Notices by Joanna Bryson, blathering (j2bryson@mastodon.social)

exceptions to the GOP’s muted response is Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s longtime Republican leader, who after last week’s firing of Haugh expressed exasperation with Trump’s personnel decisions.
“If decades of experience in uniform isn’t enough to lead the NSA but amateur isolationists can hold senior policy jobs at the Pentagon, then what exactly are the criteria for working on this Administration’s national security staff?” McConnell said. “I can’t figure it out.” #nato #feminism

#nato #giftarticle #feminism
https://wapo.st/425ymYR

@jeffowski I think that's what corporations do and not special to AI. We use unions, civil society, and government to compensate. See also though https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tops.12682 which in the end agrees with you. #AIEthics

British musicians also getting protracted, uncomfortable detention and deportation, apparently for social media critique of Trump admin policy https://flipboard.com/@faroutmagazine/far-out-music-f85ubbh8z/-/a-m29zL5ZXTTyJhWzn2LNtLg%3Aa%3A3037506767-%2F0

BREAKING: Pianist András Schiff cancels all his US engagements for 2025-26 in response to "the recent and unprecedented political changes in the United States."

"Some people might say, 'just shut up and play.' I cannot, in good conscience, do that."

https://www.kirshbaumassociates.com/agency.php?view=news&nid=12575

via @1br0wn

Why are Germans being detained by US immigration?

Three tourists and a permanent US resident say they were subjected to aggressive interrogation and held for weeks without knowing why. In response, the German government has extended a travel advisory to its citizens.
https://www.dw.com/en/why-are-germans-being-detained-by-us-immigration/a-71987211

Arlington National Cemetery has scrubbed information about prominent Black, Hispanic and female service members and topics such as the Civil War from its website, part of a broader effort across the Defense Department to remove all references to diversity, equity and inclusion from its online presence.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/03/14/arlington-cemetery-website-dei-removals/

„Sigmon chose to be executed by firing squad due to concerns about South Carolina’s lethal injection drugs. The return of such an antiquated — and to critics, barbaric — method underscores the complex nature of the American death penalty system in the modern era, where safety and availability issues with lethal injection have prompted some states to devise new methods, like nitrogen gas, or re-embrace old ones.“
#capitalPunishment #deathPenalty #udhr #fundamentalRights

I‘m inclined to think this is medieval, but honestly it may be more humane than injection. If „humane“ is even defined for #capitalPunishment, which I doubt. #deathPenalty #udhr #fundamentalRights
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/03/07/brad-sigmon-firing-squad-execution/

@WarnerCrocker see it in London. Cheaper and totally awesome.

IMO Zelenskyy brought a few howitzers to a knife fight. Well, an intended knifing. https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:tkbweudpy6tvzjqdiza4z3p5/post/3ljdnsnclrs2t

Two people get deluded (or encouraged) into committing stabbings, and the general population sees that as a bigger threat than the Russian army with no US or British nuclear deterrent https://p.dw.com/p/4qqVB

#giftArticle

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) said in a letter to Bessent on Friday. “I can think of no good reason why political operators who have demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law would need access to these sensitive, mission-critical systems.”

https://wapo.st/3EmllAH

Germany offers maternity leave for women after miscarriage

The German parliament has strengthened maternity protection for women who have suffered miscarriages. The new regulation would entitle women who miscarry after the 13th week of pregnancy to maternity leave.
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-offers-maternity-leave-for-women-after-miscarriage/a-71464825

Tariffs have been announced on chips, aluminium copper steel "things we need for our military"
Trying to compensate for insane tax cuts. They think if they put 10% tariff on everything they'd get $2T, but that's nothing next to these stupid tax cuts, and also a) shrink the economy b) becomes a $2000/household extra cost.

But will likely come no matter how damaging to the US (and the rest of us.)

"In" a chatham rule zoom meeting about EU / US tech trade. Rather than tariffs announced immediately studies were, but these are to be reported to the President on 1 April – I'm sure they'll be a great joke.

Also not mentioned the WTO. Is Trump going to just ignore rather than be withdraw from the WTO? [Does he think it's the WHO?]

That desensitisation can be a dangerous thing. It risks extending to those children who survived; the almost 40,000 orphans, the thousands of amputees, the hundreds of thousands who are displaced and whose schools have been destroyed, and the “complete psychological destruction” that all children who have lived through the war have suffered.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/27/children-gaza-loved-remembered-innocent-mourn?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Billionaires growing richer faster than ever, says Oxfam

Oxfam said trillionaires are expected to emerge within the next decade, as the richest 1% now own 45% of global wealth, while 44% of humanity lives on less than $6.85 per day.
https://www.dw.com/en/billionaire-wealth-growing-faster-than-ever-says-oxfam-report/a-71345320

argh
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/12/29/canada-trump-trudeau-freeland-tariffs/

Holy smokes. #altman is everywhere. #berlin #openai #WorldCoin