Greg Palast describes the conspiracy of oil companies to turn off the expensive precautions that they had agreed to, in order to get permission to ship oil out of Valdez, Alaska.

More about the frauds that led to the oil spill.

I am very interested what Greg Palast has to say, but I would prefer if the articles were shorter, and more focused on the crucial facts and the crucial conclusions they demonstrate.

*Jakub Żulczyk faces possible prison term for insulting [President] Andrzej Duda.*

Many countries other than the US make it a crime to insult officials. Some make it a crime to insult anyone. This is disrespect for freedom of speech. People are entitled to the right to call anyone a moron, even me.

I raised this issue once with an official in Mexico, who responded that insults can wound people so much that it should be a crime to say them.

I tried to reply, "The words that can wound most are, 'I'm breaking up with you,' but everyone has the right to break up, so it must be lawful to say so. That being the case, it makes no sense to prohibit mere insults from strangers."

However, I did not put it into Spanish clearly, and did not get my point across.

Congress is looking to reverse the saboteur's change in methane regulations using the Congressional Review Act.

I wonder whether Republicans can block this using the filibuster. The article does not say.

The classic Maya had a higher level of inequality than other Mesoamerican societies, due to being more autocratic.

Ironically, this may be linked to the ancient monuments that make the Maya so fascinating to us.

I think it is important for a society to use some of its wealth to make glorious lasting things that can fascinate the public, present and future.

Lasting things do not have to be buildings or art. Condors and whales are glorious, too, so saving them counts.

Making glorious things does not require the extreme inequality that the US suffers today. What it requires is to tax the rich enough to have money for society's needs — including glory.

*More than 100 killed as Myanmar junta unleashes worst day of terror.*

I imagine mothers of soldiers sending them text messages, "The next protester you shoot may be me." It might convince some soldiers to desert.

Some are organizing a guerrilla to overthrow the army.