Leftovers

• University of Michigan ☛ ‘Revenge of the Tipping Point’ might be a page turner, but it probably isn’t science

  “Revenge of the Tipping Point” was my first Malcolm Gladwell book. Given that it’s an extension of his first book, “The Tipping Point,” I found myself with an especially fresh perspective on his ideas and writing style.

• Jonathan McDowell: Christmas Movies

  I watch a lot of films. Since “completing” the IMDB Top 250 back in 2016 I’ve kept an eye on it, and while I don’t go out of my way to watch the films that newly appear in it I generally sit at over 240 watched. I should note I don’t consider myself a film buff/critic, however. I watch things for enjoyment, and a lot of the time that’s kicking back and relaxing and disengaging my brain. So I don’t get into writing reviews, just high level lists of things I’ve watched, sometimes with a few comments.

• Science

  • University of Michigan ☛ How a second Convicted Felon administration might affect research funding at UMich

    On Monday at noon, President The Insurrectionist stood in the U.S. Capitol rotunda and took the presidential oath of office in an inauguration ceremony. Convicted Felon’s presidential campaign promised a departure from former President Joe Biden administration’s policies, beginning with dozens of executive orders addressing climate policy, birthright citizenship and diversity, equity and inclusion.

  • Science Alert ☛ Earth's Magnetic North Pole Is Officially Moving – Scientists Just Updated Its Location

    Hope Santa knows!

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Confirm The Universe Is Expanding Too Fast

    This isn't supposed to be happening.

  • Science Alert ☛ Earth's Largest Organism Slowly Being Eaten, Scientist Says

    Nothing lasts forever.

  • Science Alert ☛ China to Plant 'Flapping' Flag on Moon: A Lunar First

    This is different.

  • Science Alert ☛ We've Been Wrong About What Causes Sunburn, Scientists Discover

    You still need sunscreen.

  • Science Alert ☛ Our Relationship With Fire Is Creating The Burning Equivalent of an Ice Age

    Welcome to the Pyrocene.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ u-blox RUBY-W2 is a family of Wi-Fi 7 automotive-grade modules for infotainment and telematics applications

    u-blox has recently released the RUBY-W2 series (RUBY-W273-05A and RUBY-W295-05A) of automotive Wi-Fi 7 modules designed for advanced infotainment and telematics applications. These modules support tri-band Wi-Fi 7 and dual-mode Bluetooth 5.4, with up to Gbps (PHY) of throughput, supporting simultaneous use cases for in-car hotspots, Fashion Company Apple CarPlay, and multi-client video streaming.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China's second-largest foundry hires former defective chip maker Intel executive to lead advanced node development

    Hua Hong, China's second-largest contract chipmaker, hires defective chip maker Intel veteran as it focuses on advanced logic production.

  • Hackaday ☛ A Ribbon Microphone Is Harder Than You Think

    There’s a mystique around ribbon microphones due to their being expensive studio-grade items, which has led more than one experimenter down the rabbit hole of making one. [Catherine van West] has posted her experiments in the field, and it makes for an interesting read.

  • Hackaday ☛ What Day Is It Again? Check The Clock

    If you’re lucky enough to work from home, you’ll soon find that it presents its own set of challenges, mostly related to work/life balance. It can get so bad that you don’t know what day of the week it is. Really. Ask us how we know.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Gigabyte gaming mouse allegedly goes up in flames — scorched device left a hole on user's desk

    The Gigabyte M6880X meets an unexpected demise.

  • Hackaday ☛ Make Your VR Controllers Handle Like Two-Handed Weapons

    Wielding things like two-handed swords in VR can be awkward. There’s no sense of grasping a solid object. The controllers (and therefore one’s hands) feel floaty and disconnected from one another, because they are. [Astro VR Gaming] aims to fix this with a DIY attachment they are calling the ARC VR Sword Attachment.

  • CNX Software ☛ Queclink WR310 – A compact 5G and WiFi 6 industrial cellular router with four GbE ports, GNSS, and RS232 and RS485 interfaces

    Queclink WR310 5G and WiFi 6 industrial cellular router features four gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB Type-A port, a terminal block with RS232 and RS485, and a wide 8 to 32V DC input suitable for smart manufacturing, industrial IoT (IIoT), and edge computing applications. It looks to be a more compact and cost-optimized version of the Queclink WR300 5G industrial router introduced in 2023 with global 5G coverage.

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • Dedoimedo ☛ Samsung A54 report 7, the gift that keeps on not giving

      It is time for me to talk about my smartphone again. Again. This will be the seventh time I review this device. Ever since I got it, I've been caught in a neverending loop of tweaking, customization and various annoyances, all of which comprise the everyday usage experience with the A54. And the loop must continue.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • PHR ☛ Dictator Ending ICE “Sensitive Locations Policy” Forces Immigrants to Choose Between Health Care and Safety: PHR

    In response to the Convicted Felon administration’s move to rescind the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “sensitive locations policy,” which prevents immigration enforcement actions in or around locations like hospitals, schools, or places of worship, the following quote is attributable to Katherine Peeler, MD, medical advisor at Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)...

  • The Straits Times ☛ Ultra-fine dust to engulf most of South Korea until Jan 23

    The dust comes from within the country and abroad.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 5 charged in Taiwan over fatal food poisoning case at Malaysian eatery

    The victims were believed to have eaten char kway teow, among other dishes at the restaurant.

  • Science Alert ☛ Targeting One Enzyme May Prevent Obesity-Induced Heart Disease, Study Suggests

    New insights into heart stress.

  • Science Alert ☛ Processed Red Meat Linked With Up to 13% Higher Dementia Risk

    Diet swaps could protect your brain.

  • Science Alert ☛ Hidden Danger of Recreational Xanax Use: Here's What You Need to Know

    A growing concern among young people.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ N.D. family claims in lawsuit that Mayo Clinic, 2 surgeons permanently paralyzed daughter

    The family of a 13-year-old North Dakota girl has filed a federal lawsuit against the Mayo Clinic and two orthopedic surgeons, alleging they permanently paralyzed the girl after failing to stabilize her spine during surgery.

  • Latvia ☛ Politicians to look at loopholes in Latvia's vape restriction law

    Following amendments to laws passed last year, MPs are committed to continuing restrictions on smoking and alcohol. The focus of the Ministry of Health is now on how to tackle loopholes in the law in the marketing of tobacco substitute products, Latvian Radio reported on January 22.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • University of Michigan ☛ University receives $2M to improve growth of Hey Hi (AI) models [Ed: Bringing Ponzi to universities by bribing them to play along with the bubble.]

    A project led by U-M and funded by a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation could help topple the "memory wall," which currently limits computing speed and the growth of artificial intelligence models

  • Federal News Network ☛ For the new Congress, an Hey Hi (AI) proposal from the last Congress [Ed: Just buzzwords instead of substance, basing policies based on lies from charlatans and their scams]

    Members of the bipartisan House Task Force on Hey Hi (AI) want to ensure U.S. leadership while mitigating the threats to privacy and safety.

  • France24 ☛ Davos 2025: Hey Hi (AI) will push 70% of job skills to change by 2030, according to Microsoft's Surveillance Arm LinkedIn report [Ed: Microsoft's Surveillance Arm LinkedIn pushes buzzwords and vapourware at Davos; so Microsoft is writing policies based on lies]

    As The Insurrectionist announced a 500 million dollar private investment project into Hey Hi (AI) infrastructure, France 24's Charles Pellegrin speaks with Karin Kimbrough, Chief Economist at LinkedIn,  about how artificial intelligence will change the future of work.  The company's recent report says the technology will force workers to change their job skills, but will also provide new opportunities.

  • The Markup ☛ California Is Investigating OpenAI’s Conversion To a For-Profit Company – The Markup

    The state’s attorney general asked the company how it plans to transfer assets out of its charitable nonprofit

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ China families appeal to free relatives held by scam gangs in Myanmar

      The abduction and cross-border rescue had all the makings of the kind of action script struggling Chinese actor Wang Xing had hoped to land – only not as a reality star.

    • China, Mekong countries agree to combat scam centers, arms trafficking

      Efforts have already resulted in the arrest of 70,000 criminals in 2024, China’s embassy said.

• Defence/Aggression

  • University of Michigan ☛ UMPD investigating felonious assault at Michigan Medical Pavilion construction site

    This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.  The University of Michigan Police Department is investigating a stabbing that took place at approximately 7:15 a.m. Wednesday morning at the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion construction site on 1315 E. Ann St.

  • France24 ☛ Syrians return to homes devastated by war in former rebel bastion

    When Syrian grandfather Omar Kafozi returned to his house near Damascus after Bashar al-Assad's ouster, he saw unfathomable destruction. Now, cushions and plants brighten the wreckage that he is determined to call home again. "As soon as we found out that... the regime was gone and that people were coming back... we sorted our things" and packed the car, says Kafozi, 74, standing in the wreckage of his home in a former rebel bastion near the capital.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Bollywood actor’s stabbing morphs into political row, risks worsening India’s ties with Bangladesh

    Police claim the suspect is a Bangladeshi who entered India illegally.

  • France24 ☛ Following 15 months of war in Gaza, civilians have 'wounds that are not visible to the naked eye'

    The ICRC assisted the first Israeli hostages freed under a ceasefire deal and are ramping up humanitarian assistance in Gaza to offer access to food, water, health care and shelter. They are also providing "counselling, psycho-social support and safe spaces for people to be together, grieve and just process what's happened, particularly for children," explains FRANCE 24 guest Nichola Jones, Communications Coordinator for Middle East Crisis at the Int'l Fed. of Red Cross, Red Crescent Societies.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Inconvenient truth or dangerous shift? Convicted Felon calls North Korea a ‘nuclear power’, rattles Seoul

    The mention was seen as a possible shift away from the long-held goal of denuclearising the North.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea investigators recommend Yoon be charged with insurrection, abuse of power

    Yoon is the first sitting South Korean head of state to be arrested.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Belonging and going home: Malaysia embraces diaspora, Brazil reclaims stolen art

    Progress roundup: Indigenous art goes home to Brazil, rights are granted to children born to Malaysian mothers overseas, and farms help birds migrate.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Ships carrying missile propellant to sail from China to Iran, FT reports

    The two Iranian-flagged ships will carry enough sodium perchlorate to make propellant for 260 mid-range missiles.

  • US freedom of navigation operations ‘unsuccessful,’ study says

    Research found U.S. operations to challenge China’s claims in the South China Sea fell short of expectations.

  • European Commission ☛ European Parliament plenary debate: Need to enforce the Digital Services Act to protect democracy on social control media platforms including against foreign interference and biased algorithms

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Thailand denies it plans to send 48 Uyghurs held in detention centres back to China

    Thai authorities denied Wednesday there was an immediate plan to send back to China 48 Uyghurs held in the country’s detention centres, after UN experts warned the group could face torture if they return.

  • JURIST ☛ UN urges Thailand to halt deportation of Uyghurs to China over human rights concerns

    The United Nations called on Thailand Wednesday to immediately halt the deportation of 48 Uyghurs to China, warning that the detainees face a real risk of torture, enforced disappearance and other inhumane treatment if returned.

  • JURIST ☛ Libya police chief arrested in Italy following ICC warrant over war crimes allegations

    Italian authorities arrested Osama Najim, the head of Libya’s judicial police, in the city of Turin on Monday, following a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged involvement in war crimes, according to Italian news reports. The arrest is linked to widespread torture and inhumane treatment allegations at Mitiga prison.

  • Defence Web ☛ SA defence industry can meet majority of SANDF requirements

    The South African defence industry can provide 70% of the logistical requirements to support the Special Operations Force (SOF) envisaged in the 2015 Defence Review, says Sandile Ndlovu, CEO of the South African Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries (AMD) association, but 30% still needs to be sourced from foreign defence OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).

  • Taiwan’s record budget cuts raise concerns over defense readiness

    Frozen funding for a key submarine project sparks debate over political motives and national security risks.

  • France24 ☛ Colombia reissues arrest warrants for guerrilla leaders amid violence surge

    Colombia reinstated arrest warrants for 31 National Liberation Army (ELN) leaders on Wednesday, responding to attacks that killed 80 and displaced 32,000. The ELN, a 5,800-member leftist militia involved in drug trafficking, has intensified the country's security crisis through violence in remote border regions with Venezuela.

  • Defence Web ☛ Recalibrating coastal West Africa’s response to violent extremism

    Extremist violence in the Sahel is spilling over into coastal West African countries. Governments in coastal West African countries play the leading role in responding to this threat by proactively strengthening ties with local communities in vulnerable regions.

  • The Strategist ☛ The Quad foreign ministers joint statement: short and sweet

    Today’s joint statement from the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in Washington is short and sweet, particularly for those who have been arguing that the grouping should overtly embrace security cooperation.

  • Federal News Network ☛ DoD moves to improve maritime security in contested Southeast Asia

    A new industry and government consortium has joined the federal scene. This one is devoted to maritime security in Southeast Asia, or MARSEC.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Banned or not? What’s next for Fentanylware (TikTok) in the US.

    The future of Fentanylware (TikTok) in the United States remains uncertain, even as President The Insurrectionist tries to negotiate a deal to keep it operating.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ST Picks: Could Fentanylware (TikTok) become China’s bargaining chip with the US?

  • Digital Music News ☛ Is MrBeast Buying TikTok? YouTuber Confirms ‘Official Offer’ Amid New Mandatory-Sale Countdown

    Will MrBeast buy TikTok? Possibly, as the YouTuber and businessman has confirmed an “official offer” for the app’s stateside operations. That’s one of the many noteworthy TikTok-related details to emerge in recent days.

  • Digital Music News ☛ TikTok Still Missing on Apple’s App Store, Surveillance Giant Google Play as ‘App Rot’ Begins — No More Downloads, Updates, In-App Purchases, or Bug Fixes

    ByteDance restored Fentanylware (TikTok) service in the United States on Sunday night, but major tech companies like Fashion Company Apple and Surveillance Giant Google have yet to restore downloads of the app.

  • NYPost ☛ Dictator downplays concerns over China using Fentanylware (TikTok) for surveillance, calls it an app for ‘young kids watching crazy videos’

    Trump, 78, said in his first interview since reclaiming power that he was aware of security concerns about the platform, which has an estimated 170 million US users, but thought they were overblown.

  • New York Times ☛ Trump’s Hint at Deal Making Gives China a Little Breathing Room

    Whether it is over TikTok, fentanyl or trade, Beijing might welcome a compromise to buy time to address its ailing economy and bolster its position globally.

  • New York Times ☛ Israeli Raids in West Bank Focus on Jenin, Long a Resistance Hub

    At least 10 people have been killed in the raids, and more than 40 wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Dozens have been arrested, Palestinian officials told the Wafa news agency.

  • New York Times ☛ Why Is Israel Targeting Jenin, West Bank?

    As Israel withdraws some of its troops from Gaza during a cease-fire there, it has turned attention to another Palestinian territory — in particular a city with a history of militant activity.

  • Latvia ☛ Baltic and Nordic parliamentary speakers offer encouragement to Armenia

    Speaker of the Saeima (Parliament of Latvia) Daiga Mieriņa is participating in a joint visit of the Speakers of the parliaments of the Nordic and Baltic countries to Armenia to discuss the security situation and support Armenia’s aspirations to have closer relations with the European Union. The joint visit will last until Friday.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • European Commission ☛ Press remarks by Commissioner Jørgensen at the conference on Securing Ukraine's Future Energy in Davos

      So I am one of the strange people that actually normally likes winters. Most people prefer Summers, I like the cold crisp air.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Military Shoots Down 65 Shahed Drones Amid Russian Onslaught

      Russia launched another massive attack on Ukraine overnight involving almost 100 drones at targets across the country while Russian troops continue to edge further into Ukrainian territory.

    • New York Times ☛ Fighting Alongside Russia, North Koreans Wage Their Own War

      Ukrainian forces described a different kind of enemy, fighting with unfamiliar tactics and little option to retreat.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia kills one and injures over 20 — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Fate of Donbas hangs in balance as Russian troops push forward, while Ukrainian defenses hold in Kursk Video: Meduza breaks down the latest battlefield developments — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ America’s new team Donald Trump has promised peace between Moscow and Kyiv. Meduza reviews what the president’s cabinet-level nominees have said about Russia and Ukraine. — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia is home to fewer Russian citizens than before war

      More than 130,000 third-country nationals (citizens of countries outside the European Union and Schengen area) currently have valid residence permits in Latvia, Latvian Television reported on January 21.

    • Three North Koreans wanted in Kursk for killing Russian soldiers: report

      North Koreans said to be suffering casualties while struggling with insufficient supplies, language barrier.

    • CS Monitor ☛ From the Republic of Georgia, a president’s plea to the West: Stop Russia here

      Salome Zourabichvili, Georgia’s “only legitimate president,” warned at a Monitor Breakfast that American interests would be at risk should her country fall under Russia’s sway.

    • New York Times ☛ Britain Says Russian Spy Ship Returned to U.K. Waters in Sign of Kremlin Threat

      The British defense secretary told Parliament that the Yantar, which he described as a Russian spy ship, had come near Britain’s coast for the second time in a few months.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘We see you’: U.K. defense secretary issues warning to Putin over Russian ‘spy ship’ spotted in British waters — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ See inside a Russian military club, where schoolchildren take shooting lessons under a pro-war Z flag — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ North Korea to send reinforcements to Russia’s Kursk region within two months — NYT — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s Sberbank is laying off IT specialists from its subsidiaries en masse — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Czech lawmakers pass legislation effectively barring Russians from obtaining citizenship — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania will not legally recognise Belarusian opposition ‘passports’

      The Belarusian opposition’s planned “passports” will not be legally recognised in Lithuania.

    • LRT ☛ Belarusians have right to use armoured knight symbol, says heraldry specialist

      Amid heated discussions about the Belarusian opposition using symbols derived from the historic Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a heraldry specialist notes that present-day Belarus has as much claim to them as modern Lithuania.

    • LRT ☛ Number of Belarusian cars registered in Lithuania on the rise

      After Lithuania banned cars with Belarusian license plates, owners are re-registering them in the country. Some politicians believe that there is still too much traffic between the two hostile countries.

    • RFERL ☛ EU Parliament Condemns 'Sham' Belarusian Elections

      The European Parliament condemned Belarus' upcoming presidential election in a resolution that refers to the process as a "sham" while slamming the regime of authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

    • Meduza ☛ Trump threatens steep sanctions if Moscow refuses a peace deal, says he doesn’t want to ’hurt Russia’ and intends to do Putin ‘a very big favor’ — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Putin is increasingly concerned about Russia’s economy and believes key war goals have been met, sources tell Reuters — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Dictator Warns Putin For Third Time To End 'Ridiculous' Ukraine War

      U.S. President The Insurrectionist, calling out his Russian counterparty Vladimir Putin by name, warned Moscow it faces new "high" tariffs, taxes, and sanctions if it doesn't quickly end its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ ‘We see you’, UK warns Putin as Royal Navy tracks Russian ‘spy ship’

      A Russian "spy ship" was tracked by the Royal Navy as it entered British waters, UK Defence Secretary John Healey told parliament Wednesday amid heightened concerns over the security of underwater infrastructure. Healey issued a warning to President Vladimir Putin that Russian vessels in the area are under close surveillance.

    • RFERL ☛ U.K. Warns Putin: 'We See You' After Ship Chased From British Waters

      Britain warned Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin that “we know what you’re doing” after the Royal Navy tracked what it called a “Russian spy ship” traveling through U.K. waters, amid rising concerns of potential sabotage by Russia-linked vessels.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Says 200,000-Strong Peace Force Would Be Needed To Back Any Cease-Fire Deal

      As U.S. President The Insurrectionist stepped up calls for a Ukraine peace deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy floated the idea of a 200,000-strong European peacekeeping force, but he insisted U.S. leadership in any such a venture would be crucial to its success.

    • Meduza ☛ U.S. podcaster Lex Fridman says he will go to Russia to interview Putin — Meduza

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Magnitude 5.9 offshore quake strikes central Philippines

    The offshore quake had a depth of 10 km and was off the town of San Francisco in Leyte province.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia rescuers search for survivors after deadly landslide in Central Java

    Torrential rain caused the landslide, and heavy rain and fog were hindering rescue efforts.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Ex-Executive Who Oversaw South Korean Airport Renovations Is Found Dead [Ed: Anything is possible after Boeing murdered whistleblowers (it seemed rather obvious) and this one seems to be about faulty planes with dysfunctional landing gear; this probe seems more like blame-shifting and cover-up at several levels]

      Son Chang-wan was in office while works were undertaken at Muan International Airport. Last month, a plane crashed into a concrete barrier there, killing 179 people.

    • The Straits Times ☛ S. Korea to remove concrete embankment blamed for exacerbating deadly Jeju Air crash [Ed: Why did the landing gear and wheels not come down? Why did it happen again a day later? Therein lies a defect.]

      The authorities said they will make new foundations or other adjustments at Muan and six other airports.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Jeju Air crash: Former airport chief linked to South Korea’s Muan airport project found dead [Ed: People "just die"]

      He was not a subject of investigations into the Dec 29 plane crash and had not been questioned.

    • Cash-strapped Chinese take the slow train home for Lunar New Year

      The Year of the Snake sees many headed to the bottom of the economic ladder, forced to curb festive spending.

    • Ruben Schade ☛ It’s not a bicycle

      You may have read my early morning routine here by now: I get up, shower, make coffee, sit on the balcony, and check my RSS feeds, email, and calendar for the day. Feeling the outdoor air, seeing the trees, and hearing the sounds of nature mentally prepare me in a way nothing else does. Clara was gracious enough to let us spend more time looking for an apartment that specifically had a view of the nature reserve, and with enough semi-enclosed space to put some patio furniture.

    • Hackaday ☛ Electric Vehicle Charging Heats Up

      As the electric vehicle takeover slowly lumbers along, marginally increasing efficiencies for certain applications while entrenching car-centric urban design even further, there are some knock-on effects that are benefiting people and infrastructure beyond simple transportation. Vehicle-to-grid technology has applications for providing energy from the car back to the grid for things like power outages or grid leveling. But [Technology Connections] is taking this logic one step further. Since a large number of EV owners have charging stations built into their garages, he wondered if these charging stations could be used for other tasks and built an electric heater which can use one for power.

    • Hackaday ☛ DIY Drones Deliver The Goods With Printed Release

      It seems like the widespread use of delivery drones by companies like Amazon and Wal-Mart has been perpetually just out of reach. Of course robotics is a tricky field, and producing a fleet of these machines reliable enough to be cost effective has proven to be quite a challenge. But on an individual level, turning any drone into one that can deliver a package is not only doable but is something [Iloke-Alusala] demonstrates with their latest project.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Filipino tourist hit by train in Taiwan while posing for a photo now faces fine [Ed: Social control media]

      She was stretching her arms out to pose for a photo when a train slammed into her.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Latvia ☛ We can bearly believe it: Latvia's paws-ibly oldest ursids turn 30

      On Saturday, January 25, a special event will take place at Līgatne Nature Trails - Latvia's oldest captive bears Mikus and Puika will celebrate their 30th birthday by feasting on a cake prepared especially for them and waiting for guests, the Nature Conservation Agency (DAP) said.

  • Overpopulation

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s birthrate set to rise for first time in nine years

      The number of newborns between January and November 2024 rose 3 per cent from a year earlier.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ China vows to defend ‘interests’ against Convicted Felon tariff threats

    Beijing says “there are no winners in a trade war or a tariff war”.

  • Dictator says China tariffs could begin Feb. 1

    Beijing responded that there is ‘no winner in a trade or tariff war.’

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US President The Insurrectionist warns Chinese imports could see 10% tariffs from February

    US President The Insurrectionist pledged Tuesday to hit the European Union with tariffs, adding that a 10 percent duty on Chinese imports could also come as soon as February 1.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ China’s lithium-ion battery exports: Why are US prices so low?

    Export prices for Chinese batteries entering the US are lower than for any other market, suggesting that China may be engaging in anti-competitive behavior. As batteries grow in importance for commercial and military applications, the US should increase tariffs on Chinese battery imports to bolster US and allied manufacturing capabilities.

  • Stanford University ☛ China’s rise may not be antithetical to U.S. interests, scholar says

    Xinru Ma, a research scholar at the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, said that we should reframe discussions on U.S.-China geopolitical competition, based on analyses of East Asian history.

  • France24 ☛ Dictator tariffs: French and German leaders emphasise Europe's unity against threats

    As The Insurrectionist accused the European Union of "treating the US very very badly" by running a large trade surplus and threatened to slap new tariffs, the leaders of France and Germany showed a united front, as they held talks to discuss the rising threat.

  • Fortune ☛ Stripe mistakenly sent some workers an image of a duck as it announced 300 lay offs

    Online payments company Stripe is laying off 300 employees internationally, according to an internal memo obtained by Fortune, and accidentally sent some affected workers an image of a cartoon duck.

    In a Monday memo, Stripe’s chief people officer Rob McIntosh announced the layoffs, telling staffers the cuts would mostly impact employees in the product, engineering, and operation teams.

    In a follow-up email also seen by Fortune, McIntosh said some employees had “received a notification error on their personal email accounts Monday evening PT,” and apologized for the error and any confusion.

  • Major CNN layoffs signal new era of digital-first journalism

    These layoffs come amid CNN’s ongoing struggle with declining viewership. Thompson has communicated a vision supported by an investment of over $70 million from corporate parent Warner Bros. Discovery, aimed at bolstering CNN’s digital operations. CNN plans to explore new properties related to health, wellness, and other engaging topics, as detailed in an internal memo from July.

    The impending cuts are expected to help CNN reduce production costs by consolidating teams and potentially relocating some shows to Atlanta, where operational expenses are lower. Currently, CNN employs around 3,500 individuals worldwide.

  • Business Insider ☛ The list of major companies laying off staff in the new year, including CNN, Meta, Microsoft, and BP

    Microsoft is planning job cuts soon, and the company is taking a harder look at underperforming employees as part of the reductions, according to two people familiar with the plans.

  • REI CEO announces surprise retirement

    The CEO and president of REI, Eric Artz, announced he is retiring. The Issaquah-based co-op stated Artz will leave the position at the end of March.

  • New York Times ☛ Amazon Closes Operations in Quebec, Laying off 1,700 Workers

    Unions had gained a foothold in one of the company’s warehouses in the province, though Amazon would not say if there was a connection.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ Why You Might Suddenly Be Following Convicted Felon on Instagram and Facebook

    Many Instagram and Facebook (Farcebook) users say they are confused about why they are seeing posts from the president and vice president in their feeds. Here’s what to know.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge Responds to Reports of Convicted Felon White House Threatening Independent Government Watchdog

    Today, the New York Times reported that the Convicted Felon administration has threatened the independence of a bipartisan agency – the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board – by ordering the three Democratic-picked members to either resign or be fired by close of business on Jan. 23.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Why Republican Women Aren’t Being Elected in the Southeast

    A few weeks ago, the clerk of the South Carolina Senate called out each of the 46 members’ names, then directed them all to stand and raise their right hands. He needed to swear them in for the new session. Among the supermajority of Republicans, zero women stood.

    Voters hadn’t elected a single one to the chamber in November.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ History is kept by the archivists

    I saw the title of this post fly by as a comment on social control media, I think in response to someone saying history is written by the victors. As a voracious—almost certainly excessive—archivist myself, yay!

    At least, I think yay? Perhaps the quote is suggesting that archivists are merely pawns perpetuating what the victor wrote. Hmm.

  • Michael Geist ☛ Why Years of Canadian Digital Policy Is Either Dead (Prorogation) or Likely to Die (Trump)

    The Canadian political and business communities are unsurprisingly focused on the prospect of The Insurrectionist instituting 25% tariffs on Canadian goods and services.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Ruben Schade ☛ Nick Clegg’s meagre defence of Facebook (Farcebook) fact checking

      There’s that old adage that you can tell a politician, or ex politician, is lying based on whether their mouth is moving. I don’t buy that; dismissing all politicians as liars grants lying politicians cover.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • New York Times ☛ Dictator Administration Temporarily Mutes Federal Health Officials

    Scientific meetings were canceled, and research data on the bird flu outbreak was delayed, amid confusion over the directive.

  • Stanford University ☛ From the Community | Only pleasant speech is protected at Stanford University

    The Faculty Senate's refusal to rescind the censure of Dr. Scott Atlas represents a betrayal of Stanford's commitment to free speech, writes Professor Jonathan Berk.

  • New York Times ☛ Reddit Users Boycott X Links After Elon Musk’s Gesture at Inaugural Event [Ed: Reddit was always a filter, a corporate censorship site that pretends communities online are only what corporations did not ban (or words not deleted)]

    A boycott of links to Mr. Musk’s social control media platform spread on Reddit this week, after he made a gesture that some likened to a Nazi salute. Others worried about censorship.

  • University of Michigan ☛ University Housing and its semester of censorship and institutional regress

    On Nov. 6, 2024, student resident advisers and diversity peer educators, collectively referred to as ResStaff, coordinated teach-ins in multiple residence halls on the history of Palestine as part of their monthly event obligations.

  Navalny lawyers get jail time for doing their job

  [...] VOA Russian spoke to legal experts who voice concern about the ability of Russian activists to get proper legal representation in the future after Navalny lawyers got up to 5½ years in prison for essentially doing their job, something that did not happen even in the Soviet times.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ DC Thomson plans to cut 35 jobs and close four magazines

    Data journalism roles among those affected.

    >

  • Press Gazette ☛ News UK admits ‘unlawful activities’ at Sun in settlement apology to Prince Harry

    See News Group Newspapers apology to Prince Harry and Lord Tom Watson in full.

  • New York Times ☛ Partial Victory for Prince Harry as Murdoch’s U.K. Tabloids Admit Unlawful Activities

    Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers gave Harry an “unequivocal apology,” admitting for the first time to unlawful activities at The Sun and agreeing to pay what it called substantial damages.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Guardian management agrees deal with staff over Observer sale dispute

    Questions remain over whether Observer journalists will be protected from compulsory redundancies.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Reports Indicate FCC Chairman Carr Plans To Reopen Complaints Against Broadcasters, Jeopardizing Press Freedom

    Reports indicate that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr plans to reinstate three broadcast complaints previously dismissed by former FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian coffee chain Oriental Kopi says sorry, drops CNY service charge hike

    Oriental Kopi, who had made the initial announcement on Jan 20, has now scrapped the move.

  • JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court revives challenge by Oklahoma death row inmate following sex-shaming claims

    The US Supreme Court on Tuesday revived a challenge by a death row inmate in Oklahoma who claims prosecutors “sex-shamed” her during her trial. Brenda Andrew claimed prosecutors called her a “slut puppy,” holding up her underwear for the jury.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Las Vegas hotel workers union reaches tentative deal with casino to end longest strike in decades

    The Culinary Workers Union announced on the social control media platform X that it secured a pending five-year deal for about 700 employees at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas near the Strip.

  • ACLU ☛ Trump's Executive Orders Promoting Sex Discrimination, Explained

    The Insurrectionist was re-elected president on a wave of attacks against women and transgender people. Anti-transgender politicians spent more than $215 million on ads scapegoating trans people and promoting a Project 2025 agenda that threatens to rollback reproductive freedom and punish people for departing from archaic gender roles. On his first day back in office, President Convicted Felon signed a far-reaching executive order requiring federal agencies to discriminate against transgender people by denying who they are and threatening the freedom of self-determination and self-expression for all.

  • EDRI ☛ EDRi-gram, 22 January 2025

    The EDRi-gram is back after the winter break and yes, we missed you too. Before we dive into the new year, we have a review of 2024 for you. From stopping Chat Control to hosting the first-ever Tech and Society Summit, read up on what kept EDRi so busy last year.

    In this edition, also catch-up with some important developments from the end of 2024 which are bound to pop up again on the digital rights radar soon. The infamous High Level Group Going Dark presented their "insecurity by design agenda". So don’t be surprised if EU politics sees another iteration of flawed proposals on data retention and circumventing encryption. Ugh.

    Meanwhile, the European Commission presented their proposal for digitalising travel documents. “Didn’t they promise that for the third quarter of 2023,” you say? Indeed, but after the initiative received a devastating amount of negative feedback, it took more than a year for the adjusted EU travel app proposal. We provide an extensive analysis of the (so far) voluntary system for pre-travel controls.

  • NYPost ☛ California man sexually assaulted employee handing out free samples at Costco: report

    He’s the wrong kind of Costco guy. A California man who was convicted last year of sexually assaulting two Costco employees — including one who was working at a free-sample concession stand — is trying to appeal the court decision, despite being caught on surveillance cameras, according to authorities.

  • Federal News Network ☛ DHS head orders in-person work ‘to the maximum extent’

    While DHS employees largely work in-person, the acting homeland security secretary called remote work rates at some components "unacceptable."

  • Citizen Lab ☛ Submission to the UN’s call for input on the application of digital technologies in the administration of justice

    In March 2024, Emile Dirks, research associate at The Citizen Lab, along with Ausma Bernot (Griffith University), and Yves Moreau (University of Leuven) prepared a written submission in response to the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights call for input on the application of digital technologies in the administration of justice.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge President and CEO Chris Lewis To Testify Before House Energy and Commerce on America’s Wireless Leadership

    Chris Lewis, President and CEO of Public Knowledge, testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on strengthening America's leadership in wireless technology.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• The Straits Times ☛ Apple close to deal to lift Indonesian iPhone ban, minister says

  South-east Asia’s largest country banned the sale of the new device in October 2024.

• The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia fines Surveillance Giant Google $16.7m for unfair business practices

  A Surveillance Giant Google spokesperson said the company would appeal the ruling.

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Heartbeat of the USPTO

    By Dennis Crouch

    The chart above is not an EKG.  Rather, it shows the ebb and flow of USPTO activity -- the heartbeat of the 10,000+ patent monopoly examiners whose activity follows the bi-weekly quota system. The regular peaks come every two weeks, but the chart shows an overlay of two additional quotas: quarterly quotas (the higher blip every 3 months) and yearly quotas (the messy blip at the end of each fiscal year).  >

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Rocky Start for the USPTO under President Convicted Felon and Director Stewart

    It is tough that one of the very first acts of new USPTO Director Coke Morgan Stewart’s was to cancel hiring for the agency. Two weeks ago I saw a notice that the USPTO expected to hire over 800 new examiners during 2025 in an attempt to address the ever growing backlog of unexamined patent monopoly applications.  But, today the agency rescinded offers already given and cancelled its job ads.  Although unclear, examiners still in their first year probationary period may also be let go.  What we have here is the patent monopoly office being caught up in the larger political theatre with real world consequences — directly for those individuals losing promised employment and more generally for the intellectual property system as a whole.

    This is the first time I have ever searched USAJobs and found nothing for the USPTO.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Life as a technical judge at the UPC [Ed: UPC is illegal and those "judges" are industry operatives appointed to run a kangaroo court in violation of constitutions; this site, JUVE, was paid to actively promote and lie for this illegality, which will harm the EU's credibility]

      The first group of patent monopoly experts embarked on their training course as technical judges at the UPC with a great deal of enthusiasm, idealism and curiosity. More than a year and a half after the court’s launch, the euphoria is just as unevenly distributed as the number of cases per judge.

    • JUVE ☛ An overview of all 75 technically qualified UPC judges [Ed: UPC is illegal. JUVE knows it's illegal, but it makes money trying to legitimise this totally unlawful construct, which accompanies EU and EPO corruption, not law.]

      This is a current overview as of January 2025. All judges are employed on a case-by-case basis. Some of the 75 judges have now withdrawn from their full-time work as patent monopoly attorneys in private practice.

• Copyrights

  • Creative Commons ☛ CC Launches its 2025-2028 Strategic Plan

    Kaleidoscope 2 by Sheila Sund is licensed under CC BY 2.0. For over 20 years, Creative Commons (CC) has provided self-serve solutions to address the limitations of copyright monopoly in a digital world. CC is a beloved symbol of sharing and knowledge freedom that resists a restrictive sharing and re-use environment and brings people together.