Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
cbabe
cbabe's Journal
cbabe's Journal
April 1, 2026
Frankenstein, Jane Eyre and Snow White with a gender-based perspective: ‘The Madwoman in the Attic’ and the beginning of feminist literary criticism
Constanza Pérez Z.
Madrid - MAR 31, 2026 - 15:58 EDT
A Spanish publisher has released a new edition of Gilbert and Gubar’s renowned 1979 book, which analyzed the work of Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, the Brontë sisters and Emily Dickinson from a new angle
…
Alicia de la Fuente, the philologist who helms the Spanish publisher, explains why she decided to take on the task: “It is a book that forms the backbone of feminist literary criticism. It is a text that remains entirely relevant today, and we wanted to make it accessible to everyone.” The essay, which started out as an academic paper, won the U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
…
Bertha Mason, the wife of Edward Rochester in Jane Eyre, lives her life trapped in the attic of her mansion by the decision of her husband, who believes that she has lost her mind. Mason represents the woman who is marginalized by the patriarchy, dubbed hysteric or crazy when she decides not to fulfill that which is expected of her: to be docile, servile, passive and self-sacrificing. Literary critics Gilbert and Gubar saw in this figure a constantly recurring archetype in the works of Victorian women writers, a way of expressing the malaise and frustration the authors themselves experienced. A way of liberating oneself, and saying that which was forbidden, of exhibiting their experiences in a literary space dominated by men and a patriarchal canon.
….
De la Fuente agrees on the extent to which other women writers have been overlooked, and proposes viewing the book as a bridge between different strains of feminism — between how it was understood in the 19th century, in the 1970s, and today. “I think it’s a text that remains relevant because of the authors it focuses on, but I also believe it helps us to ask why other authors aren’t being discussed,” she notes. The editor would like to see other texts published that engage with this one, and fill in its gaps. Because even today, there are madwomen in the attic everywhere who rebel, and from their attics, write about the experience of being a woman.
//
Frankenstein, Jane Eyre and Snow White with a gender-based perspective: 'The Madwoman in the Attic' and the beginning of
https://english.elpais.com/culture/2026-03-31/frankenstein-jane-eyre-and-snow-white-with-a-gender-based-perspective-the-madwoman-in-the-attic-and-the-beginning-of-feminist-literary-criticism.htmlFrankenstein, Jane Eyre and Snow White with a gender-based perspective: ‘The Madwoman in the Attic’ and the beginning of feminist literary criticism
Constanza Pérez Z.
Madrid - MAR 31, 2026 - 15:58 EDT
A Spanish publisher has released a new edition of Gilbert and Gubar’s renowned 1979 book, which analyzed the work of Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, the Brontë sisters and Emily Dickinson from a new angle
…
Alicia de la Fuente, the philologist who helms the Spanish publisher, explains why she decided to take on the task: “It is a book that forms the backbone of feminist literary criticism. It is a text that remains entirely relevant today, and we wanted to make it accessible to everyone.” The essay, which started out as an academic paper, won the U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
…
Bertha Mason, the wife of Edward Rochester in Jane Eyre, lives her life trapped in the attic of her mansion by the decision of her husband, who believes that she has lost her mind. Mason represents the woman who is marginalized by the patriarchy, dubbed hysteric or crazy when she decides not to fulfill that which is expected of her: to be docile, servile, passive and self-sacrificing. Literary critics Gilbert and Gubar saw in this figure a constantly recurring archetype in the works of Victorian women writers, a way of expressing the malaise and frustration the authors themselves experienced. A way of liberating oneself, and saying that which was forbidden, of exhibiting their experiences in a literary space dominated by men and a patriarchal canon.
….
De la Fuente agrees on the extent to which other women writers have been overlooked, and proposes viewing the book as a bridge between different strains of feminism — between how it was understood in the 19th century, in the 1970s, and today. “I think it’s a text that remains relevant because of the authors it focuses on, but I also believe it helps us to ask why other authors aren’t being discussed,” she notes. The editor would like to see other texts published that engage with this one, and fill in its gaps. Because even today, there are madwomen in the attic everywhere who rebel, and from their attics, write about the experience of being a woman.
//
April 1, 2026
Trump's Border Patrol chief accused of regularly soliciting sex workers abroad
Matthew Chapman
April 1, 2026 10:55AM ET
Six current and former Border Patrol agents are coming forward to accuse the agency's chief, Michael Banks, of repeatedly soliciting sex workers while overseas, reported the conservative Washington Examiner on Wednesday.
"Banks 'bragged' to colleagues while in his previous management role at Border Patrol about paying for sex with prostitutes while traveling in Colombia and Thailand over the course of a decade," said the report. "Banks’ behavior was said to have been investigated by Customs and Border Protection officials twice, including last year, but the investigation ended abruptly while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was in office, leading to more questions."
… more …
Trump's Border Patrol chief accused of regularly soliciting sex workers abroad
https://www.rawstory.com/michael-banks-border-patrol/Trump's Border Patrol chief accused of regularly soliciting sex workers abroad
Matthew Chapman
April 1, 2026 10:55AM ET
Six current and former Border Patrol agents are coming forward to accuse the agency's chief, Michael Banks, of repeatedly soliciting sex workers while overseas, reported the conservative Washington Examiner on Wednesday.
"Banks 'bragged' to colleagues while in his previous management role at Border Patrol about paying for sex with prostitutes while traveling in Colombia and Thailand over the course of a decade," said the report. "Banks’ behavior was said to have been investigated by Customs and Border Protection officials twice, including last year, but the investigation ended abruptly while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was in office, leading to more questions."
… more …
April 1, 2026
Amazon to pay $20.5 million settlement over northeast Oregon nitrate pollution
The tech giant has denied allegations that it contributed to contaminated groundwater in Morrow County impacting well users
BY:
ALEX BAUMHARDT
-
MARCH 31, 2026
11:49 AM
UPDATED 1:09 PM
Tech giant Amazon will pay $20.5 million to settle with northeast Oregonians living with contaminated groundwater in exchange for no admission of guilt in the polluting.
Amazon is one of 17 total defendants, including 10 previously unnamed ones, in Pearson v. Port of Morrow, a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in February 2024 by several Morrow County residents who cannot drink their nitrate-contaminated water. The pollution is in part a byproduct of fertilizer-laden wastewater collected from industrial food processors and data centers at the port that is then sent out to area farms to be spread across fields.
…
The port’s wastewater, which a Capital Chronicle investigation found was overapplied in the winter for years, allowed excess nitrate to seep into groundwater that well-users in the area depend on. Many of those who rely on wells in the affected areas of Morrow and Umatilla counties are low-income and Latino. Overexposure to nitrates over time is harmful to infants and can lead to cancer and thyroid disease in people of all ages.
The nitrate-loaded wastewater also ends up at Amazon’s data center facilities at the port, where the water is used to cool computer servers running 24/7. The water heats up and condenses as it cools the computers, further elevating the concentration of nitrate it holds before also being end-use applied to area farm fields.
… more … no admission of guilt but strong denial of causing harm (ok bezos) …
Amazon to pay $20.5 million settlement over northeast Oregon nitrate pollution
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/31/amazon-to-pay-20-5-million-settlement-over-northeast-oregon-nitrate-pollution/Amazon to pay $20.5 million settlement over northeast Oregon nitrate pollution
The tech giant has denied allegations that it contributed to contaminated groundwater in Morrow County impacting well users
BY:
ALEX BAUMHARDT
-
MARCH 31, 2026
11:49 AM
UPDATED 1:09 PM
Tech giant Amazon will pay $20.5 million to settle with northeast Oregonians living with contaminated groundwater in exchange for no admission of guilt in the polluting.
Amazon is one of 17 total defendants, including 10 previously unnamed ones, in Pearson v. Port of Morrow, a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in February 2024 by several Morrow County residents who cannot drink their nitrate-contaminated water. The pollution is in part a byproduct of fertilizer-laden wastewater collected from industrial food processors and data centers at the port that is then sent out to area farms to be spread across fields.
…
The port’s wastewater, which a Capital Chronicle investigation found was overapplied in the winter for years, allowed excess nitrate to seep into groundwater that well-users in the area depend on. Many of those who rely on wells in the affected areas of Morrow and Umatilla counties are low-income and Latino. Overexposure to nitrates over time is harmful to infants and can lead to cancer and thyroid disease in people of all ages.
The nitrate-loaded wastewater also ends up at Amazon’s data center facilities at the port, where the water is used to cool computer servers running 24/7. The water heats up and condenses as it cools the computers, further elevating the concentration of nitrate it holds before also being end-use applied to area farm fields.
… more … no admission of guilt but strong denial of causing harm (ok bezos) …
March 31, 2026
One Book, One Coast Unites 140+ Libraries for the West Coast’s Largest Book Club Featuring George Takei
Los Angeles County, CA – LA County Library, Los Angeles Public Library, The Seattle Public Library, King County Library System, Multnomah County Library, and Long Beach Public Library will join more than 140 libraries across California, Oregon, and Washington this spring for One Book, One Coast, the largest book club on the West Coast.
One Book, One Coast is a shared community reading program that celebrates literacy, learning, community, and civil discourse. All participating libraries will read and discuss They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger and illustrated by Harmony Becker. Physical copies of the book will be available to borrow as early as March 1 and unlimited digital copies of the eBook will be available from April 1 through June 6.
…
They Called Us Enemy is a graphic memoir recounting actor/author/activist George Takei’s childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. Confronting questions of patriotism, family, loyalty, and community, Takei’s work is a stunning examination of what it means to be American, both long ago and today.
By connecting readers across three states through one shared title, One Book, One Coast highlights the power of libraries in bringing people together for conversation and reflection.
… more …
One Book, One Coast Unites 140+ Libraries for the West Coast's Largest Book Club Featuring George Takei
https://lacounty.gov/2026/02/25/coming-this-spring-one-book-one-coast-unites-140-libraries-for-the-west-coasts-largest-book-club-featuring-george-takei/One Book, One Coast Unites 140+ Libraries for the West Coast’s Largest Book Club Featuring George Takei
Los Angeles County, CA – LA County Library, Los Angeles Public Library, The Seattle Public Library, King County Library System, Multnomah County Library, and Long Beach Public Library will join more than 140 libraries across California, Oregon, and Washington this spring for One Book, One Coast, the largest book club on the West Coast.
One Book, One Coast is a shared community reading program that celebrates literacy, learning, community, and civil discourse. All participating libraries will read and discuss They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger and illustrated by Harmony Becker. Physical copies of the book will be available to borrow as early as March 1 and unlimited digital copies of the eBook will be available from April 1 through June 6.
…
They Called Us Enemy is a graphic memoir recounting actor/author/activist George Takei’s childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. Confronting questions of patriotism, family, loyalty, and community, Takei’s work is a stunning examination of what it means to be American, both long ago and today.
By connecting readers across three states through one shared title, One Book, One Coast highlights the power of libraries in bringing people together for conversation and reflection.
… more …
March 31, 2026
Gov. Ferguson signs SB 6002, the Driver Privacy Act, into Law
This new law regulates automated license plate readers (ALPRs), cameras that scan and store license plate data from countless drivers every day and enable government agencies to track where people drive and when.
March 30, 2026 3:00 pm
Olympia, WA — Gov. Bob Ferguson has signed the Driver Privacy Act, Senate Bill 6002, into law. This new law regulates automated license plate readers (ALPRs), cameras commonly referred to as “Flock Cameras,” that scan and store license plate data from countless drivers every day and enable government agencies to track where people drive and when.
For years, Washington public agencies have expanded their use of unregulated ALPRs by contracting with private companies such as Flock Safety and Axon, which have created an extensive and exploitable surveillance network throughout the country.
Before passage of this law, agencies such as law enforcement, held onto everyone’s data for 30 days or more and were not prohibited from sharing ALPR data with out-of-state entities — including the federal government.
The Driver Privacy Act regulates ALPRs in a few important ways:
… more …
WA Gov. Ferguson signs SB 6002, the Driver Privacy Act, into Law
https://www.aclu-wa.org/press-releases/gov-ferguson-signs-sb-6002-the-driver-privacy-act-into-law/Gov. Ferguson signs SB 6002, the Driver Privacy Act, into Law
This new law regulates automated license plate readers (ALPRs), cameras that scan and store license plate data from countless drivers every day and enable government agencies to track where people drive and when.
March 30, 2026 3:00 pm
Olympia, WA — Gov. Bob Ferguson has signed the Driver Privacy Act, Senate Bill 6002, into law. This new law regulates automated license plate readers (ALPRs), cameras commonly referred to as “Flock Cameras,” that scan and store license plate data from countless drivers every day and enable government agencies to track where people drive and when.
For years, Washington public agencies have expanded their use of unregulated ALPRs by contracting with private companies such as Flock Safety and Axon, which have created an extensive and exploitable surveillance network throughout the country.
Before passage of this law, agencies such as law enforcement, held onto everyone’s data for 30 days or more and were not prohibited from sharing ALPR data with out-of-state entities — including the federal government.
The Driver Privacy Act regulates ALPRs in a few important ways:
… more …
March 29, 2026
Inside the Grassroots Campaign That Pushed a Drone Company Out of Brooklyn
After 17 months of campaigning, Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard won its first victory, setting its sights on the future.
By Joseph Mogul , TRUTHOUT
Published March 28, 2026
On the morning of February 11, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC), a non-profit landlord responsible for developing the Brooklyn Navy Yard, convened a closed-doors meeting. One item of business concerned the lease of Easy Aerial, an AI drone manufacturer with material ties to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Israeli military, and one of 550 businesses housed inside of the city-owned industrial hub.
Meanwhile, 30 community members with the grassroots campaign Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard (DBNY) occupied the lobby of Navy Yard Building 77, where Easy Aerial is headquartered. “We arrived with noisemakers and drums; we chanted and gave speeches,” said Leila Rafiq, a DBNY organizer using a pseudonym to protect her privacy. Outside, dozens of additional protesters picketed the building entrance.
… more …
Inside the Grassroots Campaign That Pushed a Drone Company Out of Brooklyn
https://truthout.org/articles/inside-the-grassroots-campaign-that-pushed-a-drone-company-out-of-brooklyn/Inside the Grassroots Campaign That Pushed a Drone Company Out of Brooklyn
After 17 months of campaigning, Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard won its first victory, setting its sights on the future.
By Joseph Mogul , TRUTHOUT
Published March 28, 2026
On the morning of February 11, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC), a non-profit landlord responsible for developing the Brooklyn Navy Yard, convened a closed-doors meeting. One item of business concerned the lease of Easy Aerial, an AI drone manufacturer with material ties to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Israeli military, and one of 550 businesses housed inside of the city-owned industrial hub.
Meanwhile, 30 community members with the grassroots campaign Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard (DBNY) occupied the lobby of Navy Yard Building 77, where Easy Aerial is headquartered. “We arrived with noisemakers and drums; we chanted and gave speeches,” said Leila Rafiq, a DBNY organizer using a pseudonym to protect her privacy. Outside, dozens of additional protesters picketed the building entrance.
… more …
March 28, 2026
‘Nuclear’ link unearthed between Epstein and major Trump ally: report
Alexander Willis
March 28, 2026 2:43PM ET
…
Using “documented facts all drawn” from public records, Valdes-Rodriguez established a timeline suggesting that Epstein’s New Mexico property was outfitted with a “private microwave communications link” that may have been used to surveil two U.S. nuclear weapons labs – a communications link that appears to have been maintained by the property’s new owner, a major Trump ally.
…
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) records reviewed by Valdes-Rodriguez show that in 2016, the property was granted “two active Microwave Industrial/Business Pool licenses,” licenses that facilitate advanced and secretive data communication channels. Recent FCC records reveal that those two licenses are still active.
…
“Together they constitute a permanent, fixed, bidirectional private microwave communications link – a dedicated two-way data channel operating entirely outside commercial internet infrastructure, through channels where traffic cannot be monitored, intercepted, or logged by third parties,” Valdes-Rodriguez wrote.
…
“To understand the significance of this infrastructure, consider who actually uses Industrial/Business Pool microwave systems: NSA field stations, CIA operational facilities, FBI secure data operations, Department of Defense installations, electric utilities, natural gas pipeline operators, high-frequency trading firms, and major bank data centers,” she wrote.
“None of those descriptions apply to a private vacation ranch in the high desert.”
… more … lots more …
'Nuclear' link unearthed between Epstein and major Trump ally: report
https://www.rawstory.com/jeffrey-epstein-2676634028/‘Nuclear’ link unearthed between Epstein and major Trump ally: report
Alexander Willis
March 28, 2026 2:43PM ET
…
Using “documented facts all drawn” from public records, Valdes-Rodriguez established a timeline suggesting that Epstein’s New Mexico property was outfitted with a “private microwave communications link” that may have been used to surveil two U.S. nuclear weapons labs – a communications link that appears to have been maintained by the property’s new owner, a major Trump ally.
…
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) records reviewed by Valdes-Rodriguez show that in 2016, the property was granted “two active Microwave Industrial/Business Pool licenses,” licenses that facilitate advanced and secretive data communication channels. Recent FCC records reveal that those two licenses are still active.
…
“Together they constitute a permanent, fixed, bidirectional private microwave communications link – a dedicated two-way data channel operating entirely outside commercial internet infrastructure, through channels where traffic cannot be monitored, intercepted, or logged by third parties,” Valdes-Rodriguez wrote.
…
“To understand the significance of this infrastructure, consider who actually uses Industrial/Business Pool microwave systems: NSA field stations, CIA operational facilities, FBI secure data operations, Department of Defense installations, electric utilities, natural gas pipeline operators, high-frequency trading firms, and major bank data centers,” she wrote.
“None of those descriptions apply to a private vacation ranch in the high desert.”
… more … lots more …
March 28, 2026
Black farmers shut out of Trump White House farmers event: ‘Why can’t we be at the table?’
As President Trump hails his administration's efforts to support farmers amid rising costs, Black farmers facing foreclosure continue to get the cold shoulder.
By
GERREN KEITH GAYNOR
MAR 27, 2026
President Donald Trump welcomed hundreds of farmers to the White House on Friday, in what the administration touted as a celebration of agriculture and American farm producers. On the South Lawn, decorated with a massive, obviously Trump-inspired gold tractor, the president hailed the event as the “single largest gathering of American farmers that the White House has ever seen.”
Noticeably missing from the crowd of farmers at the White House were the nation’s Black farmers, who have been repeatedly shut out of meetings and dialogue with the Trump administration, which has simultaneously eliminated several programs intended to address decades-long disparities impacting marginalized farmers at a time when many are facing foreclosures amid continued high costs in farm production, mortgages, and property taxes.
… more …
Black farmers shut out of Trump White House farmers event: 'Why can't we be at the table?'
https://thegrio.com/2026/03/27/black-farmers-shut-out-of-trump-white-house-farmers-event-why-cant-we-be-at-the-table/Black farmers shut out of Trump White House farmers event: ‘Why can’t we be at the table?’
As President Trump hails his administration's efforts to support farmers amid rising costs, Black farmers facing foreclosure continue to get the cold shoulder.
By
GERREN KEITH GAYNOR
MAR 27, 2026
President Donald Trump welcomed hundreds of farmers to the White House on Friday, in what the administration touted as a celebration of agriculture and American farm producers. On the South Lawn, decorated with a massive, obviously Trump-inspired gold tractor, the president hailed the event as the “single largest gathering of American farmers that the White House has ever seen.”
Noticeably missing from the crowd of farmers at the White House were the nation’s Black farmers, who have been repeatedly shut out of meetings and dialogue with the Trump administration, which has simultaneously eliminated several programs intended to address decades-long disparities impacting marginalized farmers at a time when many are facing foreclosures amid continued high costs in farm production, mortgages, and property taxes.
… more …
March 27, 2026
Number of AI chatbots ignoring human instructions increasing, study says
Robert Booth UK technology editor
Fri 27 Mar 2026 08.11 EDT
AI models that lie and cheat appear to be growing in number with reports of deceptive scheming surging in the last six months, a study into the technology has found.
AI chatbots and agents disregarded direct instructions, evaded safeguards and deceived humans and other AI, according to research funded by the UK government-funded AI Safety Institute (AISI). The study, shared with the Guardian, identified nearly 700 real-world cases of AI scheming and charted a five-fold rise in misbehaviour between October and March, with some AI models destroying emails and other files without permission.
… “I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that" …more …
Number of AI chatbots ignoring human instructions increasing, study says
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/27/number-of-ai-chatbots-ignoring-human-instructions-increasing-study-saysNumber of AI chatbots ignoring human instructions increasing, study says
Robert Booth UK technology editor
Fri 27 Mar 2026 08.11 EDT
AI models that lie and cheat appear to be growing in number with reports of deceptive scheming surging in the last six months, a study into the technology has found.
AI chatbots and agents disregarded direct instructions, evaded safeguards and deceived humans and other AI, according to research funded by the UK government-funded AI Safety Institute (AISI). The study, shared with the Guardian, identified nearly 700 real-world cases of AI scheming and charted a five-fold rise in misbehaviour between October and March, with some AI models destroying emails and other files without permission.
… “I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that" …more …
March 26, 2026
US, Israeli Attacks Have Damaged Nearly 500 Schools, 300 Health Centers in Iran
Over 82,000 civilian structures have been damaged by US and Israeli bombardments, the Red Crescent says.
By Sharon Zhang , TRUTHOUT
Published March 24, 2026
The U.S. and Israeli bombardments of Iran have devastated tens of thousands of civilian facilities, the Iranian Red Crescent Society says, killing over a thousand civilians so far and damaging infrastructure considered completely off limits in war time like schools and hospitals.
Over 82,000 civilian structures have been damaged by U.S. and Israeli bombardments, the group reported this week.
This includes 62,000 homes, 498 schools, and 281 medical centers, hospitals, and pharmacies, the Red Crescent reported. Seventeen Red Crescent bases and 94 ambulances and rescue vehicles have also been damaged.
… more …
US, Israeli Attacks Have Damaged Nearly 500 Schools, 300 Health Centers in Iran
https://truthout.org/articles/us-israeli-attacks-have-damaged-nearly-500-schools-300-health-centers-in-iran/US, Israeli Attacks Have Damaged Nearly 500 Schools, 300 Health Centers in Iran
Over 82,000 civilian structures have been damaged by US and Israeli bombardments, the Red Crescent says.
By Sharon Zhang , TRUTHOUT
Published March 24, 2026
The U.S. and Israeli bombardments of Iran have devastated tens of thousands of civilian facilities, the Iranian Red Crescent Society says, killing over a thousand civilians so far and damaging infrastructure considered completely off limits in war time like schools and hospitals.
Over 82,000 civilian structures have been damaged by U.S. and Israeli bombardments, the group reported this week.
This includes 62,000 homes, 498 schools, and 281 medical centers, hospitals, and pharmacies, the Red Crescent reported. Seventeen Red Crescent bases and 94 ambulances and rescue vehicles have also been damaged.
… more …
Profile Information
Member since: Wed Jun 2, 2021, 01:24 PMNumber of posts: 6,647