Interesting News, Articles & Stuff

[florduh]

This is how the NYT describes the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza:

"Chancellor Hitler Implementing a Novel Solution to the Judeo-Bolshevism Issue in the Reich"

In Occupied West Bank, Israel Kills Two Women, Including One 8 Months Pregnant

In the occupied West Bank, Israel is intensifying its military assault, which has already displaced 35,000 Palestinians. On Saturday, Israeli troops raided the Nur Shams refugee camp, where they killed two women, including one — 23-year-old Sundus Jamal Shalabi — who was eight months pregnant...

www.democracynow.org

While the focus has been on Gaza, the IDF and settler terrorists have been doing pogroms in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians in the West Bank Describe How Israeli Settlers Are Seizing Land

Farming outposts are mushrooming across the West Bank, enabling Israeli settlers to displace Palestinians and grab large swaths of land.

www.rollingstone.com

Suspected settlers attacked Palestinian villages hours before Trump rescinded Biden sanctions

Shortly after suspected Jewish settlers stormed Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank, U.S.

apnews.com

 

[CANtalk]

We can no longer trust America​

Paywall bypass: https://archive.ph/Kjd16

See what's being said about Trump & the US in Canadian media

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www.cbc.ca

https://www.reddit.com/r/suppressed_news/comments/1ij3flt

U.S. Travel Association Warns of Economic Tourism Disaster After Thousands of Canadian Tourists Cancel Trips in Protest​

U.S. Travel Association Warns of Economic Tourism Disaster After Thousands of Canadian Tourists Cancel Trips in Protest

While Proposed Tariffs Against Canada Are Now Paused, Canadian Travel Agencies Already Witnessing Retaliation in Form of Canceled Trips

www.thetravel.com

Trump administration disbands taskforce targeting Russian oligarchs​

Trump administration disbands taskforce targeting Russian oligarchs

US attorney general issues memo to break up effort started after 2022 Ukraine invasion to target those close to Kremlin

www.theguardian.com

The US is allowing undocumented migrants across the border into Canada, hit 'em with 25% tariffs!

1 dead, 15 taken into custody after 3 incidents at the Canada-U.S. border: RCMP

Mounties say a man is dead after he crossed from the United States into Canada at the Coutts Border Crossing in southern Alberta on Tuesday. It’s one of three incidents detailed by RCMP during a news conference in Edmonton on Wednesday about Canada’s border with the U.S.

www.ctvnews.ca

Trump energy secretary allowed 23-year-old DOGE rep to access IT systems over objections from general counsel​

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www.cnn.com

Trump promises 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports — including from Canada​

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www.cbc.ca

How the Republican War on Women Extends to Voting Rights - Most women vote Democratic. And most still change their name when they marry. And that’s where the GOP sees an Achilles’ heel.​

How the Republican War on Women Extends to Voting Rights

Most women vote Democratic. And most still change their name when they marry. And that’s where the GOP sees an Achilles’ heel.

newrepublic.com

 

[florduh]

They're just dabbing on us at this point

China is building a giant laser to generate the energy of the stars, satellite images appear to show | illuminem

Images from space reveal an enormous X-shaped building rising up from rocky terrain in southwestern China. This is a huge nuclear fusion research facility, analysts say, and it could be a sign China is leaping ahead in the quest to harness this futuristic energy source.

illuminem.com

 

[anome]

PET all those years ago:

"Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if I can call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt,"

the irony of this would be funny, if it was not so pathetically sad. One of the major driving factors behind CA confederation back in 1867 was the threat of tariffs from the southern border. But it did unite a group of disparate areas, in an extremely large expanse of territory, to unite and form a nation.

 

[florduh]

I love when Trump says Canada's ripping us off because they don't spend enough on their military.

"They think we're gonna protect them "

No, dumbass. You know what protets Canada? The same thing that protects us: two big, salty oceans. "Big Water".

The Koreans weren't going to invade North America. Neither were the Vietnamese, or the Iraqis. The US Military is only used against poor, weak countries that couldn't invade Canada even if they wanted to. And even then, we almost always get our asses kicked.

Also...no one really wants to invade Canada. They don't act like scumbags around the world. At least nowhere near as much as the United States. Ain't nobody calling Canada "The Great Satan"

 

[budski]

ElonX, he can just buy'em out

 

[anome]

two big, salty oceans

As we say up north, sea to sea to sea; CA has that other large body of saltchuck that also drives some of the current interest in Greenland.

 

[bellona0544]

Distributed quantum computing across an optical network link - Nature

The distribution of quantum computations is demonstrated between two photonically interconnected trapped-ion modules, using repeatable, deterministic teleported controlled-Z gates to perform Grover’s search algorithm.

www.nature.com

I'm not a huge proponent of "the" Singularity as I don't tend to regard history as materialistic, so take this with a grain of salt here: this is really freaking cool! One concern that seems to be overcome again and again is that humans will hit some kind of technical or knowledge-based wall when we develop technologies, and this is another example. While there are still ample challenges to overcome, quantum computing appears to be a near-future reality as we keep figuring out ways of solving problems.

It does feel good to think of history as moving toward something, but I find the world far more fascinating when it *isn't* moving toward anything in particular. We are approaching some incredible advances in computing that go beyond all of the advancements we've had in the past century, and rapidly coming up on a set of existential questions that used to only be asked in science fiction.

 

[cybrguy]

We are approaching some incredible advances in computing that go beyond all of the advancements we've had in the past century, and rapidly coming up on a set of existential questions that used to only be asked in science fiction.

Right. The difference is, in science fiction, when we get the answers wrong, nobody dies.

 

[florduh]

It does feel good to think of history as moving toward something

It would feel better if we had an economic system that was going to equitably share the fruits of this amazing new technology.

When I hear about AI and the job loss it will cause, I do sort of wonder if, in a way, these tech idiots are going to solve the problem for us.

The future is either Star Wars (dystopian and fascist) or Star Trek (utopian and socialist). I'm hoping for the latter. But even in Star Trek lore, their utopian future required humanity first passing through The Cool Zone.

What's The Cool Zone, you may ask? Not really something you talk about on the internet.

 

[bellona0544]

The destiny of Earthseed is to take root among the stars, comrades.

Focusing exclusively on the future means we forget our agency in the here-and-now. However, focusing exclusively on the here-and-now means we are purely reactionary, and we do not then shape the future into something preferable. We are human. We cannot control the future, but we can shape it.

Quantum computing networks are arriving right as traditional computing networks and the global internet system is controlled more and more by a handful of corporations with vested interests in denying access to information. Small-scale quantum computers set up in university labs that can instantaneously transfer information with a high enough fidelity would be extraordinarily difficult to cut off from each other once networked together.

Angela Davis highlights the communication between Palestinians and protestors in Ferguson in the 2010's over mediums like Twitter in her book "Freedom is a Constant Struggle". She points to tear gas utilized on Americans protesting police brutality being the same as that used in occupied Palestine, and recounts how the Americans were taught mitigation techniques by the Palestinians. Most American protestors didn't have much experience countering tear gas, but Palestinians did--in fact, the same company, Combined Tactical Systems, that made the tear gas used in Palestine was being used against Americans. American protestors started crowding the police, staying close enough that any tear gas thrown would have also hit the cops.

This oppression is global, and any means of democratizing information or communications will be useful tools in finally shifting the power back.

 

[CANtalk]

American Bar Association Says ‘Chaotic’ Trump Is Attacking Constitution and Rule of Law​

American Bar Association Says ‘Chaotic’ Trump Is Attacking Constitution and Rule of Law

Searing statement from the ABA accuses the Trump administration of failing to respect the law and Congress.

www.thedailybeast.com

Trump ousts director of Office of Government Ethics​

Trump ousts director of Office of Government Ethics

President Trump removed the director of the Office of Government Ethics, the independent agency responsible for overseeing ethics rules for the executive branch.

www.cbsnews.com

Far-right populists much more likely than the left to spread fake news – study​

Far-right populists much more likely than the left to spread fake news – study

Amplifying misinformation is now part of radical right strategy, says Dutch study of tweets by MPs in 26 countries

www.theguardian.com

 

[florduh]

Musk teenage staffer ‘Big Balls’ now State Department adviser: Report

The news raises fresh fears about Musk and DOGE’s access to sensitive information about U.S. diplomats

www.the-independent.com

Musk’s DOGE teen was fired by cybersecurity firm for leaking company secrets

Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old member of Elon Musk’s squad was fired from an internship after he was accused of sharing information with a competitor.

fortune.com

A 19 year old who goes by the name "BigBalls", who was fired from his first job for leaking secrets to competitors, is now running the State Department. He's gonna sell the NOC list to some Russian spy if he agrees to buy him beer.

DOGEbro Update: Coristine's image-sharing site linked to URLs referencing pedophilia, rape, KKK

I recently wrote about how 19-year-old Edward “Big Balls” Coristine, a member of Elon Musk’s secretive DOGEbro coup gang who has unprecedented, and possibly illegal, access to sensitive government information across many federal agencies, has links to...

www.dailykos.com

This is now the second of Musk's teenaged lieutenants who has been outted as a Nazi. He also distributes child porn. This is who is now running the Federal Government.

For weeks now, everyone at the CCP has to feel like the Philadelphia Eagles at halftime. Sure, you still have to play the rest of the game. But it's pretty clear you're about to take down the reigning champs.

 

[florduh]

Inflation hit 7-month high of 3% in January. Here's what it means for Fed rate cuts

Yearly inflation accelerated as food and energy costs increased, according to the CPI report.

www.usatoday.com

In 2020, Biden won on a message of, "I will get things back to normal". He failed to do so, and voters punished his party.

Elon Musk denies 'hostile takeover' of government in surprise White House appearance

The world's richest man took questions for the first time since he was appointed to lead a sweeping government cost-cutting effort.

www.bbc.com

Funny enough, Trump won in 2024 on the same message. But Don has something Joe never had: a pathetic court jester to blame everything on when shit fails to improve for working people in any way...

 

[anome]

From the humble beginnings of a small town brothel to tariffs on the world, lawlessness runs in the lineage.

 

[florduh]

"Armored Tesla" forecast to win $400 million State Department contract after Trump's election, government document shows

The State Department’s procurement forecast, revised as of late December 2024, lists Tesla as the recipient of the largest expected contract, with Marco Rubio’s department planning to buy $400,000,000 worth of “Armored Tesla.”

www.dropsitenews.com

So glad we're getting rid of government waste and corruption!

 

[CANtalk]

Trump’s war on journalism: Take notice, Canada​

Trump's war on journalism: Take notice, Canada.

Pierre Poilievre has borrowed a lot from Donald Trump's playbook, including his war on fact-checkers and journalism at large.

rabble.ca

Pope Francis’s Stunning Rebuke of JD Vance Exposes MAGA’s Dark Soul​

Pope Francis’s Stunning Rebuke of JD Vance Exposes MAGA’s Dark Soul

The vice president took a stab at theology to defend the administration’s rank cruelty. Then a higher authority weighed in.

newrepublic.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/law/comments/1io0p8l
https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/1iny87s

Elon’s Son Humiliates Trump in Oval Office, Tells Trump: ‘I Want You to Shush Your F**king Mouth’ and ‘You’re Not the President’​

Elon's Son Humiliates Trump in Oval Office, Tells Trump: 'I Want You to Shush Your F**king Mouth' and 'You're Not the President'

Elon Musk has become so ubiquitous a presence at the White House that now even his son X Æ A-Xii (who is nicknamed “X”) is coming to Oval Office pressers. But today’s event, during which Musk spoke at length about plans for the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was a little...

www.politicalflare.com

 

[florduh]

The Leader of the Democrats is re-pledging allegiance to Silicon Valley Billionaires. The guys who are stripping what's left of this country for parts.

Hakeem Jeffries Mends Fences with Silicon Valley

“Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries quietly met with more than 150 Silicon Valley-based donors last week in California — an early step in Democrats’ efforts to repair relationships with a once-deep blue constituency,” Politico reports.

politicalwire.com

Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders is travelling from coast to coast to talk to working class Biden 2020 voters who broke for Trump in 2024.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders to kick off Trump pushback tour in Nebraska, Iowa • Nebraska Examiner

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is coming to Nebraska to help the populist left after President Donald Trump remade the right with organized labor.

nebraskaexaminer.com

Bernie: please start a new political party! The Democrats will never learn anything. The Democrat Party has never been less popular! The time is now!

 

[florduh]

In the least shocking development ever, the Trump Administration lied about only sending "the worst of the worst" migrants to Guantanamo Bay. In fact, they're sending people who committed no crimes to the camps.

U.S. sending nonviolent, "low-risk" migrants to Guantanamo, despite vow to detain "the worst" there

While the Trump administration has highlighted transfers of dangerous criminals to Guantanamo Bay, it is also sending nonviolent, "low-risk" migrants.

www.cbsnews.com

"But Florduh... being in the country ILLEGALLY is a crime!"

No it's not. It's a civil infraction like a speeding ticket. Or honestly more like a non-moving violation. Would you be fine with people with speeding tickets being sent to an extra-judicial CIA Black site concentration camp?

 

[vapviking]

Got an interesting email today, about a consumer strike brewing?

It read, in part,

"TURN IT OFF"
FEBRUARY 28TH.
• The 24 Hour Economic Black Out Begins.

 

[florduh]

Got an interesting email today, about a consumer strike brewing?

It read, in part,

"TURN IT OFF"
FEBRUARY 28TH.
• The 24 Hour Economic Black Out Begins.

I don't want to yuck anyone's yum, but strikes like this take a lot of organizing to be effective. And unfortunately, I don't think Americans are quite there yet. There is zero class consciousness (except for the rich...they stick together). Americans are still mostly temporarily embarrassed billionaires.

That having been said, some people are working on this:

‘We want everybody walking out’: UAW chief outlines mass strike for May 2028

Shawn Fain, the United Auto Workers president, reaffirms general strike on 1 May 2028, saying ‘members need to come together’

www.theguardian.com

my number 1 pick for President in 2028 btw:

US officials could face international warrants if steps are taken to displace Palestinians in Gaza

President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will "clean out" the Gaza Strip and rebuild it, saying Palestinians living there should leave.

abcnews.go.com

If the U.S. takes steps to force the displacement of the over 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza, U.S. officials could face arrest and prosecution in the International Criminal Court, a tribunal that prosecutes individuals under rules of international law.

 

[CANtalk]

Trump says Russia should be readmitted to G7​

https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-russia-should-be-readmitted-g7-2025-02-13/

Ben Wallace: Trump’s Ukraine peace talks have echoes of Nazi appeasement​

Ben Wallace: Trump’s Ukraine peace talks have echoes of Nazi appeasement

Former defence secretary warns there could be repeat of Neville Chamberlain’s ‘peace for our time’ moment

www.telegraph.co.uk

‘We will soon be next’: German leaders sound alarm on Trump’s Ukraine plan​

‘We will soon be next’: German leaders sound alarm on Trump’s Ukraine plan

Berlin wants more robust military spending following a bombshell move by the Trump administration to negotiate a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

www.politico.eu

Trump administration begins mass layoffs across multiple federal agencies: Sources​

Trump administration begins mass layoffs across multiple federal agencies: Sources

The Trump administration has begun mass layoffs across multiple federal agencies, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News on Thursday.

abc7.com

US Inflation News Gets Worse as Wholesale Prices Jump: Evening Briefing America​

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-02-13/us-inflation-news-gets-worse-as-wholesale-prices-jump-evening-briefing-americas

'Honestly terrifying': Yosemite National Park is in chaos​

https://www.sfgate.com/california-parks/article/yosemite-national-park-in-chaos-20163260.php

Senate confirms RFK Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary​

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/13/politics/rfk-jr-senate-confirmation-vote/index.html

White House says it has the right to punish AP reporters over Gulf naming dispute​

White House says it has the right to punish AP reporters over Gulf naming dispute

The White House says news organizations that refuse to use President Donald Trump’s new name for the Gulf of Mexico are telling “lies."

abcnews.go.com

Illinois governor declares Lake Michigan is now Lake Illinois​

Illinois governor declares Lake Michigan is now Lake Illinois

“A great lake deserves to be named after a great state.”

www.wilx.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/onguardforthee/comments/1iouk9g

 

[florduh]

There were many things wrong with the Democrats' calamitous 2024 campaign. But maybe the biggest was lying to voters about the economy. Because the economy is much worse than the government has been letting on.

Voters Were Right About the Economy. The Data Was Wrong.​

So nearly a 1 in 4 Americans are basically unemployed. This will get much worse as Trump lays off millions of government workers. The Feds were one of the last providers of decent middle class jobs. Meanwhile...

Stock market today: Wall Street rallies near a record after yawning at Trump’s latest tariff threat

U.S. stocks rallied to the brink of a record after more companies reported fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 rose 1% Thursday.

apnews.com

With all the talk about the "debt" and "deficit", do people not know what a government deficit is?

When Congress commits the government to a certain level of spending and doesn't collect enough in taxes to cover it, the government prints money to make up the difference. Since we have a progressive tax system, the rich are the main beneficiaries of this money printing. What do they do with that money? Buy more magic beans by pouring it into the stock market.

Here's the thing...money is fungible. If we can run deficits to benefit rich people, we could just as easily run deficits to.... I dunno... give millions of underemployed Americans good paying union jobs building affordable housing from sea to shining sea?

 

[CANtalk]

The FCC is a weapon in Trump’s war on free speech​

The Trump FCC is at war with the First Amendment

The MAGA thought enforcement is in fact unprecedented — and dangerous.

www.theverge.com

‘Does He Understand Money?’: Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal Slams Donald Trump’s Intellect​

‘Does He Understand Money?’: Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal Slams President Trump’s Intellect

The editorial board of Rupert Murdoch’s WSJ hits Trump where it hurts.

www.thedailybeast.com

Trump’s DOJ under Pam Bondi announced it will stop defending legal protections preventing the president from firing members of independent agencies, including FTC, NLRB; expected to push SCOTUS to overturn a 90-year-old SCOTUS ruling that established such removal protections under Constitution.​

Justice Department to Stop Defending Removal Shields at NLRB, FTC

The Department of Justice will stop defending legal protections preventing the president from firing members of independent agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and the National Labor Relations Board, without cause.

news.bloomberglaw.com

Judge John McConnell Jr Faces Impeachment for Obstructing Trump​

MSN

After delay, CDC releases data signaling bird flu spread undetected in cows and people​

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/13/nx-s1-5296672/cdc-bird-flu-study-mmwr-veterinarians

 

[Pib]

To be honest, Europe has so far failed to make a big appearance on the world stage. The call for Europe to do more is not entirely wrong, but the way in which it does so is. What I always find weak is when America lets off steam against Trump's seemingly favorite enemy, Germany. I don't think most Americans realize how small Germany is compared to America. If you want to compare, then America with the EU.

I can't say, but I hope that the EU will finally take responsibility, leave America behind and represent the free world. Unfortunately, the EU seems too cowardly and is hiding. The idea of the EU is a dream, but the governments in the EU only want to live it where it suits them. The EU is a global player, but has always relied on America to come running when something happens.

You can see the first cracks between partners, who knows what will happen in the end, but it is certain that the EU will play along with the trade war and everyone will lose.