The election

Axios - Russia and Iran are close partners in Ukraine and the Middle East, but they're intervening on opposite sides in the U.S. election. An emerging axis of U.S. adversaries and rivals, including China and North Korea, has moved closer together on a number of fronts in recent years. But not when it comes to partisan U.S. politics.  China, Iran and Russia are all spreading disinformation to sow discord and cast doubts on the legitimacy of the U.S. election.They're even using some of the same tactics: All three have employed AI to create deceiving content, U.S. intelligence officials said this week.  More

Guardian - Fossil fuel lobbyists coordinated with lawmakers behind the scenes and across state lines to push and shape laws that are escalating a crackdown on peaceful protests against oil and gas expansion, a new Guardian investigation reveals.Records obtained by the Guardian show that lobbyists working for major North American oil and gas companies were key architects of anti-protest laws that increase penalties and could lead to non-violent environmental and climate activists being imprisoned up to 10 years.Emails between fossil fuel lobbyists and lawmakers in Utah, West Virginia, Idaho and Ohio suggest a nationwide strategy to deter people frustrated by government failure to tackle the climate crisis from peacefully disrupting the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure by enacting tough laws with lengthy jail sentences.