Leftovers

• Hackaday ☛ A Street For Every Date

  Different cultures have their own conventions for naming locations, for example in the United Kingdom there are plenty of places named for monarchs, while in many other countries there are not. An aspect of this fascinated [Ben Ashforth], who decided to find all the streets in Europe named after auspicious dates, and then visit enough to make a calendar. He gave a lightning talk about it at last year’s EMF Camp, which we’ve embedded below.

• Standards/Consortia

  • Hackaday ☛ All-Band Receiver Lets You Listen To All The Radio At Once

    There are many ways to build a radio receiver, but most have a few things in common, such as oscillators, tuned circuits, detectors, mixers, and amplifiers. Put those together in the right order and you’ve got a receiver ready to tune in whatever you want to listen to. But if you don’t really care about tuning and want to hear everything all at once, that greatly simplifies the job and leaves you with something like this homebrew all-band receiver.

  • Scott Jehl ☛ Let's Standardize Async CSS!

    6 years back I posted the Simplest Way to Load CSS Asynchronously to document a hack we'd been using for at least 6 years prior to that. The use case for this hack is to load CSS files asynchronously, something that HTML itself still does not support, even though script elements have supported both defer and async attributes for quite some time. The hack takes advantage of browsers' built-in behavior of loading CSS asynchronously whenever a stylesheet is referenced using a media type or query that doesn't match the browsing conditions, which is the opposite of the default stylesheet loading behavior, which is synchronous and render-blocking. Typically, that default blocking behavior is what you want, but when you do want async CSS, there's a way to take advantage of that non-matching media loading behavior: you can give the link element a non-matching media type and an onload handler that sets it back to screen or all when the stylesheet loads.

  • Rachel ☛ Pushing the whole company into the past on purpose

    Work like this benefits from being highly visible, so I bought a pair of broadcast-studio style clocks which spoke NTP over Ethernet and installed them on my desk. One of them was pointed at the usual GPS->NTP infrastructure, and the other was pointed at the ntp servers running my hacked-up code which could have "lies" injected.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Brightest Space Explosion Ever May Hide an Elusive Dark Matter Particle

    This is getting interesting.

  • Science Alert ☛ Hubble Reveals Carbon's Intergalactic Odyssey Before Becoming Part of Us

    Even atoms travel in their youth.

  • New York Times ☛ Pluto May Have Captured Its Biggest Moon Charon After an Ancient Dance and Kiss

    Charon is large in size relative to Pluto, and is locked in a tight orbit with the dwarf planet. A new simulation suggests how it ended up there.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Growing baby corals in the nursery and corn on steep hillsides

    Progress roundup: Success for coral raised in the nursery, corn grown on steep hillsides, and a new powder that captures CO2 from the atmosphere.

  • Science Alert ☛ Dogs Can Catch Your 'Stress', Putting Their Own Health at Risk

    Watch how you behave at the V. E. T.

  • Science Alert ☛ Earliest Known 3D Map Found in Prehistoric French Cavern, Say Experts

    A world in miniature.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mystery of Spiders' Sense of Smell May Finally Be Solved in New Study

    Spidey sense tingling.

  • Science Alert ☛ World's First Blood Test For Endometriosis Step Closer Following Trial Success

    It won't be long now.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ conga-HPC/cBLS COM-HPC Client Size C Computer-on-Module features defective chip maker Intel Core Bartlett Lake S processor (series 2)

    Congatec conga-HPC/cBLS is a family of COM-HPC Computer-on-Modules (COMs) powered by defective chip maker Intel Core Bartlett Lake S processors and designed for edge and infrastructure applications such as medical imaging, test & measurement, communication & networking, retail, energy, banking, video surveillance (traffic monitoring) and optical inspection among others.

  • Hackaday ☛ Try A PWMPot

    [Stephen Woodward] is familiar with digital potentiometers but is also familiar with their limitations. That spurred him to create the PWMPot which performs a similar function, but with better features than a traditional digital pot. Of course, he admits that this design has some limitations of its own, so — as usual — you have to make your design choices according to what’s important to you.

  • Hackaday ☛ 38C3: It’s TOSLINK, Over Long Distance Fibre

    If you’ve owned a CD player or other piece of consumer digital audio gear manufactured since the 1980s, the chances are it has a TOSLINK port on the back. This is a fairly simple interface that sends I2S digital audio data down a short length of optical fibre, and it’s designed to run between something like a CD player and an external DAC. It’s ancient technology in optical fibre terms, with a lowish data rate and plastic fibre, but consider for a minute whether it could be adapted for modern ultra-high-speed conenctions. It’s what [Ben Cartwright-Cox] has done, and he delivered a talk about it at the recent 38C3 event in Germany.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China starts Big Fund III spending: $47 billion for ecosystem and fab tools

    China gathers $47.5 billion to boost its chipmaking tools industry and ecosystem.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • University of Michigan ☛ Leave no one behind: America needs Medicare for All

    78 countries have universal healthcare. These nations prioritize all-encompassing health service, from medical to dental, from rehabilitative to palliative care. Crucially, this type of system ensures that costs for such services don’t cause a financial burden.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Feds With Benefits: Making Medicare decisions at 65

    Question: If someone is on Federal Health Benefits, what happens when they turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare?

  • New York Times ☛ The Surgeon General’s Warnings About Alcohol Hit Restaurants at a Tricky Time

    The surgeon general’s call to arms about the link between drinking and cancer could strike at a fiscal lifeline for restaurateurs facing falling sales.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvian hospitals say injuries on ice are getting more frequent

    Freezing rain affects not only road traffic, but also pedestrians and their safety. Hospitals in Rīga report that they have not yet experienced a huge surge in the number of patients, but injury numbers are on the rise, Latvian Television reported on January 7.

  • China swamped with respiratory infections ahead of Lunar New Year travel rush

    Warning comes as social control media users post footage of crowded emergency rooms with patients on drips.

  • University of Michigan ☛ Smartphone-based incentives target those with substance use disorders

    U-M is launching a program to use smartphones in the care of individuals with substance use disorders by rewarding positive behaviors with money, gift cards and vouchers.

  • Off Guardian ☛ Predicting 2025: The Bird Flu out the window

    Our third prediction for 2025 isn’t exactly a crazy left-field pick: Bird Flu. It’s going to happen. The question is when, and how much.

  • Science Alert ☛ HMPV: What to Know About The Respiratory Virus Outbreak in China

    Should we be concerned?

  • New York Times ☛ What We Know About HMPV, the Common Virus Spreading in China

    While cases are climbing in China, the situation is very different from what it was when Covid-19 emerged five years ago, medical experts say. HMPV has circulated in humans for decades.

  • New York Times ☛ What Matters More for Longevity: Genes or Lifestyle?

    It depends on what your goal is.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Pro Publica ☛ DOJ Sues Large U.S. Landlords Over Alleged Price-Fixing

  • Cloudbooklet ☛ Calls to Remove Fashion Company Apple Hey Hi (AI) After Multiple Headline Errors

    Calls to Remove Fashion Company Apple Hey Hi (AI) grow as inaccurate news summaries spark backlash, raising concerns over misleading headlines and misinformation risks.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Apple still barred from selling iPhone 16 in Indonesia despite investment deal, says minister

    The company has not met domestic content rules, the minister said.

  • New York Times ☛ Sam Altman’s Younger Sister Files Lawsuit Claiming He Sexually Abused Her

    OpenAI’s chief executive and founder denies the allegations, which are similar to claims his sister has long made online.

  • Cloudbooklet ☛ Sam Altman Accused by Sister in Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

    Sam Altman sister alleges sexual abuse, leading to family denial and concerns over her mental health amid ongoing legal battles.

  • Hackaday ☛ Running AI Locally Without Spending All Day On Setup [Ed: Those are not AI]

    There are many AI models out there that you can play with from companies like OpenAI, Google, and a host of others. But when you use them, you get the experience they want, and you run it on their computer. There are a variety of reasons you might not like this. You may not want your data or ideas sent through someone else’s computer. Maybe you want to tune and tweak in ways they aren’t going to let you.

  • The Register UK ☛ Microsoft cutting more jobs as new year begins

    Microsoft kicks off the new year with more job cuts, as fewer than 1 percent of employees reportedly face the axe.

    As first reported by Business Insider, Microsoft is trimming its workforce again, including roles in its security division, with the cuts targeting underperforming employees. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the layoffs with BI but declined to specify how many staffers are affected, stating, "At Microsoft, we focus on high-performance talent."

    "We are always working on helping people learn and grow. When people are not performing, we take the appropriate action," the spokesperson told The Register.

    The layoffs will reportedly affect less than 1 percent of the 228,000 employees, a figure last updated in June.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Defence Web ☛ Tackling extortion in South Africa: A growing challenge for economic growth and public safety

      South Africa’s construction industry, a crucial artery for economic growth, is faced with mounting challenges due to the rise of criminal groups, known as “construction mafias” and extortionists. These organised criminal syndicates target both small businesses and large-scale construction projects, using violence, intimidation, and extortion to demand money, stakes in projects, and “protection” fees.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ FCC moves to tighten industry reporting rules for robocalls

      The Federal Communications Commission is tightening up reporting requirements that are meant to prove agencies are cracking down on robocalling and phone number spoofing.

      The commission voted Wednesday to adopt new rules that would put in place stricter filing requirements for the Robocall Mitigation Database, a system used by communications providers to report compliance with federal regulations around combating robocalls.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • The Strategist ☛ Europe needs shared defence capabilities

      Following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, Europe has recognised the need to strengthen its security and bolster its economic resilience.

    • India Times ☛ Apple clarifies Siri privacy stance after $95 million class action settlement

      Apple clarified that it has never sold data from its Siri voice assistant or used it for marketing profiles, following a $95 million settlement over such accusations. The tech giant emphasized that Siri data is only used to improve accuracy, and users must explicitly opt in for that. A similar lawsuit involving Google's Voice Assistant is also ongoing.

    • NYOB ☛ Austrian data protection authority slammed by CJEU

      In the judgment C-416/23, the Austrian Data Protection Authority (DSB) received a slap in the face from the CJEU. The authority has – arbitrarily – set the number of complaints that data subjects can file at a maximum of two per month, even if one is affected by GDPR violations almost daily. The CJEU has now made it clear: as long as you do not file abusive complaints, all users have the right to have any GDPR violation remedied by the DSB. Unfortunately, DPAs trying to get rid of complaints isn't just an Austrian problem. Our figures show an EU-wide problem with DPA inactivity.

    • The Register UK ☛ What happens when someone subpoenas Cloudflare for your info

      Initially, the network infrastructure giant gave the blog owner, who pays Cloudflare to optimize their WordPress site, until the end of this week to file a legal challenge in the States against the subpoena, or have their personal details handed over to the ex-official. On Tuesday, the San Francisco-based corporation agreed to delay disclosure until January 29.

      The subpoena was granted in California by federal district Judge James Donato in October based on a complaint filed by Daniel Maycock, the former Deputy Mayor of Tamworth, a town in Staffordshire, England.

    • The Telegraph UK ☛ EU fines itself after accidentally breaching its own data rules

      The EU General Court ruled that the European Commission had failed to ensure an adequate level of protection when Thomas Bindl, a Munich resident, signed up for an EU conference using his Facebook account in 2022.

      The “Conference on the Future of Europe” website allowed visitors to sign up for the event through Facebook, which Mr Bindl said had led to details such as his internet address and browser software being transferred to the US.

      It is believed to be the first time that the EU has been fined for breaking its own data protection laws, introduced as part of the sweeping GDPR regime.

• Defence/Aggression

  • China says ‘monster’ ship’s presence near Scarborough Shoal ‘fully justified’

    Manila closely monitors the CCG5901 that has been in its exclusive economic zone for a week

  • Defence Web ☛ The Mozambique crisis and SA’s floundering

    In the face of widespread doubts about the credibility of the Mozambique election held last October, which was followed by three months of violent protest, President Daniel Chapo will be sworn in next week.

  • JURIST ☛ UN warns of alarming surge in gang violence in Haiti

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported on Wednesday that the escalating gang violence in Haiti has reached alarming levels, with over 5,600 reported fatalities in 2024 alone. This figure represents a significant increase of more than 1,000 deaths compared to the previous year, underscoring the dire security situation in the Caribbean nation.

  • The Straits Times ☛ True friend or security threat? Japan dumbfounded by veto of US Steel deal

    The decision underscores the difficulty of ‘friendshoring’ and could deter some foreign investments in the US, says an expert.

  • New York Times ☛ How Bodyguards Are Keeping South Korea’s President Yoon From Detention

    President Yoon Suk Yeol’s security service stopped an effort to detain him on insurrection charges and has vowed to do so again. Its roots are in the era of military dictatorships.

  • New York Times ☛ Mourners Defy Subfreezing Temperatures to Honor Jimmy Carter at the Capitol

    While cold weather and heightened security most likely dampened turnout, thousands of well-wishers still traipsed through the snow and ice to pay final tribute to the 39th president.

  • Digital Music News ☛ ByteDance Frantically Steering Users to Lemon8 as Fentanylware (TikTok) Ban In US Arrives In 10 Days

    ByteDance appears to be pushing Fentanylware (TikTok) users to download Lemon8, an alternative app that more closely mimics Pinterest or Instagram. The Fentanylware (TikTok) ban law applies to other apps owned by ByteDance (including Lemon8), so it’s unclear if this gambit will work. ByteDance is likely hoping that regulators will focus solely on TikTok.

  • Cambodians catch suspect in killing of opposition politician in Bangkok

    Surveillance video shows a suspect casually crossing a street just before 3 shots ring out near a pagoda.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia weighs LinkedIn’s need for a social control media licence

    The minister has asked MCMC to review whether Microsoft's Surveillance Arm LinkedIn is considered a social control media platform. 

  • France24 ☛ Trump's expansionist designs, from Greenland to the Panama Canal

    In a rambling and provocative speech on Tuesday, incoming US president Donald Trump refused to rule out military force to press a series of territorial claims. Since his victory in November’s presidential election, Trump has made several seemingly absurd and perplexing claims regarding neighbouring Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal, leaving supporters and opponents alike puzzling over his true intentions.

  • China creates 2 new counties in disputed mountainous area claimed by India

    The move is aimed at exerting control over territory and will inflame tension with India, experts say.

  • France24 ☛ US accuses RSF of Sudan genocide and sanctions its leader

    The world's largest humanitarian disaster continues to claim victims as the war in Sudan drags on. On Wednesday, 20 months into the conflict, the US called the actions of one half of the conflict genocidal and imposed sanctions on its leader. Mohamed Hamdan Dahl, known as Hemedti, leads the RSD paramilitary forces that have been battling the army for control of the country since April 2023, but the army has also been accused of atrocities in a war that's claimed an estimated 150,000 lives.

  • France24 ☛ United States sanctions Sudan's Rapid Support Forces' leader

    The United States on Tuesday night announced sanctions against Sudanese paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, also known as Hemedti. Washington accuses the head of the Rapid Support Forces, of committing genocide in Sudan. The country's civil war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese armed forces and the RSF, has thrown Sudan into turmoil, displacing millions and causing a severe famine.

  • CS Monitor ☛ South Korean police failed to arrest President Yoon. Now, he’s fortified his villa.

    With a warrant out for his arrest, South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol has hunkered down in his hillside villa for weeks. Investigators failed to detain him Jan. 3. As they prepare a new attempt, presidential guards are fortifying the residence.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Back to normal’, ‘peaceful life’ among South Koreans’ top wishes for 2025: Survey

    Karrot Market, a popular online trading platform, invited users to post their New Year's wishes.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China-linked shipowner denies Taiwan accusation of damaging undersea cable

    Taiwan’s coast guard was not yet able to gauge the ship’s “real intention” from tracking data.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says Taiwan ‘hyped’ sea cable damage claims

    A Chinese-owned ship was suspected of damaging a subsea telecoms cable.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan, China trade barbs over undersea cable damage

    A Chinese-linked ship is suspected of damaging an undersea communications cable off Taiwan's coast.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ What’s behind Egypt and China’s ‘golden decade’ of partnership

    China’s outreach to Egypt has not happened in a vacuum but rather as part of a larger strategy to make Beijing a more important actor in the Middle East and North Africa.  

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Nurkin co-authors report on China’s remote sensing

    On December 16, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission released a report on China’s remote sensing capabilities, on which Forward Defense senior fellow Tate Nurkin was a supporting author.

  • Defence Web ☛ New prisons in the pipeline for South Africa

    Overcrowding in South Africa’s prisons, administered by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), is well-documented with plans in place to either extend existing ones and add new ones, a Parliamentary questioner was told. DCS is the government department responsible for operating and managing the country’s 240 prisons which house 157 000 plus inmates.

  • France24 ☛ Syria: One month after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime

    One month after the surprisingly rapid fall of President Bashar al-Assad's government, Syrians are balancing feelings of hope and trepidation for the future. National reconciliation remains uncertain, as does the governing ability of the rebel leaders who took control of the war torn nation.

  • France24 ☛ Western and Arab countries across the globe 'want to make sure Syria is "stable going forward'

    Since toppling president Bashar al-Assad, Syria's Islamist-led rulers are to set up an inclusive committee to set up a "national dialogue conference". FRANCE 24's Genie Godula welcomes Dr. Aaron Y. Zelin at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where he directs the Islamic State Worldwide Activity Map project. Dr. Zelin is also an author, a Visiting Research Scholar in the Department of Politics at Brandeis University and founder of the widely acclaimed website Jihadology.

  • France24 ☛ Fall of Assad's regime: FRANCE 24 journalist recounts journey into Syria

    One month after the surprisingly rapid fall of President Bashar al-Assad's government, Syrians are balancing feelings of hope and trepidation for the future. FRANCE 24's journalist, Wassim Nasr recounts his journey in Syria where he met the country’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

  • France24 ☛ Was the German (female) foreign minister blurred in Syria state visit photos?

    Following the visit of the French and German foreign ministers to Syria on January 3, a photo where we see Minister Annalena Baerbock blurred in official photos of this state visit started to circulate online. Many claim that the Syrian government were behind these blurred photos. While, Syrian leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, declined to shake hands with the German female minister during this visit. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

  • France24 ☛ One month since Assad's fall: Hope and uncertainty as Syrians look to future

    After Islamist-led rebels ousted former president Bashar al-Assad in early December, thousands of soldiers, policemen and other security officials deserted their posts, leaving the door open to petty theft, looting and other crimes. The new Syrian authorities now face the mammoth challenge of rebuilding state institutions shaped by the Assad family's five-decade rule, including the army and security apparatuses that have all but collapsed. FRANCE 24's senior reporter, James Andre tells us more.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ RT executive Margarita Simonyan says husband Tigran Keosayan is in a coma — Meduza

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Magnitude 5.5 earthquake strikes China near source of Yellow River

    BEIJING - A magnitude 5.5 earthquake shook parts of the Chinese province of Qinghai on Wednesday, with its epicentre located near the source of the Yellow River, the main natural waterway serving northern China.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Rescuers brave freezing conditions to search for survivors of quake in China’s Tibet region as death toll rises to 126

    By Isabel Kua Thousands of rescuers were searching for survivors in freezing conditions Wednesday after a devastating earthquake in China’s remote Tibet region killed at least 126 people. Videos published by state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday showed rescue workers pulling injured victims from the rubble of collapsed buildings and carrying them to safety.

  • NYPost ☛ Shocking before and after pictures show all-out obliteration caused by LA wildfires: images

    The LA wildfires across the state of California this week have taken the lives of 5 individuals and thousands displaced from their homes. These before and after pictures show the wildlife's effects across the state.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Weather Whiplash' Fueling LA's Wildfire Could Make It Costliest in History

    This is different and especially dangerous.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ U.A.W. Seeks Union Election at Ford Battery Plant in Kentucky

      The United Automobile Workers union asked a federal labor regulator to conduct an election at a factory Ford jointly owns with a South Korean battery company.

    • Defence Web ☛ Chinese UAVs finding a large market in Africa

      If the United States have made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, or drones) mainstream through their extensive use of such armed aircraft in their wars in Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia, among others, it is surprisingly not the States that commands the lion’s share of the market.

    • Meduza ☛ Azerbaijan Airlines indefinitely suspends flights from Baku to Kazan — Meduza

    • Pro Publica ☛ Elon Musk’s Boring Company Is Building the Vegas Loop With Little Oversight

      Elon Musk’s Boring Company spent years pitching cities on a novel solution to traffic, an underground transportation system to whisk passengers through tunnels in electric vehicles. Proposals in Illinois and California fizzled after officials and the public began scrutinizing details of the plans and seeking environmental reviews.

      But in Las Vegas, the tunneling company is building Musk’s vision beneath the city’s urban core thanks to an unlikely partner: the tourism marketing organization best known for selling the image that “What Happens Here, Stays Here.”

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • China’s ‘water-industrial complex’ set its sights on Tibet

      Research shows a proliferation in plans for hydropower dams in the ecologically and politically sensitive region.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia unveils tax incentives for companies and workers in Johor-Singapore SEZ

    The incentive package includes a 5 per cent tax rate for 15 years for companies investing in high-value activities.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia says royal document granting home detention for jailed ex-PM Najib not withheld

    Minister Fahmi Fadzil said he was never informed or received such a document.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China vows to deepen graft fight in areas like finance, energy

    The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection called China’s corruption problem “grave and complex".

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Guangzhou FC, China’s most successful football team, kicked out of professional leagues over debt

    Guangzhou FC, China’s most successful football team and former Asian champions, have been thrown out of the country’s professional leagues because of “heavy historical debt”, the club say.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Bangladesh orders banks to assist UK minister graft probe

    Bangladeshi banks had been instructed to furnish any financial records relating to Ms Tulip Siddiq.

  • New York Times ☛ Port Workers Could Strike Again if No Deal Is Reached on Automation

    Cargo could stop flowing at East and Gulf Coast ports, which handle most imports, if a union and an employers’ group can’t agree on the use of machines that can operate without humans.

  • New York Times ☛ Port Strike Averted With Labor Deal Days Before Deadline

    Dockworkers and employers on the East and Gulf Coasts had until Jan. 15 to reach a new agreement that settled differences over automation.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ Mark Zuckerberg’s Political Evolution, From Apologies to No More Apologies

    Meta’s chief executive has stepped away from his mea culpa approach to issues on his platforms and has told people that he wants to return to his original thinking on free speech.

  • France24 ☛ Social media platforms are in a 'race to the bottom', campaigner says as Meta ends fact-checking

    Meta chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday announced changes to content moderation on Facebook (Farcebook) and Instagram long sought by conservatives. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Henry Peck, Senior Campaigner on Digital Threats at Global Witness. He says that Meta, like X, is in a 'race to the bottom' and it's washing its hands of the responsibility to preserve a level of trust and safety and provide robust content moderation.

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Why and How to Hold John Roberts Accountable

    Every time Trump flouts the law, we need to remind people that John Roberts gave Trump sanction to do so.

  • Pro Publica ☛ North Carolina Supreme Court Blocks Certification in Allison Riggs-Jefferson Griffin Race

    The Republican-controlled Supreme Court of North Carolina threw the election of one of its members into disarray on Tuesday as it temporarily blocked the certification of the Democrat incumbent’s narrow victory. The move gives the court time to consider a challenge by her Republican opponent, state appeals court Judge Jefferson Griffin, who has cited debunked legal theories in his previous failed attempts to block Justice Allison Riggs’ reelection.

    Griffin has sought for his claims to be decided by the Supreme Court he hopes to join, which is led by his mentor. On Monday, a federal judge appointed by former President Donald Trump remanded Griffin’s challenge to the state Supreme Court. The state election board is now requesting a federal appeals court to return the case to federal court.

  • ACLU ☛ Who is Kash Patel?

    President-elect Donald Trump has stated that he intends to nominate Kash Patel, the right-wing commentator and former intelligence official, to be the next director of the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI). If confirmed, Patel will lead the nation’s chief criminal investigation agency, as well as its substantial surveillance apparatus.

    Patel wore a number of hats during the first Trump administration. He worked in the Department of Justice as a prosecutor, as a national security advisor and senior counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and as a deputy assistant to the president on the National Security Council. In the final months of the first Trump administration, he served as chief of staff to the acting secretary of defense. Since then, Patel has been a frequent contributor on conservative media, including appearing on podcasts hosted by Steve Bannon and Sean Ryan.

    While the ACLU does not endorse or oppose nominees for cabinet-level positions as a matter of organizational policy, we have spent more than 100 years holding power accountable. In line with that history, we are examining and publicizing cabinet nominees’ records on civil rights and civil liberties and urging senators to seek and obtain commitments from the nominees on key concerns.

    Given its crucial role in law enforcement and surveillance, the FBI can have a serious impact on civil rights and civil liberties. Consequently, ahead of Patel’s confirmation hearing, we analyze his record and stance on key issues, flagging areas for senators to question the nominee and secure commitments to uphold our rights.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Cross-strait shadows: Inside the Chinese influence campaign against Taiwan (Part II)

      A seemingly spontaneous political comment exposed a calculated move in China’s influence campaign on Taiwan.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • University of Michigan ☛ From The Daily: The attack on free speech no one is talking about

    Earlier this year, the Student Media Operating Board at the University of Texas at Dallas fired Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez, the editor in chief of its student newspaper, The Mercury.

  • NYPost ☛ Sauce Gardner’s OnlyFans tweet lands him, Barstool Sports in defamation lawsuit

    A social control media post by one Jets player may have been a little too saucy and is now causing legal issues for himself and one well-known sports media company.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ 2025 journalism job cuts tracked: Washington Post and Huffpost announce layoffs

  • JURIST ☛ Italian journalist Cecilia Sala released from Iran prison

    The Office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Wednesday the release of Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist who had been imprisoned in Iran. The Italian government has emphasized that Sala’s release was achieved through “extensive efforts” involving diplomatic and intelligence channels.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Techdirt ☛ Florida’s ‘Halo Law’ Goes Into Effect, Which Will Just Let More Cops Dodge Accountability

    The law went into effect on January 1st of this year, but we already saw it invoked last year during some questionable police response during a traffic stop of Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. While some officers were pushing Hill’s face into the pavement for being less than compliant during the stop, other officers were yelling at people operating cell phone cameras to move away from the scene.

    The newly enacted law creates the threat of jail time for people who are just trying to document police activity. Here’s Firehouse (a site that provides information targeting non-cop “first responders”) reposting Miami Herald reporting that explains what the law says and what it means for those who might intrude on the subjective 25-foot halo created by this legislation: [...]

  • Jacobin Magazine ☛ The US’s Military-to-Prison Pipeline

    US military veterans are significantly more likely to be jailed at least once in their lives than other Americans. Thanks to mass incarceration, the number of vets in prison doubled between the end of the Vietnam War and 9/11.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Senate bill would track computer usage of agency teleworkers

    The legislation from Ernst is a continuation of the Iowa Republican’s targeting of telework in federal agencies. She released a report last month that detailed a variety of statistics on federal telework, including the claim that 90% of federal employees engage in the practice.

  • Modern Diplomacy ☛ A Window into Oppression: The Taliban’s Latest Assault on Women’s Rights

    The Taliban’s policies are rooted in a deeply conservative and patriarchal ideology that views women as subordinate and in need of constant regulation. This recent window ban is emblematic of the group’s broader agenda, which has already seen women stripped of fundamental rights. Access to education beyond primary school has been denied, employment opportunities severely curtailed, and even simple pleasures like visiting parks or recreational spaces have been banned.

    Recent decrees have gone so far as to prohibit women from singing, reciting poetry in public, or using their voices in media broadcasts. These restrictions underscore the Taliban’s resolve to suppress women’s self-expression entirely. In their pursuit of enforcing an extreme interpretation of Islamic morality, the Taliban has effectively criminalized the public existence of women.

  • JURIST ☛ Rights group urges Ghana president to prioritize human rights protection

    Amnesty International urged Ghana’s newly sworn-in President, John Mahama, to prioritize human rights throughout his administration on Tuesday. The organization highlighted the importance of tackling gender disparity, safeguarding women’s rights, maintaining the right to peaceful assembly, and guaranteeing a healthy environment for every citizen.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘Impossible task’: Hong Kong’s top judge raises questions over whether Tiananmen vigil activists given fair trial

    Hong Kong’s top judge has questioned whether a rule that allowed certain information to be kept from three Tiananmen vigil activists throughout their national security trial made a fair hearing an “impossible task.”

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Longshoremen reach tentative agreement with ports, shippers, averting a potential strike

    The International Longshoremen’s Association union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance of ports and shipping companies said they had reached a tentative agreement for a six-year contract.

  • NYPost ☛ Dockworkers reach tentative deal with ports and shippers, averting a potential strike

    The two sides said the agreement protects union jobs and allows ports on the East and Gulf coasts to modernize with new technology.

  • ACLU ☛ "I Thought That Death Was Imminent"

    *Jean Paul is a pseudonym. All names have been changed to protect those identified in this story.

    I hail from Cameroon, a beautiful country tucked away in Central Africa that’s sometimes called “Africa in miniature” for its diverse geography, culture, food, and languages. Sadly, since 2016, this diversity has also contributed to conflict between the majority Francophone population and the Anglophone minority — folks including me and my family.

    Growing up in Cameroon, I wanted to be a doctor and help people. As a student, I joined other fellow students in peacefully protesting the government’s marginalization of Anglophone Cameroonians. I was arrested for my efforts. The police broke into my house in the middle of the night and took me to a prison where they held me for weeks and tortured me. I was beaten and kicked, my legs were broken and I could not stand. I ate only when my cellmate’s family brought him food, which he shared with me. Cut off from my family, filled with fear and pain, I thought that death was imminent. In fact, I welcomed death as the only escape from this torture.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • New York Times ☛ AT&T to Credit Customers After Internet Outages

    The announcement follows a year of high-profile internet blackouts that hit several companies.

  • New Yorker ☛ A Lesson in Creativity and Capitalism from Two Zany YouTubers

    Some of the optimism of the early Internet seems to live on in the whimsical videos of James Hobson and Colin Furze.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Piers Morgan takes ownership of Youtube show away from News UK

    Wake Up Productions Ltd aims to expand Piers Morgan Uncensored in the US.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• The Verge ☛ Microsoft is using Bing to trick people into thinking they’re on Google

  Microsoft is pulling yet another trick to get people to use its Bing search engine. If you use Bing right now without signing into a Microsoft account and search for Google, you’ll get a page that looks an awful lot like... Google.

• 9to5Google ☛ Bing tries to trick you into thinking you're using Google

  In a sneaky new move, Microsoft is trying to hide that people are using Bing when they try to get to Google. The new behavior, first spotted by Windows Latest, sees Bing’s search results page very quickly scroll down just enough to hide the “Microsoft Bing” logo.

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ A year that will make all the difference

    It seems inevitable that 2025 will not be a pleasant year. US President-elect Donald Trump laying claim to Greenland and the Panama Canal only serves to emphasise this. As if there were not enough absurdities and challenges on our planet. It is precisely such turmoil that companies abhor.

  • JUVE ☛ Plasseraud opens Amsterdam office with Simmons & Simmons patent monopoly attorney [Ed: Simmons & Simmons paid this publisher for spam such as this, plus to relay lies and try to enable crime such as UPC]

    Johan Renes (62) has moved to Plasseraud, having previously held various positions in both law firms and in-house departments. Prior to his latest move he worked at Simmons & Simmons.

  • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Patent case: Judgment no. 157/2024 of Valencia Court of Appeal (Section 9) dated 4 June 2024, Spain

    Today we are uncorking another bottle of the good stuff with yet another dispute in the winemaking space. A very thorough and well-written decision from the Valencia Court of Appeal in a non-infringement and validity case highlights the growing maturity and increasing reliability of the Valencian courts as a forum for patent monopoly disputes.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Federal Circuit: Pink Hip Implants Are Functional, Cannot Be Protected as Trade Dress

    The Federal Circuit has affirmed the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) cancellation of CeramTec's trademark registrations for the pink color of its ceramic hip implants, and also providing an important analysis of functionality doctrine and its intersection with expired utility patents. CeramTec GmbH v. CoorsTek Bioceramics LLC, No. 2023-1502 (Fed. Cir. Jan. 3, 2024). 

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ The TTAB Issued 30 Precedential Opinions in 2024

    The Board issued 30 precedential opinions in calendar year 2024, a total slightly lower than in recent years. A number of trademark practitioners believe that the TTAB should be issuing more precedential decisions. The Board has made available a form for nominating a Board decision as precedential.

• Copyrights

  • Torrent Freak ☛ DoodStream Can't Comply With Court Orders, Major Investor is a Russian Dude

    According to the MPA, in 2023 video hosting platform DoodStream received 2.69 billion visits, largely driven by pirated content. So when the High Court of Delhi gave the site's operators 24 hours to end infringement in March 2024, that looked promising. Yet the site remains online, despite subsequent High Court orders. According to site's Indian operators, it is not possible to comply with High Court orders because a major DoodStream investor comes from Russia.

  • Torrent Freak ☛ EFF Sides with Cox to Protect Piracy-Accused Internet Users from 'Copyright Trolls'

    The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has got involved in a lawsuit between several movie companies and ISP Cox, who disagree over the use of DMCA subpoenas to identify alleged pirates. The EFF argues this could be abused by "copyright trolls" to target innocent users. They urge the court to require a full lawsuit with judicial oversight.

  • Wired ☛ Meta Secretly Trained Its AI on a Notorious Piracy Database, Newly Unredacted Court Docs Reveal

    The case, Kadrey et al. v. Meta Platforms, was one of the earliest copyright lawsuits filed against a tech company over its AI training practices. Its outcome, along with those of dozens of similar cases working their way through courts in the United States, will determine whether technology companies can legally use creative works to train AI moving forward and could either entrench AI’s most powerful players or derail them.

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Announcing the Public Domain Image Archive

    After a year of quiet labour, we are launching our new image-forward PDR sister-site!