Leftovers

• Baldur Bjarnason ☛ My Mother's Advice on How to be a Great YouTuber

  Below is the essay version of this video. It is not a transcript as it differs in the parts where a raw transcript would just be outright nonsense or clumsy as hell.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Microlightning' Could Help Solve a Crucial Question on How Life Began

    Not with a bang, but a glow.

  • Science Alert ☛ DNA From Beethoven's Hair Reveals Surprise Nearly 200 Years Later

    A tragic irony.

  • CNN ☛ Man lives for 100 days with artificial titanium heart in successful new trial

    In February, he became the first person worldwide to leave hospital with the device, which kept him alive until a heart donor became available earlier this month.

  • Smithsonian Magazine ☛ Australian Man Makes History by Living With a Titanium Heart for More Than 100 Days Before Receiving a Transplant

    The patient was a man in his 40s from New South Wales who was suffering from severe heart failure. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, volunteered to have a titanium heart inserted at St. Vincent’s Hospital Sydney until a matching human organ became available.

  • Fabian Beuke ☛ Origins of String Theory

    String theory represents one of the most ambitious frameworks in theoretical physics, attempting to reconcile quantum mechanics with general relativity and potentially describe all fundamental forces and particles in nature. This theory has undergone significant evolution since its inception, transforming from a model of strong nuclear interactions to a candidate for a unified theory of everything.

  • Politico LLC ☛ Inside EPA’s meeting with stunned science staffers

    Employees in EPA’s science office were summoned to an ad hoc town hall Tuesday in the wake of news reports that the Trump administration plans to terminate most of that office’s staff.

    But staffers hoping for clarity on whether the jobs in their 1,540-person office are at risk left disappointed, according to two employees who attended the hastily assembled virtual meeting.

    The career EPA managers on the Teams meeting — organized following reports that the Trump administration plans to cut the majority of the positions in the agency’s Office of Research and Development — appeared to be blindsided by those plans.

  • Science Alert ☛ Amazing New Technology Can 'Bend' Sounds Into Your Ears Only

    This is just between you and me, ok?

  • Science Alert ☛ Universe's First Light Has Just Been Revealed in Stunning Detail

    Just 380,000 years after the Big Bang.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Heavy Metal Molecule Could Reveal What Goes on Inside Nuclear Waste

    A radioactive rule-breaker.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Big Wheel' Version of The Milky Way Discovered in Fortunate Finding

    Here’s why it’s significant.

  • Science Alert ☛ They're Back! 'Stranded' Astronauts Make a Safe Return to Earth's Surface

    Welcome home.

  • Science Alert ☛ Stunning Sunset Images on The Moon Could Help Solve Enduring Mystery

    What's behind the horizon glow?

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ New undersea cable tech listens for sabotage — can be retrofitted to existing fiber optic lines

    AP Sensing developed a technology that monitors photons reflected back in a fiber optic cable to detect nearby vessels and movement.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nvidia’s new silicon photonics-based 400 Tb/s switch platforms enable clusters with millions of GPUs

    Nvidia teams up with TSMC for its first silicon photonics networking gear platforms that will open doors to datacenters with millions of GPUs.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ RFK Jr.’s Prescription for Bird Flu on Farms: Let It Spread

    The health secretary has suggested allowing the virus to spread, so as to identify birds that may be immune. Such an experiment would be disastrous, scientists say.

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ HIV could infect 1,400 infants every day because of US aid disruptions

    Around 1,400 infants are being infected by HIV every day as a result of the new US administration’s cuts to funding to AIDS organizations, new modeling suggests. In an executive order issued January 20, President The Insurrectionist paused new foreign aid funding to global health programs, and four days later, US Secretary of State Marco…

  • The Strategist ☛ Eggs in more baskets: diversify Australian agricultural exports away from US

    Australia’s export-oriented industries, particularly agriculture, need to diversify their markets, with a focus on Southeast Asia. This could strengthen economic security and resilience while deepening regional relationships.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Making swimming accessible

    Australians live almost entirey along the coast of the continent, and the images of the surf and beach are iconic parts of the national identity. Friends of mine who moved from Europe and the US here cite these among the factors that lead them to choose here over Canada, for example. It’s surprising to me then that so many Australians lack a fundamental grasp of water safety.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Coffee shops that don’t want laptops

    I’ve waxed lyrical here about my love of coffee shops for doing work and personal projects. Whether it’s being around people without the social expectation of interaction, or the exercise outdoors going to and from them, or even the coffee itself, it’s an oddly invigorating and enjoyable experience.

    I also empathise that not all coffee shop owners are entirely happy to see people like me. I buy a beverage and maybe a small snack, and take up a table that could be serving more people.

  • Science Alert ☛ Close Relative of Highly Fatal Coronavirus Discovered in Brazil's Bats

    We don't yet know the risks.

  • University of Michigan ☛ I don’t care what you eat in a day

    One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to focus more on my physical wellness. My body has been through a lot of ups and downs over the last couple of years, so I’ve gone into 2025 with a new respect for what it’s capable of.

• Proprietary

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Attention has a cost

    I subscribed to Mathew Duggan’s blog after reading his post about creating brown noise in Python, something that has made a massive difference to the quality of my life. He recently wrote an article about Slack and attention, which was one of the best damned things I’ve read this year:

    One of the hardest lessons for anyone to learn is the profound value of human attention. Slack is a fantastic tool for those who organize and monitor work. It lets you bypass the pesky hierarchy, see who’s online, and ensure your urgent request doesn’t languish in some digital abyss.

  • Idiomdrottning ☛ Vendor Lock-in

  • Saber Interactive CEO Explains What He Thinks Happened To Volition; “The Days Of Throwing Money At Games Is Over”

    In the three years that we have seen this ongoing wave of industry layoffs, the one company that seems to have struck the most emotional chord was Embracer Group. After spending a few years acquiring several smaller studios and ips, Embracer suddenly announced that a big money deal they were hoping would fund the venture did not push through. As a result, they ended up cancelling multiple games and closing several studios.

  • Business Insider ☛ An ex-Microsoft VP of HR explains 3 things you can do to stay on your boss's radar and off the layoff list

    Williams said being visible can help workers avoid DOGE-like emails requesting accomplishments.

  • A new era for MOM solutions in India [Ed: Very outdated layoff figures, it's slop]

    Imagine it’s 2023, and the tech world is in turmoil. Globally, over 262,000 jobs vanish as industry leaders like Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google announce massive layoffs. Meta cuts 11,000 roles in 2022 and targets another 10,000 in 2023. Amazon trims 18,000, Microsoft sheds 10,000, and Google eliminates 12,000. This isn’t just a tech bubble bursting—it’s a wave hitting India’s manufacturing sector, where Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) solutions are emerging as critical tools for a new industrial age.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel finally releases the XeSS 2.0 SDK for developers — Technology still gated by closed-source barriers

    The XeSS SDK 2.0.1 is now available, bringing support for XeSS-SR, XeSS-FG, and XeLL, though the technology itself remains closed-source.

  • New York Times ☛ Oracle’s Role in TikTok’s Future Gets Capitol Hill Scrutiny

    Top congressional aides met with Oracle on Tuesday to talk about TikTok, which faces a ban in the United States unless it is sold to a non-Chinese owner by early April.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Oracle Is Still the Front Runner for the White House’s Fentanylware (TikTok) Deal — If ByteDance Is Willing to Dance

    Oracle has become the front runner to assume TikTok’s U.S. operations—though it remains unclear what kind of deal will be struck. It’s also unclear if ByteDance is even on board with the transfer of operations. Here’s the latest. Vice President JD Vance and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz are leading negotiations for TikTok’s U.S. operations.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or LLM Slop

    • Drew DeVault ☛ Please stop externalizing your costs directly into my face

      This blog post is expressing personal experiences and opinions and doesn’t reflect any official policies of SourceHut.

      Over the past few months, instead of working on our priorities at SourceHut, I have spent anywhere from 20-100% of my time in any given week mitigating hyper-aggressive LLM crawlers at scale.

    • Press Gazette ☛ Independent launching AI-powered news service for ‘time-poor audiences’ [Ed: The Independent turns to LLM slop under the guise of "summaries"]

      The publisher said all content published by "Bulletin" will be edited by human journalists.

    • Wired ☛ DOGE [sic] Has Deployed Its GSAi Custom Chatbot for 1,500 Federal Workers

      Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency has deployed a proprietary chatbot called GSAi to 1,500 federal workers at the General Services Administration, WIRED has confirmed. The move to automate tasks previously done by humans comes as DOGE continues its purge of the federal workforce.

    • CoryDoctorow ☛ Pluralistic: AI can’t do your job

      AI can't do your job, but an AI salesman (Elon Musk) can convince your boss (the USA) to fire you and replace you (a federal worker) with a chatbot that can't do your job: [...]

    • Pivot to AI ☛ ‘Guys, I’m under attack’ — AI ‘vibe coding’ in the wild

      AI-generated code is notoriously insecure. So everyone promptly dived onto Enrichlead to see what they could do to it.

      Two days later, Leo posted: “guys, i’m under attack …random thing are happening.” Oh no! “I’m not technical so this is taking me longer that usual to figure out.”

    • Security Week ☛ AI Is Turbocharging Organized Crime, EU Police Agency Warns

      AI and other technologies “are a catalyst for crime, and drive criminal operations’ efficiency by amplifying their speed, reach, and sophistication,” the report said.

  • Social Control Media

    • New York Times ☛ The One Place on Social Control Media That Still Feels Human

      You could call Facebook (Farcebook) Marketplace a digital thrift shop. But that underplays how unique and bizarre the platform is.

    • Press Gazette ☛ Gamified app Newsreel aims to lure ‘news curious’ Gen Z away from Instagram [Ed: Social Control Media games are about time-wasting, not relaying valuable information]

      Newsreel provides a similar experience to language-learning app Duolingo, with streaks for news consumption.

    • France24 ☛ Made in FRANCE 24: Our new Fentanylware (TikTok) account about France [Ed: Well, outsourcing national broadcasters to China is one of the worst thing one can do and poor value for taxpayers]

      Are you crazy about France or puzzled by certain aspects of French culture? FRANCE 24 has your back. This week, as we celebrate the French language with the "Semaine de la Francophonie", FRANCE 24 English launches a new Fentanylware (TikTok) account about all things France: Made in FRANCE 24.

• Linux Foundation

  • Business Wire ☛ Interop Labs Joins Linux Foundation Decentralized Trust

    Axelar Network's initial developer will work with LF Decentralized Trust to promote open-source approaches in interoperability and blockchain infrastructure

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia begins repatriating more than 500 freed Myanmar scam centre workers

      Around 7,000 workers from at least two dozen countries have been freed in recent weeks.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Breach Media ☛ The Irving empire just landed an $8B payday—for warships no one asked for

    The deal was quietly announced on Trudeau’s last weekend in office

  • New York Times ☛ Historians Take Wait-and-See Approach to Latest Kennedy Assassination Documents

    Scholars say the papers are unlikely to include dramatic revelations but could shed light on lingering questions — including about the intelligence agencies.

  • The Straits Times ☛ From intelligence sharing to tabletop exercises, Taiwan to deepen military exchange with US

    Taiwan is seeking to enhance the interoperability of its armed forces with that of the US.

  • Defence Web ☛ Fit-for-purpose PPPs can bolster South Africa’s defence capabilities

    As South Africa navigates a new era of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in defence and security, the adoption of a tailored and fit-for-purpose PPP model is critical to addressing the country’s unique challenges and opportunities.

  • Defence Web ☛ e-Panic Button ‘making a difference’ in communities

    More than 51 000 residents of Gauteng have used the province’s e-Panic Button to call for help in emergency situations since the inception of the crime-fighting technology. According to the province’s e-Government Department, since its launch in April 2024, the Gauteng e-Panic Button has been downloaded more than 100 000 times by residents.

  • New York Times ☛ Why Did Israel Resume Airstrikes on Gaza? What to Know About the Attacks

    The deadly airstrikes shattered a period of relative calm and raised the prospect of a return to all-out war.

  • New York Times ☛ Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kills Over 400, in Breakdown of Cease-Fire

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had ordered the aerial attacks after Hamas’s “repeated refusal” to release the remaining hostages it holds. “This is just the beginning,” he said.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Resumes Attacks in Gaza After Stalled Cease-Fire Talks with Hamas

    While the Israeli government has stopped short of a ground invasion for now, its new strikes in Gaza seem to be an effort to force concessions from Hamas.

  • RFERL ☛ Hundreds Reported Killed After Israel Begins Deadly Strikes On Gaza, Lebanon, Syria

    Israel has launched extensive air strikes in the Gaze Strip, Lebanon, and southern Syria in what it said were targeted attacks against extremists planning terror assaults, reigniting tensions that threatened to engulf the region in new, bloody conflict.

  • JURIST ☛ UN human rights chief expresses concern over Israel airstrikes in Gaza

    The UN Human Rights Chief expressed concerns over Israel’s escalation in Gaza, in a statement released on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. Numerous airstrikes and shelling took place overnight which led to the death of hundreds of Palestinians.

  • France24 ☛ Israelis accuse Netanyahu of sacrificing hostages as army resumes Gaza strikes

    Relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza said Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to return to fighting in the Palestinian territory could "sacrifice" their loved ones after the military carried out a wave of air strikes. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said it had received no response to its request to meet with Netanyahu and other officials to hear how the remaining hostages would be "protected from the military pressure"

  • France24 ☛ 🔴 Fresh Israeli strikes in Gaza are 'only the beginning', says Netanyahu

  • France24 ☛ Netanyahu warns Hamas Israeli strikes on Gaza 'only the beginning'

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said that a wave of deadly overnight strikes on Gaza was "only the beginning" of Israeli action in the Palestinian territory. Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing more than 400 Palestinians, local health officials said, and shattering a ceasefire in place since January with its deadliest bombardment in a 17-month war with Hamas. FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem.

  • France24 ☛ 'I wish I could be more hopeful, but I'm not', conflict mediator says after airstrikes on Gaza

    FRANCE 24's Yinka Oyetade speaks to Oliver McTernan, Director at Forward Thinking, about the resumption of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. He says that this month is crucial for the political survival of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and a return to war in Gaza undermines any chance of a future agreements to end the conflict.

  • France24 ☛ Future negotiations with Hamas 'will take place only under fire', says Netanyahu

    Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that overnight air strikes across Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinian women and children, were "only the beginning" and that Israel would not stop fighting until it had achieved all of its war aims including destroying Hamas and returning all the hostages seized by Palestinian mlitants during the October 2023 attack.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ The Gaza cease-fire is over. What’s next from Israel, Hamas, and the US?

    In the early hours of March 18, Israel launched air strikes on Gaza, ending the two-month cease-fire. Atlantic Council experts answer pressing questions about the resumed conflict.

  • European Commission ☛ Joint Statement by High Representative Kallas and Commissioners Šuica and Lahbib on the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza

    The EU deplores the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza and the deaths of civilians, including children, in Israeli airstrikes.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Deadly Israeli barrage shatters Gaza ceasefire, but Israel divided on war

    After Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, Israelis mobilized almost without reservation for war, and sacrifice. But the overnight airstrikes that killed hundreds in Gaza find many Israelis exhausted by a long war and suspicious of their leaders’ motivations.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea condemns US strikes against Yemen, KCNA says

    Pyongyang says US' actions violated international law and a country's sovereignty .

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Beyond the Houthis: The US needs a comprehensive Yemen policy

    Recent air strikes mark a new chapter in the US approach toward the Houthis. But to be successful in reducing threats in the region, Washington will need policies that address Yemen as a whole.

  • The Gray Zone ☛ Tulsi Gabbard reverses her strong opposition to ‘genocidal’ Yemen war

  • Pro Publica ☛ More Americans Will Be Caught Up in Trump Immigration Raids

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ CATO's Missing DOGE Model: DOGE Is a Pro-Russian Intelligence Operation

    It certainly could be part of a totalitarian bid for power, a way to identify undocumented immigrants who were advised to pay their taxes, same sex married couples, or trans people who have changed their gender on official documents.

    [...]

    But that doesn’t explain another alarming revelation about DOGE: That Elon set up Starlink for the White House and GSA (not coincidentally, where most of his DOGE boys are working with the PII of Americans).

  • He escaped China. Harassment followed him to a New York courtroom

    Has the U.S. justice system become a weapon for Beijing's repression?

  • US might not cut pledged Pacific aid, NZ foreign minister says

    After talks in Washington, Winston Peters said he was ‘more confident’ that aid meant to counter China might stand.

  • China steps up air and sea incursions near Taiwan

    Taiwan’s defense ministry reported 59 sorties by Chinese aircraft and ships over Monday night.

  • ADF ☛ Puntland Forces Believe They Have ISSOM on the Run

    Puntland security forces made a surprising discovery when they took control of the remote town of Shebaab. Hidden beneath a vegetable farm, Soldiers uncovered a large, abandoned bunker that they believe was the primary operations center for top leaders of the Islamic State-Somalia group.

  • Defence Web ☛ Suspected pirate attack on Yemeni-flagged fishing boat off Puntland coast

    A suspected piracy-related incident involving a Yemeni-flagged fishing vessel occurred on 16 March off the coast of Durdura, near Eyl, in northern Puntland, Somalia. The European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation ATALANTA has classified the event as a hijacking and is currently investigating the situation.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea tightens security for opposition leader over suspected plot, Yonhap reports

    Lawmakers had warned of a potential assassination plot targeting Mr Lee Jae-myung.

  • RFERL ☛ OSCE Chair Demands Respect For Constitution To End Bosnia's Crisis

    The Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Elina Valtonen demanded respect for Bosnia-Herzegovina's constitutional framework during a visit to Sarajevo as a political crisis centering on the country's Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska, deepens.

  • JURIST ☛ 17 lawyer groups condemn Convicted Felon administration for targeting legal professionals

    A group of 17 bar societies and law associations across the world condemned the Convicted Felon administration on Tuesday for targeting lawyers, law firms and other legal organizations.

  • Defence Web ☛ EAC and SADC forge joint strategy to restore peace and stability in the Eastern DRC

    The East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have joined forces to address the escalating security crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), marking a significant step in regional cooperation.

  • [Repeat] Myanmar children, monks among dozens killed in heavy airstrikes

    Attacks in Shan state and Mandalay region aimed at civilians, rebels say.

  • [Repeat] Photo of the Week: Protests and rallies mark Tibetan uprising anniversary

    Tibetans around the world marked the 1959 uprising against Chinese rule with protests Monday.

  • [Repeat] Foreign firms avoid Lao workers because they ‘have no skills,’ labor official says

    A top lawmaker wants the companies to hire locally, but observers say the situation is complicated.

  • [Repeat] Detained Taiwanese publisher stood trial last month for ‘secession’

    Fu Cha was detained on a trip to China to renounce his household registration two years ago.

  • [Repeat] RFERL ☛ Israel Strikes Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Threatening To Reignite War

    Israel has launched extensive air strikes in the Gaze Strip, Lebanon, and southern Syria in what it said were targeted attacks against extremists planning terror assaults, reigniting tensions that threatened to engulf the region in new, bloody conflict.

  • [Repeat] RFERL ☛ US Strikes On Yemen's Houthis A Message To Iran

    The United States has launched extensive air strikes against Huthi targets in Yemen, aiming to curb their threat to shipping while also signaling a warning to Iran.

  • [Repeat] RFERL ☛ Mayor Resigns After Deadly North Macedonia Nightclub Blaze

    The authorities and citizens of North Macedonia are searching for answers amid the carnage of a nightclub fire that killed at least 59 people and injured more than 150 others, as questions arise about the legality of the venue's license to operation.

  • [Repeat] RFERL ☛ US Officials Pledge To Keep Hitting Huthi Targets In Yemen

    U.S. officials vowed to continue hitting Huthi targets in Yemen after launching air strikes aimed at curbing the group’s attacks on maritime shipping and naval vessels in the Gulf region.

  • New York Times ☛ The Chief Justice Rebuked Impeachment Threats

    Also, two astronauts returned after nine unexpected months in space. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s firebrand pastors flock to impeached President’s cause

    They have cast Mr Yoon's impeachment as an existential threat to the fight against N. Korea and other enemies.

  • France24 ☛ A game of political survival: Netanyahu’s personal vendetta against Shin Bet chief

    When Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced this weekend that he was seeking to dismiss the top brass of Israel’s domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, he claimed that it was down to a lack of trust in bureau chief Ronen Bar, and to clear out officials who had failed to prevent Hamas’s devasting October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. But analysts say that at least two Shin Bet investigations hang over Netanyahu, and that he is desperate to save his own skin.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Judge rules DOGE’s USAID dismantling likely violates the Constitution

    A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development likely violated the Constitution in an order that blocked MElon’s Department of Government Efficiency from making further cuts to the agency. U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang ordered the Convicted Felon administration to restore email and computer access to all employees of USAID, including those who were placed on administrative leave. The lawsuit singled out MElon as a defendant covered by the preliminary injunction. Lawyers for USAID employees and contractors had requested the order.

  • RFERL ☛ Judge Bars DOGE From Further Dismantling Of USAID, Says Move Likely Unconstitutional

    A US federal judge ruled that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) likely violated the Constitution when it attempted to shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and it ordered DOGE to cease further action against the agency.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • [Repeat] RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Sets March 18 Call With Putin In Search Of Cease-Fire In Ukraine War

      US President The Insurrectionist said he plans to speak by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 18 as he bids to bring about a cease-fire in the long war in Ukraine that has drained both sides of soldiers and resources.

    • [Repeat] RFERL ☛ What Will Convicted Felon's Game Plan Be In High-Stakes Call With Putin?

      Mainstream Washington has often fretted over encounters between US Insurrectionist and his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ The real meaning of Putin’s 30-day ‘energy cease-fire’ in Ukraine

      Our experts analyze the proposed limited cease-fire that would temporarily halt attacks on energy infrastructure between Russia and Ukraine.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin backs Convicted Felon’s partial ceasefire but insists Ukraine must be disarmed

      Vladimir Putin has backed The Insurrectionist's call for a partial ceasefire but his insistence on disarming Ukraine reveals his continued determination to complete the conquest of the country, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Britain takes the lead as Europe seeks to boost support for Ukraine

      With the future of US support for Ukraine in doubt, Britain is leading European efforts to bolster the Ukrainian war effort and deny Putin an historic victory that would place the whole of Europe in peril, writes Alina Hrytsenko.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine on the line: Convicted Felon-Putin talks over ceasefire

      Much was riding on today's phone call between US President, The Insurrectionist, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Convicted Felon wanting movement from Moscow on the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. This as Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has accused Putin of dragging his heels in responding to the US proposal.

    • France24 ☛ Air defence systems, sirens sound in Kyiv after Convicted Felon-Putin call

      The Insurrectionist and Vladimir Putin agreed Tuesday on a halt in Russian attacks against Ukrainian energy targets -- but fell far short of securing a full ceasefire in a highly anticipated phone call. The US and Russian leaders spoke for more than an hour and a half and both expressed hopes for repairing relations between the countries. In Kyiv, air defence systems, sirens are sounding after the call. FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris-Trent reports from Odesa.

    • France24 ☛ 🔴 Putin, Convicted Felon agree to seek limited ceasefire on energy, infrastructure, in first step to ending Ukraine war

    • France24 ☛ A return to 'might makes right: Turning back 70 years of international rules and norms'

      The Insurrectionist and Vladimir Putin held a critical phone call on Tuesday, speaking for at least an hour and a half on a Ukraine ceasefire plan that could involve forcing Kyiv to cede swathes of territory to Russia. The US president has already made clear he wants to discuss what parts of occupied Ukraine that Russia will be allowed to keep, saying at the weekend Moscow and Washington are talking about "dividing up certain assets." For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Delano D'Souza welcomes Melinda Haring, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.

    • LRT ☛ US is still with NATO, assures Lithuanian MoD ahead of Convicted Felon-Putin call

      Amid continuing talks between the US and Russia, which wants to renegotiate European security issues, Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė says that Washington’s commitments to NATO have not changed.

    • RFERL ☛ Putin Vows To Halt Ukraine Energy Strikes, But Zelenskyy Says Russia Seeks To 'Drag Out War'

      Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during talks with US President The Insurrectionist to a halt on strikes on Ukraine's energy sector and infrastructure for 30 days as a step toward reaching a full cease-fire.

    • New York Times ☛ Putin Agrees to Limited Cease-Fire on Ukraine Energy Targets

      In a call with Hell Toupée, Russia’s leader agreed to pause strikes on energy infrastructure. Ukraine also appeared willing to accept such a halt, though it fell short of the unconditional cease-fire the country had already agreed to.

    • New York Times ☛ Why No One Should Trust This Convicted Felon-Putin Phone Call

      There are too many unanswered questions that raise suspicions.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian military doctor in Ukraine: ‘It’s impossible to put into words’

      “The first time they brought in wounded soldiers, I had never seen anything like it in my life. They arrived covered in soot, blood, and dust. [...] There were cases where a soldier was brought in with a leg barely hanging by shreds. What do you do? You take scissors, cut it off, and put it in a bag,” says Gytis, a military doctor who worked in Ukraine and pulled hundreds of soldiers from the brink of death.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s Focus on Ukrainian Nuclear Plant Is Partly Linked to Minerals Deal, Officials Say

      The U.S. is seeking access to Ukrainian minerals, which require extensive energy to process. The Zaporizhzhia power plant in southern Ukraine, which Russia controls, could help with that, Kyiv says.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Escalated Sabotage to Pressure U.S. and Allies on Ukraine, Study Says

      Anger at Russia’s covert efforts, which included targeting undersea cables, warehouses and railways, has the potential to influence European reactions to the U.S.-led push for an end to the war.

    • Latvia ☛ Vehicle crossings only on Latvia's eastern border from Wednesday

      As expected, on Tuesday, March 18, the Cabinet of Ministers, at the initiative of the Ministry of the Interior, decided to restrict the operations of the border checkpoints Pāternieki (Belarus border crossing), Terehova and Grebņeva (both Russia border crossings) from Wednesday, March 19.

    • France24 ☛ Macron says France to 'increase' orders for Rafales as EU chief calls for "credible" deterrence

      Faced with the retreat of their historic American ally and an aggressive Russia, governments in Europe are under pressure to step up their defence. After EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called for a "credible" deterrence capability for the bloc by 2030, Germany approved a huge spending boost for defence during a day packed with announcements. FRANCE 24's Emerald Maxwell reports.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China, Russia eager to fill void as Hell Toupée axes US-funded media

      By Shaun Tandon As President The Insurrectionist moves to axe Voice of America and other US-funded media, China and Russia are eager to fill the void.

    • New York Times ☛ Chinese Nationalists Praise Convicted Felon’s Cuts to Voice of America

      Beijing has long criticized the outlet, as well as Radio Free Asia, for highlighting human rights abuses in China.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Budget cuts to Voice of America and Radio Free Asia draw cheers from Chinese state media

      The two American media outlets are said by Beijing to have a “long track record of poor reporting on China issues”.

    • JURIST ☛ Human rights group says Central Asian migrants facing xenophobia in Russia

      Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report on Monday bringing to light increased hate speech, violence, and legislative and administrative harassment towards Central Asian migrants in the Russian Federation, following the tragic Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow in March 2024.

    • France24 ☛ No, Zelensky did not purchase a $20 million mansion in Florida

      As discussions continue surrounding a potential ceasefire agreement in Ukraine, Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky has come under fire for allegedly purchasing a lavish mansion in Florida. But as France 24's Charlotte Hughes explains, this claim is false.

    • LRT ☛ Only NATO military power can deter Russia – Lithuanian FM

      Only NATO’s military power can deter Russia, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said as he met with Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday.

    • ADF ☛ Many Obstacles Remain For Russian Naval Base In Sudan

      After years of on-again, off-again negotiations, Sudan has agreed to let Russia establish its first naval base on the continent along the war-torn country’s Red Sea coast.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian parliament holds closed session to convince MPs on defence spending surge

      The Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, held a closed session on Tuesday, for the first time since 1991. Lawmakers were briefed on the security situation as the government seeks substantial increases in military spending.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man and Putin Discuss Ukraine-Russia Cease-Fire: What to Know

      The Kremlin said that President Vladimir V. Putin had agreed in a call with Hell Toupée to temporarily stop strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian public confidence in NATO less than 'ironclad', survey suggests

      NATO officials and politicians frequently repeat the mantra that the security guarantee underpinned by the alliance's Article 5 is "ironclad", but a significant portion of the Latvian public remains skeptical about the willingness of allies to defend Latvian territory, according to a survey commissioned by LSM and carried out by the Norstat polling agency.

• Environment

  • YLE ☛ Finns return a record 2.3 billion bottles and cans for recycling

    Regionally, Lapland led the nation in beverage container returns per capita, with 527 containers returned per resident.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ In Europe and Japan, Luxury Sleeper Trains

      From the Lake District in England to a lush island in Japan, here’s a way to travel — and sleep — in style.

    • [Repeat] Pacific nation of Kiribati explores deep sea mining deal with China

      Campaigner says The Metals Company’s loss of a third of its exploration area is sign of a stuttering industry.

    • New York Times ☛ How CoreWeave Went From Crypto Mining to Wall Street’s Hey Hi (AI) Bellwether

      CoreWeave, which provides computing power for A.I., was founded by three Bitcoin enthusiasts. The company is now set to make the first prominent Hey Hi (AI) initial public offering.

    • Omicron Limited ☛ Adopting zero-emission trucks and buses could save lives, prevent asthma in Illinois

      By implementing an ACT policy in Illinois, researchers found the Chicago region would reduce enough nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution to avoid 500 premature deaths and 600 new cases of childhood asthma per year. The largest health improvements from this policy would occur in neighborhoods currently experiencing the highest pollution levels, which are areas with more residents of color. So, not only would reducing air pollution reduce health problems, it would also help address existing racial disparities in pollution exposure.

    • France24 ☛ NASA astronauts safely return home after 9-month ordeal

      Science journalist Frédéric Castel joins France 24 as NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams finally returned to Earth on Tuesday following a technical problem that left them stranded for nine months on the International Space Station. Wilmore and Williams journeyed for 17 hours on a SpaceX spacecraft before landing in the Gulf of Mexico, kicking off a rehabilitation process during which the astronauts' body will adapt to Earth's gravity over multiple weeks.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong’s iconic bamboo scaffolds on their way out

      The sight of Hong Kong’s high-rises encased in bamboo scaffolding may soon become a rarity after officials announced plans to replace the ancient technique with metal. Hong Kong is one of the world’s last remaining cities to use bamboo frames for modern construction and building repair, a practice which dates back centuries in China [...]

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New York Times ☛ Pod of Dolphins Greets NASA Astronauts After Splashdown

      The marine mammals swarmed around the recovery team and capsule, welcoming home the astronauts shortly after they splashed down off Florida’s Gulf Coast.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Japan’s Prince Hisahito graduates from high school, set to study biological sciences at Tsukuba University

      He played volleyball at a sports tournament in his third year.

    • NYPost ☛ Blobfish once deemed ‘world’s ugliest animal’ wins New Zealand ‘fish of the year’

      The decidedly unattractive creature dominated the competition in the contest run by Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, claiming the title with 1,286 votes after polls closed Sunday.

  • Overpopulation

    • Overpopulation ☛ High fertility in low-income settings: the cruelty of unfettered capitalism

      What caused this shift? Perhaps the view that an indefinitely poor global South (kept poor in part by tabooing the topic of population growth and its relationship to development, and thus undermining family planning programs) would increase labour forces and depress wages in the South, maximising cheap resource extraction and material consumption by neoliberalism’s “winners”. The Marxist scholar Joan Robinson lends support to this view. In the preface to her book Essay on Marxian Economics she wrote: “In his anxiety to combat the reactionary views of Malthus he [i.e. Marx] refused to admit that a rapid growth of population is deleterious to the interests of the working class.”14 The late ecological economist Herman Daly cited Robinson and remarked that the literal Latin meaning of ‘proletariat’ is ‘those with many offspring’; “the lowest class of a people, whose members, poor and exempt from taxes, were useful to the republic only for the procreation of children”.15

    • The Straits Times ☛ China encourages baby-making with free milk for mums and childcare subsidies [Ed: Overpopulation is the issue, not a lack of human beings]

      China's population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, as marriages plummeted by a fifth.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ US will be hit by ‘high tariffs’ from other countries, China’s Global Times warns

    Many countries are seeking to reduce their reliance on the US by forging new trade alliances.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ST Picks: Spend, baby, spend! Will China’s plan to boost consumption work?

  • The Straits Times ☛ The tycoon who ‘knew how to spend’: Hong Kong mourns death of property magnate Lee Shau Kee

    The founder of Henderson Land Group, one of Hong Kong's biggest property developers, has died at age 97.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Next ‘patriots only’ Hong Kong legislative elections to be held December 7

    Hong Kong will hold its next legislative elections on December 7, the city’s leader John Lee has said, adding that a separate poll for a nomination committee will be held in September.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US official says South Korea’s watchlist status due to mishandling of lab data

    The US Department of Energy confirmed this week that it had designated South Korea a “sensitive” country.

  • North Korea orders parents to give children names that reflect revolutionary spirit

    Residents say that they think it is because the government wants to crack down on South Korean sounding names.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Bullying’ claims and China scrutiny ramp up pressure on CK Hutchison

    He said that after being asked about conglomerate CK Hutchison's port deal with US firm BlackRock.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong opposes ‘bullying tactics,’ says leader John Lee after CK Hutchison sells Panama ports to US firm

    Hong Kong opposes “bullying tactics” in international trade, Chief Executive John Lee has said after local conglomerate CK Hutchison sold dozens of ports – including two in Panama – to a US company amid a deepening US-China trade war.

  • European Commission ☛ The EU Cybersecurity Act

    The initiative will revise the Cybersecurity Act, clarify the mandate of the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and improve the European Cybersecurity Certification Framework to achieve better resilience. The initiative also aims to streamline, simplify and supplement EU legislation to make the implementation of the EU cybersecurity framework more user and business friendly and to prioritise measures to support the EU objectives of developing a secure and resilient supply chain, including the EU cybersecurity industrial base.

    Public consultation Planned for First quarter 2025

  • The Straits Times ☛ DAP looks set for compromise, with new leaders a win for Malaysia’s unity government

    Once the vocal champion of DAP, Lim Guan Eng now takes a back seat in Malaysia's largest ruling party.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan to meet in Tokyo, Seoul says

    The last trilateral meeting of foreign ministers was held in Busan, South Korea in November 2023.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Bring him home’: Philippines migrant workers grapple with Duterte fallout

    Former president Rodrigo Duterte faces charges at The Hague for crimes against humanity over his war on drugs.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Hong Kong ‘monitoring social control media’ under year-old security law

    The Article 23 legislation has broadened the police dragnet when it comes to ‘seditious’ comment.

  • New Yorker ☛ Mahmoud Khalil and the Last Time Pro-Palestinian Activists Faced Deportation

    Mahmoud Khalil’s case is eerily similar to that of the L.A. Eight, in which a group of students were targeted, not because of any criminal activity but because of their speech.

  • JURIST ☛ US rights group files lawsuit to block deportation of Palestinian activists

    The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging the constitutionality of the Convicted Felon administration’s actions to deport Palestinian activists.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Wikimedia challenges India content takedown, warns of chilling effect on free speech

    The Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, has asked India's Supreme Court to quash an order directing the online encyclopedia operator to take down a page describing its legal dispute with a domestic news agency.

  • JURIST ☛ Pro-Palestine group files legal challenge against Australia state’s anti-protest laws

    A pro-Palestine activist organization filed a legal challenge on Monday against the New South Wales Labor government’s passing of controversial laws permitting police to restrict protest near places of worship.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • LRT ☛ LRT Council elects new chairman

    Mindaugas Jurkynas, a professor at Vytautas Magnus University and the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, has been elected to chair the LRT Council, the supervisory body of the Lithuanian national public broadcaster.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan-based publisher convicted in China on secession charge

    It prompted complaints from the Taiwanese authorities that the trial had been held in secret.

  • Washingon-Baltimore News Guild ☛ A Statement from the Radio Free Asia Union - Washington-Baltimore News Guild

    The attempt to shutter Radio Free Asia is nothing less than a capitulation to authoritarian regimes worldwide. It would hand a victory to the Chinese Communist Party, which harbors a particular disdain for free media and truth. It would embolden Kim Jong Un’s totalitarian regime in Pyongyang, where information control reaches unprecedented levels. Most critically, it would abandon our devoted listeners and readers in regions where RFA stands as the sole beacon of honest, unfiltered news.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China calls US media outlets facing Convicted Felon funding axe ‘notorious’

    Beijing on Tuesday said media outlets facing the axe by US President The Insurrectionist had a “notorious” history of reporting on China, as Cambodia’s autocratic former leader hailed the move for “combating fake news”. Convicted Felon signed an order last week freezing Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), Radio Free Europe and other outlets […]

  • US News And World Report ☛ Radio Free Europe Sues Trump Administration Over Grant Termination

    "The complaint (on Tuesday) makes the case that denying RFE/RL the funds that Congress appropriated for it violates federal laws - including the U.S. Constitution, which vests Congress with exclusive power over federal spending," the news outlet said in a statement.

    "This is not the time to cede terrain to the propaganda and censorship of America's adversaries," RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said.

    The case was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

  • The Gray Zone ☛ ‘Independent’ anti-Russia outlet Meduza faces collapse after US funding slashed

  • [Repeat] Chinese media, Hun Sen celebrate White House order to close US-funded news outlets

    Asian dissidents, activists voice dismay over funding freeze to Radio Free Asia.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Reach bonuses: £600 each for staff and £662,000 for CEO

    NUJ asks Reach to "urgently reconsider" 2% pay offer.

  • RFERL ☛ Radio Free Europe Sues Overseer USAGM To Block Termination of Federal Grant

    Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on March 18 said it had sued the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), as well as USAGM officials Kari Lake and Victor Morales, to block their attempted termination of RFE/RL’s federal grant

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • ADF ☛ Chinese Nationals Found Guilty of Human Trafficking in South Africa

    Authorities convicted seven Chinese nationals in late February in South Africa on nearly 160 charges related to human trafficking, kidnapping, debt bondage, labor law violations and breaches of occupational health and safety regulations. Sentencing is scheduled for late April.

  • Report: Rohingya militant groups kill, torture community’s refugees in Bangladesh

    Their actions – murdering ‘informants,’ forced recruitment and extortion – may be war crimes, Fortify Rights says.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia police takes statement of man who allegedly slapped non-Muslim for eating during Ramadan

    Statements from witnesses, including the suspect’s child, have also been taken.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia police probing man who allegedly slapped non-Muslim for eating during Ramadan

    Video on X shows verbal altercation between two men at business premises.

  • JURIST ☛ Thailand urged to demand unrestricted access to Uyghur deportees during China visit

    Human Rights Watch urged Thailand to demand unrestricted access to the deported individuals and publicly address China’s treatment of Uyghurs on Tuesday. A Thai government delegation is visiting Xinjiang, China, from March 18 to 20, 2025, following international outrage over Thailand’s forced deportation of 40 Uyghurs in February.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thailand delegation headed to China to inspect returned Uighurs

    Cabinet ministers from Thailand will head to China's Xinjiang region on Tuesday to inspect Uyghurs deported last month, an official said, ahead of a three-day visit in which Bangkok says only five of the 40 sent back will be made available.     

  • China forces Uyghurs to show video proof they are not fasting during Ramadan

    Beijing has criminalized Muslim practices under the guise of stamping out religious extremism.

  • Thai delegation heads to China to check on deported Uyghurs

    The US has imposed visa sanctions on some Thai officials over the deportations.

  • JURIST ☛ Big Law DEI initiatives targeted by US federal civil rights agency

    The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued letters on Monday to twenty prominent “Big Law” US firms, expressing concerns that their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives may contravene federal anti-discrimination laws. The letters requested comprehensive data on these firms’ DEI programs, including details on internships, scholarships, fellowships, hiring practices and compensation structures.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Silicon Angle ☛ FTC commissioners claim they were ‘illegally fired’ by Convicted Felon

  In an effort to establish more control over regulators, Hell Toupée fired the two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission today. Historically, the FTC’s five members have comprised three people from the same party as the president and two from the opposing party.

• Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge Condemns Convicted Felon’s Lawless Attack on FTC Independence

  Today, President The Insurrectionist claimed to have terminated Democratic Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya at the Federal Trade Commission. This act violates both the statute that created the FTC and clear Supreme Court precedent.

• Scoop News Group ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man moves to fire Democratic FTC commissioners

  The move, which critics say is unconstitutional, also potentially threatens numerous agency investigations and enforcement around privacy and cybersecurity.

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Polytech changes counsel after Munich setback in breast implant battle [Ed: More patent litigation versus cancer patients, as usual; it's all about money and monopolies (patents) to these people]

    In an entitlement action concerning a patent monopoly belonging to German breast implant manufacturer Polytech, competitor Silimed has once again prevailed.

  • Unified Patents ☛ $4,000 for TG--2006 Holdings info tracking patent monopoly prior art

    Unified Patents added two new PATROLL contests, each with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on the list below. The patents are owned by TG--2006 Holdings, LLC, an NPE. The patents relates generally to information tracking, and in particular, to a system and method of tracking information in a business environment.

  • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 awarded for IngenioSpec eyewear patent monopoly prior art

    Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winners, Dinesh Swami and Calvin Zhong, who split a cash prize of $2,000 for their prior art submissions on U.S. Patent 11,762,224, owned and asserted by IngenioSpec LLC, an NPE. The ‘224 patent monopoly generally relates to providing eyewear with electrical components.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Muvox song selection patent monopoly challenge instituted

    On March 17, 2025, five weeks after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 11,899,713, owned and asserted by Muvox LLC, an NPE.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Secretary of Commerce Clears House at USPTO Advisory Committees

    In an unprecedented move, the Secretary of Commerce is terminating all current appointments to the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) and Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC), effectively removing the entire membership of both committees.  New members will apparently be appointed shortly, with the USPTO planning to proceed with previously scheduled public committee meetings in May 2025.  The statute requires that "any vacancy on an Advisory Committee shall be filled within 90 days after it occurs."

    Although my memory is sometimes faulty, I believe that this is the first time in the committees' 25 year history that an incoming presidential administration has dismissed all members. 

  • Unified Patents ☛ $10,000 for Polaris PowerLED memory controller patents prior art

    Unified Patents added five new PATROLL contests, each with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on the list below. The patents are owned by Polaris PowerLED Technologies, LLC, an NPE. The patents generally relate to various nonvolatile memory technologies. Micron Technology seeks declaratory judgments of unenforceability on the five patents listed.

    The contests will expire on April 26, 2025.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • Why There are Currently Two Preliminary Injunction Regimes at the UPC [Ed: UPC is illegal and unconstitutional, so this is just EPO and EU corruption conjoined to enforce bullies]

      In the European IP system, and thus also in the European patent monopoly system, the concept of injunction is central.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Finds "RUFFAREE" T-Shirt Specimen Acceptable for Dog Park Services

    Finding some of applicant's various specimens of use to be acceptable, the Board overturned the USPTO's refusal to register the mark RUFFAREE for “recreational dog park services.” The Board agreed with the examining attorney that most of applicant's specimens were inadequate, but applicant hit paydirt with photos of an employee wearing the shirt at the dog park. In re Brewhound Coffee-Bar Co., Serial No. 88681779 (March 14, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Angela Lykos).

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Newspaper Conglomerate Calls Out Proprietary Chaffbot Company Training Proposals, Asks the U.S. Government to ‘Protect the Work of Artists’

    A newspaper conglomerate is taking aim at OpenAI’s “absurd” training proposals and calling on the U.S. government to resist “[g]utting generations of copyright monopoly protections.” Technically, said conglomerate refers to two distinct entities, MediaNews and Tribune Publishing.

  • Public Domain Review ☛ The Mermaid “at Home!” (1809)

    A grand, submarine entertainment in the form of a children’s book.