Leftovers

• Chris ☛ Quarterly Cup 2024 Q3 Retrospective

• Hackaday ☛ The Nixie Tube Multimeter That Almost Made A Comeback

  In a world of digital monotony, the Avo DA14 digital multimeter, with its vintage J Nixie tube charm, is a refreshing gem. Recently refurbished by [Thomas Scherrer], this multimeter video review is a blend of nostalgia and tech savvy. The DA14 not only has style, but substance — delivering resistance, current, and voltage measurements that make you wonder why more multi-meters didn’t stick with this stylish glow.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ SpaceX: New Book Claims Engineers Slept Beside Explosive Fuel

    "It's the hardest work I've ever seen."

  • Science Alert ☛ NASA Reveals Spooky Eyes in Space, And They're Staring Straight at You

    If you gaze for long into an abyss...

  • Science Alert ☛ The Primal Origins of Kissing Were Just Revealed, And It's So Gross

    Eww!

  • New York Times ☛ Can Axions Save the Universe?

    The hunt for dark matter is shifting from particles to waves named after a laundry detergent.

  • New York Times ☛ Diving to Drink a 19th-Century Shipwreck’s Treasure

    A team recently dived deep beneath Lake Huron hoping to harvest grain that may one day be distilled into whiskey with a flavor forgotten to history.

  • NYPost ☛ Animals become less social as they age — just like people, scientists say

    Being a loner isn't un-herd of for these four-legged seniors.

  • France24 ☛ China sends three new-generation astronauts to space station

    China has declared its latest space mission "a total success", after the Shenzhou 19 spaceship carried three astronauts to its space station. The young crew includes the country's first female space engineer. The launch comes some 21 years after China conducted its first manned space flight and takes the country a step closer to its goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2030. We take a closer look.

  • Hackaday ☛ Capturing Light In A Vacuum: The Magic Of Tube Video Cameras

    Cameras are a funny rabbit hole to fall down as a hacker, because we have well over a century of items to pick and choose from, a lot of which can be had for relative pennies. In my case I have more of them than I’d care to mention, mostly film cameras and 8mm movie cameras, but there are one or two that are entirely different. My first interest in electronics came through PAL televisions, so it’s hardly surprising that along the way I’ve also acquired more than one chunky old tube-based video camera. These devices are now long ago supplanted by their solid state replacements, but they retain a fascination for me as the mirror of the CRT-based TV sets I know so well. It’s time for a fascinating descent into the world of analogue video.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Just Revealed Exactly What Happens When an Atom Splits in Two

    Not so indivisible after all.

  • Science Alert ☛ Ancient Town From 4,000 Years Ago Found Hidden in Saudi Arabian Oasis

    Mysteriously abandoned, but why?

• Hardware

  • Amit Shah: New CPU Feature ERAPS Reduces Software Tax for Hardware Bugs

    With the Turin CPU, AMD introduced a new performance feature in its processors: ERAPS - Enhanced RAP Security for Linux. This feature brings back some of the performance lost due to software mitigations put in place after the Spectre vulnerabilities were disclosed in hardware back in 2017.

    This feature makes the software invulnerable to certain speculative attacks, thereby providing the security and not requiring the software mitigations anymore.

    This article goes into which software mitigations are not required anymore when using processors with this feature. But before that, let’s catch up on the CPU vulnerabilities and the software mitigations applied to protect against them.

  • Hackaday ☛ Producing An Exquisite Wooden Keyboard

    Keyboards! They’ve been almost universally made out of plastic since the dawn of the microcomputer era. Meanwhile, wood is a rather desirable material and it lends itself rather well to touch-heavy human interface devices. As [ProcessX] shows us, though, it can take quite a bit of work to fabricate a keyboard entirely out of this material.

  • Hackaday ☛ Building A Hydrogen-Powered Foam Dart Cannon

    Nerf blasters are fun and all, but they’re limited by the fact they have to be safe for children to play with. [Flasutie] faced no such restrictions when building his giant 40 mm foam dart launcher, and it’s all the better for it.

  • Hackaday ☛ Fix That Old Remote With Graphite

    A button that stopped working has probably led to more than a few smashed remotes over the years. Fortunately [pescado99] has shared a beautifully simple cure for dead or dying remote buttons: graphite dry lubricant.

  • New York Times ☛ Nvidia Will Replace defective chip maker Intel in the Dow Jones Stock Index

    The change, starting next Friday, lifts a dominant player in artificial intelligence over its chip-making rival, which has struggled to keep up.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel outlines plan to break free from TSMC manufacturing — 70% of Panther Lake at defective chip maker Intel fabs, Nova Lake almost entirely in-house

    Intel is set to bring back in-house CPU production with Panther Lake and Nova Lake, but some products will still be made at TSMC.

  • The Next Platform ☛ Defective chip maker Intel Takes The Big Restructuring Hits As It Looks Ahead

    It is beginning to look like chip maker defective chip maker Intel hit the bottom in its products and foundry businesses in the second quarter of this year and that revenues are slowly – we won’t go so far as to say surely – improving.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel says it will miss its Hey Hi (AI) goals with Gaudi 3 due to unbaked software — Intel's $500 million Hey Hi (AI) goal unachievable as competitors rake in billions

    Software issues slowed the sales ramp of Intel's Gaudi 3 accelerator for AI.

  • The Straits Times ☛ After iPhone 16, Indonesia halts sale of Surveillance Giant Google Pixel phones

    The country said Alphabet’s Surveillance Giant Google failed to meet domestic content requirements.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Pro Publica ☛ Nevaeh Crain Died During a Miscarriage After Trying to Get Care in Texas Hospitals

  • Science Alert ☛ Standing on One Leg Can Reveal a Huge Amount About Your Health

    It's more important than you think.

  • Science Alert ☛ Deaths Tied to Hey Hi (AI) Chatbots Show The Danger of These Artificial Voices

    We have to prevent further tragedies.

  • Science Alert ☛ Gut Inflammation Link to Alzheimer's Disease Confirmed Yet Again

    Not just a brain disease.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Caught Sperm Defying One of The Laws of Physics

    Some rules were made to be broken.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Hackaday ☛ Apple Forces The Signing Of Applications In MacOS Sequoia 15.1

    Many MacOS users are probably used by now to the annoyance that comes with unsigned applications, as they require a few extra steps to launch them. This feature is called Gatekeeper and checks for an Apple Developer ID certificate. Starting with MacOS Sequoia 15, the easy bypassing of this feature with e.g. holding Control when clicking the application icon is now no longer an option, with version 15.1 disabling ways to bypass this completely. Not unsurprisingly, this change has caught especially users of open source software like OpenSCAD by surprise, as evidenced by a range of forum posts and GitHub tickets.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ Thai YouTuber in $78m scam nabbed in Riau after she couldn’t sing Indonesia’s national anthem

      Natthamon “Nutty” Khongchak had been passing herself off as Indonesian after she fled Thailand.

    • Cloudbooklet ☛ Beware! Ipswich Bus Pass Scam Hits Facebook (Farcebook) Users!

      Stay informed! The Ipswich Bus Pass scam is targeting Facebook (Farcebook) users. Learn how to protect yourself from this growing threat.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • France24 ☛ Running app Strava found to be international security risk – again

      As we approach the US presidential election, the safety of the candidates, their families and their running mates is paramount, particularly as Republican candidate Donald Trump has already survived two assassination attempts during this election campaign. According to an investigation published by French daily Le Monde, that safety has been compromised, along with the safety of other world leaders. The culprit? The running app Strava, used by bodyguards and members of the Secret Service.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Strikes Near Lebanon’s Capital as Hopes for a Cease-Fire Fade

    The Biden administration sent envoys including the C.I.A. director to the Middle East this week, but Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas all appeared far from a deal to end the fighting.

  • France24 ☛ Israel pounds Beirut suburb Dahiyeh with airstrikes overnight

    Israel’s air force pounded Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh overnight, destroying dozens of buildings in several neighbourhoods, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Friday. Recently, Israel has intensified its airstrikes on the northeastern city of Baalbek and nearby villages, as well as different parts of southern Lebanon. International mediators are ramping up efforts to halt the wars in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, circulating new proposals to wind down the regional conflict.

  • RFERL ☛ Pentagon Announces New Deployments To Middle East In Warning To Iran

    U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of additional ballistic missile defense destroyers, fighter squadron and tanker aircraft, and several B-52 long-range strike bombers to the Middle East, a Pentagon statement said on November 1.

  • American democracy ‘messy,’ Chinese state media says

    With all eyes on US presidential election, support is roughly divided between Harris and Trump.

  • Vietnam accuses China of ‘illegal detention’ of South China Sea fishermen

    Vietnam’s foreign ministry demands immediate release of fishermen detained near the Paracel archipelago.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s navy performs first dual aircraft formation exercise in South China Sea

    The exercise is meant to project China’s air and sea power to deter potential adversaries.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan races to remove oil from grounded Chinese ship

    The ship was transporting three cranes from Taiwan to China on Oct 29 when it stalled in wild weather.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ How to reform UNRWA to improve Palestinian lives and Israeli security

    A three-step plan offers a pathway to reforming the United Nations agency to truly service Palestinians and to no longer pose a threat to Israel and an obstacle to Palestinian statehood negotiations.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea says record test was new Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile

    State news agency KCNA lauded it as “the world’s strongest strategic missile”.

  • North Korea says missile test shows ‘irreversible’ means to deliver nuclear bombs

    North Korea says missile test shows ‘irreversible’ means to deliver nuclear bombs

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea vows to continue what it calls self-defence efforts, KCNA says

    It accused the United States and South Korea of pushing the Korean Peninsula into war scenarios.

  • North Korea sends military to inspect homes for working propaganda speakers

    The speakers should be on 17 hours per day, and residents are to be outed if theirs isn't working.

  • JURIST ☛ North Korea escapees ‘disappear’ after capture by secret police: report

    A South Korean advocacy group released a report on Thursday noting that more than 100 North Koreans have gone missing after trying to defect. The Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) published the findings as a part of its mapping project for North Korea.

  • Media Watch: Inter-Korean tension sparks rumors in China

    In this fact check, RFA debunks false claims on Chinese social control media about tensions between North and South Korea.

  • EXPLAINED: How would Harris and Trump differ on Asia?

    Tuesday’s presidential election could lead to vastly different outcomes for US foreign policy.

  • The Straits Times ☛ What lies beneath: Chongqing’s subterranean world

    Its warren of underground bunkers and tunnels, which sheltered the city’s residents during the heavy bombing of the Second Sino-Japanese war, are turned into lifestyle destinations today.

  • France24 ☛ Japan, EU announce sweeping defence and security pact

    A sweeping new security and defence partnership pact between Japan and the European Union was unveiled on Friday in Tokyo. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell described it as "the first agreement of this nature" between the EU and an Asia-Pacific country.

  • Defence Web ☛ EU/Kenya hold joint maritime exercise

    Exposure to the European Union (EU) naval task force in the western Indian Ocean by way of joint exercises saw the Kenya Navy and Coast Guard further improve maritime security.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • New York Times ☛ How Wagner’s Ruthless Image Crumbled in Mali

      The Russian mercenary group operated with little pushback in the West African nation — until it launched one of its most ambitious missions.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukrainians brace for blackouts ahead of Russian winter air offensive

      A recent lull in Russian missile attacks has led many Ukrainians to conclude that the Kremlin is stockpiling ahead of a major winter air offensive targeting Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure, writes Aura Sabadus.

    • France24 ☛ Europe is far from stepping up on defence, top diplomat Pierre Vimont says

      With the US election just around the corner, is the EU prepared for what might be coming? And what does “being prepared” mean, exactly, when it comes to Europe’s defence capabilities? These are some of the questions we put to veteran French diplomat Pierre Vimont, who was ambassador to Washington during the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Vimont argues that the EU needs to develop much longer-term strategic thinking, whether on Ukraine and Russia, or China, or the Middle East, or the EU’s own near neighbourhood.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China says ties between Moscow, Pyongyang ‘their own matter’ as North Korean troops prepare to fight in Ukraine

      China on Friday insisted that growing ties between Pyongyang and Moscow were not its concern, after the United States warned up to 8,000 North Korean troops have reached Russia’s border region trained and ready for combat with Ukraine. “North Korea and Russia are two independent sovereign states.

    • JURIST ☛ UN commission concludes Russia committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine

      The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded on Tuesday that Russian authorities have committed torture as a crime against humanity in Ukraine. The commission’s report confirmed that torture practices were widespread in all Ukrainian provinces under Russian control and in Russia’s detention facilities.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Criticizes Partners For Weak Response To North Korean Troops In Russia

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on November 1 criticized Kyiv’s partners for a lack of action in response to Russia's deployment of North Korean troops.

    • RFERL ☛ U.S. Announces Additional Security Assistance For Ukraine

      The U.S. Defense Department on November 1 announced additional security assistance for Ukraine worth an estimated $425 million.

    • RFERL ☛ Slovakia Ready To Join Chinese-Brazilian Peace Plan Already Rejected By Ukraine

      Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Bratislava is ready to join a proposal promoted by Brazil and China to resolve the war in Ukraine.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Pyongyang will stand by Russia until ‘victory’ in Ukraine, says North Korea minister

      North Korea was committed to helping Russia in its war with Ukraine, said its foreign minister.

    • Meduza ☛ North Korean foreign minister says Russia fighting ‘sacred war’ in Ukraine — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ North Korea Says It Will Back Russia Until 'Victory' In Ukraine

      North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said Pyongyang will stand by Russia until "victory" in Ukraine as Washington predicted North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk region will enter the fight against Kyiv in the coming days.

    • RFERL ☛ Policeman Killed, 30 Wounded In Fresh Strike On Kharkiv

      A Russian attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv hit a police station, killing a policeman and wounding more than two dozen other people, the head of Ukraine's National Police said on November 1.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea minister says all scenarios under consideration for aiding Ukraine

      Seoul would be watching the level of participation by N. Korean troops in Russia.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China, Slovakia forge closer ties amid EU trade disputes

      BEIJING - China and Slovakia said on Friday they would boost trade and investment ties and spoke of the need for peace in Ukraine during a visit to Beijing by Prime Minister Robert Fico to launch a new strategic partnership.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Ukraine’s Hey Hi (AI) drones are now actively deployed in combat. And they hit targets.

      Rolled out to combat Russian signal jamming, Ukraine is deploying new Hey Hi (AI) systems to drive its drone warfare. Early tests find the automated pilots are far more likely to hit targets, though only a small proportion of Ukraine’s fleet uses the new technology.

    • New York Times ☛ As Russia Advances, U.S. Fears Ukraine Has Entered a Grim Phase

      Weapons supplies are no longer Ukraine’s main disadvantage, American military officials say.

    • Latvia ☛ Uncertainty among border area residents what to do in crisis event

      Ignore or talk to a neighbor saying she'd move to Russia? What to do if suspicious strangers are walking around the village and there is no reception on your mobile phone? These are real situations experienced by people living on Latvia's eastern border. Civil protection plans have been drawn up but there is still a lack of clarity about where to get information, Latvian Television reported on October 31.

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Russia hits Surveillance Giant Google with astronomical fine over YouTube bans

      A Russian court today announced that Surveillance Giant Google LLC owes the Kremlin a staggering 2 trillion rubles for restricting Russian state media channels on YouTube. Two undecillion rubles – a 2 followed by 36 zeroes – amount to $20 decillion, or around $20 billion trillion.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ The underestimated implications of the BRICS Summit in Russia

      It is a mistake for the West to dismiss the power of symbolism and narratives in the geopolitical competition for global influence.

    • France24 ☛ ‘We need clarity more than ever’: Georgia’s murky elections and the West’s dilemma

      In the aftermath of last weekend's disputed parliamentary election results in Georgia, some observers say the West needs to be more robust in condemning electoral fraud and sanctioning the parties involved. Others say the full picture needs to be established. The stakes are high for the West as a vital foothold in the Caucasus pivots to Russia.

    • JURIST ☛ Georgia Secretary Raffensperger says alleged voter fraud video is likely foreign interference

      Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stated that the viral video showing a Haitian immigrant with multiple Georgia IDs claiming to have voted for Vice President Harris is fake, in a statement released Thursday night. In the statement, Raffensperger stated that the video is likely a production of Russian troll farms, to “sow discord and chaos […]

    • RFERL ☛ Moldovan Authorities Tell Voters To Ignore 'Fake' Messages Ahead Of Runoff

      Authorities in Moldova are urging people to ignore a "massive attack of fake messages and calls" telling them they will receive payments in exchange for voting for President Maia Sandu in the November 3 presidential runoff.

    • RFERL ☛ Another Political Prisoner Dies In Belarus Jail, Rights Group Says

      A 22-year-old Russian man who had been sentenced to 12 years in prison on espionage and "facilitating extremist activities" charges has died in a Belarusian penal colony, the human rights center Vyasna said on November 1.

    • RFERL ☛ Kazakh Court Extends Detention Of Russian Entrepreneur Wanted By Moscow

      A Kazakh court has extended the detention of Russian entrepreneur Yevgeny Nakaznenko until September 2025, his lawyer, Dias Akhmetov, told RFE/RL on November 1.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Jails Former U.S. Consulate Employee Amid Tense Relations

      The Primorye regional court in Russia's Far East on November 1 sentenced Robert Shonov, a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok, to a lengthy prison sentence on charges of "confidential collaboration with a foreign state," which Washington has called baseless.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korean foreign minister arrives in Moscow for talks

      This is North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui's second visit to Russia in six weeks.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea, Russia conclude joint exhibition of tech products in Pyongyang, KCNA says

      Russia and North Korea have been cooperating more widely since June.

    • Meduza ☛ Widow of anti-Kremlin activist Ildar Dadin says he was buried without her knowledge or permission — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia sees first rise in disability registrations in 11 years — but wartime injuries are only part of the story — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s government services portal has asked people to stop using Gmail. Is the Kremlin planning to block the email provider? — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reportedly to visit Malta in December, his first trip to E.U. since start of full-scale war — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Suspected people smugglers arrested in fake Latvian 'border guard' vehicle

      Last night, two persons were arrested in Škaune parish of Krāslava county for using a vehicle that imitated a minibus of the State Border Guard, reported Latvian Television November 1. The incident would appear to be the latest imaginative ruse cooked up by people-smugglers taking illegal entrants from Belarus into the European Union.

    • RFERL ☛ Macron Voices Message Of European Unity To Moldovans Ahead Of Crucial Vote

      French President Emmanuel Macron has encouraged Moldovans to continue on the path of integration into the European Union ahead of a decisive presidential runoff pitting pro-EU incumbent Maia Sandu against Moscow-friendly Alexandr Stoianoglo.

• Environment

  • University of Michigan ☛ On environmental justice, local regulators need to step up

    In November 2021, Michael Regan, the newly-appointed administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, embarked on a “Journey to Justice” throughout the South, visiting communities that have been historically victimized by pollution, public health crises and environmental injustice.

  • The Straits Times ☛ No typhoons recorded in South Korea for the first time in 7 years

    This was due to the North Pacific high pressure system that caused extreme heat in August.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China hopes US will continue climate change collaboration whoever wins election, says official

    Cooperation between China and the United States has helped seal major climate deals.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China hopes for ‘consistency’ from US on climate policy regardless of upcoming election result

    Beijing hopes the US will maintain “consistency” in its climate policy and continue bilateral cooperation regardless of next week’s election result, a Chinese official said Friday. The two countries have expanded climate policy cooperation since Chinese leader Pooh-tin Jinping and US President Joe Biden met in San Francisco nearly a year ago.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China maintains it’s a developing country amid calls to contribute to UN climate fund

    Wealthy nations are expected to set a new global climate finance target at COP29.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North-east monsoon expected to start on Nov 5: MetMalaysia

    About five to seven episodes of heavy rainfall can be expected during the monsoon period.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • DeSmog ☛ Utility Industry Dollars Continue to Pour Into Louisiana Public Service Commission Elections

    • DeSmog ☛ Majority of PR and Ad Sector Clients Obstruct Climate Action: Report

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Easy credit and living beyond their means straining Malaysian young adults financially

    The fear of missing out is also a common reason why young adults make financial mistakes, said an expert.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

• France24 ☛ The gender gap in the US election: Will abortion rights tip the result or not?

  In a special edition, we're focusing on the US presidential election, which is no doubt the most momentous election ever for American women in the nation's history with the demise of Roe v. Wade in 2022. We are also witnessing a particularly large gender voting gap, with more men leaning towards the Republicans' Donald Trump, while the Democrats’ Kamala Harris is attracting a greater number of female voters. So how will this gender gap impact voting? Is America going to have its first-ever woman president and a woman of colour at that? Or is Donald Trump and his hardline conservative views on gender equality going to get a second term in the White House with all of its implications for the future of democracy? Annette Young is joined by author, Ellen Kountz; Dan Hazelwood, a Republican strategist and Carter Sherman, the reproductive health reporter for The Guardian US.

• JURIST ☛ Fundraising for abortion rights amendments raises more than $160M across 9 US states

  A report released Wednesday by the Associated Press showed groups supporting constitutional amendments for abortion rights in nine states have raised more than $160 million.

• New York Times ☛ Billionaire Game Theory + We Are Not Ready for A.G.I. + Election Betting Markets Get Weird

  “If I had $1 billion, how would I try to influence the results of this election?”

• France24 ☛ Israel-Hamas war: Some US Muslims struggle with voting decisions

  With the US handling of the Israel-Hamas war and conflict in the Middle East looming over the White House race, many American Muslim voters — most of whom backed President Joe Biden four years ago — have been wrestling with voting decisions. After US support for Israel left many of them feeling outraged and ignored, some seek a rebuff of the Democrats, including by favouring third-party options for president. Others grapple with how to express their anger through the ballot box amid warnings by some against another Donald Trump presidency.

• Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Georgia Secretary of State: Haitian immigrant voting video is likely Russian disinformation

    The FBI, ODNI and CISA attributed the video to Russia, and Georgia’s top election official lobbied Elon Musk to remove the post from X.

  • RFERL ☛ U.S. Says Russian 'Influence Actors' Created False Videos About Voting In U.S. State Of Georgia

    U.S. intelligence on November 1 accused "Russian influence actors" of making a video purportedly showing a Haitian immigrant claiming to have voted multiple times in the U.S. state of Georgia.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Spy Agencies Issue New Warning on Russia’s Election Misinformation Campaign

    Three recent videos have sought to undermine confidence in the security of the vote.

  • Does a photo show people lining up for a Trump rally in New York?

    Verdict: False

  • New York Times ☛ How a Georgia Security Conference Became a Target of Election Deniers

    The gathering had nothing to do with the election. That didn’t stop conspiracy theorists from spreading falsehoods.

  • Cloudbooklet ☛ US Rapper Megan Sues Blogger for Promoting Deepfake Porn Video!

    Why is US rapper Megan sues blogger? Learn about her fight against deepfake content and its threat to privacy.

Censorship/Free Speech

• Stanford University ☛ ‘The rules exist to protect Stanford’: New free speech guidelines spark debate on campus expression

  Stanford’s updated free speech policies could have a chilling effect on campus activism, several students told The Daily.

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

• France24 ☛ Criticism mounts after several US media refuse to give presidential endorsements

  Editorial boards at The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today have announced they will not endorse a presidential candidate in the upcoming US election, sparking a backlash from readers. In this episode of Scoop, we look into how the decisions were made and whether presidential endorsements really matter in the first place. We're joined by Sewell Chan, executive editor at the Columbia Journalism Review.

• CS Monitor ☛ Who’s the real loser in the 2024 election? Mainstream media.

  Presidential campaigns no longer hunt for blocs of persuadable voters through mainstream media, but turn to podcasters and influencers.

• Press Gazette ☛ Tracking abuse of journalists makes us all safer

  Tim Dawson reflects on incident from his early career - and learns such experiences should not be accepted as normal.

Civil Rights/Policing

• CS Monitor ☛ An unwanted kiss shook Spanish soccer – and society. A new documentary explores why.

  Just as the Spanish women’s national team was celebrating its 2023 World Cup victory, it found itself embroiled in a fight with the soccer federation president over an unwanted kiss. A DRM spreader Netflix documentary looks at the scandal.

• AccessNow ☛ Sandvine must make good on its commitments and stop harming human rights

  Access Now, along with partner civil society organizations and experts, demand evidence of the adequacy and effectiveness of Sandvine's announced reforms.

• AccessNow ☛ EU leaders: change course and end your war on migrants

• RFERL ☛ Germany Orders Deportation of Tajik Activist Despite Torture Concerns

  An administrative court in Germany has ordered the deportation of Dilmurod Ergashev, a Tajik opposition political activist, despite significant concerns about the risk of his detention and torture upon return to Tajikistan.

• Pro Publica ☛ Mass Kidnappings Now the Norm for Migrants in Southern Mexico

• The Straits Times ☛ China surrogacy abandonment case being investigated after online criticism

  Surrogacy is illegal in China.

• AccessNow ☛ Prolonged shutdowns: An analysis of the silenced voices in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia

  Following the outbreak of conflict between the Amhara Fano and the Ethiopian military in the spring of 2023, the Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency and implemented a telecommunication

• ACLU ☛ We're Fighting for our Freedoms -- No Matter Who is President

  As we near Election Day, the ACLU is in conversation with state and local activists about how to prepare for, and respond to, the election outcome. Many people we spoke with are grappling with how they can best protect their communities and fight back against unprecedented attempts to restrict our rights. Right now, there’s real concern about how to combat the dystopian, authoritarian vision for America that Project 2025 and other extremist figures have promised.

• Vietnamese prisoners call off hunger strike after demands met

  Prison authorities agreed to open the ‘tiger cage’ where inmates are held in solitary confinement.

Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

• AccessNow ☛ #KeepItOn Mauritius: global coalition urges first-time offender to end crackdown on social control media

  We, the undersigned organizations, and members of the #KeepItOn coalition — a global network of over 334 human rights organizations from 105 countries working to end internet shutdowns — urgently

• AccessNow ☛ Authorities and internet service providers in Mozambique must respect human rights and #KeepItOn during protests

  Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition unequivocally condemn the actions of authorities in Mozambique in shutting down the internet and blocking social control media platforms.