Author Archives: John Lusk

The Guardian: Gambling platform Polymarket not paying bets on US invasion of Venezuela

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/07/wager-platform-polymarket-will-not-pay-out-on-bets-on-us-invasion-of-venezuela

«After Polymarket clarified that the seizure of Maduro did not qualify for a winning bet, the odds of an invasion before the end of January crashed to below 5%.»

🙂

Right. How *do* you define the end of a ruler in a crisp and clear enough way? Might have to be in retrospect, so the payout might not come for years.

WRAL: North Carolina governor backs challenger of sitting Democrat in Charlotte-area primary

https://www.wral.com/news/nccapitol/north-carolina-governor-endorses-rodney-sadler-charlotte-primary-2026/

«“I am proud to stand with Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler in his campaign to put people first,” Stein said in a statement. “The people of North Charlotte deserve a representative who will fight for Democratic values, defend our public schools, and keep costs down. Rev. Dr. Sadler will help us build a North Carolina where we can all afford to thrive.”»

Go get ’em, Josh.

The cost of AI is being dumped on you

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/5671747-big-tech-energy-burden-communities/

Structural racism, anyone? Get it while it’s fresh! (Oh, btw, white people will pay more, too.)

«These facilities are overwhelmingly placed in non-white, low-income and rural communities, areas that have historically been treated as “sacrifice zones.” AI’s rapid expansion is on track to replicate a familiar pattern: Profits flow upward while pollution and costs fall hardest on those with the least political power.»

RFK Jr. wanted to endorse the Danish vaccine schedule. He was forced to pull back. – POLITICO

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/20/rfk-kennedy-danish-vaccine-schedule-denmark-00701999

“Kennedy is a longtime anti-vaxxer who is afraid of needles.”

Ftfy, Politico.

«Kennedy is a longtime vaccine skeptic who believes the U.S. schedule has grown too quickly, has not been tested in its entirety for adverse effects, and is a likely cause of rising autism rates.»

Durham Mayor Leo Williams denies allegations of misconduct | Raleigh News & Observer

https://amp.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article313830984.html

So… A ~15-year-old accusation. Seems weak. Always, somebody comes out of the woodwork to tear down a Black leader. 🙄 I guess he doesn’t have a Ph.D. dissertation. So the accusation of plagiarism is out.

«A former Southern High School student has accused Durham Mayor Leo Williams of inappropriate conduct while Williams was a teacher at the school.

Marquise Covington, now 30, posted the allegations on Facebook this week. He said Williams showed him an inappropriate video when he was a junior at the school. The News & Observer has not confirmed the claims; Covington gave his permission for his name to be published.»

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could beat JD Vance in 2028, surprising new poll finds – al.com

https://www.al.com/politics/2025/12/this-divisive-democrat-could-beat-jd-vance-in-2028-surprising-new-poll-finds.html

If the Dems put up AOC in ’28, I will vote for her in a heartbeat. A HEARTBEAT.

Which is probably not unusual for people on This Site (Mastodon, to be clear) within the sound of my toot, but… I’m an older, white, Christian man, so there’s that.