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Yet you can still get to tronc.com

Their HTTPS implementation is broken, though; Cert common name wasn't set properly. GJ!

Why block EU users instead of just disabling analytics and ads for them?

Because that would result in the EU users burning bandwidth and processor time without any offsetting revenue.

I'd imagine that the cost of providing (say) the Los Angeles Times to the EU is non-trivial.

That doesn't make a political statement.

Instapaper

They're just temporarily down though.