Now I know what they do at faculty meetings on the humanities/social sciences side of campus » « They never learn

Infinite Thread XXXIX

It’s almost spring-like outside — the skies are clear, we’ve got cool breezes on a comfortable day, the plants are coming back… I know it can’t last but I’ll make the most of it. I’ve opened windows to let birdsong in and to drive the cat crazy.

Let the pleasant conversations flow!

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Now I know what they do at faculty meetings on the humanities/social sciences side of campus » « They never learn

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  1. says

    MS NOW:

    As the U.S. military blockades the mouth of the Persian Gulf and halts what little trade was still passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s major ports may be starved of their remaining trade. Although the strait has been nearly shut for most global trade since early March, some vessels, primarily Chinese-flagged ships, have been allowed to pass through unharmed.

  3. says

    For the convenience of readers, here are some links back to the previous set of 500 comments on The Infinite Thread.

    https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/03/30/infinite-thread-xxxix/comment-page-1/#comment-2298111
    “Trump blockading thing that’s already closed in order to reopen that which was previously open.”
    And here’s Trump behaving like the literal antichrist as described in 2 Thessalonians and posting a meme of himself as Jesus: [social media post, with image]

    https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/03/30/infinite-thread-xxxix/comment-page-1/#comment-2298107
    Trump II Spirals Deeper Into Madness in Bonkers Weekend

    https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/03/30/infinite-thread-xxxix/comment-page-1/#comment-2298093
    Judge dismisses Trump defamation lawsuit against Murdoch, WSJ about Epstein letter

    https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/03/30/infinite-thread-xxxix/comment-page-1/#comment-2298062
    Mexico’s Socialist president to roll out universal healthcare

    https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/03/30/infinite-thread-xxxix/comment-page-1/#comment-2298058
    Scientists invented a fake disease. AI told people it was real.

  4. says

    NBC News:

    The U.S. military said Sunday that it blew up two boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of five people and leaving one survivor, as the Trump administration pursues its campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America […]

    Steve Benen reports that the number of boats blown up in this manner is now up to 48.

  5. says

    New York Times:

    It became one of the searing images of the Trump administration’s immigration operation in Minnesota earlier this year. After using a battering ram to break down the door of a home in St. Paul, federal agents handcuffed ChongLy Scott Thao and led him outside in subzero temperatures wearing only boxer shorts and slip-on shoes.

    On Monday, local law enforcement officials announced that they were weighing whether federal agents should face criminal charges, including kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment, over the detention of Mr. Thao on Jan. 18.

  6. says

    Associated Press:

    The Trump administration said Monday it will resume flying a rainbow Pride flag on a federal flagpole at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City, reversing course after removing the banner in February. The government revealed the decision in court papers as it agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by LGBTQ+ and historic preservation groups who had sought to block the removal.

  8. JM says

    CNN: Swalwell says he plans to resign from Congress amid sexual misconduct allegations

    Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell announced Monday he planned to resign from Congress following explosive allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
    The announcement from the California Democrat comes as he faced a just-announced House ethics investigation and mounting pressure on both sides of the aisle to step down. Swalwell, who has denied the allegations, had already suspended his California gubernatorial bid — though that did not tamp down the calls that he leave his job. The congressman was also confronting the prospect of a vote on the House floor to expel him.

    Not a surprise really, multiple independent accusations means he is probably guilty to some degree. I can see why a person would want to hold on to their congressional seat though, giving up the seat is probably the end of any real career.

  9. JM says

    CNN: Embattled GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales announces he’s stepping down from Congress

    Embattled Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales announced Monday that he would step down from Congress, just days before he faced the possibility of a high-stakes vote that could have made him the seventh member to ever be expelled from the House.

    Gonzales was on the verge of being ejected and figured going out on his own was at least a little cleaner. The evidence of his guilt is to great to pretend he didn’t have an affair.
    The Swalwell resignation seems to have prodded the Republican leadership into telling Gonzales to get lost. In the current environment it would be too much of a problem to let Gonzales stay after Swalwell had be pressed by Democrats into resigning. Politically it’s worse for Republicans then the Swalwell resignation is for Democrats but the public at large doesn’t see that as a reason to let him stay.

  10. Pierce R. Butler says

    I’ve opened windows … to drive the cat crazy.

    Seems a bit late for that.

  11. StevoR says

    A group of Palestinian human rights organisations are taking the government to the Federal Court seeking answers over Australia’s weapons exports to Israel.

    Represented by the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ), they have launched legal action against the defence minister, calling for the release of documentation relating to dozens of military export permits to Israel that remained active throughout the war in Gaza.

    After a review, the Department of Defence last year acknowledged at least 30 permits for Australian companies to send “military use” items to Israel were cleared, and another 16 were still under “ongoing scrutiny”.

    But it has continuously refused to provide specific information about the nature of the exports.

    Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-14/palestinian-legal-action-australia-weapons-exports-israel-f-35/106558340

  12. StevoR says

    Victoria Police has completed its preliminary investigation into an alleged Islamophobic attack where a man allegedly threatened to kill community members, and is weighing up what charges could be laid.

    On March 8, an uninvited man entered a community dinner in Ballarat, where he allegedly started punching guests, intimidating children and shouting racial death threats such as “f*** Allah, f*** Islam, death to Allah” and “go back to the s***hole where you come from”.

    Ballarat Police Acting Superintendent Jason Templar said if there was sufficient evidence, the man could be charged under hate speech laws.

    … (Snip)..

    The alleged intruder, a 37-year-old Ballarat man, has denied any wrongdoing and claimed he was attacked when he entered the Iftar dinner at a community hall to ask for help after his house was broken into by people unconnected to the dinner.

    Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-14/victorian-muslim-community-waiting-for-charges-to-be-laid/106541178

  14. StevoR says

    “Leader” of the dregs of the leftover dregs of the LNP here in Oz :

    Social media screening of visa applicants would be ramped up and migrants who breach Australian values would be deported under a Coalition government proposal.

    Opposition Leader Angus Taylor will unveil the first part of his plan for a migration crackdown in a speech to the Menzies Research Centre on Tuesday.

    “Australians are fed up with politically correct preaching on immigration,” Mr Taylor will say.

    A key element of the plan would involve a social media review of anyone who applies for an Australian visa, similar to one rolled out in the United States.

    Limited details on the policy have been made available to the ABC ahead of the announcement.

    Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-13/coalition-immigration-policy-angus-taylor-announcement/106559472

  16. StevoR says

    Just after NASA shows how valuable and inspiring it can be :

    A new White House fiscal year 2027 budget proposal for NASA is drawing sharp criticism from space advocates, who warn it could dramatically reshape the space agency by cutting overall funding by 23% and reducing its science programs by nearly half.

    The newly released FY 2027 top-line budget request for NASA reduces the space agency’s Science Mission Directorate from $7.25 billion to $3.9 billion, representing a 47% cut to science funding, coupled with a 23% cut to the agency’s overall funding. The nonprofit Planetary Society issued a statement in response to the budget proposal, urging that it is notable not just for its scale, but for how it departs from long-standing budget practices.

    “There are two things: the astonishing lack of transparency and the abject refusal to acknowledge political reality,” Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, told Space.com in an email, explaining that the request is a significant break from decades of precedent. “This is the least transparent NASA budget request I’ve ever seen — and I’ve literally looked through every single one since 1960.”

    Source : https://www.space.com/astronomy/nasa-science-faces-very-serious-threat-from-new-white-house-budget-scientists-say

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