velasquez)
Published: August 22, 2025 02:39
Judge Lawrence Vilardo: *Mata Velasquez followed all the rules. On the other hand, the government changed the rules by fiat, applied them retroactively, and pulled the rug out from under Mata Velasquez and many like him who tried to do things the right…
US generals V. US population, via pawns
Published: August 21, 2025 14:39
The wrecker's assault on democracy is moving, step by step, to establish the US army as a system for brutal political repression of the whole population. He has already prepared the highest ranks for this. I think it follows that Americans should refuse…
New pun
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#21_August_2025_(New_pun)
Published: August 21, 2025 14:39
What's the nastiest thing in the church?
Newspaper retaliation by US attorney, NY
Published: August 21, 2025 14:39
The acting US attorney for the Northern District of New York listed an apparently false residence address so as to appear eligible for the position. A newspaper reported on this, and he retaliated against that newspaper. This is not just a one-off. Such…
More retribution, purging of officials
Published: August 21, 2025 14:39
Gabbard has purged the US intelligence officials who investigated Russian interference with the 2016 election. They are being punished for the offense of being loyal to their country rather to the bullshitter. This wrong serves two practical purpose. …
New pun: Cameos
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#21_August_2025_(New_pun:_Cameos)
Published: August 21, 2025 14:39
Q: What do you call a famous person's brief appearance which is so quick and disguised that nobody notices it? Q: What do you call deleting a star's appearances from a recording? See cameos in puns.
Urgent: Get dark money out of Democratic primaries
Published: August 21, 2025 02:40
US citizens: call on the DNC to get dark money out of Democratic primaries.
What prohibition of abortion facilitates
Published: August 21, 2025 02:40
Prohibition of abortion facilitates and protects rape, coercive sexual relationships, and abusive relationships. And this may be exactly what fanatical Christians want.
Conversing with a chatbot
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#20_August_2025_(Conversing_with_a_chatbot)
Published: August 21, 2025 02:40
A human writes about how conversing with a chatbot was useful therapy for him, partly because he knew it did not have emotions. Remembering that was helped by the fact that it never made statements which seemed to claim it had real emotions. It is not…
Testimony by retired Lt. Colonel of inhumanity of system in Gaza
Published: August 21, 2025 02:40
Tony Aguilar, Lt. Colonel (ret), signed up to work for the Israeli "humanitarian" food distribution in Gaza. He testifies to the inhumanity of the system, and the killings of individual Palestinians, both of which he witnessed personally. During the…
AMLO lifted 10% of population out of poverty
Published: August 21, 2025 02:40
AMLO, while president of Mexico, lifted 10% of the population out of poverty with a big raise in the minimum wage.
Line 3 pipeline protester conviction overturned
Published: August 21, 2025 02:40
Protester Mylene Vialard was convicted of resisting the Line 3 pipeline. The Minnesota appeals court has now overturned that verdict based on pervasive prosecutorial misconduct. This means Vialard might get a new trial. Or the state can drop the…
Bully dissuading or preventing foreign students
Published: August 21, 2025 02:40
The bully is doing several things that can dissuade or prevent foreign students from attending US universities. This is not just a way of hurting foreigners and reducing their numbers. It is also a way of damaging universities — by reducing their…
Doubling cops not effective way to reduce crime
Published: August 21, 2025 02:40
Having cops respond to crimes is necessary, but doubling the cops is not the effective way to reduce crime.
Corrupter's list of "loyal" companies
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#20_August_2025_(Corrupter's_list_of_loyal_companies)
Published: August 21, 2025 02:40
The corrupter has established a list of "loyal" companies so make the selling of influence more systematic. I hope they publish the list, so that we can use it to find the full list of toadies.
(satire) Stipend for migrants to self-destruct
Published: August 21, 2025 02:40
(satire) *DHS Offers $1,000 Stipend To Migrants Who Voluntarily Self-Destruct.*
(satire) Best city to start family with Boss
Published: August 21, 2025 02:40
(satire) *Starbase Named Best City to Start Family with Boss
High office propaganda deceives US
Published: August 20, 2025 11:03
A clear example of the right-wing method to manipulate idiots: to firm up their rejection of the facts, blatantly deny those facts.
(Satire) Vance remembers himself
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#19_August_2025_((Satire)_Vance_remembers_himself)
Published: August 20, 2025 11:03
(satire) *JD Vance Booed By Own Reflection In Mirror.*
When Muskrat censored US IT breach
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#19_August_2025_(When_Muskrat_censored_US_IT_breach)
Published: August 20, 2025 11:03
Musk had ex-Twitter censor, and then ban, a journalist who published embarrassing leaked material about Vance.
National firefighting roles unfilled, US
Published: August 20, 2025 11:03
The wrecker's cuts to the US Forest Service budget are interfering with its response to this summer's fires. The damage done by the Muskrat's poisonous DOSE are hurting too.
NHS paperwork sees LLM jobs, UK
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#19_August_2025_(NHS_paperwork_sees_LLM_jobs,_UK)
Published: August 20, 2025 11:03
The British National Health Service is about to start using a so-called "AI tool" to fill out paperwork about patients, reporting whether they are well enough to leave the hospital. The aim is to save the time of doctors and speed the discharge of…
Eyes for an eye, Israeli general
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#19_August_2025_(Eyes_for_an_eye,_Israeli_general)
Published: August 20, 2025 11:03
General Haliva, former head of Israel's military intelligence, said that HAMAS's killing of 1200 Israelis on Oct 7 justifies killing 50 times that number of Palestinian noncombatants, simply as retribution. The idea of punishing a war crime by committing…
Cutting research funds for RNA vaccines
Published: August 20, 2025 08:39
The magat head of the NIH justifies cutting research funds for RNA vaccines based on a lack of "public trust" in them. There is a lack of public trust, which antivaxxers have labored for years to create. However, he presumes it is due to a supposed…
Casting Palestinian journalist as HAMAS soldier
Published: August 20, 2025 08:39
A special unit in Israel's military intelligence looks for anything it can use to cast some Palestinian journalist or other as a HAMAS soldier, as a prepared excuse for killing him.
Categorizing the species of fungi linking various forests
Published: August 20, 2025 08:39
Scientists are categorizing the species of fungi that link the trees in various surviving forests with a view to helping to reestablish long-lost forests. I hope the UK does not prosecute the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks for…
Rewriting history of Indonesia
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#19_August_2025_(Rewriting_history_of_Indonesia)
Published: August 20, 2025 08:39
The current president of Indonesia, son of the murderous, authoritarian former ruler General Suharto, is running a secret government plan to rewrite the history of Indonesia. Will the bullshitter try to do this to US history?
Tracking people with cameras
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#19_August_2025_(Tracking_people_with_cameras)
Published: August 20, 2025 08:39
A new method of tracking people with video cameras could make a database of photos unnecessary. With enough cameras, it could track people everywhere all the time. We need to regulate this, lest it usher in pervasive repression such as found in China.
Idealizing leaders just for being women
Published: August 20, 2025 08:39
*The careers of Sturgeon, Merkel and Ardern show how foolish it is to idealize leaders just for being women.* I don't even think of judging a candidate by per gender. What difference would that make? The mold I want politicians to break is the one that…
US schools pushing students to interact with bullshit generators
Published: August 20, 2025 08:39
US schools are rapidly pushing students to interact with bullshit generators. Here are some kinds of harm it does. Please don't call them "AI" — that is a marketing hype campaign.
Teenage Hong Kong dissident face life with bounty
Published: August 20, 2025 08:39
Teenage Hong Kong dissident Chloe Cheung, now age 20 and living in the UK, faces life with a Chinese bounty on her and pressure on any other country she might visit. The only rational response to such a situation is to cause as much trouble as you can…
If you fall in love with an online service
Published: August 20, 2025 08:39
If you fall in love with an online service, you may find that a change in the software running the service makes your lover less appealing.
Investigate Stephen Miller
https://stallman.org/archives/2025-may-aug.html#19_August_2025_(Investigate_Stephen_Miller)
Published: August 20, 2025 08:39
US citizens: call on Congress to investigate Stephen Miller.