Florida Republicans passed a bill to imprison people for conviction of driving without a driver's license. Since unauthorized immigrants can't get a license, they tend to do this. So they are the ones who will mainly be imprisoned -- and, perhaps, deported very soon.

Massachusetts made arrangements so that anyone who resides in the state and is capable of driving can get an official driver's license, valid for driving.

Some writers are boycotting PEN America events because it has refused to take a stand about the war in Gaza. In one case they demanded that PEN America uninvite another writer for per stand about the war in Gaza. (They too had been invited to the same event.)

PEN is right to refuse to take a side on that conflict, and all other conflicts, so it can influence all sides to respect the safety of writers and their freedom to write and publish.

PEN has acted similarly in regard to Putin's invasion of Ukraine: reproaching the Putin forces for their bombardment of Ukrainian museums and cultural institutions, but not calling for war to defeat Putin's aggression and repression.

I don't have a principle of political neutrality in my personal life — do not hesitate to say that Putin is the enemy of freedom and call for defeating his aggression — but I appreciate PEN's reasons to have such a principle, and I respect it for sticking to that.

Three US states forbid divorce for anyone who is pregnant. That can be used by the other spouse for coercion.

I wonder whether it is feasible to get around this problem by going to another state — Nevada.

*Biden says Schumer made "good speech" in breaking with Benjamin Netanyahu.*

Schumer called Netanyahu an obstacle to peace. Amen. He also called for the US to pressure Israel into changing its deadly approach to Gaza. Amen.

Biden's expression of support suggests he is telling Netanyahu that he's approaching the point of real pressure on Israel. I just hope Biden's approach is not going to asymptotically slow.

Let's not lose sight of where we want to end up.

Almost 7% of Americans (around 18 million) currently have symptoms of long Covid. Around 4 million have it to a debilitating degree.

This is a national catastrophe. Governments should take more measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19; we know that won't eliminate it, but reducing the number of people who get sick will also reduce the number that get long Covid and become incapacitated.