Russia: Court criminalizes the activities of the Nobel Prize-winning rights group Memorial

Source: Los Angeles Times

“Russia’s Supreme Court on Thursday effectively criminalized the activities of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning rights group Memorial, the latest step in an unrelenting crackdown on dissent and civil society organizations in the country amid its war in Ukraine. Separately, police in Moscow raided the offices of the prominent independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose chief editor Dmitry Muratov was a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2021. The newspaper said its lawyers were not allowed inside the office. … Memorial is one of the oldest and the most renowned Russian human rights organizations. It was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, less than a year after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, alongside Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski, who was imprisoned at the time, and the Ukrainian organization Center for Civil Liberties.” (04/09/26)

https://archive.is/ECLxE

Thomas L. Knapp

Trump Shows Why Congress Should Decide When America Goes to War

Source: The American Conservative
by Doug Bandow

“The president’s performance has been bizarre as well as hypocritical. He insists, as nations around the world stumble toward recession, that he acted for them, so it is up to them to get the oil they need. He removed sanctions on oil sold by Iran while threatening to wipe out Iranian civilization. He declared his support for the Iranian people while warning that he would bomb them back into ‘the Stone Ages.’ America’s founders would not have been surprised by such a performance. They revolted against not just Great Britain, but an entire monarchical system in which kings, emperors, queens, czars, and other royals ruled arbitrarily. Among monarchs’ chief crimes was callously taking their peoples into senseless wars for economic plunder, territorial aggrandizement, and personal glory — rather like Trump’s Iranian misadventure. Those who drafted the Constitution wanted to ensure that America didn’t suffer similar travails.” (04/09/26)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/trump-shows-why-congress-should-decide-when-america-goes-to-war/

Thomas L. Knapp

First major Atlantic hurricane season outlook calls for below-average activity

Source: Washington Post

“The first major outlook for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season was released Thursday morning as researchers at Colorado State University forecast a near- or below-average season, with fewer hurricanes than typical and a lesser chance of impacts for this region of the United States. In his first long-range forecast for the year, renowned hurricane specialist Phil Klotzbach predicted 13 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes, slightly less than the long-term seasonal average of 14.4 named storms, 7.2 hurricanes and 3.2 major hurricanes. … The driving factor is a burgeoning El Niño, which may even become a super El Niño. El Niño begins as a warming of waters in the eastern/central tropical Pacific. … El Niño patterns are linked to quieter-than-average Atlantic hurricane seasons.” (04/09/26)

https://archive.is/LSdea

Thomas L. Knapp

Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock, 04/09/26

Source: Freedom’s Phoenix

“Silver Dave (Local Silver Mint) comes on the show to talk about the benefits of silver and how he is ramping up his production facility to manufacture 1/10 oz SilverBitz (makes for easy barter/exchange), why investing in silver hedges inflation and the dollar decline, etc.” (04/09/26)

https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Media/393879-2026-04-09-2026-04-09-ernest-hancock-interviews-silver-dave-from-local.htm

Thomas L. Knapp

Comparison Shopping Is Not a (Computer) Crime

Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation
by Corynne McSherry & Tori Noble

“As long as people have had more than one purchasing option, they’ve been comparing those options and looking for bargains. Online shoppers are no exception; in fact, one of the potential benefits of the internet is that it expands our options for everything from car rentals to airline tickets to dish soap. New AI tools can make the process even easier. These tools could provide some welcome relief for consumers facing sky-high prices that many cannot afford. Unfortunately, Amazon is trying to block these helpful new tools, which can steer shoppers towards competitors. Taking a page from Facebook and RyanAir, they are trying to use computer crime laws to do it.” (04/09/26)

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/04/comparison-shopping-not-computer-crime

Thomas L. Knapp