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Our friends at 270 Reasons are gathering a polyphonic orchestra of brilliant writers, teachers, doctors, filmmakers, artists, and citizens of all kinds to weigh in about their plans to vote this November. These opinion essays run the gamut from advocacy for basic human rights to acutely personal mini-manifestoes. Read the rest over at 270 Reasons.

Because They Seem to Really Like Our Country

There’s always a moment in the writing of a short story when things get difficult. The story presents the writer with an apparently insoluble problem. It’s natural to feel, at such a moment: Oh, crap, my story has a problem, let me find a better one, one without any problems.

Does the country have problems? Hoo boy. (To my mind, these include climate change, corporate domination, economic disparity, extreme partisanship, the massive neurological effects of social media and, just for good measure, the dehumanization of everyday interactions by profit-maximizing technology.)

Use to discuss the election and its aftermath.

On election day, the Right is focused on turning out men in particular to vote,...

The formidable challenge of digging through miles of ice millions of miles away.

The post How to Drill for Extraterrestrial Life on Europa appeared first on Nautilus.

Low-rating cable channel, Sky News Australia, have announced that disgraced columnist, Miranda Devine, who fled the country after being found to have defamed a disabled child (yep, really), will be fronting their US election coverage. ”The whole US election is... Read More ›

Cat-Hair-Covered Yoga Pants: Voted for Harris

Toupee-Hair-Covered Suit Pants: Voted for Trump

Bear-Hair-Covered Vintage L.L.Bean Board Shorts: Wrote in “RFK Jr. + The Worm”

Pants Worn Only Every Four Years That Were Bought by Someone Else: Voted for Jill Stein

Frayed Corduroys That Nobody Wants or Needs: Voted for Cornel West

Fair-Trade, Ethically Sourced Cotton Trousers: Did not vote in protest

Novelty Pajama Bottoms with Weed Motif: Forgot to vote

Wasn’t Sure Which Pants to Wear: Did not vote because busy giving interview to New York Times about being undecided

Pink Capri Pants: Told husband she voted for Trump but voted for Harris

Blue Capri Pants: Told husband he voted for Harris but voted for Trump

Black-Belted Denim That Barely Covers Pale White Belly: Voted for Trump but only because he gave him $75 million after destroying Twitter

Red, White, and Blue Bodybuilding Pants: Duh

As US voters go to the polls on November 5th, they need to remind themselves that when the US elects its next domestic president, it is also selecting the emperor of a violent, global imperium. Choices made over sundry domestic issues have far reaching effects, far beyond local pocketbook or civil rights issues. They determine Continue reading »

If Australian anti-terror laws are to be considered principled and fair, they must apply equally to all organisations that meet the criteria, including state military forces where appropriate. The criteria for designating terrorist organisations in Australia are rooted in clear legal definitions, covering both legislative and non-legislative factors. To be classified as a terrorist organisation Continue reading »

A position paper has been published by the organisation BADIL in October, suggesting that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on the illegality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory further fragments the Palestinian people and marginalises their rights. Readers will be aware to some degree of the decision of the ICJ on 19 July Continue reading »

The global consumer-capitalist machine is well-programmed to consume the planet in its quest to produce ever-more stuff. Avoiding pollution is incompatible with its present functioning. If we want to actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions we need to know how to get inside the machine and turn it off, or transform it. The 2024 State of Continue reading »

“I need your help… I have taken this whistleblowing as far as I can. This has been going for eight long years for me. Louise Beaston and I are at breaking point. Correction, we broke some time ago”, writes ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle.  Can you help?  Show your support for Richard Boyle at the Adelaide Continue reading »

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In recent days, our media have covered two “scandals” involving allegations against public figures of failing to adequately address identifiable conflicts of interest. Our Prime Minister is under attack for accepting upgraded flights from Qantas and thereby placing himself in scenarios where later political decisions may have been influenced by the largesse of Qantas. The Continue reading »

The recent BRICS summit in Kazan summed up the results of the Russian presidency of the organisation in 2024. John Shipton, an Australian activist and the father of WikiLeaks creator Julian Assange, also took part in the event. In July, Assange was released from a British prison after many years in prison and returned to Continue reading »

Close to half of Republicans (46%) and more than a quarter of Democrats (27%) said they would not consider 2024 election results to be legitimate if the other party’s presidential candidate won, according to polling by the World Justice Project. Some of them would go further: 14% of Republicans and 11% of Democrats surveyed said Continue reading »

Twenty four hours before millions were expected to cast their votes, federal and state law...

The Intercept spoke to voters in the region grappling with the fact that neither party is promising change to U.S. policy in Gaza.

The post Americans in the Middle East: “The Most Unenthusiastic Vote I’ve Ever Cast” appeared first on The Intercept.

For a decade, Congress has failed to rein in the surveillance state. Now Trump is promising to use the government against his foes.

The post Trump Might Get Unfettered Surveillance Powers. How Did We Get Here? appeared first on The Intercept.