Old Fucking Punk @lwriemen@librem.one

All corruption, all the time in Trump world: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-peter-thiel-ramp-gsa-smartpay-expense-payment-system?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=feature

Location data has been used to target many vulnerable groups -- immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, and anyone seeking reproductive healthcare. It’s a tool of surveillance, and it’s being weaponized. Here’s how some legislators are fighting back to protect your privacy: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/04/privacy-map-how-states-are-fighting-location-surveillance

Worker Co-op Weekend
Thornbridge Outdoors, Peak District
16-18 May 2025

Our theme this year is about building power through mutual learning and coalition. Worker cooperation is not just a way to improve the everyday lives of workers. Co-ops can strengthen the wider movement for social, economic and climate justice. In the process, we are building the infrastructure for goods and services that underpins a different kind of society.

#workersCoop #workersCoops #workerCoop #workerCoops #coop

Police are paying big money for unproven “undercover bot” tech that uses AI-generated online personas to collect intelligence, @404mediaco reports. “So like, what is it effective at, violating protesters’ First Amendment rights?” asks EFF’s Dave Maass. https://www.404media.co/this-college-protester-isnt-real-its-an-ai-powered-undercover-bot-for-cops/

“Everyone should have a plan before travel,” EFF’s Sophia Cope told @miamiherald. If an officer wants a device unlocked, “the traveler has to know what they’re going to do in that moment, either they’re going to comply or they’re not going to comply.” https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article304363571.html

#RuralCommunities could be destroyed if #UK signs #US #TradeDeal, says former #food tsar | #Farming | The Guardian

This would be too high a price to pay to avoid the #TrumpTariffs.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/17/rural-communities-could-be-destroyed-if-uk-signs-us-trade-deal-says-former-food-tsar

#Politics #Agriculture

"It can’t be right that journalists who go to court to vindicate the public’s First Amendment right of access to court records have fewer First Amendment protections than journalists who don’t."

https://freedom.press/issues/when-it-comes-to-prior-restraints-courts-shouldnt-just-do-it/

6 things #Trump wants from a US-UK trade deal - https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/blog/2025/04/6-things-trump-wants-from-a-us-uk-trade-deal/ "Trump administration released its hitlist of rules and regulations it wants to see scrapped in the UK – and food standards featured prominently. From chlorinated chicken to hormone-fed beef, these products are banned from our shelves."

Tech billionaires censor Seth Rogen for telling too much truth at science award show - https://boingboing.net/2025/04/16/tech-billionaires-censor-seth-rogen-for-telling-too-much-truth-at-science-award-show.html

Brain Mechanisms and Constructed Languages vs. Natural Languages - https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=68857 fascinating stuff #linguistics #conlang

Trump has put Christian nationalists in key roles – say a prayer for free speech - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/16/christian-nationalists-trump-administration here come the canting hypocrites...expect lots of sex scandals to emerge as usual

India’s drugs industry: how one country took over the global medicine market - https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025-04-16/indias-drugs-industry-global-medicine-market

No plans to allow any aid into #Gaza, says Israeli minister - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/16/no-humanitarian-aid-gaza-israeli-minister-israel-katz-hamas this is starvation: punishing civilians in a war is a crime; should make the war-crime court's job easy... #israel

Whistleblower describes #DOGE IT dept rampage at America's labor watchdog -
https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/17/whistleblower_nlrb_doge/ "Ignored infosec rules, exfiltrated data … then the mysterious login attempts from a Russian IP address began – claim" #musk

Scientists hail ‘strongest evidence’ so far for life beyond our solar system - https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/apr/17/scientists-hail-strongest-evidence-so-far-for-life-beyond-our-solar-system "Astrophysics team say observation of chemical compounds may be ‘tipping point’ in search for extraterrestrial life" big if true, but probably premature

CDC struggling to fight raging #measles outbreak after deep funding, staff cuts - https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/04/each-measles-case-in-raging-outbreak-costs-up-to-50000-cdc-official-says/ " In first 4 months of the year, US measles cases are over double last year's count. " totally predictable, totally avoidable #jfk

Three cases of a "100% fatal" mad cow-like brain disease just showed up in tiny Oregon town - https://boingboing.net/2025/04/16/three-cases-of-a-100-fatal-mad-cow-like-brain-disease-just-showed-up-in-tiny-oregon-town.html not now, 100% fatal, mad cow-like brain disease...

For the first time, I had real problems with #upgrading my #Fedora #GNU #Linux operating system. I ended up getting a useless system (by which I mean, it would boot but would never give me a log in screen, like #sddm, nor would the #keyboard respond, except the power button and there were no #VirtualTerminals to log in to either).

#Fedora42 #F42

Topics in my latest "Cornerstone of democracy" include:

-- It's a concentration camp
-- Next in line: "homegrown" Americans
-- Roberts Court snoozes, democracy dies
-- All corruption, all the time in Trump world

I curate to save you time. Please subscribe (free), & share.

https://cornerstone.dangillmor.com/essentials-april-17-2025/

Congress’ investigative and oversight powers are in danger.

Protecting FOIA offices, which serve as hubs for all kinds of information requests, could help ensure the legislative branch has the information it needs to do its job.

https://freedom.press/the-classifieds/congress-investigative-powers-face-existential-threat/