Leftovers

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ The White House Gutted Science Funding. Now It Wants to ‘Correct’ Research.

    Thousands of scientists, academics, physicians and researchers have responded to the administration’s executive order about “restoring a gold standard for science.”

  • New York Times ☛ Results of Muon Experiment Offer More Precision But No Added Clarity

    The deviant behavior of a subatomic particle might point to undiscovered forms of matter and energy in the universe. Or it might not.

  • Millions of User Passwords at Risk Due to Linux Vulnerabilities

• Hardware

  • Standards/Consortia

    • Tedium ☛ Can Microsoft Fix USB-C’s Tangled Mess?

      But there is a point to all of this. Essentially, Microsoft is saying that if you’re going to claim that your device meets this USB speed standard, every port on the device needs to meet a minimum requirement. No more being stuck with display-out on only one of your USB-C ports. No more asking which of my ports supports faster 40-gigabyte connections.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines warns of health emergency as HIV cases soar

    On the average, 57 new cases a day were tallied over the first three months of 2025.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australian woman details fungi interest before deadly mushroom meal

    Erin Patterson said she enjoyed eating mushrooms because they “tasted good” and were “very healthy”.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Google is killing the web with Hey Hi (AI) Overviews – I made an extension to block them

      Find out how to get rid of Hey Hi (AI) overviews and other unwanted parts of search.

• Linux Foundation

  • PR Newswire ☛ Linux Foundation Wins Not-For-Profit and Education Team of the Year at 2025 World Trademark Review Industry Awards [Ed: It is a marketing outfit, not Linux]

  • Coalition for Smarter Buildings Foundation Enables Building Management Innovation with Open Source Technical Project Contributions to the Linux Foundation

    The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced the induction of four technical projects contributed by the Coalition for Smarter Buildings Foundation (C4SB Foundation). Furthering its efforts to modernize building management through open collaboration, the C4SB Foundation contributed Div2525, Technology Exchange Optimization (TXO), SmarterStack, and Interoperable Building Box (IBB).

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ 2 Japanese men murdered in north-east China over business dispute

    The two victims were business partners of the suspect who is now in police custody.

  • NYPost ☛ Hegseth orders the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk scrubbed from Navy ship

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a highly rare move that will strip the ship of the moniker of a slain gay rights activist who served as a sailor during the Korean War.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian AGC refutes Mahathir’s claim that Anwar’s pardon was invalid

    One of the allegations he made was that a Pardons Board meeting did not convene.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin’s punitive peace terms are a call for Ukraine’s complete capitulation

      Vladimir Putin's punitive peace terms for Ukraine would leave the country at the mercy of the Kremlin and confirm his unwavering determination to erase Ukrainian statehood, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine’s Drone Strike on Russia Aims to Change Putin’s Calculus

      Kyiv’s attack on the country’s bomber fleet appeared designed to show Russia’s leader that continuing the war carries big risks for Moscow.

    • New York Times ☛ Troop Casualties in Ukraine War Near 1.4 Million, Study Finds

      With high casualty figures and the slow pace of Russia’s territorial gains, President Vladimir V. Putin could face years more of a grinding war of attrition in Ukraine.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ After Ukraine’s innovative airbase attacks, nowhere in Russia is safe

      Ukraine carried out one of the most audacious operations in modern military history on June 1, using swarms of smuggled drones to strike four Russian airbases simultaneously and destroy a significant portion of Putin’s bomber fleet, writes David Kirichenko.

    • Defence Web ☛ Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine frontline: Autonomous vehicles, AI-driven logistics, and quantum-enhanced defence security are recalibrating military strategy

      Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now entering its third year, continues to expose persistent vulnerabilities in Western military readiness — from munitions stockpiles to supply chain resilience and procurement agility.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine: Crimea bridge closed after underwater explosion

      Ukraine said Tuesday it had detonated a bomb under the Crimean bridge which links the annexed peninsula to Russia and has been widely targeted since Russia invaded in 2022. FRANCE 24's correspondent, Emmanuelle Chaze has more.

    • JURIST ☛ Russia drone attacks against civilians violate international law, rights group says

      Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report Tuesday identifying Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians as war crimes and crimes against humanity. Attacks are executed using modified commercial drones.

    • LRT ☛ Zapad military drills in Belarus not a threat to Lithuania, PM says

      The upcoming Zapad military exercise in Belarus poses no additional threat to Lithuania, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said Tuesday, downplaying concerns raised by Ukrainian officials.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Claims Attack On Kerch Bridge, Key Link Between Russia And Annexed Crimea

      Ukraine claimed to hit a key bridge that links Russia and Moscow-occupied Crimea with underwater explosives two days after it launched a wave of drones deep into Russian territory that damaged dozens of long-range bombers, sending shockwaves across the country.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Accuses Russia of Deliberately Targeting Civilians In Deadly Sumy Air Strikes

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has again accused Russia of "deliberately" targeting civilian infrastructure after a wave of air strikes early on June 3 killed three people and injured at least 20 others in the Sumy region that borders the two countries.

    • CS Monitor ☛ In Kherson, Russian drone campaign turns civilians into targets

      The Russian military has turned to a grim strategy in Kherson: targeting civilians in drone attacks. Still, many local Ukrainians refuse to leave.

    • New York Times ☛ The U.S. Proposed New Terms in Nuclear Talks With Iran

      Also, a study revealed a potential cure for a deadly blood cancer. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Reports Striking Russia-Crimea Bridge With Underwater Explosives

      It would be the third such attack. The claim comes two days after one of Ukraine’s most ambitious operations of the war, deep inside Russia.

    • New York Times ☛ What to Know About Ukraine’s Drone Attack on Russia

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

    • New York Times ☛ Wednesday Briefing: Staggering Casualties in Ukraine

      Plus, it’s Pride Month.

    • France24 ☛ Traffic restarts on Kerch bridge after Ukrainian attack

      Traffic resumed on the Kerch Bridge on Tuesday hours after Ukraine daringly used underwater explosives to damage the structure, which Russia built to access Crimea after it annexed the region in 2010. The operation followed another audacious Ukrainian attack on aircraft deep into Russian territory days earlier, while Moscow continued its offensive across Ukraine, killing several in the Sumy region.

    • Meduza ☛ Hegseth won’t attend Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian strikes hit multiple Ukrainian regions overnight, injuring civilians — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky’s chief of staff lands in U.S. as part of Ukrainian delegation — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Kremlin ‘angry and alarmed’ after Ukrainian ‘Spiderweb’ drone operation hits Russian air bases — Bloomberg — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia strikes central Sumy in northeastern Ukraine, killing at least three and injuring over a dozen — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ukraine’s Security Service says it carried out underwater attack to blow up Crimean Bridge supports — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ The impact of ‘Spiderweb’ Ukraine’s massive drone attack on Russian air bases was a blow to the Kremlin’s pride — but what does it mean for the war? — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Spinning Russia’s military mishaps State broadcasters emphasize rescue heroics while minimizing Ukrainian strikes that exposed strategic airfields’ vulnerability — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Moscow court orders government seizure of Russian video game studio amid allegations of funding Ukraine's military — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ White House says President Trump had no advance knowledge of Ukraine’s ‘Spiderweb’ operation — Meduza

    • ADF ☛ Niger Suspends Surveillance Services From Russia, Turkey

      The military government of Niger has terminated its intelligence cooperation with Russia and Turkey, saying the surveillance systems and related personnel failed to live up to expectations. Niger’s General Directorate of Documentation and External Security was particularly upset with the quality of telephone communications interceptions, according to Military Africa.

    • Meduza ☛ Trump’s special envoy warns Ukraine’s ‘bold attack’ on Russian air bases raises risk of escalation — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian authorities blame bridge collapses on ‘terrorists’ working for ‘Kyiv regime’ — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Estonia sends more police to help out at Latvian border

      A second Estonian policing unit arrived in Latvia on Monday to assist the Latvian border guard in stopping the flow of migrants crossing into the European Union from Belarus, reports Estonian public media ERR News.

• Environment

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • 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.

    • CS Monitor ☛ The benefits of living with bears and letting nature take its course

      Progress roundup: Antarctica’s newest research base lowers fossil fuel use, a medieval Italian village welcomes its bears, and more.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Great Escape ends: Fugitive capybara caught after 2 months on the run

      “Bean Bun” and his gang of three absconded from an enclosure in early April.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ White House calls South Korea election ‘fair,’ expresses concern about Chinese influence

    In recent days, right-wing allies of US President The Insurrectionist have taken aim at Lee Jae-myung.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s new president Lee Jae-myung vows economic revival, judgment against martial law

    With 100 per cent of the ballots counted, Mr Lee had won 49.42 per cent of the nearly 35 million votes cast.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China tells US envoy Washington must get ties back on ‘right track’

    'Dialogue and cooperation are the only correct choice,' Mr Wang said.

  • New York Times ☛ Live Updates: Lee Jae-myung Elected President of South Korea

    Mr. Lee cruised to victory on Tuesday after his predecessor pitched the country into chaos with a brief declaration of martial law.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Lee Jae-myung set to be South Korea’s new president

    The joint exit poll had surveyed about 100,000 voters spread over 325 polling stations nationwide.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s new leader Lee Jae-myung to seek more time for US trade talks

    Mr Lee will take office without a usual two-month transition period.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Riding wave of voter anger, South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung now faces policy challenges

    Mr Lee's ability to lead will be judged by the strength of his policies.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Liberal Lee Jae-myung wins South Korea presidency in martial law ‘judgement day’

    PPP candidate Kim Moon-soo conceded the race and congratulated Mr Lee in brief remarks to reporters.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s liberal new president Lee Jae-myung vows economic revival, judgment against martial law

    With 100 per cent of the ballots counted, Mr Lee had won 49.42 per cent of the nearly 35 million votes cast.

  • France24 ☛ South Korea's election: after Yoon's turmoil, can Lee calm the country?

    Can South Korea turn the page on its most turbulent times since democracy was installed? An election this Tuesday looks like being a landslide victory for the Democratic Party and his new president Lee Jye-myeung. What is his agenda? Where will he take South Korea? Will he be able to bring stability to the east Asian economic powerhouse that was plunged into doubt and confusion last December with a declaration  of martial law by the soon deposed leader Yoon.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Legal challenges facing South Korea’s incoming President Lee Jae-myung

    While a president has immunity from most crimes, legal experts are unclear whether this applies to cases that started before they took office.

  • New York Times ☛ Where ​South Korea’s New President​ Lee Jae-myung Stands on Convicted Felon and North Korea

    Facing a complex set of thorny challenges at home and abroad, Lee Jae-myung says he will deal with them with “pragmatism.”

  • New York Times ☛ Who Is South Korea’s New Leader?

    After months of political turmoil in South Korea, Lee Jae-myung has won the presidential election by a wide margin. Mr. Lee’s campaign has ridden a wave of anger against former President Yoon Suk Yeol after he tried to impose martial law in December.

  • New York Times ☛ South Korea’s New President Will Face Deep Divisions and the Convicted Felon Administration

    Lee Jae-myung will be one of the most powerful presidents in decades in South Korea, but he is taking over during a perilous political atmosphere.

  • France24 ☛ New South Korean President Lee takes power after resounding election win

    Center-left candidate Lee Jae-myung took power as South Korean president as he seeks to initiate a "fresh start" from a chaotic transitional political period, stimulate a tariff-stricken economy, and navigate mounting tensions with North Korea.

  • New York Times ☛ Young South Korean Voters Are Disenchanted With Their Choices

    Some of the same young people who demonstrated after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law said they were disappointed by their choices in Tuesday’s election.

  • New York Times ☛ The removal of a ‘political overhang’ could lead to a market rally, analysts say.

  • France24 ☛ Lee Jae-myung wins election, economic challenges await the newly-elected South Korean president

    With voters turning out in record numbers, South Korea elected liberal leader Lee Jae-myung to lead the country left in turmoil by the brief imposition of martial law by Yoon Suk-yeol. The nation of 51 million people has the world's lowest birth rate and is now a "super-aged" society. South Korea saw forecasts for its growth downgraded... as the OECD revised down growth prospects for most of the world amid The Insurrectionist's trade war.

  • New York Times ☛ What to Know About China’s Halt of Rare Earth Exports

    Since early April, China has stopped almost all shipments of critical minerals that are needed for cars, robots, wind turbines, jet fighters and other technologies.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S.-China Trade War Morphs From Tariffs Into Fight Over Supply Chain

    Instead of battling over tariffs, Washington and Beijing have turned to a potentially far more harmful strategy: flexing their control over global supply chains.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Hong Kong leader John Lee says sudden removal of China’s top official in city a ‘normal’ move

    No explanation by Beijing or Chinese state media was given for the change.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China tells US envoy Washington must get ties back on ‘right track’

    The U.S. should create the necessary conditions for bilateral relations to get back onto "the right track," China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the U.S. ambassador to Beijing on Tuesday, according to a ministry statement.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ U.S. extends China GPU tariff exemption until August 31 — Motherboards also listed in Section 301 exclusion

    The Forrest Dump administration extended the Section 301 tariffs exemptions for several goods for another 90 days.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ Providing Warranty Services With One's Own Goods is not a Recognizable Service Under the Trademark Act

    The Board upheld Examining Attorney Barbara Kim's refusal to register the mark EVERYDAY PROMISE for “Providing extended warranty services by the manufacturer for the lifetime of kitchen and bath fixtures and accessories, namely, sinks, and faucets," on the ground that the recited services do not constitute services that fall within the Trademark Act. In re Thompson Traders, Inc., Serial No. 97852613 (May 30, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Mark A. Thurmon).

• Copyrights

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ USDOJ: Contributory Infringement Requires Conscious and Culpable Acts

    The Supreme Court is being asked to resolve a high-stakes battle over when Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can be held liable for their users’ copyright monopoly infringement. Two petitions — Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment (No. 24-171) and Sony Music Entertainment v. Cox Communications, Inc. (No. 24-181) — stem from a Fourth Circuit decision involving a $1 billion jury verdict against Cox for music piracy on its network. In November 2024, the Court invited the Solicitor General (SG) to weigh in. In late May 2025, SG John Sauer filed the government's brief, recommending that the Supreme Court grant Cox’s petition to clarify—and  ultimately narrow—the standard for contributory infringement.