Russia demonstrates the power it gets from Europe's dependence on Russian gas by pressuring European countries to invest in continuing, long-lasting dependence on Russian gas.

This should remind Europe that the whole world needs to quickly cut down its use of natural gas, Russian or not. If Nord Stream 2 is still in use 10 years from now, that will mean the world has failed to protect itself from global heating.

If Nord Stream 2 is not still in use 10 years from now, building it will have been a waste of money. Europe should not spend another eurocent on that bad investment.

Cutting it off now will punish Putin where it really hurts.

Bill Gates is funding an effort to make it easier to collect and analyze personal data about students. Easier for schools. Easier for companies.

They talk about protecting students' privacy. What they mean is, protecting it from third parties who were not officially supposed to get the data. As for protecting the students' privacy from the companies that have dealt themselves in, they exclude that from the definition of "privacy".

If the school gives a student's real name to any company, or any other identifying data, that already violates the student's privacy.

Nina Turner is running in an Ohio Democratic primary for Congress. She has worked for Sanders and eagerly supports Medicare for All. Her plutocratist opponent gets campaign support from Big Pharma, and gets endorsements from politicians funded by Big Pharma.

The Supreme Court is eagerly seeking opportunities to allow states to make elections less fair. First, by accepting voting rules that interfere with poor voters; second, by ensuring the rich can use their money to do more than vote.

*US halts all federal executions amid review of capital punishment.*

This may be the effect of Biden's disapproval of the death penalty. It could lead to ending the death penalty for federal crimes.