Linkee-poo Monday Oct 28th

Lots of older articles. Sorry, but the distractions continue unabated. I'm working on it.

Older, but I don't think I've posted this yet… "Like many people I've long been a big fan of Neil Gaiman's stories, starting with The Sandman and going onward through Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and other works. And like many Gaiman fans, I've been horrified by the recent revelations from five women that he allegedly sexually assaulted or abused them."

"Well, Cairns absolutely kept the receipts, which she has now released in a detailed report that reveals the previously unnamed author to be Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki… Most people in the genre know Ekpeki, who is the first African-born Black author to win a Nebula Award and who has also won a number of other awards along with being a finalist multiple times for the Hugo Award. The first nine pages of Cairns’ report offers a summary of what happened between the two of them, followed by 68 more pages containing all the screenshotted evidence from their conversations."

"'We’re seeing cracks in the resilience of the Earth’s systems. We’re seeing massive cracks on land – terrestrial ecosystems are losing their carbon store and carbon uptake capacity, but the oceans are also showing signs of instability,' Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told an event at New York Climate Week in September." The thing about buffers is they work great, right up until they're saturated. And to reiterate the article, nobody factored in a net zero absorption from the planet's surface (land and sea).

"Shares of 23andMe are now worth pennies. The company’s valuation has plummeted 99% from its $6 billion peak shortly after the company went public in 2021… As 23andMe struggles for survival, customers like Wiles have one pressing question: What is the company’s plan for all the data it has collected since it was founded in 2006?"

"The Pentagon has announced that more than 800 veterans who were thrown out of the US military over their sexual orientation will receive honourable discharges… Under a policy known as 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' that was in effect from 1994 to 2011, thousands of openly gay, lesbian and bisexual service members were separated from the military… Many were given less-than-honourable discharges, which blocked them from receiving veteran benefits such as healthcare, student loans and tuition assistance."

"California’s $20-an-hour minimum wage for larger fast food chains has not led to overall job losses… The new wage floor, the highest in the U.S., went into effect on April 1… The study found that hundreds of thousands of fast-food workers saw their hourly pay rise by an average of 18%, yet the wage hike did not reduce employment, as industry groups had warned. Menu prices grew by about 15 cents on a $4 hamburger." You mean business leaders lied to us? Shocked, shocked I am…

"At a rally here this month, machinists union vice president Gary Allen addressed a hall full of striking Boeing workers… 'When I'm out on the picket line, I ask everybody, what is the strike about to you?,' he said… Allen didn’t even have a chance to answer his own question before the machinists in the room interrupted… 'Pension! Pension! Pension!,' they chanted."

"Private equity firms are using US public sector workers’ retirement savings to fund fossil fuel projects pumping more than a billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere every year, according to an analysis." Well, yes. For a long time these were considered "solid" investments with good returns. But to continue to do so is a flaw of investment analysis and just blind ignorance of markets.

"This is one of several disturbing accounts that came to light in previously-redacted portions of a lawsuit reviewed last week by NPR and Kentucky Public Radio. Even more troubling was that TikTok executives were acutely aware of the potential harm the app can cause teens, but appeared unconcerned… The information came after a more than two-year investigation into TikTok by 14 attorneys general that led to state officials suing the company on Tuesday… Here are a few more of the most serious, and previously unreported, allegations against TikTok, the wildly popular app that is used by around 170 million people in the U.S."

"Standing in front of the classroom at Espoo Adult Education Centre, Jussi Toivanen worked his way through his PowerPoint presentation. A slide titled “Have you been hit by the Russian troll army?” included a checklist of methods used to deceive readers on social media: image and video manipulations, half-truths, intimidation and false profiles… The course is part of an anti-fake news initiative launched by Finland’s government in 2014 – two years before Russia meddled in the US elections – aimed at teaching residents, students, journalists and politicians how to counter false information designed to sow division."

"Bids opened (earlier this month) for a contract to supply the state (Oklahoma) Department of Education with 55,000 Bibles. According to the bid documents, vendors must meet certain specifications… A salesperson at Mardel Christian & Education searched, and though they carry 2,900 Bibles, none fit the parameters… But one Bible fits perfectly: Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the U.S.A. Bible, endorsed by former President Donald Trump and commonly referred to as the Trump Bible. They cost $60 each online, with Trump receiving fees for his endorsement." I know, weird isn't it.

"A local elections official who became a hero to election deniers was sentenced to nine years in prison on Thursday for leading a voting system data-breach scheme inspired by the rampant false claims that fraud altered the 2020 presidential outcome."

"In a newly unsealed court filing, special counsel Jack Smith provides the most detailed picture yet of his criminal case against Donald Trump for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election and why the former president isn't immune from prosecution."

"A 64-year-old white man in Springfield, Ohio, was accused of illegally hunting geese at a golf course pond as former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, were spreading racist lies that Haitian immigrants in the area were eating geese and people’s pets."

"We know that many in our communities are resistant to vote for Kamala Harris because of the Biden administration’s complicity in the genocide. We understand this sentiment. Many of us have felt that way ourselves, even until very recently… As we consider the full situation carefully, however, we conclude that voting for Kamala Harris is the best option for the Palestinian cause and all of our communities. We know that some will strongly disagree. We only ask that you consider our case with an open mind and heart, respecting that we are doing what we believe is right in an awful situation where only flawed choices are available."

"Donald Trump put on a rally in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday to kick off the final full week of campaigning for president, complete with celebrity guests and a new economic proposal. But repeated insults and at times racist and misogynistic remarks from guest speakers threatened to grab the most attention."

"One thing I hadn’t fully grasped or perhaps had forgotten is that Turning Point USA and its chieftain Charlie Kirk had a big role in pushing for the ouster of Ronna McDaniel at the RNC. And the push seems to have been in significant measure about wanting to take over or play a bigger role in GOP field operations. So a substantial amount of the impetus for all of this appears to have originated with Turning Point and its campaign arm, Turning Point Action." It's grifts all the way down.

"An arrest has reportedly been made after a Phoenix United States Postal Service mailbox was believed to have been set on fire overnight, damaging a number of mailed-in ballots."

"KATU was on the scene at Fisher's Landing Transit Center in Vancouver early Monday morning, where heavy smoke was seen coming from inside a dropoff ballot box."

"Colorado officials say at least 12 mailed ballots were stolen in a rural county and then sent in with fraudulent votes. The secretary of state says the issue was discovered during the signature verification process, and eight ballots were stopped at that point. Three slipped past county election officials and were counted in next month's general election. A fourth ballot that passed signature verification was caught because someone who had not voted received a notification that their ballot had been accepted. The fraudulent voting occurred in the same county where former elections clerk Tina Peters was recently sentenced to prison for a data breach scheme spawned from false claims about voter machine fraud in the 2020 election."

"Russian actors were behind a widely circulated video falsely depicting mail-in ballots for Donald Trump being destroyed in Pennsylvania, U.S. officials confirmed on Friday."

"A criminal investigation is underway in the crucial presidential battleground of Pennsylvania after election workers in one county flagged about 2,500 voter registration forms for potential fraud. Two other counties were alerted to look for similar problems… The forms arrived at the Lancaster County elections office shortly before the state’s deadline to register this past Monday and were apparently part of a larger effort to sign people up, officials said Friday. Some had false names, suspicious handwriting, questionable signatures, incorrect addresses or other problematic details." While all the news stories refrain from mentioning any political bent to this, there is one well known voter registration initiative in Lancaster County, "Elon Musk held a town hall in Lancaster Saturday evening, awarding another petition signer with a million-dollar check."

Linkee-poo Oct 1

Dame Maggie Smith and Kris Kristofferson, and so it goes.

"(Helene) Live Updates: 40 fatalities confirmed in Western North Carolina; FEMA arrives in AVL." Note that the conservatives mostly did not vote for the CR that included bumping up FEMA's funds.

"In the next two weeks, a recently discovered comet will almost certainly become bright enough to see without optical aid; just your eyes and a dark site will suffice. It might even briefly brighten so much that you’ll be able to see it during the day… Or it might not. Comets are irritating that way."

"A 25-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes started producing her own insulin less than three months after receiving a transplant of reprogrammed stem cells1. She is the first person with the disease to be treated using cells that were extracted from her own body."

"On Monday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman outlined his vision for an AI-driven future of tech progress and global prosperity in a new personal blog post titled "The Intelligence Age." The essay paints a picture of human advancement accelerated by AI, with Altman suggesting that superintelligent AI could emerge within the next decade." I remember them saying the same thing when LISP was all the rage… back in the early 90s. Sam's just shaking the money tree here.

"The Guardian reports that the actual emissions made by data centers owned by AI leaders including Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Apple, are about 662 percent higher than what they've officially reported." They must have had AI write the original report.

"However, funding for cutting-edge energy projects like the one in Utah could dry up if Donald Trump is reelected. During Trump’s first term, his administration tried to strip funding from the Loan Programs Office. The agency survived, but lending slowed dramatically. Conservative activists are still pushing to eliminate the office, saying in a policy agenda called Project 2025 that the government shouldn’t back 'risky business ventures or politically preferred commercial enterprises.'"

Your government giving you free COVID tests through the mail. Again.

"South Korea’s government, Western countries and adoption agencies worked in tandem to supply some 200,000 Korean children to parents overseas, despite years of evidence they were being procured through questionable or downright unscrupulous means, an investigation led by The Associated Press found. Those children grew up and searched for their roots — and some realized they are not who they were told."

"Three Mile Island, the power plant near Middletown, Pa., that was the scene of the worst commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history, will reopen to power Microsoft's data centers, which are responsible for powering the tech giant's cloud computing and artificial intelligence programs."

"Tupperware, the brand synonymous with food storage in American homes, has filed for bankruptcy after years of struggling with its business model and debt." Dear TW, we've been trying to get replacement lids for 8 years now. Your current sales model sucks doing the very thing you based your brand on.

"Finally, Dr Newman debunked the popular idea of ‘Blue Zones’ as regions of exceptional longevity and healthy lifestyles. Many, if not most of the centenarians in the ‘Blue Zone’ have turned out to be alive in the government records but were deceased in reality. Using extensive government data and surveys, Dr Newman showed that most of the dietary and lifestyle claims behind the so-called ‘Blue Zone’ regions of high longevity are not supported by any independent data."

"One specific allegation of pricing overreach came to light in an ongoing court hearing that disclosed an email by a Kroger executive. In March, he wrote that the supermarket chain's milk and egg prices were 'significantly higher' than was necessary to account for inflation. Kroger later said the email was 'cherry-picked' from "a specific period" that didn't reflect its pricing approach." The article, while discounting "gouging" as a reason for inflation, does show some statistics on the profit margins of these companies. Tell me how 25%-50% margin is "razor thin." And then there… "The Biden administration has been eager to blame corporate greed. But even a report that the White House put out this year acknowledged that store markups don't fully explain food inflation." This is like the modern take on fact checking where they like to nitpick that "the increase was only 20%, not the 25% this person claimed, so we rate this a pants on fire."

"CarMax partner Exeter Finance makes high-interest loans to people with troubled financial histories. It allows borrowers to skip payments but often adds thousands of dollars in new charges — costs that customers say Exeter didn’t tell them about." Oopsie.

Planet Money podcast with… "This was a famous study by two famous academics. The result stood for over a decade. And it feels good, right? Maybe the rich aren't so much happier than anyone else. But researchers have recently done a complete 180 on this idea. In 2021, psychologist Matt Killingsworth found nearly the opposite: That more money does correlate with more happiness. And that the relationship continues well beyond $75,000 per year." I know, I was shocked too. Also a good story about the scientific process as applied to Economics (note, outside hard science disciplines, the scientific process becomes a little shaky, note the deplorable lack of "reproducibility" in many fields). But that $75k (itself a misnomer) has embedded itself in the public zeitgeist, and it needs to be removed. TL/DR the short story is the original survey didn't actually track happiness, it was more a measure of sadness, so the takeaway should have been, "below $75k/yr, sadness increases." Which, ya know, duh (also it's about $100,000 in today's dollars).

"Social media influencers and content creators with right-leaning followings have descended on Springfield since Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance and former president Donald Trump amplified baseless claims that Haitian immigrants there are eating pets. As they pursue clicks, their sensationalized videos and posts are helping spread the false and racist rumors."

"It's not just Casella's company. Nationwide, immigrants are a vital force in powering the American job machine and keeping the U.S. economy humming. Over the last 12 months, nearly 1.5 million foreign-born workers have joined the labor force — legally or illegally. In the same period the population of U.S.-born workers has shrunk."

"States that passed anti-transgender laws aimed at minors saw suicide attempts by transgender and gender nonconforming teenagers increase by as much as 72% in the following years, a new study by The Trevor Project says." No shit? The conservative intent is the cruelty.

"The Georgia State Election Board approved a controversial rule Friday requiring a hand count of the number of ballots cast on Election Day… Republicans advanced the measure over the opposition of Georgia’s Republican secretary of state and attorney general and dozens of local election officials who said the last-minute change could cause delays and confusion on election night and the days that follow." Note the deadlines for certifying the vote have not changed. Also, they're just counting the ballots to compare to the machine tally. Like counting several thousand pieces of paper by hand is never problematic.

"The editor in chief of Christianity Today is warning that evangelical Christianity is moving too far to the right, to the point that even Jesus’s teachings are considered 'weak' now… Russell Moore resigned from the Southern Baptist Convention in 2021, after years of being at odds with other evangelical leaders. Specifically, Moore openly criticized Donald Trump, whom many evangelical Christians embraced. Moore also criticized the Southern Baptist Convention’s response to a sexual abuse crisis and increasing tolerance for white nationalism in the community." Living in a time of false prophets and miracle workers sure is something. And they will know we are Christians by our Tough Love.

Fourteen common features of fascism.

Here's a story that came and went. "The Letcher County sheriff is being charged with first degree murder after the shooting death of the 47th Judicial District judge. 43-year old Mickey Stines has been charged in the death of 54-year old Kevin Mullins."

Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins on Thursday retracted comments he made about Haitian immigrants in a now-deleted social media post… 'You never want to intentionally hurt someone’s feelings, and that post was intended for Haitian gangs, you understand?' Higgins, a Republican, told reporters. 'The unintended impact that was expressed very sincerely from one of my colleagues very graciously, that touched me as a gentleman.'" Fuck you, you racist piece of trash. "That touched you as a gentleman," enjoy the fires of hell you ignorant asswipe.

On the Media podcast with… "Kamala Harris has come under fire for ignoring interview requests from the press. On this week’s On the Media, the debate over whether giving media access actually helps inform voters. Plus, a guide to understanding election polls, and how they’ve evolved since the failures of 2016 and 2020."

And… "Swift and Eilish stand amid a sea of pop stars, including, among others, Beyonce, Charli xcx, and Cardi B, who have cheered on the Harris campaign — which has felt more like a weeks-long rave than the usual pre-election slog. The soundtrack for the Democratic National Convention was provided by a sunglass-clad DJ Cassidy, while the RNC featured performances by Kid Rock and bands like Sixwire. Politics and music, this year in particular, seem inextricable. For the midweek podcast, host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Mark Clague, a professor of musicology at the University of Michigan, about the role of music in this year's presidential campaigns, the history of political anthems, and the consequences of pop star celebrity culture seeping further into our political sphere."

As well as… "Lies that immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio have inspired dozens of threats against the town, and toward Haitian-Americans across the nation. On this week’s On the Media, hear how public acceptance of political violence has grown. Plus, how January 6 became a recruiting tool for one of the country’s largest militias."

"Police are investigating what appears to be gunfire damage overnight at a Democratic Party-coordinated campaign office for Vice President Kamala Harris… The incident occurred just a few days before Harris is scheduled to visit Arizona as she campaigns for president."

"The private equity firm run by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former President Donald J. Trump, has been paid at least $112 million in fees since 2021 by Saudi Arabia and other foreign investors, even though as of July it had not yet returned any profits to the governments largely bankrolling the firm." I'm sure there's a totally legit reason for this company to not have any returns from one of the best bull market runs in 8 years that doesn't include the phrase "embezzlement" or "grift" or "illegal foreign payoffs."

"'After reviewing six months of nationwide member polling and wrapping up nearly a year of rank-and-file roundtable interviews with all major candidates for the presidency, the union was left with few commitments on top Teamsters issues from either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris—and found no definitive support among members for either party’s nominee,' the Teamsters executive board announced Wednesday… An internal poll conducted by phone showed 58% of members supported Trump, compared to 31% backing Harris." Because, ya know, Trump is oh so good for the common working man. Hard side eye. My brother Teamsters (former GCCC union member), what the fuck is wrong with you? Trump makes a goddamn show of how much he hates labor, but you'd vote for that motherfucking face eating leopard party because you don't think they're going to eat your face when you and your coworkers are in the first 10 they'll eat the faces of.

"Once more, a voting tech company has settled its defamation lawsuit over false allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election before the start of trial — in this instance, Smartmatic USA’s suit against the conservative network Newsmax."

Remember when conservatives were all, "if the DoJ can charge Trump, then they can do this to anyone," and the liberal response was, "yes, yes totally, if you're corrupt we want the DoJ to charge you with crimes"? "New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing federal charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting a political contribution from a foreign national, according to an indictment that was unsealed on Thursday — a historic circumstance that comes after a monthslong investigation."

"Congress voted Wednesday evening to approve a stop-gap spending bill to fund government programs through December 20. The bipartisan spending bill postpones the debate on full year funding levels for federal programs until after the election, and avoids a shutdown. Government agencies run out of money on September 30." Turns out Plan B was let the Democrats pass a clean CR. Funny how that always seems to be the Plan B that actually works every damn year.