The UK government is considering a bill to oppose de-platforming in universities, giving the universities and student unions a responsibility not to censor staff, students, and visiting speakers.

The University and College Union replies that the UK government itself is a big threat to freedom of speech on campus. That accusation seems plausible to me, and I would like to see examples. Does criticism of Israel's occupation of Palestine faces repression there through labeling it "antisemitism"?

However, if freedom of speech is in danger from two sides, the two dangers to not balance each other out. Rather, they add.

*Heating Arctic may be to blame for snowstorms in Texas, scientists argue.*

Global heating is not uniform — it does not mean that every part of the Earth gets steadily hotter. It is possible for a region to get quite cold for a few weeks a year, while its average temperature rises.

It is even possible for a region to get colder on the average even as the Earth's surface overall gets hotter on the average.

Right-wing anti-truthers blame renewable generators for power outages in Texas, which in fact are the result of problems in fossil-fuel generators.

*Crew of oil tanker beached off UAE to go home after four years stranded at sea.*

They could have left before, but they would have forfeited their back pay for years on the ship.

Their ordeal is over, but what we really need is a treaty to assure that stranded crew do not face that unjust choice in the future. Perhaps the nearest country should be allowed to seize the ship, pay off the crew, sell it for auction, take enough to cover what was paid to the crew plus something for its trouble, and send the rest to the previous owner.

Progress in designing public housing to be low-carbon and good to live in.

The Republican mayor of a town called Colorado City told the residents to "Sink or swim" on their own — that they should not expect any help from the city or anyone else.

That's what passes for morality among Republicans today.

If you would like governments to organize efforts to help and take care of people that need help, vote for progressive Democrats and Greens.