US citizens: phone the Bureau of Prisons to demand an end to (illegal) threats against whistleblower John Kiriakou.

Fix the Debt's campaign to cut government spending on the non-rich has failed.

However, if Obama is presenting a smaller deficit as an improvement, rather than a sign of a failure to stimulate the economy, he is still a right-wing influence.

California is considering a law to make schools protect personal data of students.

The proposal is well-meaning, but I think its provisions are inadequate because the US government will find some way to collect that personal data.

The law really should order schools not to release data about their students to any one except the student, or to another school that the student wishes to enroll in.

Anti-Putin protesters from 2012 have been convicted of "rioting" and attacking thugs.

It's probably the "He hit my stick with his head" accusation that thugs around the world like to make after they attack someone. Even in the US, courts tend to believe the thugs if there's no hard evidence to the contrary.

The UK government still denies that its policies have pushed many Britons into hunger, and still pretends that they are poor because they are lazy, as an excuse to waste their time applying for an inadequate quantity of jobs.

Food banks are admirable, but their inadequacy demonstrates the need for adequate government aid for the poor.