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Miscellaneous (News/Activism)

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  • Oregon will give every one of its prison inmates their own personal tablet - and bosses insist there is a very sensible reason to do so

    04/08/2026 2:16:29 PM PDT · by chief lee runamok · 68 replies
    dm ^ | 8 April 2026 | James Cirrone
    Oregon is rolling out tablets to all state prisoners, a strategy officials say could help stem the influx of illicit substances into its prisons.Any mail an inmate receives will be digitally scanned and then sent directly to their tablet, eliminating any opportunities for hidden drugs to be unknowingly ferried to their cell, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections.Corrections officials have said these changes will happen gradually, adding that they are aiming to get the tablets in the hands of prisoners by September.There are roughly 12,000 people in state custody who may soon be able to watch movies, play games...
  • Kuwait reports damage at oil facilities, power stations after Iranian drone attack

    04/08/2026 10:13:08 AM PDT · by MarlonRando · 55 replies
    Middle East Eye ^ | 4-8-26 | Gregor Hassan
    Kuwait's interior ministry reported "severe material damage" at several vital facilities of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and the energy and water resources ministry after an Iranian drone attack on Wednesday. The ministry said fires broke out in some of the attacked sites, which it said include oil facilities and three power stations and water desalination plants.
  • JD Vance: 'The military objectives of the US have been completed'

    04/08/2026 1:13:47 AM PDT · by RandFan · 36 replies
    Sky News ^ | April 8 | JD Vance
    Speaking in Hungary, US Vice President JD Vance reaffirmed that the US objectives in the Middle East had been completed.
  • Bill Gates set to testify before US Congress in Epstein investigation

    04/07/2026 8:59:30 PM PDT · by RandFan · 22 replies
    BBC ^ | Apr 7 | BBC
    Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is set to testify before the US congress in June about his interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, lawmakers have confirmed. The billionaire philanthropist is the latest high-profile figure to agree to testify before the House Oversight Committee investigating Epstein's wrongdoing. Gates was "looking forward to answering all the committee's questions to support their important work", a spokesperson told the BBC. The hearing is scheduled for 10 June. Gates has not been accused of misconduct by any of Epstein's victims, and his inclusion in investigative files does not imply any criminal activity. Details about Gates'...
  • Decorated Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith charged with killing 5 unarmed Afghans during war

    04/07/2026 10:13:14 AM PDT · by jerod · 45 replies
    AP via CBC news ^ | Apr 07, 2026 | AP
    War crime murder charges carry potential sentence of life in prisonAustralia's most decorated living veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith, faces war crime charges on allegations he killed five unarmed Afghans while serving in Afghanistan from 2009 and 2012, police and media reported on Tuesday. Police have not confirmed the name of the 47-year-old former soldier who was arrested on Tuesday. But he has been widely reported in the media to be Roberts-Smith, a former Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment corporal who was awarded both the Victoria Cross and Medal of Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan. Police charged him on Tuesday with...
  • Markwayne Mullin’s sanctuary city airport remark raises concerns

    04/07/2026 8:10:04 AM PDT · by libstripper · 38 replies
    Newsweek via MSN ^ | Apr.6, 2026 | Anna Co
    Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s remarks about customs at sanctuary cities’ international airports have sparked concern on social media. “If they’re a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city?” Mullin said in part during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on Monday.
  • Late Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell recorded wake-up message for Artemis II astronauts before his death

    04/06/2026 2:44:45 PM PDT · by Ciaphas Cain · 14 replies
    CBS News ^ | April 6, 2026
    Artemis II astronauts got a special wake-up message from legendary astronaut Jim Lovell, the late commander for the Apollo 13 mission, which he recorded before he died at age 97 last year. "Hello Artemis II! this is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell," he says in the message. "Welcome to my old neighborhood. When Frank Borman and Bill Andrews and I orbited the moon on Apollo 8, we got humanity's first up close look at the moon and got a view of the home planet that inspired and united people around the world. I'm proud to pass that torch on to you...
  • ‘Through the roof’: This county has the highest average gas price in America

    04/06/2026 11:28:57 AM PDT · by know.your.why · 28 replies
    CNN BIZ ^ | 04/056/2026 | Chris IsidorE
    June Lake is part of Mono County, which has the highest average gas price in the United States. “My husband and I were watching the news this morning, and it came on about $4 gas and I said, ‘Well, where are you? Ours is $7.50!’” she said, citing the price at the only gas station in her town.
  • You can eat fish caught in the Hudson River for the first time in 50 years

    04/06/2026 8:00:10 AM PDT · by Fitzy_888 · 52 replies
    WNBC 4 New York ^ | April 5, 2026 | Andrew Siff
    The New York State Department of Health on Thursday shared updated guidance on eating fish you catch, and it includes a major change for the Hudson River. For the first time in 50 years, the department says everyone can now eat "some fish" from the Lower Hudson River — that covers Rip Van Winkle Bridge in Catskill to the southern tip of Manhattan. (...) "PCB levels in some of the fish had gone down enough that we are now able to allow families — even younger women and children — to eat some of the fish," Van Genechten said. (...)
  • Newsom Spends $19M in Taxpayer Funds on PR Push As Criticism of California Grows

    04/05/2026 8:00:29 AM PDT · by chief lee runamok · 13 replies
    rs ^ | April 05, 2026 | Ben Smith
    California will spend up to $19 million in taxpayer funds on a public relations campaign, with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration awarding the contract to Edelman through the state’s Office of Business and Economic Development.The campaign will run from April 6 through the end of the year. It will promote California’s economy and tourism while countering what Newsom’s administration describes as “negative narratives” circulating online and in partisan media. The contract follows a request for proposals issued last month seeking a campaign to improve the state’s national image, including outreach tied to business development, tourism, workforce messaging, and potential investors. The...
  • What a Kentucky bill could mean for Sen. Rand Paul

    04/05/2026 5:10:13 AM PDT · by RandFan · 45 replies
    spectrumnews1 ^ | April 5 | BY Erin Kelly Washington, D.C.
    WASHINGTON — Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., will be up for reelection in 2028, the same year as the next presidential election. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Paul didn’t rule out the possibility of a White House bid. Under a new bill that passed the Kentucky House of Representatives this month, Paul would not have to forfeit his Senate seat to run for president. House Bill 534 from state Rep. DJ Johnson, R-Owensboro, would allow someone’s name to appear on a ballot more than once if the person is a “candidate for two (2) different federal offices on the...
  • Kamala Harris Warns Trump Must Be Stopped from Picking More Supreme Court Justices

    04/03/2026 7:01:13 PM PDT · by chief lee runamok · 71 replies
    breitbart ^ | 3 Apr 2026 | Elizabeth Weibel
    Former Vice President Kamala Harris warned that President Donald Trump must not be allowed to pick two “additional justices” for the Supreme Court, adding that Democrats “must be clear-eyed about what is at stake.”In a post on X, Harris — who lost the 2024 Presidential election against Trump, shared an article from the New York Times about how a “liberal organization” was “preparing a multimillion–dollar effort to oppose potential Trump Supreme Court appointees before they happen.”The New York Times reported that Josh Orton, who serves as “the president of Demand Justice,” predicted that “the project would cost $3 million to...
  • Iran and Oman drafting protocol to ‘monitor’ Hormuz Strait traffic: IRNA

    04/02/2026 11:27:30 AM PDT · by PJ-Comix · 22 replies
    CNBC ^ | April 2, 2026 | Kevin Breuninger
    Iran and Oman are drafting a protocol to “monitor transit” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported Thursday morning, citing an official.Tanker traffic through the key oil-shipping route “should be supervised and coordinated” with the two countries, said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister of legal and international affairs, according to a translation of IRNA’s report.“Of course, these requirements will not mean restrictions, but rather to facilitate and ensure safe passage and provide better services to ships that pass through this route,” Gharibabadi reportedly said.U.S. stock indexes, which were trading sharply lower Thursday morning after President...
  • Congressman: I'm officially endorsing Ken Paxton for Senate

    04/02/2026 8:43:40 AM PDT · by RandFan · 16 replies
    X ^ | April 2 | @realBrandonGill
    @realBrandonGill I am officially endorsing @KenPaxtonTX to be our next Senator from Texas. The Senate needs serious change— people who understand what time it is and what is at stake for our country. And that starts by electing conservative warriors like Ken.
  • FReeper Canteen ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Thursday, 2 April 2026

    04/01/2026 6:00:07 PM PDT · by beachn4fun · 45 replies
    April 1, 2026 | For the best troops and veterans in the whole world! | Kathy In Alaska
    ~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Your Guess Is As Good As Ours! PACIFIC OCEAN (June 7, 2023) Comedian and contortionist Jonathan Burns performs for U.S. Navy Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during a visit sponsored by Navy Entertainment. Nimitz is in U.S. 7th Fleet conducting routine operations. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Hannah Kantner) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support...
  • Hooters 2026 Calander ( adults only link )

    04/01/2026 9:57:06 AM PDT · by central_va · 38 replies
    hooters ^ | 4/1/26 | calendars.com
    Adults only please. Link
  • General strike to take place nationwide on April 5: Here's what is impacted

    04/01/2026 7:36:04 AM PDT · by rightwingintelligentsia · 55 replies
    Newsweek via MSN ^ | April 1, 2026 | Amanda Greenwood
    A nationwide general strike is set to take place on April 5, with organizers calling on all Americans to come together and take part in a coordinated effort to “force big change” by applying large‑scale economic pressure. The action is being organized under the banner of “General Strike 2026,” also known as Strike26. Organizers are positioning the April 5 action as an extension of the previous nationwide general strike—which happened on January 30—framing it as part of a broader, ongoing campaign rather than just a single‑day protest. According to their website, the campaign organizers are calling for a nationwide strike...
  • Israel approves death penalty law for Palestinians only

    03/31/2026 4:51:36 PM PDT · by ebb tide · 133 replies
    LifeSite News ^ | March 31, 2026 | Patrick Delaney
    Israel approves death penalty law for Palestinians onlyDeath by hanging within 90 days is now the default punishment of Palestinians for offenses related to ‘terrorism,’ even as escalating Jewish settler terrorism continues with impunity.On Monday, Israel’s Knesset approved legislation requiring the death penalty for Palestinians found guilty of fatalities due to “terrorist” attacks. The measure was championed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, head of the Jewish Power party, who marked the occasion by celebrating with champagne.The new “Death Penalty for Terrorists Law” specifically targets Palestinians calling for capital punishment in cases where a “terrorist” is convicted of deliberately killing...
  • Inside the stealthy startup that pitched brainless human clones

    03/31/2026 9:56:48 AM PDT · by yesthatjallen · 24 replies
    Technology Review ^ | 03 30 2026 | Antonio Regalado
    After operating in secrecy for years, a startup company called R3 Bio, in Richmond, California, suddenly shared details about its work last week—saying it had raised money to create nonsentient monkey “organ sacks” as an alternative to animal testing. In an interview with Wired, R3 listed three investors: billionaire Tim Draper, the Singapore-based fund Immortal Dragons, and life-extension investors LongGame Ventures. But there is more to the story. And R3 doesn’t want that story told. MIT Technology Review discovered that the stealth startup’s founder John Schloendorn also pitched a startling, medically graphic, and ethically charged vision for what he's called...
  • Bulls waive Jaden Ivey after anti-LGBTQ comments, Pride Month rant

    03/31/2026 6:44:21 AM PDT · by devane617 · 34 replies
    yahoo ^ | 03/31/2026
    The Chicago Bulls waived shooting guard Jaden Ivey “due to conduct detrimental to the team,” the team announced in a statement on Monday. Ivey had increasingly been posting on social media about his religious beliefs and recently made anti-LGBTQ comments. The Bulls’ decision reportedly came after he criticized the NBA for celebrating Pride Month, which he called “unrighteousness.”