The Department of Agriculture, when run by Vilsack before, suppressed research that could (or did) cast a negative light on businesses.

A committee of tech insiders say AI-controlled weapons will avoid harming civilians.

I can imagine that an AI-controlled weapon would do a better job of following its rules of engagement. Thus, whether it would harm civilians less, or harm civilians more, depends on what those rules of engagement say.

Would an AI-controlled weapon be better at saying, "We shouldn't be fighting a war here"? Would it be even occasionally capable of asking that? Would it be capable of asking, "Sergeant, do you think we're the redcoats?"

I seem to recall reading that the helicopter crew that stars in the collateral murder video killed in accord with the letter of the rules of engagement; that they took advantage of loopholes in it to justify some of their killings.

Some AI programs are capable of such reasoning. Would these weapons do that?

The New York Times condemned China for (1) covering up the Covid-19 situation in January 2020 and (2) donating vaccines to countries such as Brazil.

Overall, China has done an effective job of controlling Covid-19, and the US has not. To criticize its coverup in January 2020 is nonetheless valid, because China's tendency is to cover up problems.

We should not, however, fail to condemn the US government for covering up the problems of Covid-19 through the end of 2020, nor the way Florida has covered it up starting in September.

I agree it is unfortunate that China gains world influence by donating vaccines. The US should counter that by donating more vaccines. Why doesn't the US do so? Because the plutocrats that control the US won't allow it.

*Australia's proposed gas pipelines would generate emissions equivalent to 33 coal-fired power plants.*

The article says that the US is even worse. Will Biden cancel the Line 3 pipeline? Domestic pipelines must be cancelled too.

Israel has extended its legal repression of Palestinian dissent to cover the Israeli organization B'tselem.