Many weaknesses that undermine democracy tend to suck in politicians regardless of their overall positions.

On the argument between two camps that both miss the point about massive commercial surveillance of individuals.

By arguing about whether to divide up the power that this data gives to businesses, or to regulate the use of it (perhaps nationalizing it), they miss the point that both alternatives destroy our privacy and give the state a perfect basis for repression.

The danger is to collect that data at all.

More generally, I think the idea of taxing companies for the magnitude of harm that they do (regardless of whether they broke any rules to do it) is a good one.

An unnamed official reports that two "suspicious activity reports", posted by a bank about Michael Cohen's bank transfers, have disappeared from the US government system which is supposed to store them.

In Florida? Don't buy from Publix supermarkets!

The UK's review of building codes and inspections proposed a fundamental change in the way decisions are made. Specific changes, such as banning particular materials, would not be enough by itself.