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Posted by msmash

Amazon violated consumer protection law by gathering Prime subscribers' billing information before disclosing the service's terms, a judge ruled on Wednesday, handing the U.S. Federal Trade Commission a partial win. From a report: The ruling by U.S. District Judge John Chun in the case accusing Amazon of deceptive practices to generate Prime subscriptions puts the company at a disadvantage at trial. The FTC is poised to argue that the online retailer signed up tens of millions of customers for Prime without their consent, and thwarted tens of millions of cancellation bids through complex cancellation methods. The agency says those actions violated the Restore Online Shoppers Confidence Act (ROSCA).

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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The Trump administration is hell-bent on making Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees miserable, at least that’s the only explanation for these ongoing cruelties.

On Wednesday, CDC employees received an email telling them that telework is no longer a reasonable accommodation—a policy that has supposedly been in effect since Aug. 13. That means that anyone with disabilities or temporary health issues will have to return to the office. 

Cartoon by Clay Jones
A cartoon by Clay Jones.

What temporary health issues, you might be wondering? Well, some folks were working from home after being literally pinned down for hours by a gunman who was empowered by the types of anti-vax conspiracies spewed by President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Who wouldn’t want to return to an office that’s still covered in bullet holes? 

The agency is well within its rights, regrettably, to say that telework is no longer an option. But under the Americans with Disabilities Act, any request for accommodations requires an individualized analysis to assess whether the requested accommodation is reasonable. So an employer actually can’t just end telework altogether without assessing individual needs. 

While it may be permissible to declare that people with disabilities can’t telework because “no one can,” those employees would still be entitled to different reasonable accommodations—which still requires an individualized assessment.

Though the Trump team obviously can’t be bothered to do its research, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has a whole page on how telework is, in fact, a reasonable accommodation, explaining that the determination of whether it’s reasonable has to be made between the employer and the individual.

See? Individualized assessment! 

Put another way, the CDC is required to sit down with each disabled employee to determine what reasonable accommodations are needed, even if telework is off the table. 

Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing to examine reviewing recent events at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and implications for children's health on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Former CDC Director Susan Monarez testifies before the Senate Committe on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Sept. 17.

Hilariously, the entire telework site for the federal government is intact, but there’s a big banner saying that any guidance is superseded by Trump’s demand that people return to the office. They’re wrecking the government—and it's monstrous. But it’s also just so lazy and tawdry. 

The ending of remote work at the CDC seems to be part of the Trump administration’s outright war on the agency’s employees. Under Kennedy, the CDC has been wrecking science, and now it apparently wants to wreck people, too.  

But what Kennedy doesn’t understand—or just doesn’t care about—is the level of trauma experienced by CDC employees. 

Debra Houry, who resigned as chief medical officer the same day that CDC Director Susan Monarez was fired, explained that “each bullet was meant for a person, and each of my staff were very traumatized afterwards.”

The Trump administration’s war on science also means that CDC employees are reluctant to perform their normal job duties, like speaking or writing about vaccines. But surely hauling them back to the office will fix that, right?

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Posted by Ayala Sorotsky

Okay, listen up, fellow cat fans. We already know our smol floofs run the world. But what about their jumbo-sized cousins? Yep, we're talking lions, tigers, pumas, cheetahs - the ultimate chonks of the cat universe. And let's be honest… cats are cats are cats. Doesn't matter if they fit in a shoebox or need an entire savannah, the vibes are the same.

Your house cat: knocks a glass of water off the counter.
A lioness: knocks a buffalo off its feet.
Different scale, same energy.

That's the thing about big cats - they've got the same loaf positions, the same dramatic stares, the same "feed me, hooman" cattitude… just with a little more roar. House cats prance around with murder mittens, but big cats? Those mittens come with claws you really don't want poking holes in your couch. Still, whether they're napping in the sun like your cat on the windowsill, or stalking prey with the same intensity your kitty uses when hunting your toes, it's clear: cats will always cat.

So, in honor of the ultimate feline overlords, we've rounded up these big cat memes with the biggest cat energy imaginable. For everyone who rocks, roars, and knows deep down that no matter the size… cats rule everything around us.

Is your inbox feline too professional? Add some cats falling off counters. Subscribe here!

[syndicated profile] crooks_and_liars_feed

Posted by RedStateRachel

Tucker Carlson, welcome to the resistance. In the video above, Tucker Carlson calls out Trump for using Charlie Kirk’s death as a weapon to nuke the First Amendment.

Carlson is one of the first powerful right-wing voices to accuse Trump of using Kirk's murder to power his attack on democracy. On his podcast, Carlson explained:

"If they can tell you what to say, and they're telling you what to think, there is nothing they can't do to you."

A tweet by @JoJofromJerz summed up the overwhelming response to Tucker's criticism of Trump:

National Review Rips Pam Bondi

It's been quite a week, as it is becoming clear that Trump and company plan to use Charlie Kirk's killing to crack down on all Americans who disagree with Dear Leader.

read more

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Posted by Susie Madrak

If you're over 65, go get your covid shot before Friday. That's when Crazy Bobby's cuckoo bananas anti-vax "advisors" vote to issue recommendations. Via the Bezos Times:

That's because that panel, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, has been weighing revisions to coronavirus vaccine recommendations that could make it more difficult for seniors to access the shots as soon as this weekend, according to several people familiar with their deliberations. Those recommendations influence the policies set by doctors and pharmacists to administer vaccines. They also compel health insurers to pay for the vaccine, although a major insurance industry group pledged Wednesday to keep covering coronavirus vaccines regardless of how that committee votes.

The guidelines the committee has floated could force some seniors who can currently walk into a pharmacy and get a vaccine free to have to pay out-of-pocket or bring a prescription, according to the people familiar with the planning. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose internal discussions meant to be confidential.

read more

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Posted by John Amato

Sen. Ted Cruz tried to portray the murderer who killed a Democratic Minnesota lawmaker and her husband as a "leftist."

He used this lie to claim political violence only comes from the left.

Newshound Ellen writes, "But despite the dangerously irresponsible accusations coming from the White House, one thing is very clear: extremist violence comes mostly from the right. Don’t take it from me. Take it from a study that had been posted to a webpage of the Department of Justice. Its first sentence states, “Militant, nationalistic, white supremacist violent extremism far-right attacks continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism.”

Republicans are twisting themselves into pretzels trying to use the Charlie Kirk shooting as a cudgel against the left and whitewash right wing extremist violence against Democratic lawmakers, minorities and Jewish people.

Cruz was belligerent throughout the interview, constantly interrupting Kaitlan Collins and then trying to ask her questions instead of answering his own. (I shortened the video, but here's a longer version.)

CRUZ: Anyone funding acts of violence, we should go after. But this is a left wing problem.

read more

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Posted by Heather

Oh joy. Who's going to be next? Of course, Fox's Sean Hannity was just fine with all of this. FCC chair Brendan Carr made an appearance on Hannity's show this Wednesday, and after a screed by Hannity where he was of course okay with Nexstar and Sinclair giving Kimmel the boot, and accusing Kimmel of bringing this on himself for daring to criticize Trump and the right -- Carr promised more of this while attacking Kimmel:

FCC chairman Brendan Carr appeared on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show to praise Nexstar and Sinclair for pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their ABC affiliate stations, after which ABC suspended production of the show indefinitely.

read more

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Posted by Not Always Right

Read Never Joke With The Customers… Ever!, Part 16

In the manager's office, I overhear our manager is on the phone with the owner, trying to defend a recent memo they sent out to "not joke around with the customers."
Manager: "I understand it sounds harsh, but [Waiter] saw it was the kid's birthday, and thought it would be funny to give a five-year-old the bill directly and say, 'Happy birthday.' The parents were offended."

Read Never Joke With The Customers… Ever!, Part 16

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Posted by msmash

An anonymous reader shares a report: Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today reiterated that a more affordable MacBook powered by an iPhone processor is slated to enter mass production in the fourth quarter of 2025, which points towards a late 2025 or early 2026 launch. Kuo was first to reveal that Apple is allegedly planning a more affordable MacBook. In late June, he said the laptop would have around a 13-inch display, and an A18 Pro chip. Kuo said potential color options include silver, blue, pink, and yellow, so the laptop could come in bright colors, like 2021-and-newer models of the 24-inch iMac. This time around, he only mentioned the MacBook will have an unspecific iPhone processor. Apple recently introduced the A19 Pro chip, which has 12GB of RAM, so it will be interesting to see if the lower-cost MacBook uses that chip instead. The entire Mac lineup has started with at least 16GB of RAM since last year, with the only option with 8GB being the MacBook with an M1 chip, which is sold exclusively by Walmart for $599.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Posted by Grant St. Clair

Ryan Gosling (Fred Duval / Shutterstock.com)

I can't lie, guys: I'm kind of over Star Wars. More renowned media commentators than me have pointed out its devolution into a constant stream of samey, half-considered projects that induce little but a weary "another one?" from a fatigued audience. — Read the rest

The post New Star Wars film follows Baby Yoda's successful formula appeared first on Boing Boing.

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Posted by Jennifer Sandlin

Screengrab from Kash Patel's Truth Social.

Here's a great fifteen-minute video to share with friends and family, particularly those who might have already gone down the "Make America Healthy Again" rabbit hole. The New York Times Opinion Video, created by Derek Beres of Conspirituality Podcast in collaboration with NYT producer and editor Alex Stockton, is called, "You Might Have Already Fallen for MAHA's Conspiracy Theories," and seeks to explore and explain how participating in seemingly innocuous health trends like conducting celery juice detoxes and avoiding seed oils and artificial food dyes can lead some people — especially those who are suffering from illness, feel alienated from the traditional medical system, and are desperate for help and answers — down a harmful path where wellness influencers spread health misinformation, push anti-vaccine disinformation and other conspiracy theories, foment distrust of medical science and the healthcare system, and peddle junk science and expensive remedies that are at best useless and at worst dangerous or deadly. — Read the rest

The post Great new resource about MAHA's conspiracy theories explores the celery juice detox to anti-vaxx pipeline appeared first on Boing Boing.

Outrunning The Echo Chamber

Sep. 18th, 2025 04:00 pm
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Posted by Not Always Right

Read Outrunning The Echo Chamber

Me: "They help immigrant youths, especially kids separated from their families."
Coworker: "You know that’s a scam, right? Those charities just undermine America. Half of them are funneling money to domestic terrorists."

Read Outrunning The Echo Chamber

Witches, Contemporary Romance, & More

Sep. 18th, 2025 03:30 pm
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Posted by Amanda

Libro.fm’s buy-one-get-one sale is happening from Sept 16-19, and you can get two audiobooks for one credit. And if you’ve been thinking of joining Libro.fm, you can get three audiobooks for the price of one if you’re a new member buying a one credit per month plan. This means if you use code SWITCH, you could end up with six audiobooks for three credits you receive on sign up.

A Psalm for the Wild Built

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers is $2.99! Sarah loved this one and gave it an A-. It was also her favorite read of 2021:

Thinking about that book brings back the feeling of awe and stillness and gratitude I had when reading it. It’s so peaceful and kind. I almost miss it (which is fixable because I can re read).

Hugo Award-winner Becky Chambers’s delightful new series gives us hope for the future.

It’s been centuries since the robots of Earth gained self-awareness and laid down their tools.

Centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again.

Centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend.

One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of “what do people need?” is answered.

But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how.

They’re going to need to ask it a lot.

Becky Chambers’ new series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Long Game

The Long Game by Elena Armas is $2.99! This is part of today’s Kindle Daily Deals. I remember this being a highly anticipated release given the popularity of Armas’s other books.

A disgraced soccer exec reluctantly enlists the help of a retired soccer star in coaching a children’s team in this smalltown love story in the vein of Ted Lasso and It Happened One Summer — from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception.

Adalyn Reyes has spent years perfecting her daily routine: wake up at dawn, drive to the Miami Flames FC offices, try her hardest to leave a mark, go home, and repeat.

But her routine is disrupted when a video of her in an altercation with the team’s mascot goes viral. Rather than fire her, the team’s owner—who happens to be her father—sends Adalyn to middle-of-nowhere North Carolina, where she’s tasked with turning around the struggling local soccer team, the Green Warriors, as a way to redeem herself. Her plans crumble upon discovering that the players wear tutus to practice (impractical), keep pet goats (messy), and are terrified of Adalyn (counterproductive), and are nine-year-old kids.

To make things worse, also in town is Cameron Caldani, goalkeeping prodigy whose presence is somewhat of a mystery. Cam is the perfect candidate to help Adalyn, but after one very unfortunate first encounter involving a rooster, Cam’s leg, and Adalyn’s bumper, he’s also set on running her out of town. But banishment is not an option for Adalyn. Not again. Helping this ragtag children’s team is her road to redemption, and she is playing the long game. With or without Cam’s help.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Must Love Scones and Secrets

Must Love Scones and Secrets by Maisy Magill is 99c! This is book one in the Moonshine Hollow series and is described as a cozy, fantasy romance with medium spice. I bought it out of curioisty.

He’s a prince longing for freedom.

She’s a baker yearning for the ultimate love story.

Together, they’ll discover that sometimes the sweetest magic lies in unexpected places.

Rosalyn’s enchanted scones bring magic to every bite at The Sconery and Teashop. With a glitter-sneezing caticorn and a thriving business, all Rosalyn needs is a romance as sweet as her baking. When a mysterious Rune Elf strides into Moonshine Hollow, bringing secrets and devastating charm, her perfectly-measured life crumbles faster than a day-old scone.

Bjorn is no ordinary elf. A secret prince looking for an escape, he’s determined to forge his own path far from the expectations of his royal family. When he’s tasked with helping a wild unicorn herd suffering from chaotic magic, he’s relieved to focus on creatures instead of people. That is, until a certain insistently-friendly baker and her pet crash into his carefully guarded solitude.

As Rosalyn and Bjorn work together to uncover the source of the magical imbalance in horned creatures, sparks fly in more ways than one. Her warmth and charm start to melt his icy walls, but Bjorn’s secret could shatter their fragile connection. Rosalyn dreams of the kind of love bards sing about, but will this gruff and guarded prince sweep her off her feet before it’s too late?

Must Love Scones and Secrets is a spicy cozy fantasy romance full of enchanted pastries, mischievous caticorns, and a love story that will warm your heart.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Ex Hex

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling is $1.99! This is a light paranormal romance with some witchy elements. This one was…sweeter? More twee? than I had thought it’d be. I hope you get what I’m trying to say here.

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins, writing as Erin Sterling, casts a spell with a spine-tingling romance full of wishes, witches, and hexes gone wrong.

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two.

That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.

Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

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Posted by Grant St. Clair

AllKlear Love Photo/shutterstock.com

It is perhaps a testament to the remarkable cuteness of cats that they manage to stay cute even in their most undignified moments. Are they cute despite the strained, scrunkly, overenergetic faces… or because of them? Either way, Léo Forest's messy sketchess capture cats at their worst, or perhaps at their best. — Read the rest

The post Instagram artist captures cats' hilariously undignified moments appeared first on Boing Boing.

[syndicated profile] boingboing_feed

Posted by Jennifer Sandlin

Aye-ayes, Earth's largest nocturnal primates, are so visually off-putting that some people consider them bad luck and kill them on sight. (Photo by Joel Sartore / National Geographic Photo Ark)

Back in 2022, we briefly mentioned that an aye-aye had been caught on film "digging for gold," i.e., practicing rhinotillexis, or, in other words, picking its nose. However, somehow, we failed to actually provide video evidence of said aye-aye, and, honestly, you really need to see it for yourself. — Read the rest

The post Aye-aye caught picking nose with finger reaching its throat appeared first on Boing Boing.

[syndicated profile] boingboing_feed

Posted by Séamus Bellamy

Image via Apple

Apple iPhone owners were treated to the unconventionally handsome looks of iOS26 this week. The update to the latest version of Apple's smartphone operating system brings a number of welcome new features like a simplified camera interface, lock screen live translations and super duper spam call screening. — Read the rest

The post Hate the new iOS 26 design? Here's how to make your iPhone pretty again appeared first on Boing Boing.

[syndicated profile] boingboing_feed

Posted by Jennifer Sandlin

Pensive and serious gibbon (Lisa A. Ernst/Shutterstock.com)

One of my core childhood memories is going to the local zoo with my mom, heading to the gibbon area, and watching the cute, lanky creatures swing through the trees like little furry acrobats. If we got lucky, we'd also get to hear their glorious vocalizations. — Read the rest

The post Please do not whoop at the gibbons, nature's comedic geniuses appeared first on Boing Boing.

[syndicated profile] boingboing_feed

Posted by Jason Weisberger

Visit Disneyland's new Anaphylactic Adventure Cafe! (Boing Boing/Midjourney)

The failure to give a damn about free speech needs to come with a price. Disney's ABC has chosen the path of least resistance, rather than defend its rights, weakening us all.

I am also an annual passholder at Disneyland; sadly, they lock us into annual contracts on that, but I won't be renewing unless they make some profound changes and genuinely make an effort. — Read the rest

The post I terminated my Disney streaming services appeared first on Boing Boing.

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