Pluralistic: 12 Aug 2020

Today's links

Grace is cleared: The homeschool-to-prison pipeline is closed…for now.
Mexico's terrible copyright is in trouble: Hasta la victoria siempre.
Failed State: Chris Brown's outstanding new ecopocalyptic cyberpunk legal thriller.
Marvel's $0.10 mini-comics: Gashapon funnies from 1966.
Sorting machines snatched from post offices: Administrative incompetence vs textualism?
Payday lenders are CFPB's pandemic aid: When the watchdogs switch sides.
Trump's Solicitor General says bribery is legal: Rule 48a applies even if the judge sees the prosecutor accept a bribe in the courtroom.
RSS WTF: An explainer for the newly awakened.
This day in history: 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Warren Buffet, monopolist: Monopolized: Life in the Age of Corporate Power.
Uber lost $4b in H1/2020: They're not even making it up in volume anymore.
Dragon's Lair skeleton Dirk pin: Come for Dirk, stay for Leia.
This day in history: 2010, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Break 'Em Up: Zephyr Teachout's trustbusting program for the 21st century.
Unauthorized Meat: Mellow Sous Vide journeys to the Internet of Shit.
Let's force Big Tech to interoperate: Here's why…and how.
No consequences for police violence at BLM actions: Propublica followed up on viral videos showing gross misconduct and found…crickets.
The Internet Archive defends online libraries: First filings from the Hachette lawsuit.
Bitcoin is not a socialist's ally: Yanis Varoufakis responds to Ben Arc.
Where "software" comes from: "In October, 1953, I coined the word 'software.'"
This day in history: 2005, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Afterland: Lauren Beukes's regrettably brilliantly timed plague novel.
Mexican copyright crushes free speech: Trump's trade deal takes away Mexicans' fundamental rights.
Audible Exclusives: Monopolists gonna monopolize.
Snowden's Little Brother intro: The Age of Mass Surveillance Will Not Last Forever.
Police "unions" are not unions: They're protection rackets.
Quick, inaccurate, cheap covid tests: Frequency vs accuracy.
Swarov.se: Once you see it…
This day in history: 2005, 2010, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Constitution Illustrated: R Sikoryak's amazing chameleon take on the US Constitution.
My HOPE 2020 talk: Trying out my "grand unified theory."
Replace the police: 10 steps to improve safety by reducing dependence on police.
NYPD disciplinary records: Propublica has the receipts.
New podcast episode: Part 11 of "Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town."
Finger-mounted crossbows: For your cuke-slaying needs.
This day in history: 2010, 2015
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Green Growth: TANSTAAFL is the spectre haunting the world.
Lovely video review for Poesy the Monster Slayer: Thanks, Kend!
This day in history: 2005, 2010, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Ukrainian steampunk masks: The gorgeous work of Dmitriy and Aleksandra Bragin.
OTF spared (for now): Trump's administrative incompetence saves the US Agency for Global Media from becoming Global Breitbart.
Insurers are secret, powerful police reformers: Money talks, bullshit walks.
Ohio GOP leadership arrested for racketeering: Largest corruption scandal in Ohio history.
Little Brother as a role-playing game: Notes from the Fiction & RPG Podcast.
Anti-facial recognition tool: Fawkes will alter your images in ways that are invisible to humans but confounding for algorithms.
Kentucky AG sues top GOP donors: Kentucky's Republican lawmaker is the best kind of class-traitor.
This day in history: 2010, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Judge won't release Black learning-disabled kid jailed for missing homework: Mary Ellen Brennan is up for re-election in 2020.
Podcast: Part 10 of Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town: "A glorious book unlike any book you’ve ever read" -Gene Wolfe.
Christopher Brown's Failed State: I'm helping him launch an outstanding and timely novel on Aug 12.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist: Comparison is the thief of joy.
Luxury homes to be washed away: Australian plutes voted for climate deniers and now they're about to literally fall off a cliff.
As We May Think: Danny O'Brien on the past future of news.
Trump's spent a billion on re-election: Biden spent $165m.
This day in history: 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Homeschool to prison pipeline: Michigan judge jails Black teenager with a learning disability for not doing lockdown homework.
Spain has been an NSO customer since 2015: Whistleblower leaks the receipts.
McKinsey waxes fat off coronavirus failures: McKinsey got $100m (and climbing!) for its role in the disastrous US coronavirus response.
Biden's $2T climate plan: It's at least an order of magnitude shy of what's needed.
PE's three kids in a trenchcoat fraud: How private equity bilked PPP for hundreds of millions.
Leakypick: Probing smart speakers for covert audio exfiltration.
Poesy slays: Praise for "Poesy the Monster Slayer."
This day in history: 2010, 2015, 2019
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Poesy the Monster Slayer: My first picture book is out today!
Atlas of Surveillance: How are your local cops spying on you?
Catalan politician hacked with NSO Group malware: Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
Artists vs tax havens: A report from Tax Havens: Normalized Grand Theft.
Free "extended preview" of my next book: "Attack Surface" AKA "Little Brother III."
Target workers strike over chickenization: Working for a chickenshipt outfit.
Big Oil can have you locked up: Chevron's old legal firm have the oil company's most effective critic under house arrest.
California goes antitrust on Google: Xavier Becerra rides again!
2019's highest-paid execs: I'm sure they earned every dime.
This day in history: None
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading