Author: Thomas L. Knapp

Callais Affects More Than Just Congress

Source: Liberal Currents
by Steve Kennedy

“Most attention surrounding Callais has focused on congressional maps, particularly in Louisiana and other Southern states where Black voters have successfully challenged racially discriminatory district lines since the passage of the VRA. But the decision will have effects up and down the ballot, including for races as consequential as for state supreme courts.” (06/24/26)

https://www.liberalcurrents.com/callais-affects-more-than-just-congress/

Thomas L. Knapp

Don’t blame algae for the Reflecting Pool mess

Source: Los Angeles Times
by David Helvarg

“The Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in Washington has turned pea green with algal growth — as shallow bodies of still water tend to do in summer when temperatures rise. President Trump’s $14-million no-bid ‘American flag blue’ paint job was never going to stop that. It may in fact have contributed, as being darker than the previous pool bottom it absorbs heat more readily.” (06/24/26)

https://archive.is/Yd6Zn

Thomas L. Knapp

YouTube settles with frivolous/vexatious litigant

Source: Engadget

“Following a similar lawsuit earlier this year, Google has settled with a minor known as ‘R.K.C.’ who claimed that social media platforms harmed them, Reuters reported. Terms of the settlement were confidential, the lawyers said yesterday. The same plaintiff also sued Meta, Snap and TikTok, with those trials set to proceed next month. YouTube has thousands of similar lawsuits pending, so this second case represents a test run for the many to follow. … More than 3,300 [frivolous/vexatious] lawsuits involving social media addiction [sic] are pending in California state courts, and another 2,600 were brought by people, school districts, municipalities and states in California federal court.” (06/24/26)

https://www.engadget.com/2200409/youtube-settles-early-test-case-over-social-media-harm-to-children/

Thomas L. Knapp

Your Brain on Rage

Source: CounterPunch
by Tom H Hastings

“I was riding my bike to work, a fun 7-mile commute in a city with bike lanes and a general respect for those who bicycle. Still, a bike vs auto or truck? No chance for the bike rider. … Sure enough, a truck veered right into my lane, the skinny bike lane only separated from auto traffic by a line of paint. I shifted to my extreme right, almost up against the curb. Another couple of inches and the truck would have ended me. In the moment I yelled and gave him a rude gesture with a middle finger. Um … I teach peace, I train deëscalation, and yet … It was the dreaded amygdala hijack, the rising up of the most primitive part of the brain, the limbic lizard brain, taking control when extreme fear activates it.” (06/24/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/06/24/your-brain-on-rage/

Thomas L. Knapp

North Korea: Kim unveils 5,000-ton destroyer, touting nuclear capabilities

Source: France 24 [French state media]

“North Korea has commissioned a 5,000-ton destroyer that leader Kim Jong Un touts as a symbol of the country’s growing naval and nuclear capabilities, state media reported on Wednesday, as Pyongyang seeks to expand its ability to project military power at sea. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim told a commissioning ceremony on Tuesday at the western port of Nampo that warships such as the Choe Hyon show that the nuclear armament of his navy is progressing as planned. … After years of spurring ballistic missile development, Kim has shifted his focus more towards naval capabilities, including the ongoing construction of a nuclear-powered submarine. Naval capabilities were also a key focus when Kim outlined his five-year military goals at February’s Workers’ Party congress, which included calls for intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches.” (06/24/26)

https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260624-kim-jong-un-unveils-5-000-ton-destroyer-touting-nuclear-capabilities

Thomas L. Knapp