Leftovers

• Digital Music News ☛ Legendary ‘Simpsons’ Composer Alf Clausen Passes Away

  Clausen left the show abruptly in 2017, filing a lawsuit against Disney and Fox in 2019 with claims that he was fired because of a “perceived disability.” He revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and claimed both companies had treated him unfairly since his diagnosis.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Water Discovered Around a Young, Sun-Like Star For First Time

    A glimpse back in time.

  • New Yorker ☛ The Met’s Exhibit on Black Male Style Is an Exceptional Achievement

    In “Superfine,” the Africana-studies scholar Monica L. Miller explores the links between style, self-presentation, and survival.

  • Omicron Limited ☛ Ultra-thin lenses halve incident wavelength to make infrared light visible

    Physicists at ETH Zurich have developed a lens that can transform infrared light into visible light by halving the wavelength of incident light. The study is published in Advanced Materials.

  • New York Times ☛ Scientific Dreams in the Balance

    Research breakthroughs are often sagas of passion, curiosity and sacrifice. If Convicted Felon’s proposed budget cuts for 2026 are enacted, many such journeys may never get started.

  • Science Alert ☛ 2-Year-Old Prodigy Joins 'High IQ' Club Mensa as Youngest Member Ever

    Truly astounding!

  • Science Alert ☛ Tiny Pebbles Created One of The Most Extreme Worlds in The Galaxy

    From little things, big things grow.

  • Science Alert ☛ Coffee Can Mess With Your Medication. A Pharmacist Explains Why.

    Important to know!

  • Science Alert ☛ The Milky Way Might Not Crash Into The Andromeda Galaxy After All

    The fate of the galaxy rests on this.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Specific Kind of Birth Control May Increase Stroke Risk

    We need to know more.

  • Science Alert ☛ Meditation And Mindfulness Have a Dark Side We Often Overlook

    Adverse effects are not rare.

  • Science Alert ☛ June's Full Moon Will Be The Lowest in The Sky For Decades. Here's Why.

    It's like a lunar roller coaster.

  • Science Alert ☛ Astronauts Reveal The Shocking Beauty of Lightning From Space

    A different point of view.

  • Science Alert ☛ Does Retinol Reverse Signs of Aging? Here's The Science.

    It's not for everyone.

  • Science Alert ☛ Leprosy Was Lurking in The Americas Long Before Colonization, Study Finds

    A complicated history.

• Career/Education

  • Stanford University ☛ Former US presidential candidate discusses intellectual history at SLE lecture

    Philosopher and former U.S. presidential candidate Cornel West encouraged first-year students to find their voice in a Friday talk at Florence Moore Hall.

  • [Old] Duke University ☛ What I learned getting published by Taylor & Francis. - Scholarly Communications @ Duke

    It was a rather embarrassing moment. I was in a meeting with other copyright specialists from academic libraries when I received the email telling me that my article with Taylor & Francis had been published. Before I could stop myself, I expressed my surprise out loud, then had to explain to my colleagues that I had just had an article published in a library science journal published by Taylor & Francis, and that I was not expecting it. Two sources of embarrassment here. First, especially following the resignation of the entire editorial board of a different library-related T&F journal due to their archaic authors’ rights policies, this is not a publisher with whom I would have chosen to do business or encouraged authors who consulted me to use. Second, the fact that I was surprised by this news showed that I had been much more lax in my own decisions about publishing than I advise other academic authors to be. It is always awkward to be caught in a “do as I say and not as I do” situation, and especially so when you have to explain it to a respected set of colleagues.

    So let me explain how this happened and what lessons can be gleaned from my experience.

  • The Strategist ☛ A British university’s technology entanglements with Russia and China

    A major British research university’s joint venture campus in China maintains partnerships and close links with entities sanctioned by Britain, the US, EU and others for supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine [...]

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Keebin’ With Kristina: The One With The H.R. Giger Keyboard

    I had to bust out Brain Salad Surgery to write this one, folks. It was that, or put on some Ministry or something. Just look at all the industrial-ness dripping from [heinn_dev]’s creation.

  • Hackaday ☛ The Keyboard Sinclair Never Made

    For those of us who’ve spent far too long hammering rubber keys into submission, a glorious solution has arrived. [Lee Smith] designed the ZX Mechtrum Deluxe, the ultimate keyboard upgrade for your beloved ZX Spectrum 48k. Thanks to [morefunmakingit], you can see this build-it-yourself mechanical mod below. It finally brings a proper spacebar and Spectrum-themed Wraith keycaps into your retro life.

  • Hackaday ☛ Ender 3 Pro Gets A Second Job As A Stator Winder

    Sometimes, you find yourself in need of a coil. You could sit around winding thousands of turns of copper wire yourself, but that would be remarkably tedious. Thus, instead, you might follow the example of [OJengineering] and choose to get a machine to do it for you.

  • Hackaday ☛ 3D Printing A Capable RC Car

    You can buy all sorts of RC cars off the shelf, but doing so won’t teach you a whole lot. Alternatively, you could follow [TRDB]’s example, and design your own from scratch.

  • Hackaday ☛ Planetary Poetry With A Tiny Digital Core

    Some hacks just tickle the brain in a very particular way. They’re, for a change, not overly engineered; they’re just elegant, anachronistic, and full of mischief. That’s exactly what [Frans] pulls off with A Gentleman’s Orrery, a tiny, simple clockwork solar system. Composed of shiny brass and the poise of 18th-century craftsmanship, it hides a modern secret: there’s barely any clockwork inside. You can build it yourself.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Drinking Coffee Is Associated With a Longer, Healthier Life, According to a New Study

    A new study of over 47,000 women found links between coffee drinking and healthy aging. Here’s what we know.

  • France24 ☛ Children in Sudan struggling for survival amid health, food crises

    The over two year conflict in Sudan between the army and the RSF Paramilitary has displaced over 13 million people. The constant fighting and massive upheaval has taken a toll on the country's children. Antonia Kerrigan reports

  • France24 ☛ Israeli forces open fire near Gaza aid site, killing 3, health officials say

    Israeli fire killed at least three Palestinians and wounded dozens of others near an aid distribution site operated by the U.S.-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, local health authorities said on Monday. The Israeli military said it was aware of reports of casualties and the incident was being thoroughly looked into. FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem.

  • India Times ☛ How social media can 'trigger' eating disorders in young people

    Research has shown the percentage of people worldwide who have had some kind of eating disorder during their lives rose from 3.5% in 2000 to 7.8% in 2018, a timeframe that captures the rise of social media. For the professionals trying to help teenagers recover from these disorders, misinformation from influencers on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram is a huge problem.

  • India Times ☛ Your smartphone is parasite, according to evolution

    Smartphones, once helpful tools, now act as digital parasites—exploiting users’ attention, time and data for corporate gain. Despite their benefits, over-reliance leads to sleep loss, weakened relationships and mood issues. Experts argue collective regulation, not individual effort, is essential to rebalance this increasingly exploitative human-smartphone relationship into a mutualistic one.

  • Vox ☛ I covered my body in health trackers for 6 months. It ruined my life.

    What I can tell you is that over the course of my months-long experiment, covering my body with sensors and drowning my attention with fitness scores did occasionally make me feel better — when it didn’t make me feel worse.

• Proprietary

  • 404 Media ☛ Teachers Are Not OK

    They describe trying to grade “hybrid essays half written by students and half written by robots,” trying to teach Spanish to kids who don’t know the meaning of the words they’re trying to teach them in English, and students who use AI in the middle of conversation. They describe spending hours grading papers that took their students seconds to generate: “I've been thinking more and more about how much time I am almost certainly spending grading and writing feedback for papers that were not even written by the student,” one teacher told me. “That sure feels like bullshit.”

    Below, I have compiled some of the responses I got. Some of the teachers were comfortable with their responses being used on the record along with their names. Others asked that I keep them anonymous because their school or school district forbids them from speaking to the press. The responses have been edited by 404 Media for length and clarity, but they are still really long. These are teachers, after all.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Don Marti ☛ Don Marti: an agentic Hey Hi (AI) benchmark, already built [Ed: Slop vapourware]

      Agentic AI, according to Teaganne Finn and Amanda Downie at IBM, is some kind of an Hey Hi (AI) system that can go do a task for you.

    • New York Times ☛ A.I. Is Coming For the Coders Who Made It [Ed: Not really, slop does not make good code, it adds more of a mess to otherwise OK codebase]

      A.I.’s takeover of jobs may come first for computer science.

  • Social Control Media

    • The Guardian UK ☛ Facebook and Instagram owner Meta to enable AI ad creation by end of next year

      The owner of Facebook and Instagram is to help advertisers to fully create and target campaigns using artificial intelligence tools by the end of next year, in a move that sent shock waves through the traditional marketing industry.

    • 404 Media ☛ Pro-AI Subreddit Bans 'Uptick' of Users Who Suffer from AI Delusions

      The moderator update on r/accelerate refers to another post on r/ChatGPT which claims “1000s of people [are] engaging in behavior that causes AI to have spiritual delusions.” The author of that post said they noticed a spike in websites, blogs, Githubs, and “scientific papers” that “are very obvious psychobabble,” and all claim AI is sentient and communicates with them on a deep and spiritual level that’s about to change the world as we know it. “Ironically, the OP post appears to be falling for the same issue as well,” the r/accelerate moderator wrote.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Security Week ☛ US Government Is Investigating Messages Impersonating Convicted Felon’s Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles

      Elected officials, business executives and other prominent figures in recent weeks received messages from someone impersonating Susie Wiles.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Maine Morning Star ☛ Lawmakers still split over data privacy policy as bill advances to floor

      The main disagreement is how to approach a standard called data minimization, which broadly means limiting the collection of personal information to only what is necessary to fulfill the consumer service.

      The legislation the majority of the committee advanced, LD 1822 sponsored by Rep. Amy Kuhn (D-Falmouth), uses this approach. It specifically would limit the collection of personal data to only what is reasonably necessary and proportionate to provide a specific product or service requested by the consumer.

• Defence/Aggression

  • FAIR ☛ Syrian Bloodbaths: From Nefarious to Benign

    In The Political Economy of Human Rights (South End Press, 1979), Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman argued that the American ruling class and corporate media regard bloodbaths as being constructive, nefarious or benign. A constructive bloodbath is typically carried out by the US or one of its proxies, and is endorsed in establishment media.

  • Axios ☛ Critics warn of loyalty test in new White House hiring guidelines

    The questions "are philosophical. They're not even aptitude related. And I'm very unclear how you score that."

  • New Eastern Europe ☛ How Romania defeated populism: a blueprint for Europe

    The election became more than just a national contest. It came to be seen, both in Romania and abroad, as a symbolic battle between pro-European and pro-Russian forces, emblematic of similar struggles across the continent. Dan’s victory, hailed by European leaders including Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen, is a win for European security and stability in the face of rising global tensions and a blueprint for defeating populist extremism. The message to Europe is clear: Russian influence can be resisted, and centrist, democratic forces can prevail.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australian woman accused of triple mushroom murders breaks down in court

    She was questioned over expletive-laden messages about the victims.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Met Police says terror investigation ongoing over journalist’s tweets

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man, Pooh-tin will ‘likely’ talk this week, White House says

    US President The Insurrectionist and China’s President Pooh-tin Jinping will likely hold a long-awaited call later this week, the White House said Monday, as trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies ratchet back up.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan warns of rise in Chinese military activity around region

    China sent an average of 50 to 70 vessels per day across the first island chain between May 1 and 27.

  • New York Times ☛ China Rejects Convicted Felon’s Accusation That It Violated Trade Truce

    In response to Hell Toupée’s claim, China said the United States was the one introducing a series of “discriminatory restrictive measures.”

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s grip on rare earths gives President Pooh-tin leverage in US trade duel

    China produces almost 70 per cent of the world’s metals crucial for making critical technology.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 2 Japanese killed in China’s Dalian, Chinese suspect detained

    Chinese officials cited a business dispute as the motivation.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nvidia reportedly developing new Hey Hi (AI) chip for China that meets export controls – B30 could include NVLink for creation of high-performance clusters

    A new report suggests that Nvidia's B30, the successor to its China-exclusive H20, will feature multi-GPU scaling through either NVLink or ConnectX-8.

  • The Strategist ☛ Hegseth: Asia is the priority, and the US will fight for Taiwan

    Casting aside the long-standing policy called strategic ambiguity, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says America would go to war to stop China invading Taiwan.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan says China deployed 2 aircraft carrier groups, dozens of ships in May

    China deployed two aircraft carrier groups and dozens of ships in waters north and south of Taiwan last month, a Taiwanese security official said Monday, as Beijing keeps up military pressure on the self-ruled island.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Security Week ☛ Alleged Conti, TrickBot Gang Leader Unmasked

      Russian national Vitaly Nikolaevich Kovalev is believed to be the leader of the Conti and TrickBot cybercrime groups.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ For NATO in 2027, European leadership will be key to deterrence against Russia

      NATO lacks the operational integration, logistics, and joint force capabilities needed to quickly counter Russian mass and tempo near its borders. With the United States increasingly focused elsewhere, how can the Alliance retain military superiority in 2027 without overreliance on US military might?

    • European Commission ☛ Read-out of the meeting between President von der Leyen and US Senator Lindsey Graham

    • Atlantic Council ☛ MDBs must finance nuclear power—or Russia and China will

      The growing influence of Russia and China in global nuclear energy financing threatens to reshape the future of energy geopolitics. To address this, multilateral development banks must recognize nuclear energy as a vital tool for expanding energy access, and modernize outdated policies to support deployment.

    • France24 ☛ Poland's pro-Dihydroxyacetone Man pivot: What next after narrow Nawrocki win in presidential runoff?

      Why did an EU success story vote for a pro-Dihydroxyacetone Man candidate? Karol Nawrocki narrowly elected president - in part thanks to a first round surge by candidates further to the right. Why has a nation that’s a net recipient of EU funding, one that shares a border with Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, turned its back on Brussels?

    • France24 ☛ UK is getting a defense boost aimed at sending a message to Moscow, and to Convicted Felon

      British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that United Kingdom will build new nuclear-powered attack submarines, get its army ready to fight a war in Europe and become "a battle-ready, armor-clad nation". It's part of a boost to military spending in the face of Russian aggression, and amid fears that the US, under The Insurrectionist, could turn its back on NATO. Emerald Maxwell reports.

    • LRT ☛ Bucharest Nine, Nordic leaders pledge to boost military spending to 5% at Vilnius summit

      Leaders of the Bucharest Nine and Nordic countries pledged Monday to work toward gradually increasing defence spending to at least 5% of their gross domestic product in response to mounting security threats, particularly from Russia.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian schools advised to warn students about Russian recruitment risks

      Schools in Lithuania have received a recommendation from the Education Ministry to instruct students about the potential dangers of recruitment by Russian special services, reports Delfi.lt.

    • LRT ☛ Expert: Russia and China will not clash in Central Asia – interview

      A notable shift is taking place among the five Central Asian countries — instead of clashing, they are working to consolidate a unified voice. But what are the goals of these countries' authoritarian regimes? And what roles are Russia and China playing in the region? LRT.lt discussed these political trends with Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

    • New York Times ☛ U.K. Faces Most Serious Military Threat Since Cold War, Starmer Says

      Prime Minister Keir Starmer cited “growing Russian aggression” as he outlined ambitious rearmament plans, including building up to 12 attack submarines.

    • France24 ☛ Greenpeace steals Macron wax figure for anti-Moscow protest

      Greenpeace activists on Monday stole a wax figure of President Emmanuel Macron from a Paris museum and placed it in front of the Russian embassy as part of a protest against French economic ties with Moscow in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. FRANCE 24's Emerald Maxwell reports.

    • Latvia ☛ Saeima deputies help open modular healthcare centre in Ukraine

      A delegation of Saeima deputies has helped to open a modular primary health care centre in the village of Stepkivka, Mykolaiv region, Ukraine, reports the Saeima press service.

    • France24 ☛ Drone attacks: 'Ukraine does have cards', contrary to Convicted Felon's Oval Office diatribe against Zelensky

      As Ukraine claims responsibility for a daring drone strike deep inside Russian territory, destroying over 40 aircraft and marking a major escalation, Moscow responds with intensified missile attacks. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24’s Delano D'Souza welcomes Peter Zalmayev, Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative, to unpack the military and political fallout, the role of Zelenskyy in orchestrating the operation, and the impact on upcoming peace talks in Istanbul.

    • LRT ☛ More prisoner exchange planned after latest round of Kyiv-Moscow peace talks – Zelensky

      Russia and Ukraine are planning a new iteration of prisoner exchange following the latest round of peace talks in Istanbul, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.

    • LRT ☛ You’ll see everything’: Zelensky mum on whether drone attack will affect Istanbul talks

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has refrained from commenting on how Kyiv’s recent drone attack on Russian air bases may affect peace talks.

    • LRT ☛ All allies agreed on Ukraine’s NATO membership, says Rutte in Vilnius

      All NATO member countries have agreed on Ukraine’s membership, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in Vilnius on Monday, adding that it cannot be part of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow.

    • LRT ☛ Vilnius hosts Zelensky, Rutte, and dozen European leaders to discuss defence

      Vilnius is hosting on Monday a summit of the Bucharest Nine and Nordic countries with a focus on defence funding and support for Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Shows It Can Still Flip the Script on How Wars Are Waged

      The attack demonstrated Ukraine’s ability to use relatively cheap drones to take out expensive aircraft and to strike sites far from its borders.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine’s Drone Attack Deep Inside Russia: What to Know

      The strike set several aircraft on fire, video showed, and dealt a symbolic blow to Moscow’s relentless bombing campaign.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine and Russia Met for 2nd Round of Talks as Attacks Escalate

      The second recent round of direct discussions, in Istanbul, resulted in an agreement to trade more prisoners, but produced few steps toward ending the fighting.

    • New York Times ☛ In Drone Attacks on Russia, Ukraine Aims for Strategic and Symbolic Blow

      While the full extent of the damage is still unknown, the operation shows how Kyiv has been able to adapt and evolve over the war using drones.

    • LRT ☛ European defence: Tensions rise, budgets follow – but public support is uneven

      As European Union countries ramp up military spending, public support across the continent remains uneven. While the war in Ukraine, growing hybrid threats from Russia and uncertainties regarding US commitments to NATO have galvanised policymakers, polls reveal a more complex picture of public sentiment and national priorities.

    • Meduza ☛ Untangling Operation ‘Spiderweb’ Arms control expert Pavel Podvig explains what Ukraine’s surprise drone strikes reveal about Russia’s strategic nuclear forces — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Still no ceasefire: Russia and Ukraine swap peace memos and agree to new prisoner exchange in second round of Istanbul talks — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s ‘Pearl Harbor’ How pro-war Telegram channels are reacting to Ukraine’s drone attack on Russian air bases — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ukraine gives Russia list of children to be returned at Istanbul talks — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ukraine says it destroyed dozens of Russian warplanes in its unprecedented ‘Spiderweb’ operation. Here’s what the footage shows. — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ukrainian Ground Forces commander resigns after deadly Russian strike on training camp — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia says it downed more than 160 drones on Sunday night, less than a day after Ukraine’s ‘Spiderweb’ operation — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ukrainian delegation arrives in Istanbul for second round of talks with Russia — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ A third of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers, worth $7 billion, hit in Ukrainian drone operation, SBU says — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia awaits UN Security Council vote on Tuesday

      While most Latvians are pondering their voting decisions ahead of municipal elections on June 7, the diplomatic corps is excited about a different vote – for temporary members of the United Nations Security Council – which takes place on June 3.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine, Russia Talks Make Ground On New Prisoner Exchange, Little Else

      Ukraine and Russia agreed to another large-scale prisoner swap but little else during a second round of direct peace talks that lasted just over an hour as air attacks by both sides continue in Europe's largest and deadliest conflict since World War II.

• Environment

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ The Trump administration has shut down more than 100 climate studies

    Affected projects include efforts to develop cleaner fuels, measure methane emissions, improve understanding of how heat waves and sea-level rise disproportionately harm marginalized groups, and help communities transition to sustainable energy, according to an MIT Technology Review review of a GrantWatch database—a volunteer-led effort to track federal cuts to research—and a list of terminated grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) itself.

    The NSF is one of the largest sources of US funding for university research, so the cancellations will deliver a big blow to climate science and clean-energy development.

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ The Forrest Dump administration has shut down more than 100 climate studies

    The Forrest Dump administration has terminated National Science Foundation grants for more than 100 research projects related to climate change amid a widening campaign to slash federal funding for scientists and institutions studying the rising risks of a warming world.

  • France24 ☛ France's upper house debates fast-fashion bill

    France's Senate on Monday debated a bill to regulate the influx of environmentally unfriendly, low-quality clothes into the country, many from China. The lower house of parliament adopted a version of the so-called "fast fashion" bill in March last year, but a commission in the right-leaning Senate has sought some changes that backers say will better target Chinese-founded brands such as Shein. FRANCE 24's Jennie Shin reports.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian rail operator halves fare on commuter train routes to make up for delays

      The discounts will be in place on June 3 and 4 for all KTM Komuter Klang Valley routes.

    • Security Week ☛ Cryptojackers Caught Mining Monero via Exposed DevOps Infrastructure

      Cryptocurrency mining operation hits exposed Consul dashboards, Docker Engine Hey Hi (AI) and Gitea code-hosting instances to push Monero miner.

    • NDTV ☛ Tesla Executives Questioned Musk After He Denied Killing $25,000 EV: Sources

      The executives knew that Musk had, in fact, canceled the low-cost vehicle, which many investors called the Model 2, and pivoted Tesla to focus on self-driving robotaxis, the people said. The company had told employees the project was over weeks earlier, Reuters reported, citing three sources and company documents.

    • CS Monitor ☛ As Trump targets state EV mandates, what next for electric cars?

      Regardless of the outcome, the revocation is a significant rebuke to states’ self-determination and, more specifically, any state hoping to push the nation to quickly abandon fossil fuels in favor of electrification for vehicles. The scientific consensus says greenhouse gas emissions must be cut dramatically within the next five years to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ ‘It weighs heavily on me’: Man who killed elephant calf in Malaysian highway accident

      He is also aware of the negative social control media comments that have circulated about him.

  • Overpopulation

    • Mexico News Daily ☛ Per capita water use in Mexico City is double that of China’s capital

      Mexico City and Beijing face the same kind of water supply challenges. Yet the average Chilango uses twice as much water as a typical resident of the Chinese capital.

• Finance

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Hong Kong highlights China’s policy of decoupling from US financial markets

    The political benefits of an international financial center with Chinese characteristics will outweigh the pain that decoupling inflicts on China’s private sector.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • India Times ☛ LinkedIn lays off hundreds as tech giants continue to cut jobs

    In October 2023, LinkedIn laid off 668 employees across its engineering, talent, and finance teams. Earlier that year, in May, the company cut 716 jobs across its sales, operations, and support teams as part of efforts to streamline operations and reduce organizational layers to enable faster decision-making.

  • New York Times ☛ South Koreans Begin Voting to Elect a New President

    The election is a big step toward stabilizing the country. But daunting challenges at home and from abroad await the new leader.

  • New York Times ☛ South Korea’s New President Will Lead A Country More Divided Than Ever

    The next president will face daunting challenges to heal a polarized nation and bring stability after months of political turmoil.

  • New York Times ☛ South Korea Presidential Election 2025: What to Know

    The new president will be tasked with pulling the nation out of political turmoil and face a polarized country and world.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Women helped oust South Korea’s president. Now they feel erased by elections.

    Despite taking the lead in pro-democracy protests this winter, South Korean women are struggling to gain political power and gender equality.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea to limit number of times daycare centres need to respond to needless parent complaints

    A parent or legal guardian can issue a complaint about disciplinary action against a child within 14 days.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean voters weigh political divide in partisan heartlands

    All major polls suggest victory for Lee Jae-myung, with rival Kim Moon-soo trailing far behind.

  • The Straits Times ☛ TV graphics put fun into South Korean election count

    TV networks learned they could get more views by leaning into K-pop and K-drama tradition.

  • The Straits Times ☛ From badminton courts to wedding halls: Unique polling stations in South Korea catch voters’ eyes

    Privately owned sports facilities, cafes and restaurants have been designated as polling stations.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Great hex-pectations: Shamans divided on South Korea’s political future

    Shamanism has shaped culture and belief on the Korean peninsula for centuries.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea presidential hopefuls make final pitch to voters ahead of election

    The two leading candidates were scheduled to wrap up three weeks of official campaigning at midnight.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Koreans vote for president in hope of restoring stability after martial law crisis

    South Koreans were voting for a new president on Tuesday to cap six months of turmoil triggered by a shock martial law briefly imposed by former leader Yoon Suk Yeol that marred the country's reputation as a vibrant, if at times chaotic, democracy.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea votes for new president after martial law turmoil

    All major polls have put liberal Lee Jae-myung well ahead of the other challengers.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Farmer dies while allegedly burning waste in S. Korea, as practice persists despite wildfire risks

    The victim had apparently suffered cardiac arrest due to smoke inhalation.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean delivery workers allowed rare pause in services to vote in snap election

    South Korean e-commerce and courier companies agreed to a rare halt of their delivery services on Tuesday to allow busy delivery workers time to cast their ballot in the country's snap presidential election after pressure from unions and activists.

  • France24 ☛ South Korea votes for new president after martial law turmoil

    South Koreans will vote Tuesday for a new president, capping six months of political upheaval following ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol's disastrous declaration of martial law. Millions have already cast their ballots in the snap election, with more than a third of registered voters doing so last week during two days of early voting, the National Election Commission said. FRANCE 24's Jennie Shin reports.

  • France24 ☛ South Korea votes for new president after Yoon's ouster over martial law

    Millions of South Koreans voted Tuesday in a snap presidential election triggered by conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol's ouster over rebellion charges tied to his failed December martial law decree. Polls suggest liberal rival Lee Jae-myung is poised for victory, capitalising on public anger over Yoon's crisis.

  • New York Times ☛ Bulletproof Vests and Glass: South Korean Candidate Tightens Security

    After being stabbed last year, the leading presidential contender, Lee Jae-myung, is taking no chances. His main rival says he doesn’t need such protection.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines and EU to set up security and defence dialogue, minister says

    The new dialogue will be a "dedicated platform" for the EU and the Philippines.

  • JURIST ☛ Federal judge halts Convicted Felon administration attempt to deport 5,000 Venezuelans

    A federal judge on Friday prevented US President The Insurrectionist’s administration from revoking temporary protected status for 5,000 Venezuelans—halting the invalidation of work permits and other residency documents.

  • JURIST ☛ China establishes international mediation organization for alternative dispute resolution

    China and 32 other countries signed the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) in Hong Kong on Friday, creating an international legal body for alternative dispute resolution.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Bryan Lunduke ☛ When Should They Be Censored for the Violence they Promoted?

    Across all major platforms -- X, Twitch, YouTube, Reddit etc. -- they vilify and encourage violence against Jews. Then the violence occurs. From Leftist Activists to the "Woke Right", when should they be censored?

  • Lusaka ZM ☛ Zambia : Cyber Law or Cyber Muzzle? Zambia’s Rights Body Warns Against Erosion of Expression Freedoms

    The Commission’s caution comes at a time when digital space in Zambia is undergoing a transformation that some critics say could jeopardize civic freedoms under the guise of national security. While government officials have defended the laws as essential for protecting the public from cybercrime, others worry that vague provisions may be weaponized against whistleblowers, journalists, and everyday citizens expressing dissent.

    In a press statement delivered this week, HRC Spokesperson Mweelwa Muleya emphasized that the new cyber legislation should not be interpreted as a tool for censorship. “Freedom of expression is not a privilege; it is a fundamental right enshrined in our Constitution and protected under international human rights conventions to which Zambia is a party,” he said.

  • Open Caucasus Media ☛ Tbilisi Court arrests two students for ‘insulting’ Georgian Dream MP Lashkhi

    On Friday, Tbilisi City Court sentenced two activists to administrative detention, following a complaint filed by Georgian Dream MP Mariam Lashkhi, who said they had verbally insulted her. Another activist involved in the incident was fined.

  • RFA ☛ ‘Am I that scary?’: Tiananmen Mother, 88, marks son’s death, still faces surveillance – Radio Free Asia

    Zhang Xianling remains defiant, seeks justice for the killing of her son Wang Nan as she prepares for the 36th anniversary of the June 4 crackdown.

  • Maine Morning Star ☛ PBS, Minnesota public TV station sue Trump over executive order cutting off funds

    The lawsuit says Trump’s executive order violates the law that governs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which gives it independence from politicians who might try to control its programs.

    “Congress took pains to ensure that the development of public television would be free from political interference, including with respect to content and funding decisions,” the suit states.

    It also claims implementing the order would violate the First Amendment of the Constitution.

  • Jacobin Magazine ☛ Defending Academic Freedom in The Male Animal

    That gave me a real pang. Thurber lived in a world where people memorized their favorite literary passages and could recite them any time, any place, in any state of sobriety or inebriation. They were considered “words to live by,” and so it wasn’t enough to have them in books. They had to be in the memory, in the bone marrow, of a person.

    I caught the last fumes of that world. As an avid young reader, I used to memorize passages, though I had no real expectation of ever reciting them. Nobody recited any more, even then.

    But the whole impact of The Male Animal stands or falls on the power of Tommy’s reading of the Vanzetti statement at the end. In the movie, it reduces everyone in the auditorium, including the pugnacious Ed Keller, to chastened silence. It converts them all at once. That’s clear to the viewer, but not to Tommy, who leaves the stage somberly, not sure whether he’s going to be attacked or exonerated.

  • The Telegraph UK ☛ Courts ‘reviving blasphemy laws’ after convicting man who burned Koran

    British courts have been accused of reviving blasphemy laws after a man who set fire to a copy of the Koran was convicted of a racially [sic] aggravated public order offence.

    Hamit Coskun shouted “f--- Islam” and “Islam is religion of terrorism” while holding the religious text above his head during a protest on Feb 13.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Hong Kong activist challenges China’s Tiananmen taboo from his exile in Taiwan

    Mr Fu Tong co-hosted a HK human rights exhibition in Taipei with artwork from the protests.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘Any activity on any date’ must be lawful, Hong Kong leader says ahead of Tiananmen crackdown anniversary

    Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has said that “any activity on any date” must comply with the law – ahead of the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown on Wednesday.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Open Caucasus Media ☛ Georgian journalist fined $1,800 for ‘blocking road’ while covering protest

    According to April, Ghoghoberidze was fined while covering a women’s march on 29 March.

  • uni Northwestern ☛ Trump’s Public Radio Cuts Could Mean Calamity for Local Outlets

    As a result, the more profound and traumatic impact of a cutoff would be at the station level, particularly among radio outlets. Many of the 386 organizations that operate non-commercial radio stations across the country have done so for years on slim margins and shoestring budgets (BPR reported a deficit in its most recent annual report.) Without Washington’s help, most would be diminished; some will no longer exist.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Pro Publica ☛ Ravi Coutinho’s Mother Sues Centene, Alleging Ghost Network Broke the Law

  • Pro Publica ☛ Richard L. Bean Detention Center Head Will Leave After “Loss of Confidence” in His Leadership

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ An offenders registry? National security does not need this sort of help

    National security took care of herself for many decades in Hong Kong. Now it appears the poor lady is in constant peril. Or so you might think from the number of white knights galloping to her rescue.

  • No arrests after xenophobic attacks in Addo

    There have not yet been any arrests after xenophobic attacks in Valencia, Addo, forced hundreds of immigrant families to evacuate on Sunday 25 May. The “revenge attacks” by a group of men were triggered by the murder of a South African man on the weekend, allegedly by an immigrant.

  • ACLU ☛ What is Habeas Corpus? Why Does It Matter?

    The Forrest Dump administration floated an idea in recent weeks: suspending habeas corpus.

    Why? Because over and over again—including in the American Civil Liberties Union’s challenge against President The Insurrectionist’s illegal use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport people without due process—courts hearing habeas corpus cases have stopped the administration from carrying out massive violations of people’s constitutional rights. To get around this obstacle, administration officials now say they are looking into suspending habeas corpus altogether.

  • Latvia ☛ Prosecutor General stays in office after Supreme Court investigation

    On Monday, 2 June, the plenary session of the Supreme Court (AT) decided not to initiate the dismissal of Prosecutor General Juris Stukāns. This decision was taken after evaluating the results of an investigation into an alert raised by a whistleblower regarding Stukāns' actions in the so-called Kariņš flight case.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Scale-up fabrics

    Guest Post: Exploring scale-up fabric requirements and their performance.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Privileged Conversations | June 2025

    Public Knowledge has the pleasure of inviting you to a multifaceted program focused on training and developing the next generation of tech policy experts and public interest advocates that reflects the diversity of voices and experiences in our society.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ 2025 Emerging Tech

    Emerging Tech brings together public interest advocates, policymakers, and companies to discuss the promise, pitfalls, and policy implications of cutting-edge tech.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• YLE ☛ EU slaps Foodora owner with €220m fine

  The EU has fined German-based food courier firm Delivery Hero and its Spain-based unit Glovo nearly 330 million euros for participating in a cartel which involved an agreement not to poach each other's workers, according to media outlet reports, including Reuters.

• Reuters ☛ Delivery Hero, Glovo hit with $376 mln EU antitrust fine

  The companies admitted wrongdoing in exchange for a 10% cut in their fines.

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Ethics of When Lawyers Make Mistakes

    I recently wrote a paper on this topic and gave a CLE and thought it would be useful to pass it along.  It is here.

    It goes through in a step-by-step way the way to approach fessing up to a mistake, as well as analyzing the different approaches that jurisdictions take to the issue. For example, some view the duty as arising from the need to keep a client reasonably informed, while others view it as part of a conflict-of-interest analysis. That matters because breach of the duty depends on which source applies: if it’s to keep the client reasonably informed, it’s basically triggered by knowing the client has a malpractice claim, but if it’s a fiduciary duty that is the source, then it’s triggered by the lawyer’s interest conflicting with the client’s.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Federal Circuit Decisions – 2024 Stats and Datapack

    It’s time for the annual Federal Circuit statistics update! As I’ve done for the past few years, below I provide some statistics on what the Federal Circuit has been doing over the past year. These charts draw on the Federal Circuit Dataset Project, an open-access dataset that I maintain containing information on all Federal Circuit decisions and docketed appeals. The court’s decisions are collected automatically from its RSS feed, and my research team uses a combination of Python-based algorithmic processing and manual review to code information about each document.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Discordant Frequencies: Is the UPC Truly a Jurisdiction? [Ed: UPC is illegal, should not even exist, a current symptom of criminal elements taking over EU and EPO]

      Yesterday, I shared some early figures from the UPC Court of Appeal, offering a glimpse into how the Court operates two years after its launch. But those reflections lingered long after I closed my laptop.

    • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Du Hast, But Not So Fast: Lessons from Two Years of UPC Appeals [Ed: UPC is illegal, it was always illegal, and its existence or authority is being challenged now]

      Introduction: A Concert Interrupted Imagine a Rammstein concert—tight rhythms, explosive precision, and overwhelming power. That’s what many expected from the German divisions of the UPC: efficiency, control, and dominance. But two years into the life of the Court of Appeal, that expectation has begun to unravel.

• Trademarks

  • Digital Music News ☛ NewJeans Slapped with Serious Injunction by Seoul Judge—Fines Starting at $730,000

    A Seoul court has hit K-Pop group NewJeans with an injunction, with fines for independent activity starting at $730,000 per infraction.

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Is this Trademark Mutilation?

    The USPTO refused to register the mark C SHARPE, in standard character form, for building construction and repair services, finding that the mark in the application drawing was not a "substantially exact representation of the mark as used on or in connection with the . . . services," as required by Trademark Rule 2.51(a). The mark as shown on applicant's specimen of use is depicted immediately below. What do you think? Mutilation or not? In re C-Sharpe Co., LLC, Serial No. 98269432 (May 29, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Mark A. Thurmon).

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ ISP Frontier Settles with Major Labels After Multi-Year Copyright Infringement Battle

    Several major record labels have settled their copyright monopoly infringement lawsuit with internet provider Frontier after a multi-year legal battle. Major record labels, including UMG, Sony Music, and Warner Music, have settled their piracy liability lawsuit with internet provider Frontier after a lengthy, multi-year legal battle.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Eminem Publisher Sues Meta Over Widespread Copyright Infringement Across Facebook (Farcebook) and Instagram

    Eminem’s music publisher, Eight Mile Style, is suing Meta with allegations of widespread copyright monopoly infringement on Facebook (Farcebook) and Instagram. Eight Mile Style, Eminem’s music publishing company, has filed a lawsuit against Meta, alleging the tech company’s social control media platforms allow widespread use of the rapper’s songs without proper licensing.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Major Labels, Suno, and Udio Reportedly Explore Settlement and Licensing Talks in High-Stakes Copyright Disputes

    Nearly one year after suing Suno and Udio for copyright monopoly infringement, the major labels are reportedly exploring possible settlements with the gen Hey Hi (AI) music platforms – including a licensing and compensation framework. Rumblings of the potential resolution discussions just recently entered the media spotlight.