How US plutocracy operates to give the rich control over laws.

Journalist Simon Ostrovsky, who had been made prisoner by a Russian irregular militia in Ukraine, has been released.

I guess Putin decided he was pushing a little too hard.

The article describes him as a "hostage", but I don't see that he was one. I have not seen anything suggesting a treat to kill him or hurt him, or any ransom demand. Capturing/kidnaping journalists is nasty enough in itself without exaggeration.

DDT is still available for fighting malaria, notwithstanding inaccurate claims by Stuart Brand and James Lovelock that it was banned.

Several years ago Stuart Brand tried to convince me to support nuclear power. His arguments did not seem valid to me.

The US is giving Egypt armed helicopters.

The Islamists in the Sinai are violently opposed to human rights, but the violence they have committed is probably less than the Egyptian government's. What's more, the Egyptian government's killing of protesters has done a lot to boost violent Islamism in Egypt. Instead of giving that government the endorsement of military support, it would be more rational to caution the Egyptian government to cut down its provocative repression of dissidents.

In some fast food companies, the CEO gets paid 1000 times as much as an ordinary worker.

This "food" is not made for eating, it is made for fasting.