The majority of voters did not vote for Donald Trump for president; the majority of voters did not vote for Republican candidates for the Senate; and fewer than 51% of voters cast their ballots for Republican candidates for the House of Representatives. The Republican Party now controls the White House, both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court, no matter how that came to be. I believe it is worth bearing in mind that a majority of U.S. citizens did not support the Republican winners.   read more

The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that people are entitled to have certain information about them removed from search engine results and websites. Executives at the Internet giants were shocked. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales called it “one of the most wide-sweeping internet censorship rulings that I’ve ever seen.” IAPP CEO Trevor Hughes said it will “fundamentally change the landscape...in the field of privacy [and] the information economy generally.”   read more

Some conservatives continue to insist climate change is an exaggeration or hoax. But the institution so beloved by the right-wing—the U.S. military—believes climate change is real and represents a serious threat to long-term national security. A new report warns that climate change could disrupt important military operations in the U.S., and flooding could jeopardize military ports. The Norfolk Navy base, for one, "would go,” said Gen. Charles Wald.   read more

Those who should use Truvada, according to the CDC, include homosexual males who have unprotected sex; heterosexuals with high-risk partners, and anyone who regularly has sex with an HIV-positive person. “This is wonderful,” said Damon Jacobs, who is HIV negative and has been on Truvada for three years. “When an institution like the CDC makes a statement, it makes a profound difference to the doctors who are ambivalent.”   read more

Legalized marijuana has a lot of people in the marketing world conceiving of ways to make a buck off a fast-growing industry. There are companies offering machinery that can transition the growing of marijuana plants into a mechanized state of mass production. Big corporations know the importance of branding, and some businesses may soon set up pot subsidiaries. “I wouldn’t doubt in five years we’re going to see a Super Bowl commercial...featuring marijuana,” said Greg Wagner.   read more

Between the California drought and earthquake concerns, fracking opponents have convinced about a dozen local governments in the state to curtail or prohibit fracking altogether. These include Butte County, home of California’s second largest reservoir, Lake Oroville, which has lost a third of its water during the drought. A bill introduced in the state Senate would establish a temporary moratorium on fracking while experts study its effects.   read more

The U.S. may be a democratic, open society, but it’s got nothing on China, Russia, or even Albania when it comes to letting people know what corporations are up to. In other words, corporate transparency is not America’s strong suit. In fact, it ranks 26th in the world. Margot Williams summed up America’s problems this way: “Here in the U.S., the search for public records, corporate registration and potential litigation is a challenge, even in the era of online access."   read more

An overwhelming majority of journalists in the U.S. say it’s vital to investigate government misdeeds. But a much smaller percentage are willing to take risks to carry out such investigations,. Why have journalists become more risk adverse? "The post-9/11 surveillance state," suggests Eric Levenson, as well as the Obama administration’s “unprecedented targeting of whistleblowers [which] likely has played a role in turning opinions against the use of secret documents."   read more

The researchers tested 96 substances and found about 30% of them disrupted the way sperm functioned and their ability to fertilize eggs. The problem is high calcium levels in the sperm, which causes poor swimming and early release of enzymes needed to break into an egg. “This is really the first report on the direct effects of endocrine disruptors on sperm function,” said Niels Skakkebaek. “The effects we see could explain these not-uncommon cases where people cannot have a child....”   read more

Nearly 20 million Americans suffer from alcoholism, but most have never been prescribed medications that can help people with their addictions, a new study shows. Research found two drugs which were approved over a decade ago to treat alcoholics are rarely given to patients with drinking problems. Both are designed to adjust a person’s brain chemistry to reduce cravings for alcohol. “Our findings show that they can help thousands and thousands of people,” said Dr. Daniel E. Jonas.   read more

Automated warfare machines, or “killer robots,” do not exist. But the possibility of them in operation—in the near future—is enough to worry many world leaders and Nobel laureates who have called for a ban on such technology. South Korea already has deployed surveillance robots that can fire built-in machine guns without a person in control. Israel is working on a drone that can choose its own targets, and the U.S. has its armed unmanned drones.   read more

Roanoke County supervisor Al Bedrosian wants to change a rule that permits anyone to offer a non-sectarian prayer prior to board meetings. He wants only Christians to offer prayers. “The freedom of religion doesn’t mean that every religion has to be heard,” he said. “If we allow everything, where do you draw the line?" He said denying non-Christians “does not infringe on their freedom of religion. The truth is you’re trying to infringe on my right, because I don’t believe that.”   read more

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has issued another edict that prohibits intelligence employees from referencing news reports that contain unauthorized leaks. The rule follows an order that prohibits speaking to the media, which is defined so broadly that it might include anyone who has shared a story about an intelligence agency on Facebook. “You’re basically saying people can’t talk about what everyone in the country is talking about,” said former staffer Timothy Edgar.   read more

Global warming has already produced a point of no return for a mammoth section of the Antarctica ice sheet, whose melting will help significantly raise sea levels in the coming centuries, according to two teams of scientists. “This is really happening,” said NASA's Thomas Wagner.“There’s nothing to stop it now." The consequence of the ice sheet melting could mean an increase of 10 feet in sea levels, which would pose a crisis for coastal cities and communities around the world.   read more

American voters aren’t too excited about the upcoming election, and don’t seem to think the occupant of the White House has much effect on what happens to the country. A new survey shows voter enthusiasm for the November election is lower than it’s been for a midterm election in 20 years. As for the 2016 presidential race, most Americans don’t seem to be putting much stock into who wins, and most young people think volunteering will do more good than choosing the next president.   read more

The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the National Association of Manufacturers, which argued the EPA had overstepped its regulatory bounds in reducing permissible soot levels. Federal officials said it was important to reduce soot in the air due to its harmful effects on human health, particularly the heart and the lungs. Following the ruling, the EPA issued a statement saying it was “a resounding victory for public health.”   read more

Redlining, the discriminatory practice using information such as someone’s neighborhood to discriminate, has not died despite laws designed to eradicate it. It just moved to the Internet. With so much data swirling about online, it’s easier for businesses or individuals to discover demographic information about people and to use that to discriminate against them. Anyone armed with a computer and algorithms can do it, and probably get away with it.   read more