*Third Mexican journalist killed this year as press corps faces murder crisis.*

The head of WHO says that it is weakened by depending on voluntary funding from donor countries — that gives them too much control over what WHO tries to do.

It also lets them specifically control what WHO does not do — for instance, allow Taiwan to participate.

He also warns us not to assume that Omicron is the last big wave of Covid-19. There are plenty of people catching the disease and giving it a chance to mutate.

Florida Republicans seek to ban teachers from talking about the topics of queer sexual orientation or gender identity in class.

This is premised on the supposition that parents have a right to dictate their children's sexual orientation and gender identity — but they can't do that.

Unidentified individuals attacked the statue of Juan Ponce de León in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Ponce de León became successful by enslaving Tainos in Hispaniola, and his main achievement was to extend such slavery to Puerto Rico. I think his statue is a good candidate for official removal.

The new mayor of New York City has a plan to reduce gun crime. I can imagine that "targeted, precision policing" of 30 precincts is (1) not very different from "predictive policing" and (2) not a big change from what's already done.

I can also imagine that "spot checks" and bus and train stations will not be very different from "stop and search", and that most of the arrests they make will be for drug possession. Though they may succeed in dissuading non-car-owners from New Jersey to come into New York City with weapons.

What other things will the reported "new technology" do, besides identify people with illegal guns?'