Leftovers

• Science Alert ☛ Ancient Bone Is The Oldest Known Bead in The Americas, Revealing Clues to Clovis Culture

  12,940-year-old jewelry.

• Science Alert ☛ Amazingly Preserved Roman-Era Egg Is Still Full of Liquid 1,700 Years Later

  Imagine the smell!

• Science Alert ☛ This Species Is Slowly Becoming Nocturnal For a Very Disturbing Reason

  "For this species... it's a big problem."

• Common Dreams ☛ (Transactional) Love Is In the Air!

  Wow. Just as the times were feeling pretty dark, it turns out love still (sort of) makes the world go round. With his usual grace, the former "president" sent his beloved wife a Valentine thanking her for not leaving him "even after every single INDICTMENT, ARREST, and WITCH HUNT," so can we please send $47 or $3,300? AKA, "Cheap-ass grifter piece of shit begging for money." Also, Nikki Haley sent valentines for him to the dictators he loves. We feel better already.

• Ricardo García ☛ The Dark Side of the Blog

  If you’re browsing this blog from a device in which the preferred theme is dark you may notice the blog now has a dark theme. This is an idea that had crossed my mind multiple times in the past months but it’s not until very recently that I decided to take a serious look at how to do it.

• Hackaday ☛ Retrotechtacular: Some Days You Just Can’t Get Rid Of A Nuclear Bomb

  It may seem a bit obvious to say so, but when a munition of just about any kind is designed, little thought is typically given to how to dispose of it. After all, if you build something that’s supposed to blow up, that pretty much takes care of the disposal process, right?

• Education

  • YLE ☛ Thursday's papers: Urpilainen skips EP election; sex ed before social control media and a wet start to school holidays

    Thursday's papers offer an interview with a post-presidential-run Jutta Urpilainen (SDP), sex ed at schools and a bad weather warning.

  • teleSUR ☛ AU Call For Inclusive Education, Violence Prevention in Africa

    While addressing the meeting, Bankole Adeoye, AU commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, underscored the critical importance of prioritizing and investing in peace education in Africa.

• Hardware

  • The Conversation ☛ 2024-02-13 [Older] China’s chip industry is gaining momentum – it could alter the global economic and security landscape

  • Hackaday ☛ All-Sky Camera Checks For Aurora

    The aurora borealis (and its southern equivalent, the aurora australis) is a fleeting and somewhat rare phenomenon that produces vivid curtains of color in the sky at extreme latitudes. It’s a common tourist activity to travel to areas where the aurora is more prevalent in order to catch a glimpse of it. The best opportunities are in the winter though, and since most people don’t want to spend hours outside on a cold night night in high latitudes, an all-sky camera like this one from [Frank] can help notify its users when an aurora is happening.

  • Hackaday ☛ How Intel Gave Us The PCI Bus While Burying VESA’s VL-Bus

    The early days of home computing were quite a jungle of different standards and convoluted solutions to make one piece of hardware work on as many different platforms as possible. IBM’s PC was an unexpected shift here, as with its expansion card-based system (retroactively called the ISA bus) it inspired a new evolution in computers. Of course, by the early 1990s the ISA bus couldn’t keep up with hardware demands, and a successor was needed. Many expected this to be VESA’s VLB, but as [Ernie Smith] regales us in a recent article in Tedium, Intel came out of left field with its PCI standard after initially backing VLB.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Pro Publica ☛ CMS Proposal Will Increase fees to Access Important Health Care Data

    In January, the Biden administration pledged to increase public access to a wide array of Medicare information to improve health care for America’s most sick and vulnerable.

    Some Medicare plans' lack of transparency “deprives researchers and doctors of critical data to evaluate problems and trends in patient care,” said Xavier Becerra, the secretary of health and human services, in a statement.

  • Digital Music News ☛ New York City Sues TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube for Harming Kids’ Mental Health

    New York City is filing a lawsuit against five social control media platforms — TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube — for harming kids’ mental health nationwide.

  • Science Alert ☛ Regular Erections May Be Vital For Erectile Function

    Science says you should keep it up.

  • Latvia ☛ Researchers explore Latvia-Estonia cross-border medical cooperation

    In order to improve the availability of health care services, a study has been started in Valka district (Latvia) on how to reduce the obstacles so that the residents can receive services in neighboring Valga district (Estonia), reports Latvian Radio.

  • Science Alert ☛ Long COVID Seems to Be a Brain Injury, Scientists Discover

    And this might help us treat the symptoms.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Beyond finger-pointing: Common sense reform needed to prevent another fraud crisis

    Linda Miller, the founder and CEO of Audient Group, LLC and a former deputy executive director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, explains why Congress needs to act now to create a centralized antifraud office within Treasury with the tools to prevent fraud and establish antifraud funding for new and emergency programs to give them the ability to combat fraud from the start.

  • DeSmog ☛ Canadian LNG Will Stall Asia’s Shift to Renewables, Energy Experts in Asia Say

    Oil and gas companies have for years marketed fracked gas from B.C. as a global climate solution, with some industry boosters even going so far as to call Canada’s supply of the fossil fuel the “cleanest in the world.”

    But an impending flood of liquefied natural gas exports from western Canada to Asia could make it harder for countries there to achieve their national climate targets and contribute to tens of thousands of additional deaths due to air pollution. 

  • DeSmog ☛ Report: Plastics, Oil Industry Deceived Public on Recycling Use for More Than 50 Years

    An explosive new report finds that the plastics industry has misled the public for decades about the viability of recycling plastic, promoting reuse despite the fact that mechanical recycling was not feasible – perpetuating the plastic waste crisis the world faces today.

    “The plastics industry has ‘sold’ plastic recycling to the American public to sell plastic,” according to the report by the Center for Climate Integrity (CCI), a nonprofit organization that advocates for legal action to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable. In a statement, CCI claims the study, called “The Fraud of Plastic Recycling: How Big Oil and the plastics industry deceived the public for decades and caused the plastic waste crisis,” includes “evidence that could provide the foundation for legal efforts to hold fossil fuel and other petrochemical companies accountable for their lies and deception.”

  • DeSmog ☛ Government’s New Low Pay Advisor Heads Climate Denial Network

    A new government advisor on the minimum wage is the head of an international network of climate crisis deniers funded by the owners of GB News, DeSmog can reveal.

    Philippa Stroud was appointed chair of the Low Pay Commission, a body reporting to Kemi Badenoch’s Department of Business and Trade, on 30 January. The government-appointed role pays £530 per day for three days of work per month (£19,114 per year).

  • DeSmog ☛ What’s at Stake if the U.S. OK’s Building This Gas Pipeline to Mexico

    In a rural area of West Texas, near the Mexico border, a cluster of geothermal springs once served as an oasis to the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas. Carpeted in grasses and shrubs, the land is home to rare aoudad sheep, deer, wild cats, and bobwhite quail. The muted tans and greens in the small valley and surrounding exposed rock mountains quiet the mind.

    The pristine site is in the proposed pathway of the 48-inch-diameter Saguaro Connector Pipeline, which would send natural gas produced in Texas’s Permian Basin 155 miles west, across the U.S.-Mexico border, to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Puerto Libertad, Mexico.

  • YLE ☛ Three-decade study shows increased disease among women in Finland

    Disease and obesity have increased among women in recent decades, according to research that followed female participants from before birth into adulthood.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Techdirt ☛ FTC: Um, Those Microsoft Layoffs Contradict What It Told The Courts In Activision Blizzard Acquisition

    Late last year, we discussed how the FTC had appealed the court’s decision to allow Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard to move forward. I said at the time that I don’t think this appeal is going anywhere, and I still don’t thanks to the general toothless nature of regulators in America, but the FTC has decided to poke at the courts over the recent layoffs Microsoft announced, which include staff from Activision Blizzard. I will embed the entire two page letter to the court below, but here’s some relevant information as a manner of throat-clearing.

  • Vice Media Group ☛ Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran Used GPT for 'Malicious Cyber Activities', Proprietary Chaffbot Company Says

    OpenAI shut down accounts affiliated with multiple “state-affiliated threat actors." Abusive Monopolist Microsoft said that no “significant” cyber campaigns were carried out.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • CBC ☛ 2024-02-13 [Older] Alberta RCMP officer accused of leaking police information to Rwandan government

• Defence/Aggression

  • Gizmodo ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Mysterious National Security Threat Hyped By Republicans Likely Nukes In Space: Report

  • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] The Munich Security Conference: Significance and Prospects for Dhaka

  • Site36 ☛ Italy will not extradite anti-fascist to Hungary for inhumane treatment in prison

  • Defence Web ☛ Kenya Defence College hosts autonomous weapons lecture

    Senior officers from the Kenyan Air Force, Army and Navy along with National Defence College staff were given insight into autonomous weapons in an era of geopolitical competition.

  • Hackaday ☛ Why Stealing A Car With Flipper Zero Is A Silly Idea

    In another regular installment of politicians making ridiculous statements about technology, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, [François-Philippe Champagne], suggested banning Flipper Zero and similar devices from sale in the country, while accusing them of being used for ‘stealing cars’ and similar. This didn’t sit right with [Peter Fairlie] who put together a comprehensive overview video of how car thieves really steal cars. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the main method is CAN bus injection, for which a Flipper Zero is actually a terribly clumsy device. Rather you’d use a custom piece of kit that automates the process.

  • YLE ☛ Finland plans local defence drills across the country

    The Army said troops and equipment will be visible in the cities and towns where the regularly held exercises take place, at the beginning of next month.

  • AntiWar ☛ Joe Biden and Mismanagement of the Wars

    The Biden administration has seemingly adopted a foreign policy doctrine in which they nurture a war while attempting to manage it, preventing it from becoming a wider war. The doctrine has been applied in both Ukraine and Gaza.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukraine’s Black Sea success offers hope as Russian invasion enters third year

      Ukraine's remarkable success in the Battle of the Black Sea exposes the emptiness of Russia's red lines and provides a road map for victory over Putin, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • RFERL ☛ U.S. Must Support Ukraine, Stop Russia Threatening Other Countries, Yellen Says

      U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on February 14 said it is "critically important" that the United States fulfill its promises to support Ukraine, warning that failing to do so would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack other countries.

    • New York Times ☛ Putin Says He Prefers Biden Over Trump in 2024 Election

      The Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, called President Biden experienced and predictable. But Moscow watchers said the comments most likely had an ulterior motive.

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s Supreme Court rejects Putin challenger Boris Nadezhdin’s first claim against Central Election Commission — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘You feel the hatred your child faces’: Russian parents of LGBTQ+ children on helping their kids survive in Putin’s world — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Putin says Biden is better for Russia than Trump, citing experience and predictability — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Putin reportedly to address Russia’s Federal Assembly on February 29 — Meduza

    • European Commission ☛ Updated Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Needs Assessment Released

      European Commission Press release Kyiv, 15 Feb 2024 After almost two years of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, an updated joint Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA3) released today by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank Group, the European Commission, and the United Nations

    • Latvia ☛ Saeima awards Latvian citizenship to promising Ukrainian athlete

      The Saeima on February 15 decided to grant Latvian citizenship to young Ukrainian athlete Yeva Bilokrynytska.

    • Latvia ☛ Eight states join Latvia-led drone coalition for Ukraine

      Members of the Ramstein format in support of Ukraine joined the Latvian-led drone coalition, the Ministry of Defense reported February 14.

    • The Kent Stater ☛ Russia and Ukraine exchange air attacks after sinking of Russian warship

      Russia and Ukraine exchanged air attacks on Thursday, with Moscow targeting cities across Ukraine and Kyiv striking the Russian border city of Belgorod, one day after Kyiv said it sank another Russian warship off the coast of Crimea.

    • Reason ☛ The U.S. Shouldn't Give Israel or Ukraine Any More Money

      The Senate's $95 billion aid bill would only throw more good money after bad.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine's Zelensky to sign security pacts with Germany and France

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is travelling to Berlin and Paris on Friday to sign security pacts with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, officials said.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine rushes soldiers to reinforce embattled eastern town of Avdiivka

      Ukraine has rushed soldiers to the embattled eastern town of Avdiivka, surrounded on three sides by Russian forces, where the military said the situation was "extremely critical".

    • LRT ☛ Can next NATO chief come from the Baltics? Chances get slimmer

      The Baltic countries would like the next NATO secretary general to be someone from the alliance’s eastern flank. Observers say, however, this is becoming less probable. The Dutch prime minister is now seen as the favourite to replace Jens Stoltenberg – but we will not know until the NATO summit in Washington in July.

    • New York Times ☛ In Munich, Harris Aims to Reassure European Allies as Trump Disparages NATO

      Vice President Kamala Harris will argue that global partnerships are critical to U.S. security, not a burden to be lightly discarded, officials said.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Europe casts wary eye as Americans debate engagement with world

      U.S. willingness to stay engaged on the global stage is on display this week amid a trio of security meetings in Brussels and Munich.

    • RFERL ☛ Munich Security Conference Opens With Europe On Edge Over War In Ukraine, Trump's View Of NATO

      The Munich Security Conference kicks off on February 16 at a critical time, as the U.S. presidential election campaign heats up with a rematch between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden looking likely and with a major U.S. military aid package bogged down in Congress.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Withdraws Some Units From Avdiyivka After Deploying Advanced Brigade To 'Hellish' Battle

      Ukrainian troops are withdrawing from the eastern town of Avdiyivka after months of heavy fighting for control of the city, a Ukrainian military spokesman said on February 15 as Kyiv's hold on the city appeared increasingly shaky.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Court Issues Arrest Warrant In Absentia For Self-Exiled Kremlin Critic

      Noted Russian lawyer and outspoken Kremlin critic Ilya Novikov, who resides in Ukraine, said on February 14 that Russian authorities had issued an arrest warrant for him.

    • RFERL ☛ Stoltenberg Hopeful U.S. Will Unblock Aid As NATO Ministers Discuss Ukraine Support

      NATO defense ministers met in Brussels on February 15 to discuss continued military aid for war-wracked Ukraine as Kyiv's forces, exhausted and lacking sufficient ammunition and heavy weapons, face an increasingly aggressive Russian assault in the east.

    • teleSUR ☛ Ukrainian Rocket Attack Leaves 5 Russians Dead in Belgorod

      The attack severely affected a shopping center housing a supermarket and a pharmacy.

    • New Yorker ☛ Can Ukraine Still Win?

      As Congress continues to delay aid and Volodymyr Zelensky replaces his top commander, military experts debate the possible outcomes.

    • New York Times ☛ Ex-F.B.I. Informant Is Charged With Lying Over Bidens’ Role in Ukraine Business

      The informant’s story was part of a series of explosive and unsubstantiated claims by Republicans that the Bidens engaged in potentially criminal activity.

    • New York Times ☛ U.S. Disrupts Hacking Operation Led by Russian Intelligence

      The disruption is part of a broader effort to stymie Russia’s cybercampaigns against the United States and its allies, including Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Depicts Wounded Soldiers as Heroes, or Not at All

      Troops with amputated limbs or serious injuries return home to find a patchwork system of treatment and, often, efforts to keep them out of the public eye.

    • New York Times ☛ Losing Ground in the War, Ukraine Seeks New Position Around Avdiivka

      As Russian forces breach a supply line and seek to encircle opposing soldiers, Ukraine’s commanders maneuver to “more advantageous positions.”

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Hides Its War Toll. We Pieced Together the Clues.

      Interviews with wounded Russian soldiers, and with relatives of others, reveal glimpses of what injured veterans can expect when sent home from Ukraine.

    • Meduza ☛ Bloomberg: Trump considering pushing Russia and Ukraine to resume negotiations if he wins election — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian troops capture main road into Avdiivka in Ukraine’s Donetsk region — Meduza

    • European Commission ☛ Commissioner Johansson's speech at the Meeting of the Security Hub, Chișinău, Moldova

      European Commission Speech Chișinău, 15 Feb 2024 Next week it will be exactly two years ago that we woke to the news of Russian missiles exploding in Kyiv, in Kharkiv, in Odessa.

    • Latvia ☛ Russian registration plates should be rarer on the roads from today

      February 15 is the first day cars with Russian registration plates spotted on Latvian roads could be subject to confiscation.

    • Latvia ☛ Court says requirement for Russians to take Latvian exam is fine

      The Constitutional Court has concluded that the rule requiring Russian citizens to certify their basic knowledge of the Latvian language to be able to stay in Latvia long-term conforms to the Constitution, the court announced February 15.

    • RFERL ☛ White House Confirms Russia Has 'Troubling' Anti-Satellite Capability But Says It Poses No Threat

      The White House on February 15 confirmed that Russia has obtained a "troubling" emerging anti-satellite "capability" but said it had not yet been deployed and poses no immediate threat.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Russian nuclear anti-satellite weapons would require a firm US response, not hysteria

      If fielded, such weapons would directly challenge norms of responsible behavior in space and present a serious risk to all nations’ satellites.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Experts react: What to know about Russia’s apparent plans for a space-based nuclear weapon

      Reports that Russia is developing a space-based nuclear anti-satellite weapon have raised national security concerns in Washington.

    • France24 ☛ US warns of security threat over Russia's nuclear capability in space

      The United States has told Congress and allies in Europe about new intelligence related to Russian nuclear capabilities that could pose an international threat, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

    • France24 ☛ Russian nukes in space: Why the intelligence leak might be more serious than the threat itself

      The world’s media went into overdrive on Wednesday after the chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee warned of a “serious national security threat” that multiple sources then identified as Russia's ambition to deploy a nuclear anti-satellite system in space. But how realistic is this scenario, and how seriously should it be taken? Some say that the US intel leak is what is most worrying.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Adds Former Lawmaker Gadzhiyev To Wanted List

      The Russian Interior Ministry has added former member of parliament Magomed Gadzhiyev to its wanted list on unspecified charges.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Warrant Issued For Navalny's Two Lawyers Abroad

      A Moscow court issued arrest warrants for the self-exiled lawyers of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny -- Olga Mikhailova and Aleksandr Fedulov -- on extremism charges over their association with Navalny and his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK).

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Summons Uzbek Ambassador Over University Rector's Comments

      Russia's Foreign Ministry said on February 14 that it summoned the Uzbek ambassador to Russia over a recent statement by Sherzod Qudratxoja, the rector of the University of Journalism in Tashkent, who called Uzbek citizens who speak Russian but do not know Uzbek "either occupiers or idiots."

    • New Yorker ☛ Two Comic Playwrights Find Dark Humor in Russian Aggression

      Sarah Gancher’s “Russian Troll Farm” and Sasha Denisova’s “My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion” look for truth in a world of lies.

    • Meduza ☛ Turkish bank asks Russian clients for proof of residence permits — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ U.S. to pursue direct diplomatic talks with Russia over anti-satellite weapons concerns, says U.S. National Security Council spokesperson — Meduza

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] IMF warns that any action on Russian assets needs ‘sufficient legal support’

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Russia’s Aggression and the Erosion of International Norms: Defying Post-World War II Legal Order

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] How Latvia became Russia’s big booze supplier

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Will Russia soon control the Red Sea?

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Russia and China Clash With US and UK Over Attacks on Yemen Rebels for Strikes on Red Sea Ships

    • HRW ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Russia: First Convictions Under LGBT ‘Extremist’ Ruling

    • International Business Times ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Russia Close To Creating Cancer Vaccine, Claims Vladimir Putin

    • New Yorker ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Two Comic Playwrights Find Dark Humor in Russian Aggression

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Blinken Says Russia-Related National Security Threat Not an Active Capability

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Poland Detains Man Accused of Planning Sabotage on Behalf of Russia

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Putin Urges Russians to Have More Kids, Says Ethnic Survival at Stake

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Russian Bloggers Say Fleet Commander Fired After Latest Ukrainian Ship Attack

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Barred Putin Challenger Nadezhdin Fails in Two Legal Challenges

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Anti-War Presidential Hopeful's Appeals Denied

      Russia's Supreme Court on February 15 rejected two appeals filed by anti-war presidential hopeful Boris Nadezhdin related to a decision by election officials not to register him for next month's election.

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Swiss Examine Potential Breaches of Russian Sanctions

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] US Justice Department Says It Disrupted Russian Intelligence Hacking Network

    • Vox ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] How the US is preparing to fight — and win — a war in space

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] Escalation Signaling in Ukraine and Its Implications for the Strategic Russia-US Relationship

    • New York Times ☛ Intelligence About Russia Puts Focus on New U.S. Satellite Push

      The Pentagon is in the early stages of a program to put constellations of smaller and cheaper satellites into orbit to counter space-based threats of the sort being developed by Russia and China.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia’s Antisatellite Technology Poses No Immediate Threat, White House Says

      “We are not talking about a weapon that can be used to attack human beings or cause physical destruction here on earth,” a White House spokesman said.

    • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Before Russia’s satellite threat, there were Starfish Prime, nesting dolls and robotic arms

      What would it mean if Russia used nuclear warheads to destroy U.S. satellites? Your home’s electrical and water systems could fail. Aviation, rail and car traffic could come to a halt. Your cellphone could stop working.

    • Scheerpost ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] Russian Imperialism

    • RFERL ☛ Latvian Law Allowing Confiscation Of Vehicles With Russian License Plates Takes Force

      A law that allows authorities to confiscate vehicles with Russian license plates came into force in Latvia on February 15.

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Ukraine updates: Russia decries Belgorod attack

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] Who are Russia’s presidential candidates

    • CBC ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] U.S. briefs Canada, other allies about Russian nuclear threat

    • Counter Punch ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] Post-Sanctions Russia

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] German detained at Russian airport for cannabis gummy bears

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] Scores of European decision-makers on Russia's wanted list

    • Engadget ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] Russian and North Korean hackers used OpenAI tools to hone cyberattacks

    • International Business Times ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] Tom Cruise 'Makes Things Official' With Russian Socialite Girlfriend Elsina Khayrova

    • Spiegel ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] Does Russian Billionaire Arkady Volozh Really Belong on the EU Sanctions List?

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] US Tells Congress of New Intelligence on Russian Nuclear Capabilities, Source Says

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] Russia's Airstrikes Hit Hospital, Injuring Several in East Ukraine, Governor Says

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] Russia Suspends Annual Payments to Arctic Council, RIA Agency Reports

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] Putin Says Russia Prefers Biden to Trump Because He's 'More Experienced and Predictable'

    • Meduza ☛ Drone strike on oil depot in Russia’s Kursk region starts fire — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Former Belarusian Law Enforcement Officers Sentenced To Lengthy Prison Terms In Absentia

      The Minsk City Court on February 15 handed lengthy prison terms to six former Belarusian law enforcement officers who backed protests in 2020 challenging the official results of the presidential election that gave authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth term in office.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian court overturns decision to deport Afghan journalist convicted of illegal border crossing — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian presidential aide suggests copying Wikipedia in its entirety for Russian analog — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s Belgorod comes under rocket fire, deaths and injuries reported — Meduza

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] US, EU Discuss Russia Sanctions Ahead of Ukraine War's Second Anniversary

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] US Informs Congress of Intelligence on Russian Nuclear Capabilities, New York Times Reports

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] US Must Support Ukraine, Stop Russia Threatening Other Countries, Yellen Says

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-13 [Older] Address root causes of Ukraine war, UN official urges, as anniversary of Russian invasion approaches

    • NL Times ☛ 2024-02-13 [Older] Three people with ties to the Netherlands on Russia’s wanted persons list

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-13 [Older] Russia declares Estonian PM Kaja Kallas a 'wanted' person

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-13 [Older] Russia and West Clash Over Ukraine at Security Council Meeting Ahead of War Anniversary

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-13 [Older] Russia's Parliament to Vote on Suspending Moscow's OSCE Participation

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] MSC 2024: Migration and Russia's war seen as the big threats to global security

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Ukraine Destroys 14 of 17 Russia-Launched Drones - Ukraine Air Force

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Canadian-Russian Woman Pleads Guilty in US to Sending Military Components to Russia

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Hundreds Attend Funeral of Family Burned Alive in Russian Drone Attack

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] IMF Warns That Any Action on Russian Assets Needs 'Sufficient Legal Support'

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Russia Uses Zircon Hypersonic Missile in Ukraine for First Time, Researchers Say

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Ukraine Says Russia Strikes Dnipro With Drones, Missiles

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Ukrainian Family Hopes for Father's Return From Russian Captivity

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-11 [Older] Russia is constantly reclaiming its territories

    • TruthOut ☛ 2024-02-11 [Older] Trump Warns NATO Nations: No Protection Without Payment Against Russian Attack

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-11 [Older] Armenia's PM: 'We Are Not Russia's Ally' in War Against Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-11 [Older] Moldova Police Find Russian Drone Fragments Near Ukraine Border

    • Gizmodo ☛ 2024-02-10 [Older] Streaming Tycoon Tucker Carlson Humiliated on His Own Network by Russian Despot

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-10 [Older] Ukraine updates: 7 killed in Russian drone strike on Kharkiv

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-10 [Older] Vladimir Putin Will Win the Presidency, but His Popularity in Russia May Not Last

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-10 [Older] Russian Drone Attack Kills 7, Including 3 Kids, in Ukraine's Kharkiv

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-10 [Older] Russian Drone Strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine's 2nd Largest City, Kills 7

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-10 [Older] Russia Says It Foiled Ukrainian Drone Attack on Civilian Cargo Ships in Black Sea

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-10 [Older] Russia's Military Drone Production Ramping Up, Says Defence Minister

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] Russian GigaChat AI Offers Burger King a Recipe for Success

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] After Wagner, Russia makes new military plans in Africa

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] Putin: 'Impossible' to defeat Russia but end of war likely

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] Russians enter North Korea as first post-COVID tour group

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] ISU Defends Its Decision to Give Russians Bronze Medal From Beijing Olympics After Doping Case

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] Ukraine's Kharkiv Swept by Fire After Russian Drones Strike Petrol Station

    • Vox ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] Why Ukraine’s new top general is known as the “butcher”

    • CPJ ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] CPJ calls for transparent investigation into Ukraine surveillance of Bihus.Info journalists

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Ukraine's Zelenskyy in Germany to talk security

    • New Yorker ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Can Ukraine Still Win?

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-14 [Older] What hope for Ukraine if US military aid dries up?

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-13 [Older] Starlink is crucial to Ukraine's defense — how does it work?

    • International Business Times ☛ 2024-02-13 [Older] UK and Ukraine Extend Tariff-Free Trade Agreement to Aid Ukrainian Businesses

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-13 [Older] House Speaker Casts Doubts on Senate Ukraine and Israel Aid Package as Senators Grind Through Votes

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-13 [Older] UK to Urge Allies to Boost Defence Production for Ukraine

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Ukraine updates: Germany, Poland, France meet on Ukraine

    • Truthdig ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Where Did Washington’s Ukraine Partisans Go?

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Ukraine to Produce Thousands of Long-Range Drones in 2024, Minister Says

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-11 [Older] Ukraine: Hardened professionals from Colombia are helping

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-11 [Older] Ukraine updates: Frontline situation is difficult, Kyiv says

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-11 [Older] Senators Push Forward With Ukraine Aid Package as Their Leaders Say the World Is Watching

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-11 [Older] Finland's New President Sees No Limit to NATO Ties, Ukraine Support

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-10 [Older] Can the EU do more to support Ukraine?

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-10 [Older] The Senate Is Pushing Past Far-Right Objections to Aiding Ukraine. but Next Steps Are Uncertain

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-10 [Older] Ukraine Aid Bill Inches Forward in US Senate

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-10 [Older] Ukraine's Zelenskiy Fleshes Out Rebooted Military Team

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] U.S. aid for Ukraine dried up at the end of last year

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] Zelensky removed Ukraine’s Commander-in-chief

    • Scheerpost ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] The Biden-Schumer Plan to Kill More Ukrainians

    • CBC ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] Putin sat down with Tucker Carlson and lectured him on the Ukraine war

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] Germany's Scholz in US pushes for unblocking Ukraine aid

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy names new chief of staff

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] Ukraine war: Who is new top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi?

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] What's Inside the Senate's $95 Billion Bill to Aid Ukraine and Israel and Counter China

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-09 [Older] Ukraine's Zelenskiy Names New Chief of Staff After Appointing New Commander in Chief

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • Public Knowledge ☛ 2023 Annual Report

    View the 2023 Annual Report for Public Knowledge below once the material is complete.

• Environment

  • Science Alert ☛ Quantum Phenomenon Explains Tiny Molecule's Huge Impact on Global Warming

    A surprisingly simple explanation to a massive problem.

  • Hackaday ☛ You Could Be Relatively Cooler In Diamond-Coated Clothing

    We vaguely remember what we believe was a DuPont commercial in the late ’80s or early ’90s touting that one day, they would make clothing that could cool you. And sure, there is clothing that allows heat to escape — fishnet shirts come to mind most immediately — but a group of scientists at Australia’s RMIT University have applied a coating of nanodiamonds to cotton in order to make fabric that goes a step further, drawing heat away from the body.

  • YLE ☛ Finnish pond hockey on thin ice as climate crisis looms

    A changing climate threatens the pastime of outdoor ice hockey around the world and in Finland.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Mexico News Daily ☛ National truckers’ strike disrupts traffic on major highways

      Members of Mexico's largest truckers' union blockaded highways to protest against insecurity, saying the government response has been inadequate.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Earth's Coral Reefs Are Far Bigger Than We Thought, Satellite Imagery Reveals

      We were missing an area the size of Ireland.

• Finance

  • San Fancisco ☛ Microsoft subsidiary renews S.F. headquarters lease despite remote work policy

    The renewal comes despite reports a year ago suggesting the company would shutter all of its offices following layoffs.

    In contrast, other segments of Microsoft have sought to cut office space in San Francisco, with the parent company seeking to sublease 49,000 square feet at 555 California St. Another division, LinkedIn was close to subleasing part of its 222 Second St. office space to Silicon Valley Bank.

  • Robert Reich ☛ Think Tipping Is Out of Control? Watch This.

  • RFA ☛ N Korea peddles illicit gambling sites to South’s criminal ring

    Seoul’s spy agency has linked the sales to the office funding leader Kim Jong Un.

  • YLE ☛ PTT: Finland to see slight rise in housing prices and rents

    The forecast calls for an overall two percent rent hike for rental apartments on the open market, with increases accelerating towards the end of the year.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ Conservatives Suffer Setback in Parliamentary Election in Britain

    The results came as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak deals with a shrinking economy and discontent over a crisis gripping the country’s health system.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Fumio Kishida, Japan’s most unpopular leader since 1947, looks to diplomatic success for survival

    He is possibly looking towards diplomacy, specifically a summit with North Korea, to give his approval ratings a lift.

  • RFA ☛ Japan to assist 4 ASEAN countries to counter China: report

    Tokyo is to provide drones, radar systems and patrol boats during the 10-year plan.

  • New York Times ☛ India’s Supreme Court Strikes Down Contentious Election Fund-Raising Tool

    Judges found that government bonds used for anonymous political donations were unconstitutional.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India’s top court strikes down controversial scheme for anonymous political donations ahead of polls

    February 16, 2024 5:00 AM
    
    

    Order casts Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a bad light.

  • The Straits Times ☛ What will Prabowo’s China policy look like? Analysts expect pragmatism over nationalism

    Mr Prabowo Subianto is expected to continue with the economic and foreign policies of Mr Joko Widodo.

  • RFA ☛ Hong Kong’s protesters ‘shut out of jobs’ on release from prison

    The impact of a political conviction lasts for years, even when activists have served their time.

  • RFA ☛ China’s Pooh-tin appeared ‘humble’ but now rules supreme, ambassador says

    Former Japanese envoy publishes an account of his brushes with China’s ‘Wolf Warrior’ diplomats.

  • RFA ☛ US House passes bill urging China to resolve Tibet dispute

    Bill calls on the State Department to counter disinformation about Tibet.

  • The Strategist ☛ We mustn’t be afraid to mention China in public discussions about defence

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Dance Moves and Deepfakes: Indonesia Presidential Candidates Duke It Out on TikTok

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Democratic Senator Raises Concerns About Biden Campaign Decision to Join TikTok

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Biden's Reelection Campaign Joins TikTok in Push for Young Voters

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] White House: Nothing Has Changed About TikTok Use From National Security Perspective

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Biden Campaign Trumpets Joining TikTok, Despite His Own Administration's Security Concerns

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-02-12 [Older] Biden's Campaign Joins TikTok, Even as Administration Warns of National Security Concerns With App

    • The Age AU ☛ 2024-02-13 [Older] TikTok’s ‘girl maths’ reinforces dangerous gender stereotypes, ASIC warns

    • Vox ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] How discredited health claims find a second life on TikTok

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • RFA ☛ China arrests Tibetan monk for possession of Dalai Lama photo

    But authorities have not issued information on his whereabouts following his arrest in July 2023, sources say.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Photographer receives police payout after Just Stop Oil protest arrest

    Peter Macdiarmid was handcuffed at the M25 Clacket Lane Services in August 2022 and detained for hours.

  • Stanford University ☛ Graduate Student Council debates free speech policies

    Two GSC members proposed a Free Speech Bill that would seek University clarification on policies surrounding student expression and endorse overnight camping in White Plaza.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • The Age AU ☛ 2024-02-15 [Older] Australia news LIVE: Mass power outages continue across Victoria; PM gets engaged to partner; Labor backs Julian Assange vote

  • The Dissenter ☛ Countdown To Day X: Assange & The 'Political Offense' Exception

  • teleSUR ☛ Australian Parliament Asks US to Stop Action Against Assange

    The WikiLeaks founder suffers from fragile mental health and is at risk of suicide if his appeal is rejected.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ St. Paul teachers union votes on strike; early March walkout possible if approved

    Once the union files to strike, there’s a 10-day countdown for final negotiations between the union and the district before the strike can begin.

  • Techdirt ☛ Immunity Denied To Cop Who Ticketed A Man For Telling The Cop To Turn On His Headlights

    Cops shouldn’t be able to arrest you for saying things to them, even if they’re things they don’t like. But it still happens with alarming frequency. This is unconstitutional retaliation. But even if courts admit that much, if this retaliation doesn’t match up with the facts of a previous case they’ve handled, they’ll acknowledge the rights violation but grant the vindictive officer(s) qualified immunity.

  • JURIST ☛ South Korea court convicts 3 former police officers for deleting evidence in deadly Halloween crowd surge investigation

    The Seoul Western District Court convicted three former police officers on Wednesday over the destruction of evidence, including several “Halloween intelligence reports,” to conceal the truth after the Itaewon crowd crush.

  • New York Times ☛ Lawsuit Against NRA Goes to Jury After Final Arguments

    The case, brought by the New York attorney general, Letitia James, accused leaders of the National Rifle Association of corruption and misspending.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ AI deepfakes of mass shooting victims used to lobby Congress for gun control

    It’s not often we hear about deepfake content being used as a force for good, but a group of activists in the U.S. will tell you that they began doing exactly that this week when they used the technology to lobby members of Congress for stricter gun laws in the country.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • EFF ☛ Don’t Fall for the Latest Changes to the Dangerous Kids Online Safety Act

    KOSA remains a dangerous bill that would allow the government to decide what types of information can be shared and read online by everyone. It would still require an enormous number of websites, apps, and online platforms to filter and block legal, and important, speech. It would almost certainly still result in age verification requirements. Some of its provisions have changed over time, and its latest changes are detailed below. But those improvements do not cure KOSA’s core First Amendment problems. Moreover, a close review shows that state attorneys general still have a great deal of power to target online services and speech they do not like, which we think will harm children seeking access to basic health information and a variety of other content that officials deem harmful to minors.  

  • Techdirt ☛ Senator Blumenthal Pretends To Fix KOSA; It’s A Lie

    As lots of folks are reporting, Senator Richard Blumenthal, this morning, released an updated version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). He and co-author Senator Marsha Blackburn are also crowing how they’ve now increased the list of co-sponsors to 62 Senators, including Senators Chuck Schumer and Ted Cruz among others.

  • Techdirt ☛ Has Wired Given Up On Fact Checking? Publishes Facts-Optional Screed Against Section 230 That Gets Almost Everything Wrong

    What is going on at Wired Magazine? A few years ago, the magazine went on a bit of a binge with some articles that completely misrepresented Section 230. While I felt those articles were extraordinarily misleading, at least they seemed to mostly live in the world of facts.

  • APNIC ☛ APNIC EC Election 2024: Value your vote

    Exercise your right for the good of the membership and the community.

  • APNIC ☛ A quantum-safe cryptography DNSSEC testbed

    Guest Post: Now is the time to prepare for the future of cryptography .

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • MWL ☛ Dear writers: Delete your Findaway Voices account NOW

    When Findaway Voices first appeared, it made it comparatively easy for independent authors to do audiobooks. Audio was still hard, mind you, but it was possible. Spotify bought Findaway. They began playing with payments, refunds, and returns. And now, the licensing terms have changed.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Not Just Delaware: Litigation Funding Transparency Progress Across Multiple States

    In April 2022, Delaware federal court Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly introduced a standing order requiring that all parties appearing before him disclose any third-party funding they receive. Since then, his order—and what it revealed—has gotten a considerable amount of attention, including here on Patent Progress. It’s for good reason.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ UPC says public need legal representation to access court files [Ed: UPC is illegal and unconstitutional. It should cease to exist, but JUVE was paid to legitimise this crime.]

      The UPC Court of Appeal has issued an order decreeing that, for a ‘member of the public’ or third party to request access to court documents, they must instruct a qualified representative (case ID: UPC_CoA_404/2023; App_584498/2023). The decision comes as part of the ongoing debate surrounding accessibility in Ocado vs. Autostore; [...]

    • JUVE ☛ Lenovo accelerates Ericsson dispute with unusual UPC and UK claims [Ed: This UPC should not even exist; its very authority should be legally challenged at the highest level, and better sooner than later]

      The global dispute between Lenovo and Ericsson over 5G patents originated in the US. In October 2023, Ericsson filed the first patent monopoly lawsuits with the Eastern District Court of North Carolina, followed by ITC complaints.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Is FOOTWARE Merely Descriptive of Footwear with Integrated Technology?

    San Antonio Shoe, Inc. opposed Nike's application to register the proposed mark FOOTWARE for goods and service in classes 9, 38, and 42, all related to sensor and communication software, hardware, and services. Nike did not deny that "the FOOTWARE platform may be incorporated into a shoe," but it pointed out that the identification of goods and services makes no mention of shoes or footwear. How do you think this came out?

• Copyrights

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Unwashed Furry Masses: Wanda Gág’s Millions of Cats (1928)

    The oldest American children's book still in print, Wanda Gág's classic opens onto surprisingly political themes.

  • Torrent Freak ☛ Piracy Shield IPTV Blocks Reportedly Hit Zenlayer CDN's Innocent Customers

    If initial reports coming out of Italy today are proven true, Italy's Piracy Shield system designed to block live sports piracy, is currently blocking Zenlayer CDN IP addresses and the innocent services reliant upon them. A claim that cloud services provider Cloud4C has been rendered inaccessible appears to be credible.

  • Torrent Freak ☛ Cloud TV Service Boss Sentenced to 3 Years Prison Plus $505,000 Damages

    Launched in 2007, TVkaista allowed users to record live TV broadcasts and store them in the cloud to enjoy later. Rightsholders insisted that, without a license, TVkaista was an illegal service. In subsequent legal action, the operators of the service faced allegations of criminal copyright infringement and fraud. Seventeen years after TVkaista's launch, its former CEO has just been sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $505,000 in compensation.

  • Techdirt ☛ As Predicted, Judge Dismisses Nearly All Of Sarah Silverman, Michael Chabon, And Other Authors’ Lawsuits Against OpenAI

    Can’t say we didn’t warn everyone. Last summer we pointed out that Sarah Silverman and a bunch of other authors suing AI companies for copyright infringement seemed to only demonstrate that they didn’t understand how copyright works.

• Gemini* and Gopher

  • Personal/Opinions

    • 🔤SpellBinding: CFIKOPT Wordo: MOHEL

  • Technology and Free Software

    • Internet/Gemini

      • Part of the smolnet

        In todays digital world the world wide web has become a conglomerate or an oligopoly of a few big players which try to squeeze every bit of information out of the user. We are bombarded with advertisements and every step you take is tracked and stored in a big database. Content is only produced to contain ads and generate clicks - a perfect job for AI. And I predict most "content" will be produced by AI to this end in future. This is what Cory Doctorow coined as "Enshittification" and it gets worse and worse. But I don't want to go that route.

        In 2020 when I discovered the Gemini protocol I already knew a little about tildes and pubnixes, but all I knew was that they were public Unix or BSD servers, where the users could try out, learn and share about the system.

      • Openreads

        Last December a number of bloggers I enjoy following started posting their top reads of 2023. I was excited to read those blog posts but it quickly became obvious that I had two problems. One, I had no place to jot down these book recommendations for future reference, aside from something like a random piece of paper. It's pretty hard to go looking for a notebook and pencil while nursing the baby, which is when I do my blog reading.