Some local governments in the US have passed surtaxes on very expensive apartments and houses.

We should do this at the state or federal level — that would be more effective.

San Diego is trying out a software system to recognize "homeless encampments".

They define "encampments" more broadly than one might expect. For instance, they define "vehicles that people are living in" as "encampments". While breaking up an encampment in the usual sense of that word is likely to bring attention from the press, forcing someone who lives in an RV to move it is not big enough to do that, which means they could get away with it without even reproach.

San Francisco went to the absurd length of prohibiting parking an RV in the city. As a result, people who live in houses but own an RV can't leave the RV nearby in order to prepare for a trip.

Putin's state boats about torturing the terrorists that killed attendees at a music event.

I have no more sympathy for those terrorists than you do, but we must never tolerate torture, not even torturing terrorists.

Australia plans to order people awaiting deportation to take various steps to arrange permission for their own deportation.

Right-wing judges will soon have a chance to allow US private medical insurance plans to charge for preventive medicine.