Mark Cuban’s Simple Solution for Income Inequality in the US
A 'Disturbing New Normal' in Australia ; IRS Sets Sights on Poor Americans ; and More Picks
A 'Disturbing New Normal' in Australia ; IRS Sets Sights on Poor Americans ; and More Picks 6/5
A ‘Disturbing New Normal’ in Australia: Federal Police Raids on News Organizations (Judy)
The author writes, “Persecuted whistleblower and lawyer Bernard Collaery says the successive police raids on journalists show Australia is becoming the most oppressive democracy in the western world. Collaery is among a string of whistleblowers currently facing jail time for revealing wrongdoing by the Australian government. He is currently being prosecuted for his role in exposing an illegal Australian spy operation on an ally, Timor-Leste, during oil negotiations. Collaery … said the two successive raids on the ABC and News Corp are part of a worrying trend towards authoritarianism.”
Facing Criminal Hearings, Netanyahu Appoints Himself Justice Minister (DonkeyHotey)
From Jewish Press: “[Israeli] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday informed Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Education Minister Naftali Bennett that he is dismissing them from their positions in the government and their presence is also no longer welcome in meetings of the political-security cabinet. … As the dismissal took effect, Prime Minister Netanyahu became the acting justice and education minister. He is also suspected of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three pending criminal indictments, and the AG has announced his intention to prosecute him, subject to an October 2 hearing.”
IRS Now Audits Poor Americans at About the Same Rate as the Top 1% (Mili)
The author writes, “As the agency’s ability to audit the rich crumbles, its scrutiny of the poor has held steady in recent years. Meanwhile, a new study shows that audits of poor taxpayers make them far less likely to claim credits they might be entitled to.”
Thousands of Taxi Drivers Demonstrate in Mexico Against ‘Rideshare’ Services (Chris)
From El Universal: “In 2019, it was established that the ride-hailing companies should fulfill new requirements to operate in [Mexico City], including a special permit, and the drivers will be required to obtain a new license. None of these new requirements have satisfied thousands of taxi drivers. For this reason, thousands of taxi drivers demonstrated in the capital and in other cities yesterday, in order to demand a more strict regulation against the ride-hailing platforms.”
Mysterious, Endangered Emerald-Green Slugs Evade Researchers (Chris)
The author writes, “Though other sea slugs can purloin chloroplasts and use them to catch some rays, none come close to doing it as well as Elysia chlorotica.”
