*Former Delaware [thug] charged in two excessive force cases after surveillance video went viral.* He faces a potential sentence of 13 years in prison.

I am very gratified to see prosecution of thugs extend to those whose crimes did not kill anyone.

Right-wing Polish racists attacked nonwhite refugees who had fled Ukraine, and are organizing disinformation falsely accusing refugees of committing crimes, to stir up support for their scapegoating.

* Wealthy nations accused of depriving poorer ones of nutrient-rich food and wasting mackerel, sardine and anchovy stocks -- to feed farmed salmon.*

I don't think there is anything wrong in principle in farming salmon, but we who are wealthier must not starve the poor.

At the same time, every country has an obligation to stabilize its population. If we don't end population growth, it will reduce everyone to poverty. Now that we are hitting global resource limits, no people should imagine that they can have population growth without taking from other people. Humanity must back off from these limits, and the only human way is by a lot fewer births.

Biden (and many state and local officials) have yielded to pressure from fools and assholes, and decided to encourage people in most of the US to go without masks.

As the article says, this policy puts vulnerable people on their own as increasing numbers of people either say, "It's safe now" (the fools), or "Fuck you, I won't go to any trouble to avoid giving you a disease" (the assholes). There are lots of vulnerable people -- I read that in the UK they amount to 1/4 of the population. I have no such figure for the US, but I am one of them.

The Covid transmission rate in Massachusetts has been going down (I don't have access to info about other states), but last week it decreased only 27% -- less than before. How fast it continues to decrease will depend on how much we take precautions, including masks and vaccination. If many Americans stop using masks, the transmission rate will decrease more slowly, and may start increasing again.

Imagine if millions of people got tired of brushing their teeth and decided to stop worrying about the danger of losing them in a few years That's what this seems like to me.

Biden talked about a "test to treat" system. In principle that is good, but how often should you get tested? If you have to take the subway to work several days a week, and/or if you are near other people at work, you could catch Covid-19 any working day. Should you get tested on each working day? Can the system handle that much testing? Can you afford whatever it will cost?

Will low-paid "essential workers" be able to participate in this system?

The treatments available are for preventing severe disease that might lead to death. I have not heard whether they prevent lasting disability. Do we know whether "long Covid" is still a danger, with Omicron? I have seen no info on this, and if we don't know it isn't still a danger we have to presume it is. Long Covid used to be far more common than death, and some forms of it are as bad as death in my estimation. Fatigue all day? Mental disorganization? Losing the sense of taste and smell and finding all food boring or horrible?

I have started talking with people I know about the importance of using N95 masks, and the fact that drug stores are distributing them gratis in the US. Efforts to inform the public have not reached most people. Now that good masks are available, everyone should switch.

*Biden Announces "Crackdown" on Profiteering Shipping Cartels to Fight Inflation.*