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the Guardian
AI chatbots are hurting children, Australian education minister warns as anti-bullying plan announced
Jason Clare says artificial intelligence is ‘supercharging bullying’ to a ‘terrifying’ extent
 Australia accuses chatbot bullshit generators of sending children text that has the effect of bullying them. To say that X "bullies" Y is a statement about X's intentions. A bullshit generator doesn't understand the text it outputs, and has no intentions, so strictly speaking it can't bully anyone. But it can send someone text
Glossary
Ars Technica
Ring cameras are about to get increasingly chummy with law enforcement
Amazon's Ring partners with company whose tech has reportedly been used by ICE.
 Amazon Ring cameras will systematically allow many US thug departments to access images of passersby. This Orwellian system will help find thieves and the (increasingly rare) murderers, but also the increasingly frequent persecuted dissidents.
the Guardian
Court overturns conviction of Colombian ex-president Álvaro Uribe
Historic case over bribery and witness tampering has gripped nation and soured conservative strongman’s legacy
Glossary
2016: July - October Political Notes - Richard Stallman
 Colombian president Alvaro Uribe's conviction was overturned on appeal. I generally refer to him a "el presidente Horrible" because of his association with the murderous paramilitaries gangs.
the Guardian
Gaza aid still critically scarce, say agencies, as Israel delays convoys
UN urges opening of all crossings with aid deliveries at less than half of agreed frequency, as WHO issues disease alert
 *Gaza aid still critically scarce, say agencies, as Israel delays convoys.* HAMAS has mostly carried out the terms it agreed to - failing only to hand over corpses it is unable to find and dig up - but Israel is holding back on both cease fire and aid.
the Guardian
Wealth redistribution is good for growth | Letters
Letters: A fairer spread of wealth and income would lead to demand for goods and services, writes Roger Brown. Plus, Alan Craw says England should ...
 *Wealth redistribution is good for growth.* But even if that were not so, it would be a moral imperative. When you look at the amount economic activity that goes to further enrich the rich, it is clear that we could make do with less GNP if the non-rich are better off as a result.
the Guardian
Beef, pork, chicken: the world loves cheap meat. If people knew what really goes in it, that love affair would be over | Devi Sridhar
Antibiotic use in farming is now rampant. How meat is produced in China may mean the drugs you need here won’t work, says Prof Devi Sridhar, chai...
 *Can we keep antibiotics working? Yes, but the world needs to follow the EU and the UK.*
the Guardian
Palestinian bodies returned by Israel show signs of torture and execution, say doctors
Almost all had been blindfolded and had gunshot wounds between the eyes, says medic at Nasser hospital in Gaza
2014: November - February Political Notes - Richard Stallman
 *Palestinian bodies returned by Israel show signs of torture and execution,say doctors.* Signs that Israel tortures and brainwashes Palestinian prisoners were reported years ago.
the Guardian
‘It’s like a nuclear bomb has hit’: shocked Palestinians return home to desolation
Families are going back to Gaza City and surrounds to find their neighbourhoods obliterated, with many forced to camp in the ruins
 *Families are going back to Gaza City and surrounds to find their neighborhoods obliterated, with many forced to camp in the ruins.*
The Onion
Study: Majority Of Billionaires Consider Selves  Middle Class
ST. PAUL, MN—In a comprehensive new survey of how the wealthy view their socioeconomic status, a study published this week in the Journal Of Econ...
 (satire) *Majority Of Billionaires Consider Selves Middle Class.*
Glossary
the Guardian
US Senate poised to approve industry lobbyist to lead chemical safety at EPA
If Douglas Troutman is confirmed, the top four toxics office at the environmental agency will be held by ex-lobbyists
 We all know about regulatory capture, but magats are going one step further by explicitly putting representatives of the businesses to be regulated in charge of regulatory agencies. These heads of agencies have not studied the issues that make the regulation necessary. They only ever learned what will increase the industry's profit.