Leftovers

• Federal News Network ☛ USPS sets lower targets for on-time mail, drawing ire from lawmakers

  Postmaster General Louis DeJoy defended USPS changes before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, citing declining mail volume.

• Ruben Schade ☛ What we can learn from _why

  I loved this retrospective by Klint Finley:

  Perhaps most importantly, he taught countless people the joy of programming. _why showed veteran coders and n00bs alike a curious, adventurous, and creative side of programming. He demonstrated that code could be more than just a form of technical problem solving: it could be a form of self-expression and of art.

• Science

  • CS Monitor ☛ Are the Boeing astronauts actually stuck in space? Nope. ‘Living in space is super fun.’

    Boeing’s new Starliner astronauts have had to combat rumors about their health and saftey after a forced extended stay on the International Space Station. However, the pair has taken the challenge in stride. “Mindset does go a long way,” said Butch Wilmore.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Blue Aurora Hints at Unknown Atmospheric Processes

    What's causing this?

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Hands Could Predict Your Drinking Habits, Study Suggests

    Wait, what?

  • Science Alert ☛ New Drug May Prevent Cognitive Decline in Parkinson's Disease

    Promising results.

  • Science Alert ☛ Fixing Climate Change to Cost 4 Times as Much if We Delay, Experts Warn

    This is getting harder and harder.

  • Science Alert ☛ Adults Grow New Brain Cells, And They Help Us Learn Through Listening

    This has potential to treat cognitive decline.

  • Science Alert ☛ Tinnitus Seems to Be Somehow Linked to a Crucial Bodily Function

    We need to know more.

  • Science Alert ☛ Community Splash Pads Come With a Disgusting Health Concern, CDC Finds

    We need to fix this.

  • Science Alert ☛ Living Material Made From Blood Can Repair Bones, Study Shows

    A natural fix.

  • Science Alert ☛ Cutting Back on One Amino Acid Increases Lifespan in Middle-Aged Mice Up to 33%

    Intriguing...

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ FlatMac: Building The 1980’s Apple IPad Concept

    The Apple FlatMac was one of those 1980s concepts by designer [Hartmut Esslingers] that remained just a concept with no more than some physical prototypes created. That is, until [Kevin Noki] came across it in an Apple design book and contacted [Hartmut] to ask whether he would be okay with providing detailed measurements so that he could create his own.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Huawei preps new Kunpeng CPU with HBM — unannounced Kunpeng Arm server chip matches defective chip maker Intel and AMD's tech

    HiSilicon is reportedly preparing a new Arm-based Kunpeng server chip featuring High Bandwidth Memory (HBM).

  • Hackaday ☛ Antenna Measurement In Theory And Practice

    If you want to analyze an antenna, you can use simulation software or you can build an antenna and make measurements. [All Electroncs Channel] does both and show you how you can do it, too, in the video below.

  • Hackaday ☛ 3D Printed Caliper Extensions Make Hole Measurement Easier

    If there’s anything more frustrating than mounting holes that don’t line up with the thing you’re mounting, we don’t know what it could be. You measure as carefully as possible, you drill the holes, and yet at least one hole ends up being just out of place. Sometimes you can fudge it, but other times you’ve got to start over again. It’s maddening.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China fires back at Trump’s 10% tariff proposal with a 20% price cut on domestic products — Beijing's policy will negatively affect chipmakers, including Nvidia and Intel

    China is putting a 20% price evaluation advantage on its own products when bidding for government contracts.

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ What China’s critical mineral ban means for the US

    MIT Technology Review Explains: Let our writers untangle the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what’s coming next. You can read more from the series here.

  • Hackaday ☛ Ampere WS-1: The Other APL Portable Computer

    When thinking of home computers and their portable kin it’s easy to assume that all of them provided BASIC as their interpreter, but for a while APL also played a role. The most quaint APL portable system here might be the Ampere WS-1, called the BIG.APL. Released in Japan in November of 1985, it was a very modern Motorola M68000-based portable with fascinating styling and many expansion options. Yet amidst an onslaught of BASIC-based microcomputers and IBM’s slow retreat out of the APL-based luggables market with its IBM 5110, an APL-only portable in 1985 was a daring choice.

  • Hackaday ☛ VNAs And Crystals

    Oscillators may use crystals as precise tuned circuits. If you have a vector network analyzer (VNA) — or even some basic test equipment — you can use it to learn the parameters of a crystal. [All Electronics Channel] has the details, and you can see how in the video below.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • University of Michigan ☛ It’s time to ban Big Pharma’s advertising scheme

    On Feb. 1, 2024, the advertising agency Publicis Health paid the state of Michigan nearly $11.7 million in a settlement for its role in the opioid crisis. The company was charged with downplaying the threat of OxyContin abuse, a potent opioid painkiller, and using public advertising to encourage users to increase their dosage.

  • NYP Holdings Inc ☛ Demi Moore Gives Touching Update On Bruce Willis’ Health After Dementia Diagnosis

    "There is great loss, but there is also great beauty and gifts that can come from it," Moore said.

  • New York Times ☛ How the Messy Process of Milking Cows Can Spread Bird Flu

    On America’s large dairy farms, milking is a vast operation, and the potential for disease transmission is worrying, health experts say.

  • Latvia ☛ Particularly severe mycoplasma pneumonia season in Latvia

    Pneumonia caused by mycoplasma continues to surge in Latvia. People of all ages are being admitted to the hospital this season with this lung disease, which used to be common in children and young people. Many need oxygen, all need specific antibiotics, Latvian Television reported on December 5.

  • New York Times ☛ Agriculture Department to Require Testing of U.S. Milk Supply for Bird Flu Virus

    New federal rules call for testing unpasteurized milk from dairy processors and for farm owners to provide details that would help officials identify and track cases more easily.

  • New York Times ☛ Their Fertilizer Poisons Farmland. Now, They Want Protection From Lawsuits.

    A company controlled by Goldman Sachs is helping to lead a lobbying effort by makers of fertilizer linked to “forever chemicals.”

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ Donating embryos for research is surprisingly complex

    This article first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first, sign up here. There’s a new film about IVF out on Netflix.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Bryan Lunduke ☛ Lunduke v. Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot - "Cease Making Defamatory Statements"

    Will OpenAl cease making false, libelous statements? If not... why not?

  • France24 ☛ Forget me bot: Mystery behind the names causing Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot to crash

    What’s in a name? When it comes to AI, a name can mean a huge data protection headache. This week, the internet was fascinated by a list of people that the Hey Hi (AI) chatbot Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot refuses to talk about. And it’s changing the debate around your “right to be forgotten” online.

  • Tedium ☛ Don’t Strip-Mine The Sky

    More thoughts on what Bluesky’s ultimate business model could look like: A modern take on Craigslist, a company that never exploited its users.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ New cybersecurity bill, with HK$5M penalties for infrastructure operators, to be discussed by lawmakers

      A bill to regulate operators of Hong Kong’s infrastructure and monitor the security of their computer systems will be discussed by lawmakers next Wednesday, with up to HK$5 million proposed as a penalty. The Protection of Critical Infrastructures (Computer Systems) Bill was gazetted on Friday. /blockquote>

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Israeli Attacks Around Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza Kill Scores, Doctors Say

    Airstrikes, gunfire, panic and orders to evacuate in the dark of night combined to cause heavy casualties in the area of Kamal Adwan, one of the last hospitals still operating in northern Gaza.

  • New York Times ☛ Killing of Brian Thompson Sets Off Fear Among Executives Already Worried About Safety

    After Brian Thompson of UnitedHealthcare was killed in Manhattan, the phones at corporate security firms were “ringing off the hook.”

  • CS Monitor ☛ In UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killing, industry frustration crowds out empathy

    The shooting of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare has put a spotlight on frustrations over medical debt and lack of security for threatened executives.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Hong Kong court rejects activist's bid for early release under new security law

    A Hong Kong court on Friday dismissed an appeal by an activist jailed for secession under a China-imposed security law to gain early release from prison.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Article 23: Prisoner barred from early release after losing first legal challenge of new security law

    Ma Chun-man, the first Hong Kong prisoner made ineligible for early release after a domestic security law was enacted in March, has lost his legal challenge against the new rule.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Hong Kong court rejects ‘Captain America 2.0’ challenge to new security law

    Ma Chun-man was seen at the 2019 protest rallies for carrying a replica of the Marvel superhero’s shield.

  • France24 ☛ 'Unprecedented': HTS rebel group poses 'most serious challenge' yet to survival of Assad regime

    If Syrian rebel forces capture Homs in their brazen lightning offensive, it would cut off the capital Damascus from the coast, a longtime redoubt of Assad's minority Alawite sect & where his Russian allies have a naval and air base. As Islamist insurgents advance on this key central city and Kurdish fighters seize the eastern desert, triggering local revolts against Assad's rule in the south, FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee welcomes former US Ambassador to Syria Robert S. Ford offering in-depth analysis.

  • RFERL ☛ Syrian Rebels Advance Toward Homs As Thousands Flee

    Russian forces bombed a key bridge and highway to try and slow a lightning advance by rebels toward the Syrian city of Homs as thousands fled the area.

  • France24 ☛ 'Very survival of Syrian regime at stake': HTS closing in on Homs, Assad regime's 'protected area'

    Syrian rebel forces advanced on the central city of Homs and Kurdish fighters seized effective control of the eastern desert, jolting President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power and triggering local revolts against his rule in the south. As rebel advances tear at Assad's control, while Iran races to send support, FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee is joined by Aghiad Ghanem, Author, Academic Advisor and Lecturer on Syria and International Relations at SciencesPo.

  • BIA Net ☛ Turkey urges Syrian government to reconcile with opposition

    The National Security Council has said that Turkey is committed to Syria’s territorial integrity as the Syrian government suffers significant setbacks in the battlefield.

  • France24 ☛ Thousands flee as Syrian insurgents claim to reach key city of Homs

    Syrian rebel forces on Friday said they reached Homs, Syria's third-largest city and home to a large population belonging to President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect. While the claim could not be independently verified, the latest rebel advance triggered a mass exodus of people fleeing the central Syrian city.

  • Philippines, US, Japan stage joint naval maneuvers in South China Sea

    The activity comes amid a confrontation between Philippine, Chinese vessels around Scarborough Shoal this week.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines holds sea drills with allies after South China Sea confrontation

    The Philippines says a Chinese navy vessel near Scarborough Shoal has been blocking and shadowing its coast guard ships.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Ahead of expected war games, Taiwan urges China to ‘unclench its fists’

    Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te urged China to not take any unilateral actions.

  • France24 ☛ On the ground: Impeachment looms ever closer for South Korean president

    South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday looked increasingly likely to be unseated after the head of his ruling party demanded he be stripped of office for briefly imposing martial law. If Yoon remains, "there is a significant risk that extreme actions similar to the martial law declaration could be repeated, which could put the Republic of Korea and its citizens in great danger," said Han Dong-hoon, the head of Yoon's People Power Party (PPP). FRANCE 24's Yena Lee reports.

  • Nothing to see there

    South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stunned his nation on Dec. 3 by declaring martial law.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean coup movie hits No. 1 on DRM spreader Netflix after martial law chaos

    The 141-minute blockbuster depicts the events surrounding the Dec 12 coup in 1979.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Explainer: What do we know about investigations faced by South Korean President Yoon?

    Mr Yoon, several Cabinet ministers, military commanders and police officials face criminal investigations over his botched martial law attempt.

  • JURIST ☛ South Korea lawmakers introduce motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol

    South Korean lawmakers on Thursday introduced a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol just days after his failed attempt to enforce martial law. The motion is set for a full parliamentary vote on Saturday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean President’s impeachment fate could rest heavily on former ally

    Ruling People Power Party chief Han Dong-hoon was Mr Yoon's closest ally before ties soured.

  • The Straits Times ☛ After Yoon's martial law order, South Korean protester recalls strongman military rule

    When President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, for the first time in South Korea since 1980, 70-year-old Lee Chul-Woo was reminded of his youth, much of it spent protesting right-wing military strongman rule.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean Nobel Prize winner Han Kang deeply shocked by political turmoil at home

    She was a child when South Korea was ruled by a brutal dictatorship more than 40 years ago.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea's opposition leader warns of another martial law attempt

    South Korea's main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung warned that President Yoon Suk Yeol might make another attempt to declare martial law before parliament votes on impeaching him on Saturday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean democracy faces ‘most critical moment’, says opposition leader

    The impeachment motion for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set for Dec 7.

  • The Straits Times ☛ How vacancies at S. Korea’s Constitutional Court will impact President Yoon’s fate

    The Constitutional Court holds the authority to uphold or reject the impeachment motion.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean President Yoon already dogged by scandals before botched martial law

    Among the controversies are those involving his wife, who has been embroiled in a myriad of allegations.

  • The Straits Times ☛ S. Korea’s spy chief denies Yoon ordered arrest of politicians during martial law

    NIS deputy director Hong Jang-won said he was ordered to arrest six top political leaders.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Who is Han Dong-hoon? A key player in S. Korea’s presidential impeachment drama

    A career prosecutor for over two decades, Mr Han was President Yoon’s staunchest ally.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea Special Warfare Commander says no more martial law, vows to refuse such order

    “If I were to face such orders again, I would reject them outright," he said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s Culture Ministry seeks to ease tourism concerns

    Travel and economic activities are unaffected, and travel advisories are unnecessary: S. Korea

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s election commission decries troop dispatch as ‘clear violation of Constitution’

    Officials are checking to see potential damages caused by the troops’ occupation of the buildings.

  • The Straits Times ☛ S. Korea rights group claims proof of second martial law declaration

    The South Korean Army reportedly imposed a temporary ban on leave until Dec 8.

  • The Straits Times ☛ S. Korea ruling party chief Han Dong-hoon increases influence after President Yoon Suk Yeol debacle

    Mr Han called on the president to leave the People Power Party.

  • The Straits Times ☛ How South Korean President Yoon’s impeachment could unfold under 4 scenarios

    It is unknown at the moment how many ruling party lawmakers would vote in favour of the motion.

  Last summer I concluded the #100daystooffload challenge (on Gopher).

  • CS Monitor ☛ South Korea’s president imposed martial law. Now comes a push to impeach him.

    After South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law this week, the National Assembly nullified the decree only six hours later. As the opposition pushes for an impeachment vote, the chief of Mr. Yoon’s party stressed the need to suspend him.

  • New York Times ☛ South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol, Faces Impeachment Call from Own Party Leader

    The leader of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s own party has backed impeachment, on which the National Assembly is set to vote on Saturday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s ruling party chief says President Yoon poses ‘great danger’, must step down

    Mr Han Dong-hoon said actions like the martial law declaration could be repeated under Mr Yoon.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Why a Dior handbag caused such a stir in South Korean politics

    The incident came to light in November 2023 and escalated into a political firestorm in early 2024. 

  • New York Times ☛ South Korea’s Martial Law Declaration Stirs Memories in Gwangju

    The last time South Korea imposed martial law, Gwangju endured a deadly crackdown. Han Kang, the Nobel Prize-winning author, told its story in “Human Acts.”

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Inside completely gutted’: Mask-wearing suspects set Melbourne synagogue ablaze

    Liquid was reportedly poured inside the synagogue and set alight.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s would-be minister says stigmatising all Russian culture ‘completely wrong’

      Lithuania’s incoming Culture Minister Šarūnas Birutis says the country should not censor everything linked to Russian culture, arguing that it also belongs to Lithuania’s Russian-speaking citizens who are not to be blamed for the Russian government’s actions.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukraine faces its most perilous winter yet

      Ukraine faces its harshest winter yet as temperatures drop, gas stocks dwindle, and its already crumbling energy infrastructure continues to endure Russian missile attacks. Ukraine, with help from its partners, must urgently strengthen defenses of its energy infrastructure, or they risk international financial support being undermined by the continuous onslaught.

    • France24 ☛ Macron to hold talks with Zelensky, Trump on Notre-Dame ceremony sidelines

      French President Emmanuel Macron is set to hold talks with visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US president-elect Donald Trump on the sidelines of Saturday’s Notre-Dame Cathedral re-opening ceremony, the French presidential office said Friday.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine war escalates as third anniversary approaches: What diplomatic and military role for EU?

      The war in Ukraine has entered what some officials say could be its most dangerous phase, with Kyiv now using Western-supplied missiles to strike deeper inside Russia, and Russia reported to be using North Korean troops in Ukraine. There is even talk in some Western capitals of sending troops to Ukraine – something that has been floated in the past by French president Emmanuel Macron. Meanwhile there is nervousness in Europe about what the incoming US president’s peace plan for Ukraine might entail – Donald Trump keeping his cards close to his chest. So what diplomatic and military role should the EU be playing?

    • JURIST ☛ Ukraine anti-collaboration laws criticized as ‘arbitrary’

      Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report on Thursday highlighting the unjust prosecution of Ukrainian civilians under Ukraine’s anti-collaboration laws.

    • South Korean soldier ‘fighting for Ukraine’ urges North Koreans to surrender

      Over the past two years, 15 South Koreans had reportedly participated in combat on the Ukrainian side.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Strike Kills 10, Injures 20 In Southern Ukraine

      An attack by Russian troops on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya on the evening of December 6 killed 10 people, according to regional Governor Ivan Fedorov as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy slammed Russia for carrying out the attack.

    • RFERL ☛ Kerch Bridge Traffic Halted As Explosions Reported In Russian-Occupied Crimea

      Explosions were reported early on December 5 in the Crimean city of Kerch, and the bridge connecting the Moscow-occupied peninsula with Russia was closed, local Telegram channels reported.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China to send batteries to Europe via route bypassing Russia, says Kazakhstan

      Moscow's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine triggered a barrage of Western sanctions on Moscow.

    • New York Times ☛ Canada Moves to Protect Arctic From Threats by Russia and China

      Ottawa says its focus on the Arctic comes after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “has shaken the foundations” of international cooperation in the northern region.

    • New York Times ☛ The V.I.P. Trains Shuttling World Leaders Like Biden to War-Torn Ukraine

      With airspace closed and missiles flying, visiting Kyiv typically means 10 hours on bumpy tracks — even for presidents, prime ministers and business magnates. It’s plenty of time to reflect.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Romania annulled its presidential election results amid alleged Russian interference. What happens next?

      Our experts answer six burning questions on the Romanian Constitutional Court’s decision to annul first-round presidential election results after allegations of Russian interference.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ The threats posed by the global shadow fleet—and how to stop it

      Since 2022 the number of aging ships whose ownership, insurance status, and safety is unknown has exploded, prompted by Russia's reliance on this "dark fleet" to ship its oil in defiance of Western sanctions. What can be done about this environmental, economic, and safety threat on the high seas?

    • The Straits Times ☛ Turkey, Iran and Russia to meet in Doha on Saturday to discuss Syria, Turkish source says

      ANKARA - The foreign ministers of Turkey, Iran, and Russia will meet in Doha on Saturday to discuss a lightning rebel advance in Syria, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Friday.

    • New York Times ☛ Romanian Court Annuls Presidential Election

      The decision came days after the government asserted that there had been “cyberattacks” meant to undermine the vote and security council documents indicated possible Russian meddling.

    • Meduza ☛ Book prices in Russia set to increase by 7-10 percent in 2025 — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ New Russian bill would target foreigners aiding ‘adversaries’ with up to 15 years in prison — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Crimean Bridge temporarily closed after reported drone strikes on Kerch — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Daugavpils tourism firms still offer trips to Belarus

      For almost three years now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has been urging people not to travel to Belarus. But several tourism providers in Daugavpils take no notice, Latvian Television reported on December 5.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Either we fight or end up as the next Belarus’: As Georgia enters its second week of protests, police violence adds fuel to calls for new elections — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s incoming interior minister plans to continue migrant pushbacks

      Lithuania’s Interior Minister-designate Vladislav Kondratovič says he will continue the controversial policy of pushing back migrants into Belarus.

    • RFERL ☛ Romanian Court Annuls Presidential Election, Throws Process Into Chaos

      Romania's Constitutional Court annulled the entire presidential election -- even as a runoff vote was under way -- throwing the process into upheaval after a Moscow-friendly, far-right candidate won the first round.

    • Meduza ☛ Financial analyst Alexander Kolyandr explains Russian policymakers’ dwindling options amid growing monetary grief — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Tulsi Gabbard’s former aides say she ‘regularly read and shared’ Russia Today propaganda — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian Embassy in Damascus reminds citizens about options to leave Syria — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Neo-Nazi street attacks are making a comeback in Russia. Experts link it to 2000s nostalgia, Internet clout culture, and the war. — Meduza

    • NYPost ☛ Unhinged Russian JFK stowaway allegedly tried wild stunt at other airports — but still gets freed without bail

      Alleged repeat stowaway Svetlana Dali was released without bail Friday under the condition that she wear a GPS tracking device and live temporarily with a church friend in Pennsylvania.

    • Meduza ☛ Azerbaijani police arrest six Meydan TV journalists in Baku — Meduza

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Kelantan devastated after massive floods as Malaysia braces itself for the ‘second wave’

    Malaysians share their experiences of the devastating floods that destroyed their homes.

  • JURIST ☛ UN says climate change affects Vanuatu indigenous people’s rights

    The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change Elisa Morgera stated on Thursday that climate change has negatively impacted the lives of the ni-Vanuatu people and threatened their well-being.

  • Breach Media ☛ On sidelines of UN nature summit in Colombia, Canadian mining companies pillage

    Canada's failure to regulate gold mining companies is having a devastating impact in Colombia

  • Science Alert ☛ 7.0 Earthquake Strikes California Coast, Triggers Tsunami Warnings

    Ongoing aftershocks could be larger.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • NOAA ☛ Explore planet Earth with Teek and Tom!

      In NOAA’s new five-part animated science series: “Teek and Tom Explore Planet Earth,” an intrepid student explorer Teek from planet Queloz teams up with NOAA climate scientist Tom Di Liberto to explore the weather and climate of planet Earth.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ The Rage and Glee That Followed a C.E.O.’s Killing Should Ring All Alarms

    It echoes another era of extreme inequality and extreme violence.

  • The Straits Times ☛ World Bank wins $100 billion replenishment of fund for poorest countries

    Donor countries have pledged a record $100 billion three-year replenishment of the World Bank's fund for the poorest nations, providing a vital lifeline for their struggles against crushing debts, climate disasters, inflation and conflict.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Tribal Lender, Accused of Predatory Interest Rates, Exits Minnesota

    A new settlement that will end a payday-like loan operation in Minnesota puts additional pressure on a Native American tribe that has been on the defensive for its high borrowing rates across the country.

    The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians has been telling customers that its practices are allowable, but that stance has become harder to maintain. Shortly before Thanksgiving, the Wisconsin tribe agreed to settle a civil suit filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison alleging that LDF broke state law, which requires reasonable lending rates, by charging Minnesotans between 200% and 800% annual interest. The state also claimed LDF had violated statutes on consumer fraud, deceptive trade and false advertising.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Lawmaker says HK should override top court’s rulings on same-sex couples by seeking Beijing intervention

    A pro-Beijing lawmaker has urged Hong Kong’s government to override the top court’s rulings in favour of same-sex married couples by inviting China to interpret the city’s constitution.

  • Nepal’s leader visits Beijing, joint statement uses ‘Xizang’ to refer to Tibet

    The use of the term ‘Xizang’ – instead of Tibet – in a statement is seen as a warning sign for Tibetans in Nepal.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuanian government cuts quota for non-EU migrant workers

    The Lithuanian government is significantly cutting the quota of migrant workers from non-EU countries that businesses can bring in. The minister of social security and labour says priority should be on employing locals.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Latvia ☛ LTV: Misinformation-spreading doctor stripped of certificates

      The Certification Board of the Latvian Medical Association (LĀB) has revoked the pediatrician and homeopath certificates of Edgars Mednis, a doctor who has defamed the Children's Clinical University Hospital (BKUS), according to information available to Latvian Television (LTV).

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Tibetan monk in poor health after his release from prison

    Rachung Gendun served 3 1/2 years in prison for sending prayer offerings to the Dalai Lama.

  • Stanford University ☛ A Stanford student killed two people in a car accident. He sued their family for defamation.

    King Vanga lost a defamation lawsuit against the family of two victims he killed in a 2021 car accident. He previously sued them for letters and emails they wrote to Stanford, claiming they spread false information.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ News media job cuts 2024 tracked: Conde Nast and Vox Media latest hit

  • Press Gazette ☛ Mail on Sunday pays ‘substantial’ damages over ‘statin deniers’ articles

    A statement by Matt Hancock on statins was found to have been used in a "misleading" way.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Sky News business presenter Ian King to leave channel

    King had been off air for several months before the announcement.

  • Press Gazette ☛ National World board ‘minded to’ accept takeover bid

    Media Concierge still has to make its offer formally.

  • Press Gazette ☛ BBC ends financial data feeds to save money

    The BBC’s data feed was licensed from investment research firm Morningstar.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Scott Trust and Guardian management face staff fury over Observer sale

    Staff press on with second round of strike action, Guardian responds to "inaccurate information".

  • Press Gazette ☛ Scott Trust approves sale of The Observer to Tortoise Media

    Scott Trust approves sale of Observer as journalists strike in protest at deal.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Apple Daily’s Jimmy Lai says he halted calls for foreign sanctions on Hong Kong after 2020 security law enacted

    Jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai has said he halted his calls for foreign sanctions to be imposed on Hong Kong over a Beijing-drafted security law after it came into effect in mid-2020, as making such calls would be “suicidal” since then.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Letter to Peter Kyle: Keep our right not to be subjected to decisions based solely on AI [Ed: They just mean computers or algorithms or software, not Hey Hi (AI)]

    Civil society organisations, trade unions, academics and campaigners have called for the government to scrap proposals to remove the right not to be subject to decisions made by automated or Hey Hi (AI) systems.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ USPTO Webinar: "Failure-to-function refusals before the TTAB" - Dec. 17th at 2-3:30 ET

    "Are you filing trademark applications involving catchphrases, memes, or T-shirt imagery? Are you planning to appeal a final refusal that your trademark is merely informational, ornamental, or otherwise fails to function as a source indicator under the Trademark Act?"

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: How Did These Three Section 2(e)(1) Mere Descriptiveness Appeals Turn Out?

    So far this year, the Board has affirmed just over 86% of the Section 2(e)(1) mere descriptiveness refusals reviewed on appeal. That's a bit lower than the historical rate. How do you think these three recent decisions came out? [Answer is in first comment].

    In re Skechers U.S.A., Inc. II, Serial No. 97173591 (November 6, 2024) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge (Opinion by Judge Wendy B. Cohen).) [Mere descriptiveness refusal of HANDS FREE STEP-INS for "footwear." Applicant argued that HANDS FREE and STEP-INS "are the desired results of the user experience when donning footwear,” and the terms describe the user, not the goods.]

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ NewJeans Responds to Hybe/Ador Lawsuit, Doubles Down on Contract Termination Stance As Legal Battle Intensifies

    The high-stakes Ador v. NewJeans contract dispute keeps getting uglier, as the K-pop group is now doubling down on its move to unilaterally terminate the deal.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Triller Hit With $35.5 Million+ Lawsuit As Revamped App Roadmap Takes Shape

    As it prepares to release a revamped video-sharing app in 2025, Triller Group (NASDAQ: ILLR) is facing a $35.5 million lawsuit for allegedly failing to honor the terms of a promissory note. A Yorkville Advisors division just recently levied the action, which Triller Group acknowledged in a regulatory filing.