KGB Report by Kevin G. Barkes

ICE, Derby delays, Sssh!, Mickey a target, finding things, George Carlin
(permalink)

Published Wednesday, May 11, 2022 @ 4:23 PM EDT

May 11 2022

This just in: You thought joy was within reach, but you were wrong.
(New Yorker)

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ICE 'now operates as a domestic surveillance agency,' think tank says. Although it's supposed to be restricted by surveillance rules at local, state and federal levels, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has built up a mass surveillance system that includes details on almost all US residents, according to a report from a major think tank.

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More people watched replays of the Kentucky Derby than watched it live. NBC said some 36 million people watched the exciting finish of horseracing's premier event on NBC Sports' social media accounts, including 11.6 million on TikTok, the most ever achieved for a network sports presentation. That doesn't account for non-NBC outlets, for which there was no estimate available.

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Congress targets loud commercials on streaming services The update would extend the current law governing broadcast, cable, and satellite to streaming services, as well as beef up the Federal Communications Committee's ability to go after violations and mandate a study of the effectiveness of the law to date.

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GOP goes after Mickey Mouse: Josh Hawley targets Disney with bill to reverse its copyright protections. Disney's copyright on Steamboat Willie, the first appearance of Mickey Mouse, is set to expire next year. Although there has been some speculation that the company would seek a further extension, they were likely would face opposition to such a move even before the latest GOP efforts to target the company in the culture wars.

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The bottom line:

The Turnaway Study followed groups of women who wanted abortions for five years. Two-thirds of the group that was unable to get abortions were living in poverty within six months, compared to 45% of the group that was able to receive the procedure.
In 1970, prior to Roe v. Wade, women's labor force participation rate was about 43%. Scholars argue that abortion access was an important factor in raising that rate to 57.4% by 2019.
A 2020 paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that being denied abortion access causes bankruptcies and evictions experienced by women to rise by 81%, and increases the amount of debt women hold that is 30+ days past due by 78%.

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Pilot down, passenger takes over with 'no idea how to fly', lands safely with help from air traffic controller. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Rick Breitenfeldt confirmed that the pilot and passenger were the only two people aboard. The agency is investigating, he said in an email. There was no immediate word on the condition of the pilot, and authorities didn’t release their identities.

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Something useful: Twelve principles for finding things you've lost. (I would have posted this sooner, but I couldn't locate the link.)

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Tweets, observations, and diversions:

The strange afterlife of George Carlin Nearly 14 years after his death, his provocative humor has been embraced by people across the political spectrum. What happens when comedy outlasts the era it was made for?