Reading

Created
Wed, 10/04/2024 - 05:00
The Big Liars are organizing Wired has a report on what they have planned: As the most consequential presidential election in a generation looms in the United States, get-out-the-vote efforts across the country are more important than ever. But multiple far-right activist groups with ties to former president Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee are mobilizing their supporters in earnest, drawing on one baseline belief: Elections in the US are rigged, and citizens need to do something about it. All the evidence states otherwise. But in recent weeks, these groups have held training sessions about how to organize on a hyperlocal level to monitor polling places and drop boxes, challenge voter registrations en masse, and intimidate and harass voters and election officials. And some are preparing to roll out new technology to fast-track all of these efforts: One of the groups claims they’re launching a new platform for checking voter rolls that contains billions of “data elements” on every single US citizen. These groups could have a major impact on the 2024 election.
Created
Wed, 10/04/2024 - 04:57
Madeleine King, Minister for Resources in the Albanese government, recently announced that she will curtail the ability of Australians to challenge resource corporation projects in court (The West Australian 26/3/24). This attack on democratic rights is built on decades of disinformation shaping the global discussion on fossil fuels and climate change. King’s action comes from Continue reading »
Created
Wed, 10/04/2024 - 04:56
It is easy these days to grab a headline about the end of peak China. China’s imminent economic stagnation is becoming conventional wisdom, unless of course one happens to be in the resources, energy, green industry, or automobile sectors, just to name a few. There, China’s demand continues to surge or, alternatively, depending on the Continue reading »
Created
Wed, 10/04/2024 - 04:54
Lobbying has been part of politics for the past two millennia, but in the past twenty years it has become an artform in persuasion and influence. At times it is scarcely possible to distinguish the elected representatives from unelected politicians. It seems now that a political career is not just election to a parliament, but Continue reading »
Created
Wed, 10/04/2024 - 04:52
The Bank of New Zealand blocks a donation to UNRWA, then thinks again. Like many people I have been horrified by Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinians. I have made modest donations to UNICEF, partly to help but also, I must admit, to appease my conscience. I was particularly inflamed by the Israeli government’s attempt Continue reading »
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Wed, 10/04/2024 - 04:51
The US State Department’s No 2 now admits the AUKUS joint submarine project between three of the Five Eyes is tied to Taiwan and mainland China. At the US State Department, the Ukraine girl is out, and the China guy is in. From Washington’s perspective, it was a right assignment. Whether that’s good for Asia Continue reading »
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Wed, 10/04/2024 - 04:50
Australia’s Defence Department has refused a Freedom of Information request about the details of an arms deal with Israel on the grounds that such information “could harm Australia’s international standing and reputation,” which suggests the details must be pretty damning. Equally as scandalous, this refusal was reportedly made in consultation with the Israeli government. In Continue reading »
Created
Wed, 10/04/2024 - 04:07
How To Stop Half-Assing Drug Policy & Actually Reduce Overdoses

Oregon recently ended a law which made drug possession for use a ticketed offense with a fine of no more than $100. The reason claimed is that overdoses have been soaring.

No surprise. The modern drug supply is a mess: in most cases users don’t know what they’re buying and it’s often cut with fentanyl, which is incredibly potent. It doesn’t take much to throw a user into an overdose and kill them. (Black tar heroin is often an exception, if it’s available where you are and you use, use that.)

The dirty supply, plus increasing use due to economic despair and social alienation, are behind increasing drug deaths. You can’t solve that with half-assed decriminalization.

Created
Wed, 10/04/2024 - 03:30
Don’t let him forget it What he said yesterday was that because he needs to get elected and he thinks this issue is hurting him so he’s just saying that he isn’t for a federal ban to get it off the table. But what Healey says above shows why he can’t take it off the table. He’s the reason all those states now have abortion bans and he’s proud of it. Normal people don’t care for the idea of women in neighboring states dying or young incest victims being forced into childbirth because Donald Trump is trying to split the difference. He created this problem when he and Mitch McConnell packed the court with wingnuts and now they have to live with it. I noted yesterday that Lindsey Graham had come out with a big statement against Trump’s decision, pushing for a 15 week national ban, and Trump went on a tirade against him on Truth Social. By the end of the evening I became convinced this was a kabuki dance, at least on Graham’s part, to portray Trump as a “moderate.” “See, he’s not so bad!” I’m not entirely convinced Trump is in on that, however.
Created
Wed, 10/04/2024 - 03:00

You may have heard the news that high schoolers will have to take the SATs if they plan to attend college. The temporary break from standardized tests is over.

The New York Times recently posted an interactive test featuring a few questions from the reading and writing section of the SATs. If you haven’t needed to take a standardized test for the past twenty to sixty years, you could try taking it, or you can just hit yourself over the head with a large plumber’s wrench.

We’re not saying you have to do that; you’re an adult who doesn’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Certainly, you don’t have to retake the SATs. Even if your child is currently applying to college, there’s simply no reason you also have to take the test that was the bane of your existence as a teen. You also don’t have to hit yourself in the face with a big steel wrench.

Created
Wed, 10/04/2024 - 02:00

This blog post was written by DrupalCon Portland Higher Education Summit Committee members Megan Bygness Bradley and Michael Miles.

As a part of the landscape of higher education web technology, many of us are navigating the digital realm somewhat disconnected from one another. We’re solving similar problems, but do not often have the opportunity to talk to others about the whys, hows, and the gotchas of implementing within the sphere of higher ed. DrupalCon Portland's Higher Education Summit is tailor-made for you! It's not just another conference; it's an amazing opportunity to connect, collaborate, and elevate your expertise in Drupal with your peers in the higher education sector.