Looks like a LOWESS curve (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_regression). They always overfit, but are still useful to show trends. The main danger is that they get wonky near the limits of the data. Note that that increase at the end of the left plot for Democrats looks like it is increasing -but that increase looks to be 100% dependent on that single data point for '25. Obviously, you never want your analysis to be dependent on a single point like that.

Either he was arrested with no record of the arrest (i.e “disappeared”) which is a new line for the administration to cross, or he disappeared for another reason (by himself, or with help or coercion by a foreign entity like the CCP), and the FBI is investigating.

I hope journalists keep on this because the first option would be a huge problem that everyone needs to know about, but without more information, the second is also a possibility. The CCP is known to have agents in western countries that manipulate and pressure ex-pats to return to China. Keeping an open mind now will also strengthen the argument if evidence for the former comes to light.

Might be easiest to just drill out the mic and camera, and use a usb headset for calls. I also suggest specific threat modelling and learning about opsec as that may help you feel more in control. After that, please look after your mental well-being. We all should.

This is signal detection theory combined with an arms race that keeps the problem hard. You cannot block scrapers without blocking people, and you cannot inconvenience bots without also inconveniencing readers. You might figure something clever out temporarily, but eventually this truism will resurface. Excuse me while I solve a few more captchas.

Exactly, never assume silence is because they have changed their minds. They only just discovered it doesn’t play well in polling and are avoiding the topic. Unless they actively say they have changed their mind, they haven’t (and even then be skeptical). Ontario learned this the hard way several times in a row.

Out of band key exchange is great -as long as people can physically meet and exchange QR codes. In reality, they are often sent via less secure means. As always, the humans are the weakest security link.

It does, I tried it. Though, that may have been an addition since the attacks started.

Though, in that specific case - Russian agents conducting espionage via targeted individuals - it’s very likely they surveil their targets long enough to catch their device PIN before they nab the phone and return it. In the end, there is very little recourse to defend against this type of Evil Maid attack. Signal is really better at protecting against mass surveillance, but for individuals directly targeted by state espionage? You would need serious opsec, using air-gapped computers kept in safes or guarded by humans 24x7 and other crazy stuff. They have rules about what can be physically done with devices containing top secret information for a good reason.

The exact reason why it’s bad for top secret communications is why individuals should use it or something like it. That is government auditability.

Reagan’s success was convincing the Democrats to under-correct and fully buy-into trickle-down neoliberalism for decades. That way, when people get fed up with it, a Republican gets to claim to be a third option against all those mainstream globalists who’s going to bring jobs back to America. The marks don’t recognize it was the Republican’s who started it in the first place.

Paywalled… but. TheStar has 6 months for a buck right now -might be worth paying to follow their election and tariff coverage, which is pretty good, and avoid all those American owned papers entirely.

It was Kitchener

4 countries that manipulate opinion through subterfuge and bots all over various media and social media sites. One country that just straight-up owns both and doesn’t need to bother with that kind of thing.

Watch some of the stuff Segall has done in the past decade. He gets winded standing up. Or rather don’t -he’s basically Rogan in 10-20 years, physically and mentally.

Minority governments are unstable, unpredictable, and result from very close-call elections. They may be okay-ish at getting progressive domestic policies passed, but the priority should be strong foreign policy for the near term. A majority is at least stable and consistent.