I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Friday, February 25, 2022

Linkee-poo Friday Feb 25

"Photos show the calamity as Russia invades Ukraine."

"Thousands of Ukrainians crossed into neighboring countries to the west in search of safety as Russia pounded their capital and other cities with airstrikes for a second day."

"According to Ukrainian authorities, Russian forces have seized the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in northern Ukraine, where the world’s worst nuclear disaster took place in 1986 — and where vast reserves of dangerous nuclear waste remain entombed."

"Russia should be cut off from the SWIFT bank-messaging system as a punishment for invading Ukraine, three countries in the eastern part of the European Union said on Thursday. Their call was echoed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is calling on the international community to help protect his country's sovereignty." That sanction would have real teeth to it.

"Punishing sanctions were never going to stop Russian missiles, tanks and bombs. But the Biden administration hopes they offer an early edge in the first showdown of a new and dangerous 21st century coda to the Cold War… Hours after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, the US drew battle lines for what is sure to be a bitter standoff with the Kremlin likely to last at least until President Joe Biden or Russian President Vladimir Putin leaves power."

"There were segments of Russian society, however, that were critical, and more than 1,000 people gathered in the center of Moscow Thursday evening, chanting 'No to war!' as passing cars honked their horns, according to The Associated Press… Protesters also took to the streets in several other cities, including St. Petersburg, all defying a warning from the Investigative Committee, a kind of Russian answer to the FBI, that they would face criminal action and even jail time."

"President Biden has selected Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his Supreme Court nominee to fill the seat left when Judge Stephen Breyer retires."? I'm now picturing Lyndsey Graham in golden armor, "Release the Racists!" Don't worry, racists, just like clowns, are already here.

"A tilted black hole spinning around a misaligned axis has been discovered in our galaxy, challenging theories of black hole formation… The black hole and its companion star form a system called MAXI J1820+070, which lies some 10,000 light-years away from Earth. The system was first spotted by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory in 2018. But recent optical observations by the Nordic Optical Telescope in the Canary Islands revealed that the black hole behaves in ways that defy astronomers' expectations."

"The bird flu cases are among the latest in the U.S. that have put farms that raise turkeys and chickens for meat and eggs on high alert, fearing a repeat of a 2015 bird flu outbreak that killed 50 million birds across 15 states and cost the federal government nearly $1 billion."

"Turns out, Hank the Tank wasn't on a one-bear crime spree — he had accomplices… And thanks to DNA evidence clearing his name, Hank won't be killed or moved to a sanctuary… According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, DNA samples show that at least two other bears have broken into area homes." Ocean's 11, but with bears.

"The Centers for Disease Control is set to 'significantly' ease mask-wearing guidelines put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to published reports. The change means most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings."

"In 2016, thieves pulled off one of the biggest bank heists in history without even cracking a safe. A hacking team known as "The Lazarus Group" tried to steal nearly a billion dollars from the Bank of Bangladesh by exploiting the SWIFT network. SWIFT is the encrypted messaging system that over 11,000 banks in more than 200 countries use to move trillions of dollars every week." The Planet Money podcast with a story about SWIFT and how modern heists could be performed. Burning Chrome.

"Florida's House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that would prohibit 'classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity' in the state’s primary schools."

"Florida's House of Representatives passed a controversial bill on Thursday limiting when and how teachers and school staff can discuss gender and sexual orientation in the classroom… Opponents – many of whom have taken to calling the measure the 'Don't Say Gay' bill – say it will make life harder for LGBTQ youth, who already face a higher rate of bullying and a higher risk of suicide than their straight, cisgender peers." But then there is this part… 'It would also guarantee parents access to their children's education and health records and require that schools notify parents "if there is a change in the student's services or monitoring related to the student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being and the school's ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for the student.'" Dear parents, because of the intransigence and culture war conducted by your state and national representatives, your child is at risk from harm when it comes to the prevalence of high-powered firearms in the community and the easy access you've granted your children.

"According to PEN America, a nonprofit that advocates for freedom of expression, 39 states have introduced over 160 bills in the past year limiting what schools can teach about race, politics, American history, sexual orientation and gender identity. For some educators in those states, that's made teaching about Black History Month especially fraught."

"The Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 would help shore up post office finances by ending the unusual and onerous legal requirement to fund 75 years of retirement health benefits in advance. In return, it would require future Postal Service retirees to enroll in Medicare." Well, you know, we could also end the caps on income for payment of Medicare/Medicaid benefits.

"Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., attacked Biden on Thursday, telling reporters that the deadly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan last year had been 'an invitation to the autocrats of the world that maybe this was a good time to make a move,' as WFPL's Ryan Van Velzer reported." Well thank the gods Biden hasn't worn a tan suite or we might be in WWIII by now. But mostly this is to try and distract from Republican complicity with Trump which has emboldened Putin to take these actions before Biden could repair all the damage Trump did internationally.

"The conflict in Ukraine and backpedaling were the main themes of Tucker Carlson’s show Thursday after the Fox News host was slammed for defending Russian President Vladimir Putin, and dragging U.S. President Joe Biden, in the lead-up to Russia's invasion of the Eastern European nation." Eating crow.

"The latest blow to the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 came this week in Arkansas, where a federal judge appointed by former President Donald Trump dismissed a case over new statehouse maps. The NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union argued that the maps diluted the power of Black voters. But the judge said he found no way for the outside advocates to proceed… 'Only the Attorney General of the United States can bring a case like this one,' wrote Judge Lee Rudofsky… The ACLU said the decision flouts decades of precedent and vowed to appeal."

No comments: