Chimpanzees show more compassion than Republicans
AND NOW THE NEWS
#519
MAY 17, 2025
a twice-weekly news round-up,
usually on Tuesdays and Saturdays
Defense Department will trawl through medical records to identify trans troops
When they’ve gotten rid of the trans troops, they’ll kick out the gays. Maybe they’ll come for the women and blacks. It only depends on how far back they want to unwind rights and progress.
What they do to the military, they’ll do to the rest of America.
Trump regime permits sale of device that allows standard firearms to fire like machine guns
A trove of documents lays out Trump’s plan to take command of America’s police
GIVE US YOUR TIRED, YOUR POOR, YOUR HUDDLED MASSES YEARNING TO BREATHE FREE, SO WE CAN IMPRISON THEM
ICE admits nine people have died in custody this year as it requests more funding
ICE duped a federal judge into allowing raid on Columbia student dorms
ONLY THE RICH HAVE RIGHTS
25 arrested while protesting Republican Medicaid cuts
White House scraps plan to block data brokers from selling Americans’ sensitive data
US reportedly plans to slash bank rules imposed to prevent 2008-style crash
TO HELL WITH HEALTH AND SCIENCE
Florida becomes 2nd state to ban fluoride from public drinking water
FDA moves to take prescription fluoride drops and tablets for kids off the market
GOOD NEWS
Montana judge finds transgender care ban violates state constitution
2nd-place runner in high school race rips Maine Republican lawmaker for attacking trans winner
NASA revives Voyager thrusters ‘considered dead’ for 20 years
Sesame Workshop employees approve vote for union representation
BACK TO THE BAD NEWS
RFK Jr orders mifepristone review as anti-abortion groups push for ban
AND I SAY TO MYSELF, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
Trump acknowledges starvation in Gaza as Israeli airstrikes kill more than 100
Trump administration working on plan to move 1-million Palestinians to Libya
State Department reportedly pressured African countries to adopt Elon Musk’s Starlink
Saudi Arabia set up a McDonald’s, just for Trump’s visit
THE CRUELTY IS THE POINT
Older people in crosshairs as government restarts Social Security garnishment on student loans
Hospital tells family brain-dead Georgia woman must carry fetus to birth because of abortion ban
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DYSTOPIA
DHS is considering a reality show where immigrants compete for US citizenship
Trump FCC to ‘investigate’ Dish 5G network, to the direct benefit of… Elon Musk
Trump regime orders FBI to deprioritize white collar crime, shift focus to immigration
Mostly included for the vaporous, hilarious assumption that white collar crime was ever a priority.
OUR FRIENDS, THE DEMOCRATS
Gavin Newsom sits down for podcast with serial killer who targets homeless
EYE ON AI
In the past few days, I’ve received three emails from Google, first congratulating me for signing up for their Gemini AI program, and then offering tutorials for using it. Very, very needless to say, I have not signed up for Gemini, and never will.
This is par for the Google course, which is why I’ve been de-Googling bit by bit for a long time. I cheerfully pay for the Kagi search engine, which delivers better results than Google. Switched the website’s hosting, of course. I’ve kept my Gmail address, just because it’s been out there for years, but most of my email now comes via the website, doug@itsdougholland.com.
It’s conceivable that someday I’ll find a purpose for AI, but when I do, it’ll be my decision, not Google’s.
Musk’s AI Grok bot rants about ‘white genocide’ in South Africa in unrelated chats
Microsoft says it provided AI to Israeli military for war but denies use to harm people in Gaza
MY BROWSER HISTORY, MINUS THE PORN
Security theater REALized and flying without REAL ID
9 federally funded scientific breakthroughs that changed everything
This is from 2017, but it bears repeating:
Donald Trump gets two scoops of ice cream while everyone else gets one
The Little Flower Institute, abandoned
American police are out of control — 5/14/2025
Ignoring the climate emergency — 5/12/2025
The Lord works in mysterious ways — 5/16/2025
And that’s the way it is,
and nothing will
meaningfully improve
until billionaires fear for their lives
5/17/2025
Logo illustration by Jeff Meyer. Tip ‘o the hat to the Anderson Valley Advertiser, Bleepity-Bleep, Lorem Ipsum Dolor, Mitchipedia, Sloth Unleashed, Toad’s Lily Pad, Voenix Rising, and anywhere else I’ve stolen links, illustrations, or inspiration.
Special thanks to Linden Arden, Becky Jo, Joey Jo Jo emeritus, Jeff Meyer, John the Basket, Dave S, Name Withheld, and always extra special thanks to my lovely late Stephanie, who gave me 21 years and proved that the world isn’t always shitty.
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