Leftovers

• Daniel Pocock ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] Debian, CentOS, RHEL source code demise now linked, accelerated after invalid trademark judgment

• Daniel Pocock ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] Zurich CEO suicide, Martin Senn proximity to Adrian and Diana von Bidder-Senn, Debian

• Daniel Pocock ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] Judgment translated to English in FINMA & Debian trademark fiasco

• Science

  • The Conversation ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] Fossil footprints reveal what may be the oldest known handcarts - new research

  • The Conversation ☛ 2025-02-25 [Older] Alcohol ingestion by animals is surprisingly widespread – and we’re starting to understand its impact

  • The Conversation ☛ 2025-02-25 [Older] Five tips to find what really brings you joy outside of work

  • The Conversation ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] Asteroid has a very small chance of hitting Earth in 2032, but a collision could devastate a city

• Hardware

  • Microsoft urges Trump to reverse Biden’s AI chip export ban [Ed: After bribing him]

    Tech giant Microsoft is hoping to convince President Donald Trump to undo the AI chip restrictions set forth by the Biden administration. Reportedly, Microsoft has urged the Trump administration to ease export restrictions imposed on artificial intelligence chips in the closing days of the Biden administration, saying the measures should not extend to a group of U.S. allies.

  • Microchip Technology to cut around 2,000 jobs

    Microchip Technology said on Monday it will cut around 2,000 jobs, or about 9% of its workforce, as the chipmaker restructures its business to combat slowing demand from automakers.

    The company expects to incur between $30 million and $40 million of costs related to the layoffs, consisting of cash severance and related restructuring expenses.

    The layoffs will be communicated to employees this month and fully implemented by the end of the June quarter.

• Proprietary

  • Social Control Media

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-22 [Older] Brazil justice orders ban of video platform Rumble

• Defence/Aggression

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-22 [Older] DR Congo: UNSC calls on Rwandan troops to leave

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-22 [Older] New Zealand says China fired live rounds in new navy drills

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-22 [Older] Cook Islands announces deep sea minerals deal with China

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-28 [Older] Bangladeshi Students Who Led Uprising That Ousted Ex-Premier Sheikh Hasina Form New Political Party

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] More Pressure on Rwanda as Congo Says Rebel Uprising Has Killed Over 7,000 People This Year

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-23 [Older] Odesa: Decolonization debate on the Black Sea

• Environment

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-28 [Older] New Stove That Plugs Into a Normal Wall Outlet Could Be Major Gain for Health and the Climate

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-28 [Older] Most Americans Who Experienced Severe Winter Weather See Climate Change at Work, AP-NORC Poll Shows

  • Vox ☛ 2025-02-28 [Older] Who needs weather reports anyway?

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-27 [Older] In a Reversal, Plans for U.S. Natural Gas Power Grow, Complicating Progress on Climate

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-27 [Older] Analysis-EU Green Finance Row-Back Sets Climate Investment Challenge

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-27 [Older] China Plays Key Role on Climate Change, May Be Looked to for Additional Leadership, COP30 President Says

  • Green Party UK ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] Green Party demands ambitious action in wake of Climate Change Committee report

  • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] Adapting to Climate Change: Planned Migration in the Pacific Islands

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] South Africa's G20 Presidency to Prioritise Climate Finance

  • Vox ☛ 2025-02-25 [Older] Florida’s iconic corals aren’t having babies anymore. Scientists are alarmed.

  • Vox ☛ 2025-02-25 [Older] You need to start taking airborne fungal outbreaks seriously

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] Germany Will Likely Continue Its Leadership on Climate Action. but Expect a Change in Tone

  • Vox ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] One agency that explains what the government actually does for you

  • CBC ☛ 2025-02-23 [Older] Can this 'burnt toast'-like substance be a key tool in the fight against climate change?

  • CBC ☛ 2025-02-22 [Older] New report decries fossil fuel industry influence in climate education

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Conversation ☛ 2025-02-27 [Older] Man wants to search dump for lost hard drive with bitcoin fortune – here are his odds of finding it

    • CBC ☛ 2025-02-28 [Older] $9,000 fine for coal mine leak into Alberta river a 'slap on the wrist,' critics say

    • Bridge Michigan ☛ 2025-02-27 [Older] Opinion | Michigan, US need a robust energy policy

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-27 [Older] Colombia's Petro to Name Edwin Palma as New Energy Minister, Source Says

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-27 [Older] Italy Readies $3 Billion Package to Help Families, Firms Cope With Energy Costs

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] The Rise of the Petroyuan: Is the US Dollar Losing Its Energy Monopoly?

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] EU launches Clean Industrial Deal to overhaul energy sector

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] After a Month of Cheeto Mussolini's Pro-Oil and Gas Moves, Dems Target His Energy Emergency

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] Factbox-What's in the EU's Plan to Boost Clean Tech, Lower Energy Bills?

    • CBC ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] Greenpeace USA to defend its actions during Dakota Access Pipeline protests at civil trial

    • University of Michigan ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] Ann Arbor for Public Power endorses energy municipalization plan

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Conversation ☛ 2025-02-28 [Older] How evolution might explain impatience

    • The Conversation ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] How palaeontologists are uncovering dinosaur behaviour

• Finance

  • International Business Times ☛ 2025-02-28 [Older] What Is The Feb 28 Economic Blackout: Boycott of Amazon, Walmart, McDonalds and More For 24 Hours

  • CBC ☛ 2025-02-28 [Older] Canada's economy better than expected in last quarter of 2024, new numbers show

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-21 [Older] Mother Language Day: What it is, and why it's important

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-21 [Older] One year on, has Italy's Albania migrant deal failed?

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-22 [Older] US: Pentagon to cut jobs as Elon Musk's DOGE faces backlash

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-22 [Older] Pope Francis' health is 'critical,' Vatican says

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-22 [Older] Clashes erupt as Bulgarian nationalists march against euro

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] State of the State: Takeaways, fact-checks from Gretchen Whitmer’s big speech

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] State of the State: Watch, read Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's full speech

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Project Censored ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] Debunking the Book Ban “Hoax” and Resisting Cheeto Mussolini Administration Attacks on the First Amendment

  • Scheerpost ☛ 2025-02-22 [Older] Unmasking Censorship: How Independent Journalism is Challenging Media Control in the Age of Big Tech

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] US Supreme Court Rebuffs Free Speech Challenge to Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone

  • Project Censored ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] The Project Censored Newsletter—February 2025

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-22 [Older] Why hate speech is punishable by law in Germany

  • The Vietnamese Magazine ☛ Freedom House: Vietnam Tightens Grip on Free Speech as Crackdown on Dissent Intensifies; Journalist Huy Duc Sentenced to 30 Months under Article 331

    According to this report, the Vietnamese government maintains tight control over freedom of expression, religious freedom, and civil society activism. Authorities have increasingly cracked down on citizens' use of social media to express dissenting views.

  • Techdirt ☛ Announcing Otherwise Objectionable: A Podcast Series About The Most Misunderstood Law On The Internet

    At a time when Section 230 faces unprecedented threats from all sides — with both major political parties gunning for it, albeit for opposite reasons — understanding this crucial internet law has never been more important. That’s probably why our “Hello! You’ve Been Referred Here Because You’re Wrong About Section 230” post remains one of Techdirt’s most referenced articles.

    So last year, when the Competitive Enterprise Institute approached me about hosting a documentary-style podcast exploring the past, present, and (hopefully) future of Section 230, I was understandably skeptical. After all, much of the discourse around 230 comes from people who fundamentally misunderstand it. But it quickly became clear that CEI truly grasped both the technical aspects and the broader implications of the law and shared my vision for the kind of deep, nuanced exploration this topic deserves.

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Pete Marocco Keeps Trying to Prevent Bill Cassidy from Learning the Truth about USAID

    Since then, USAID has twice silenced people continuing to debunk Rubio’s claim to have restored humanitarian care.

  • The Telegraph UK ☛ Ann Summers lingerie models blurred by Google

    The company launched a separate website, Knickerbox, last year in part to circumvent the restrictions.

    It has said that Google’s SafeSearch means it has lost out on more than 3m website visits.

  • YLE ☛ Petition calls on Finnish universities to oppose US attempts to censor use of terms such as equality, climate change

    The chancellor of the University of Helsinki told a newspaper last month that US authorities had pressured the university to remove certain terms from its press release about Fulbright scholarships.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • BIA Net ☛ 2025-02-25 [Older] İstanbul Bar executives face up to 12 years in prison over statement on journalists killed in Syria

  • The Independent UK ☛ Another journalist killed in Mexico. Here's how the deaths are counted

    It was the third killing of a media worker so far this year, though it remained unclear if the motive was connected to his work. The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists and Mexico’s chapter of Articulo 19 demanded a thorough investigation.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • CBC ☛ 2025-02-28 [Older] Her photos captured Halifax's queer and women's rights movements. Now they're being preserved

  • ANF News ☛ 2025-02-25 [Older] Kurdish workers continue to die in Turkey’s construction sector

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-02-23 [Older] Spain busts South American sex-trafficking pipeline

  • ANF News ☛ 2025-02-23 [Older] Italian Judge Gallo: The international community must end the silence and Turkey's impunity

  • HRW ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] Saudi Arabia: Egyptian at Risk of Forced Return

  • Los Angeles Times ☛ After 101 years, the doors close on L.A.'s Original Pantry Cafe

    Ownership of the diner transferred to Riordan’s trust, which said it sought to sell the asset to support its philanthropic endeavors. The union attempted to negotiate terms that would require any new owner to honor the existing contract. That didn’t happen, and the labor union filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board.

  • Pivot to AI ☛ Google: We’ll reach Artificial General Intelligence if you slackers just show face in the office 60 hours a week

    Back in the real world, you’ll manage three actually productive hours in a day. Especially with three hours of commuting.

  • International Business Times ☛ Google's AI Army 'Urged' to Work 60-Hour Weeks as Co-founder Demands 'Full Commitment'

    Brin's controversial memo outlined seven core principles for AI development: coding, productivity, location, organisation, simplicity, excellence, speed, and small-scale innovation. To excel in these areas, he argued, AI developers must rethink their current strategies and dedicate at least 12 hours per weekday to their work.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Inside Towers ☛ How Could Federal Layoffs Impact the FCC?

    Asked about how the mandates might impact the FCC, Chairman Brendan Carr told reporters after Thursday’s meeting, he had “no specific numbers” to publicize at this time. He explained, “As a general matter we are looking to drive greater efficiencies out of the FCC’s operations and we are undergoing a review of the various contracts that the FCC has had and we already made adjustments and cancellations of some contracts. I think the American people expect and deserve an efficient operation of their government.”

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Techdirt ☛ Ron Wyden Presses FTC For Disclosure Rules On Ownership Rights Of Digital Purchases

    We talk a lot here about the concept of “ownership” of what we spend money on, particularly as it relates to purchases that are digital or have some reliance on internet connectivity. Despite being related, those two categories are actually quite distinct.

    On the one hand, you have situations where a company may go out of business, or a business may no longer “support” a product it sold, where backend infrastructure also gets shut down and results in sold products no longer having the same functionality or, in some cases, becoming expensive paperweights. Some advocate groups have already pressed the FTC to do something, anything about all of this, such that some consumer rights are conferred to the victims of this behavior.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• IP Kat ☛ 2025-02-26 [Older] [Guest Post] UK SPCs: Clinging to nurse, or fear of something worse? (Merck v Comptroller [2025] EWCA Civ 45)

• IP Kat ☛ 2025-02-27 [Older] Illiquidx v Altana: Breach of confidence claim succeeds but directors get away

• Patents

  • IP Kat ☛ 2025-02-27 [Older] BPatG rejects amendments to PGI “Hessischer Apfelwein” specifications not to undermine traditional methods and area of production

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • IP Kat ☛ 2025-02-22 [Older] The benefits and pitfalls of drug manufacturing IP(T 2543/22)

• Trademarks

  • IP Kat ☛ 2025-02-28 [Older] The power of reputation: EUIPO confirms stronger protection for renowned trade marks

  • IP Kat ☛ 2025-02-24 [Older] Red flags and red lines – Important, but not protectable as position marks

• Copyrights

  • Business Insider ☛ AI Agents Could Make the Internet Go Dark

    Websites and apps won't go away; it's just that for many of them, consumers won't visit or see these digital locations directly. Instead, they will access information, content, and widgets through an AI assistant that becomes "the aggregator of the aggregators," the analysts said.

  • Torrent Freak ☛ Cloudflare Blocked 400+ Sports Piracy Domains in France Last Year

    cloudflare logo Internet infrastructure company Cloudflare provides a range of connectivity and security services to customers around the globe.

    As a result of its growing impact, the American company increasingly finds itself at the center of copyright complaints and pirate site blocking disputes.

  • Torrent Freak ☛ Google Must Testify as LaLiga Demands Criminal Liability For 'Piracy Profits'

    A court in Murcia, Spain, has ordered Google to testify in a criminal case concerning IPTV app, NewPlay. Football league LaLiga, whose matches were allegedly offered illegally through the app, previously called for the directors of Google, Apple, and Huawei to face criminal charges. LaLiga criticized the companies for failing to disable copies of NewPlay already installed on users' devices. Google and Huawei must now testify as 'profit-making participants' in an alleged piracy scheme.