Barbara 🇺🇦 @babs_at_masto@qoto.org

Our 2023 annual report is now out. Read all about the real-world change spurred by our journalism here:
https://www.propublica.org/atpropublica/propublicas-2023-annual-report-accountability-from-the-statehouse-to-the-highest-court

Ukraine’s PM is confident US aid could arrive as soon as this month, or at the latest next month.

But, the aid to Ukraine stuck in Congress faces resistance from Republicans as well as a new issue: a potential government shutdown, which would likely create further delays.

https://kyivindependent.com/us-congress-working-to-prevent-government-shutdown-further-delays-in-ukraine-aid-likely/

The difference between the two people running for president right now could not be more stark. Forget about any policy squabbles for a second and just look at how the two candidates describe their vision of the future.

The current president consistently seeks to strike a positive, proud tone and outlook for the country, however distasteful his policies may be to 50% of the electorate. This is good and normal and very much what we have come to expect over the years from those who hold the highest office in the land, and who command the most powerful armed forces in the world.

Meanwhile, Trump has very plainly said that there will be dark days ahead for this country -- whether he wins or loses. He's not proud of this country and says so constantly, and his disdain for everything the American flag stands for is exceeded only by his incessant need to drape himself in them.

And somehow this is an appealing choice for a good chunk of the electorate? Dark days ahead, indeed.

Primatologist Frans de Waal has passed away and the world is much poorer from it 😔 #FransDeWaal. You may have seen that video of a capuchin monkey upset about not being rewarded at the same level as his neighbor for the same task, that was part of his Ted talk : https://www.ted.com/talks/frans_de_waal_moral_behavior_in_animals

Iranian authorities have executed political dissenters at what the UN chief described as ‘an alarming rate.’

But don’t expect the U.N. to act decisively.

“For the long-suffering, stateless Kurdish nation, the U.N. has so far failed to rescue them from their hell on earth,” writes Haidar Khezri of University of Central Florida.
https://theconversation.com/despite-un-warnings-irans-execution-of-kurds-and-political-dissidents-continues-unchecked-223138

You should call your House member's office and demand an answer to this question:

"Why are you trying to ban TikTok or force its sale on privacy grounds while you do absolutely nothing about rampant privacy abuses by U.S. companies -- which are free to sell private information to anyone with a checkbook?"

The investigative newsroom I work for, @ProPublica, is raising money right now. We report on abuses of power in the public interest - stories like corruption on the Supreme Court. It was the first outlet to win a Pulitzer for web-first journalism. And if you donate through this link, you'll let our team know that Mastodon is an audience to pay attention to. https://give.propublica.org/give/346528/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=mstdn #journalism #fediverse #mastodon

Seriously, folks. When someone running for the highest office in the land says they admire dictators and intend to act like one on the first day of their term, you best believe them and vote accordingly.

Too soon...but probably AI will force most of us to pick sides, like we did when everyone was concerned (or not) about COVID.

I'm interested in smart, compassionate people at the forefront of this debate, and make no mistake we are set for a showdown at some point, probably sooner rather than later.

AI seems to hyper-focus attention on so many unaddressed privacy and accountability issues all at once, and maybe that overwhelms people in this sphere of influence.

But none of us should confuse the game with the goal, however warped it may be: The game is whoever owns the most data wins.

I do not subscribe to this point of view, but it is remarkable in that it affords the rest of a point of reference.

Russia launches the pre-invasion playbook in Moldova. A "breakaway region" of the small state asks for Russian "protection" (against a peaceful, open, pro-European Moldovan government) https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/28/world/europe/moldova-russia-transnistria.html

A reminder that a core strategy of the Republican Party is to deny eligible voters the right to vote, or to have their vote counted if they do manage to cast ballots.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/03/us/politics/trump-voter-rolls.html

(This is excellent journalism in a major outlet about a crucial political issue, and it's in the NY Times, both of which are surprising if gratifying.) https://1ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F03%2F03%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-voter-rolls.html

Update: France and Ukraine have signed a bilateral security agreement. It includes more weapons and training of Ukrainian soldiers, as well as a pledge by Paris to provide "up to" 3 billion euros in additional military support to Kyiv this year.

The biggest challenge in 2024 is to get enough people to actually listen to what Trump and those around him are openly, consistently, and explicitly promising to do once they get back to power.

It is utterly deranged, and discounting it as just rhetoric would be a disaster.

Fatality.

Tucker Carlson is right at home in the belly of a beast that routinely imprisons real journalists, in the warm embrace of one of this era's most evil dictators.

Finally sitting down to compose some thoughts on what we can and probably should do about the swatting problem in the US. I'm finding I have quite a bit to say, and a lot of it involves mythbusting around this issue (e.g. that most of these swatting calls come through 911).

Another example: recent legislation to make swatting specifically a federal offense w/ real jail time for those convicted (introduced by a GOP lawmaker who was swatted). That might feel like a solution, but I doubt it's much of a deterrence for the sim-swatters.

Make it explicitly a federal offense with federal consequences, okay sure. But the feds have prosecuted these cases just fine using existing laws. The problem is, until the feds are aware of swatting incident, it remains effectively a local issue, which means the cops are less likely to investigate because these crimes are generally inter-state crimes They are usually by definition federal crimes for that reason, but they are still mostly dealt with by local authorities and local laws. One way a federal anti-swatting law could help is to require state and local law enforcement to report these crimes as violent crimes to some entity responsible for tracking them as such. Right now, there is no specific designation for swatting, and reporting is only required for federal law enforcement agencies. Reporting also serves an important accountability check on law enforcement responding to these incidents.

“Begging for money”: Trump under “enormous financial strain” as report reveals massive legal costs

https://www.salon.com/2024/01/31/begging-for-money-under-enormous-financial-strain-as-report-reveals-massive-legal-costs/

#TrumpFinancialStrain #LegalCosts #MassiveLegalExpenses #FinancialChallenges #BeggingForMoney #EnormousFinancialBurden #Politics #News

Biden Opens Up About Personal Tragedies In Call To Grieving Parents of Soldier Killed In Jordan - 'I've been there,' the president told the emotional parents, offering to accompany them when their daughter's body is returned home

https://themessenger.com/politics/joe-biden-kennedy-sanders-parents-phone-call

#BidenGrievingParents #SoldierKilledInJordan #PersonalTragedies #AccompanyGrievingParents #ReturnedHome #EmotionalParents #Politics #News