Leftovers

• Mike Brock ☛ The Magical Thinking That’s Killing Our Humanity

  But meaning doesn’t emerge from comfort or certainty. It emerges from tension—from the creative friction between what is and what might be, between constraint and possibility, between self and world. Meaning is born in the space where we must choose, where we must struggle, where we must actively participate in creating our own understanding rather than passively receiving it.

  This is precisely what many of our technological systems are designed to eliminate. Social media algorithms don’t enhance human connection—they replace it with engineered engagement designed to maximize screen time rather than genuine relationship. They don’t help us make better choices—they manipulate our choices through carefully calibrated dopamine hits that bypass conscious decision-making entirely.

• Neowin ☛ End of an era? Kubuntu is removing default support for X11 in new installs [Ed: That's not a feature!!]

  The GNU/Linux world is slowly moving away from X11 and leaning into Wayland. Kubuntu is now the latest distro to drop default support for X11 in new installs.

• Science

  • Hackaday ☛ Photogrammetry Takes To The Skies

    Maybe your goal is to preserve the heyday of rail travel with a precise scale replica of a particular railroad station. Maybe you’re making a hyper-local edition of Monopoly in which the houses and hotels are the actual houses and hotels in your hometown.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Caught Sperm Defying One of Newton's Laws of Physics

    Some rules were made to be broken.

  • Science Alert ☛ The Human Epoch Doesn't Officially Exist. But We Know When It Began.

    We've left many marks to choose from.

  • Konrad Hinsen ☛ Why we should review research software

    My goal with bringing up the question was to learn out the state of the art: which institutions, publishers but possibly also others, encourage, enforce, or conduct scientific or technical reviews of research software? The answer turned out to be "very few". There are evaluations of research software, but they are mostly restricted to checking if it is published, if it can be compiled, if it reproduces published results, or if it follows Open Source best practices. The question of whether it does what it claims to do, and whether what it does is scientifically relevant, is rarely asked to reviewers.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Brain Has a Hidden Rhythm, And It May Reveal How Smart You Are

    "We did not expect the relationship to be this clear.”

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Beamed Light Right Through a Man's Head For The First Time

    Here's what they found.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Discovery of Deep Sea 'Spiders' Is Unlike Anything We've Seen Before

    A phenomenon that's never been documented.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Confirm Anti-Aging Drug Appears to Prolong Life in Animals

    Encouraging early signs.

  • Science Alert ☛ Burnout Might Not Actually Be a Work Problem After All, Study Shows

    It's a complex picture.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ $2 development board features Puya PY32F030 Cortex-M0+ MCU with 64KB Flash, 8KB RAM

    The Puya PY32F030 core board is a low-cost industrial development board based on the 48 MHz PY32F030K28T6 Arm Cortex-M0+ MCU, featuring 64KB flash and 8KB RAM, and capable of operating in a wide temperature range of -40°C to 105°C. It supports USB, SPI, I2C, UART, and I2S interfaces, and is designed for applications such as IoT, robotics, and automation in harsh environments.

  • Hackaday ☛ Has A Nuke Gone Off? Indicator

    Look out of a window, ask yourself the question, “Has a nuke gone off?”. Maybe, maybe not, and all of us here at Hackaday need to know the answer to these important questions! Introducing the hasanukegoneoff.com Indicator from [bigcrimping] to answer our cries.

  • Hackaday ☛ 3D Print Glass, Using Accessible Techniques

    When seeing a story from MIT’s Lincoln Labs that promises 3D printing glass, our first reaction was that it might use some rare or novel chemicals, and certainly a super-high-tech printer. Perhaps it was some form of high-temperature laser sintering, unlikely to be within the reach of mere mortals. How wrong we were, because these boffins have developed a way to 3D print a glass-like material using easy-to-source materials and commonly available equipment.

  • Hackaday ☛ Repairing An Old Tektronix TDS8000 Scope

    Over on his YouTube channel our hacker [CircuitValley] repairs an old TDS8000 scope.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ ‘An Existential Threat’: Food Banks Brace for Fallout From Convicted Felon Cuts

    New York City food banks aren’t sure how they will survive the administration’s funding cuts, which could also affect the programs they turn to for help.

  • Deseret Media ☛ Why US senators criticized anti-doping changes to Utah's contract to host 2034 Olympics

    The new termination clause allowed the IOC to take back the Winter Games if "the supreme authority of the World Anti Doping Agency in the fight against doping is not fully respected or if the application of the World Anti-Doping Code is hindered or undermined" by the United States.

  • Crooked Timber ☛ The symbol of earthly good, and the immediate object of toil.

    This might explain the relentlessness with which very rich people pursue money, accumulating it with no end in sight and/or finding the most ludicrous things on which to spend it – each guinea breeding the desire for more.

• Proprietary

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ User says access to ’30 years of photos and work’ in OneDrive denied by Microsoft, can't get a response after filing form 18 times — 'Microsoft suspended my account without warning, reason, or any legitimate recourse'

    A OneDrive subscriber is in despair after Abusive Monopolist Microsoft suspended their account without reason, and won't respond to inquiries. It was stuffed with 30 years of precious data, deposited as a relocation stop-gap.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ User says access to ’30 years of photos and work’ in OneDrive denied by Microsoft, can't get a response after filing form 18 times — 'Microsoft suspended my account without warning, reason, or any legitimate recourse' [Also see: Computer Weekly ☛ Microsoft's ICC email block reignites European data sovereignty concerns]

    With the “30 years worth of irreplaceable photos and work” literally vanished into thin air, deus03690 naturally expected to be able to get in touch with Microsoft to iron out issues and get the suspended account reactivated. So many corporations make real-human contact an impossible task, and taking this Redditor’s experience at face value, you might include Microsoft in that number.

    To start with, deus03690 says they never even received a warning about any potential break of T&Cs, which might have resulted in the OneDrive account suspension. No light has been cast upon the situation since, with “No human contact. No actual help. Just canned emails and radio silence” – and 18 compliance form submissions, so far.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Hackaday ☛ AI Piano Teacher To Criticize Your Every Move

      Learning new instruments is never a simple task on your own; nothing can beat the instant feedback of a teacher. In our new age of AI, why not have an AI companion complain when you’re off note? This is exactly what [Ada López] put together with their AI-Powered Piano Trainer.

    • [Repeat] The Register UK ☛ AI search finds publishers starved of referral traffic

      A year later, enterprise AI analytics biz BrightEdge reported that Google AI Overviews had generated more search impressions (up 49 percent), but click-throughs to the actual web sites dropped 30 percent

      That means AI Overviews is leading more people to use Google Search to find answers to their queries. But those people are less likely to follow search results links that lead to the source website. Good for Google. Terrible for the ecosystem of web sites that had learned to depend on search referrals for buyers, readers, and viewers.

    • Shayon Mukherjee ☛ Is AGI paradoxical?

      A developer types implement user authentication and watches as Cursor generates 50 lines of secure, production-ready code in seconds. It’s remarkable—the AI understands context, follows best practices, even adds appropriate error handling. But here’s what’s fascinating: every pattern it used was learned from millions of human-written codebases. The AI didn’t invent authentication; it synthesized decades of human security knowledge at unprecedented speed.

      This same pattern plays out across today’s most impressive AI systems as we pursue Artificial General Intelligence. They excel at synthesis, recombination, and acceleration of human knowledge. But they operate within a boundary that’s worth examining: they can only be as intelligent as the collective intelligence that created them.

      Which raises a fascinating question: Is AGI paradoxical by definition?

    • Rolling Stone ☛ A ChatGPT Obsession, a Mental Breakdown: Alex Taylor's Suicide by Cop

      “It’s not just that the large language models themselves are compelling to people, which they are,” Halpern says. “It’s that the for-profit companies have the old social media model: keep the users’ eyes on the app. They use techniques to incentivize overuse, and that creates dependency, supplants real life relationships for certain people, and puts people at risk even of addiction.” Some individuals’ self-destructive dependence on AI to make sense of the world through religious prophecy, sci-fi technobabble, conspiracy theories, or all of the above has led to family rifts, divorces, and gradual alienation from society itself. Taylor’s death is a sobering example of how those wrapped up in chatbot relationships may also become a danger to themselves.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Engineer creates ad-block for the real world with augmented reality glasses — no more products or branding in your everyday life

      A software engineer on X has built an augmented reality app for Snap's Spectacles, using Google's Gemini Hey Hi (AI) to identify advertisements and brands in the real world.

  • Confidentiality

    • Cédric Bonhomme ☛ Cédric Bonhomme

      Hide and reveal messages in PCM encoded .wav files. Your secrets now have a soundtrack!

• Defence/Aggression

  • Axios ☛ AOC floats Trump impeachment over Iran strikes

    Trump "failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.

  • Rolling Stone ☛ Trump’s Attacks on Iran Were Based on ‘No Intel’: Sources

    While Trump recently publicly disputed Gabbard’s testimony, according to two administration officials with knowledge of internal deliberations in recent weeks, the president’s decision to strike was not driven by any new U.S. intelligence on Iran.

  • Task And Purpose ☛ US strikes damaged but may not have destroyed Iran’s nuclear sites

    “It is clear that Fordow was also directly impacted, but the degree of damage inside the uranium enrichment halls can’t be determined with certainty,” Grossi said.

    If the initial assessments are correct, that limited impact should not be surprising, said Dr. John Carl Baker, director of programs for Ploughshares an anti-nuclear proliferation research foundation.

    “Many experts have warned that strikes are unlikely to eradicate Iran’s program,” Baker told Task & Purpose. “Plus, military action could push Iran to actually construct nuclear weapons.”

  • Air Force Times ☛ Here are the bunker-buster bombs used on Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility

    It remained unclear early Sunday how much damage had been inflicted upon Fordo. The mission could have wide-ranging ramifications, including jeopardizing any chance of Iran engaging in Trump’s desired talks on its nuclear program and dragging the U.S. into another Mideast war.

  • The Atlantic ☛ The Perverse Pride of Having Never Owned a Smartphone

    Unlike nearly 98 percent of Americans under the age of 50, I don’t have a smartphone. Actually, I’ve never had a smartphone. I’ve never called an Uber, never “dropped a pin,” never used Venmo or Spotify or a dating app, never been in a group chat, never been jealous of someone on Instagram (because I’ve never been on Instagram). I used to feel ashamed of this, or rather, I was made to feel ashamed. For a long time, people either didn’t believe me when I told them that I didn’t have a smartphone, or reacted with a sort of embarrassed disdain, like they’d just realized I was the source of an unpleasant odor they’d been ignoring. But over the past two years, the reaction has changed. As the costs of being always online have become more apparent, the offline, air-gapped, inaccessible person has become an object of fascination, even envy. I have to confess that I’ve become a little smug about being a Never-Phoner—a holdout who somehow went from being left behind to ahead of the curve.

  • Omicron Limited ☛ Technology to enforce teen social media ban is 'effective,' trial says. But this is at odds with other evidence

    For example, a report based on a survey of nearly 4,000 people and released by the government earlier this week found nine out of ten people support the idea of a ban. But it also found a large number of people were "very concerned" about how the ban would be implemented. Nearly 80% of respondents had privacy and security concerns, while roughly half had concerns about age assurance accuracy and government oversight.

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Without a Doubt, Worse than Nixon

    Head fake or no, Trump violated the Constitution’s Article I, Section 8 which grants Congress the power to declare war. It is not a power granted to the executive who “shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed” under Article II, Section 3.

    Trump has already repeatedly failed under the Take Care clause. This first strike against Iran conducted without Congressional approval should be a road too far.

  • ANF News ☛ Attack on a church in Damascus: at least 15 killed

    The attacker entered the church and first opened fire on worshipers with a Kalashnikov, and then detonated an explosive belt.

  • France24 ☛ Islamic State group behind deadly Damascus church attack, Syria's interior minister says

    "A suicide attacker affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group entered the Saint Elias church ... opened fire then blew himself up with an explosive belt," the ministry said in a statement.

  • France24 ☛ Islamic State group behind deadly Damascus church attack, Syria's interior minister says

    A suicide bomber who blew himself up at a church on the outskirts of Damascus on Sunday was a member of the Islamic State group, Syria's interior minister said. The attack killed at least 22 people and wounded 52 more, according to the nation's health ministry.

  • France24 ☛ US bombs Iran: "There is a great sense of satisfaction in Israel"

    The U.S. military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel’s effort to destroy Iran's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe. To get more information on the Israeli pespective, FRANCE 24's Catherine Viette interviewed Nitzan Horowitz, former Israeli Health minister.

  • NYPost ☛ Anti-Israel protester Mahmoud Khalil bashes Columbia ‘hypocrisy’ in first NYC rally since being released from ICE detainment

    "While over 100 days later, I haven't received a single call from this university."

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says US attack on Iran has damaged its credibility

    A resolution was proposed to the 15-member body, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 1 Singaporean, 17 Malaysians among 24 people evacuated from Iran to Kuala Lumpur

    The evacuation saw the group endure a journey of more than 1,000km across Iran to reach the Turkmenistan border.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia PM Anwar urges global push to end Israeli aggression, violence in Middle East

    He stressed that lasting peace in the region could be achieved only if Israel ends its hostile actions.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea to raise concerns to US over potential curbs on chipmakers’ China operations

    The trade Minister will hold the third round of technical discussions in tariff talks with US officials.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ New US restrictions could prevent leading chip manufacturers from installing chipmaking tools in their China fabs — TSMC, Samsung, and SK hynix potentially impacted

    The U.S. government may cancel a program for multinational chipmakers, with impacts to firms like Samsung, SK hynix, and TSMC which operate in China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan is ‘of course’ a country, its President says in rebuke to China

    The Taiwanese President drew on Taiwan’s history to show what he said was the island’s separate development from China.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Japan spots Chinese ships near disputed isles for record 216 straight days

    Japan spotted Chinese vessels sailing near disputed islets in the East China Sea for a record 216 consecutive days, Tokyo’s coast guard said Sunday. The Tokyo-administered islands, known as the Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, have long been a sore point between the neighbours.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia says it supports US strike, calls for return to diplomacy

    Australia’s security strategy is deeply entwined with its relationship with long-time ally the United States.

  • France24 ☛ Iran says US will 'receive a response' after strikes on nuclear sites

    Following unprecedented US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday, Tehran said on Sunday that the US would "receive a response" and all American bases in the Middle East were "legitimate targets," exacerbating fears of a wider conflict.

  • New York Times ☛ Republican Lawmakers Cheer Strike on Iran as Top Democrats Condemn It

    Republicans in Congress praised Hell Toupée’s decision to hit Iran. Many Democrats and some G.O.P. lawmakers said he should have consulted Congress.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. strikes key nuclear sites in Iran.

  • New York Times ☛ World Leaders React to the U.S. Strikes on Iran

    Amid fears of more dangerous escalation across the Middle East, some leaders condemned the attacks, and others urged restraint.

  • New York Times ☛ Iran fires more missiles at Israel, hours after the U.S. strikes on Iran.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. troops may be vulnerable to potential Iranian strikes.

  • New York Times ☛ Iran’s Fordo Nuclear Site Said to Look Severely Damaged, Not Destroyed

    Initial military assessments of the buried nuclear site contrast with the statement on the strike there made by Hell Toupée.

  • New York Times ☛ How the Attacks on Iran Are Part of a Much Bigger Global Struggle

    Putin and the ayatollahs want the same kind of world.

  • New York Times ☛ Some Israelis Expect New Era After U.S. Strikes on Iran. Others Are Skeptical.

    Both elation and fear were widespread in Israel amid uncertainty over what comes next.

  • New York Times ☛ ‘We’re All in Shock’: Iranians React to U.S. Attack on Nuclear Sites

    In phone interviews, people in Iran voiced fear, sorrow and grief after waking up to the news of strikes on the country’s nuclear facilities.

  • New York Times ☛ After U.S. Strikes, Iranian Officials Try to Project a Sense of Normalcy

    The mood in the government after the U.S. attacks is one of defeat and humiliation. But state media are showing people going about their daily routines.

  • New York Times ☛ Around Military Bases in the U.S., Unease Over What Comes Next

    Service members, veterans and their families expressed differing views on the airstrikes but shared concern over the safety of American troops.

  • New York Times ☛ Will Iran Decide to Retaliate Against the U.S.?

    The nation’s supreme leader may choose to back down after a first round of retaliation, or prefer martyrdom and building a nuclear weapon.

  • New York Times ☛ After U.S. Strikes on Iran, Prospects for Diplomacy Look Dim

    Iran’s foreign minister called the attack a “betrayal” in the middle of negotiations and said it would have “everlasting consequences.”

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s Strike on Iran Cements Netanyahu’s Political Comeback

    The United States’ overnight attack could cause further escalation. To Israelis, it is already seen as a victory for Israel, and for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

  • New York Times ☛ Live Updates: Fate of Iran’s Uranium Stockpile Unclear After U.S. Strikes

    Senior U.S. officials said the attack had severely damaged Iran’s nuclear facilities but conceded they did not know the whereabouts of its supply of near-bomb-grade uranium. Hell Toupée suggested that a new government could take over in Tehran.

  • New York Times ☛ What Iran Does Next

    Among the most likely options are asymmetric or terrorist attacks, although the time frame is impossible to gauge.

  • New York Times ☛ Is the U.S. at War With Iran? What to Know About Convicted Felon, Congress and War Powers

    Hell Toupée avoided asking Congress for permission before striking Iran, despite the Constitution saying only the legislature can declare war.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Picks a Side on Entering the War in Iran, for Now

    Even as he announced the strikes on Iran, Hell Toupée appeared to be rapidly trying to get himself back to the middle by insisting the operation was a one-off.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Joining Israel’s war, Convicted Felon says US ‘obliterated’ Iranian nuclear sites

    It was not clear whether the United States would continue attacking Iran alongside Israel. President The Insurrectionist warned Iran that any reprisals against the U.S. would be met with additional strikes. “There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,” he said.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man bombs Iran despite MAGA warnings

    Hell Toupée’s decision to strike Iran inserts the U.S. squarely into the kind of conflict he vowed to avoid, but he has prioritized neutralizing Iran’s nuclear program.

  • New Yorker ☛ The Insurrectionist Bombs Iran, and America Waits

    The U.S. strikes were unprecedented, and the repercussions are impossible to predict.

  • New Yorker ☛ The Dangerous Consequences of The Insurrectionist’s Strikes in Iran

    Why even a successful attack might do less to curb the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions than a diplomatic deal would have.

  • RFERL ☛ US Warns Tehran Not To Retaliate After Convicted Felon Says Bombing Mission 'Obliterated' Key Iranian Nuclear Sites

    President The Insurrectionist the US military struck three Iranian nuclear sites as the United States entered the conflict between Israel and Iran, raising fears of a wider war in the Middle East.

  • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Speaks Of Possible 'Regime Change' In Iran Following US Air Strikes

    US President The Insurrectionist suggested he might welcome the toppling of the government in Tehran, hours after members of his administration insisted that recent attacks on Iran were not intended to bring about “regime change."

  • Green Party UK ☛ Green Party respond to US strikes on Iran

    Responding to news of US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay MP said: “We utterly condemn the reckless attacks on Iran by the United States that can only lead to further dangerous conflict in an already volatile region.

  • France24 ☛ Iranian FM says US ‘responsible for the consequences of its act of aggression’

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking in Istanbul on Sunday, said that the US was "responsible for the consequences of its act of aggression" after President The Insurrectionist said he had "obliterated" Iran's main nuclear sites in overnight strikes.

  • France24 ☛ The US inserts itself into Israel-Iran war and strikes 3 Iranian nuclear sites

    The U.S. military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel’s effort to decapitating Iran's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.

  • France24 ☛ Are Israelis united behind Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the war on Iran?

    Israelis expressed relief and optimism Sunday after US President The Insurrectionist ordered air strikes on Iran, 10 days into a war that has widespread public support. Despite daily nerve-shredding trips to bomb shelters and growing damage around the country, Israelis appeared united behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's move to attack Iran on June 13. Analysis by Rina Bassist, international correspondent for the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation.

  • France24 ☛ Iran says that the US and Israel crossed a 'big red line'

    U.S. President The Insurrectionist said he had "obliterated" Iran's main nuclear sites in strikes overnight with massive bunker busting bombs, joining an Israeli assault in a significant new escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Speaking in Istanbul, Iran's Araqchi said Tehran was weighing its options for retaliation and would consider diplomacy only after carrying out its response. Analysis by Shirli Sitbon.

  • France24 ☛ US bombs Iran: what will happen now?

    U.S. military strikes overnight in which President The Insurrectionist said Iran's main nuclear sites were "obliterated" will put to the test the widely held view that such attacks can delay a nuclear programme but not kill a determined push for atom bombs. What will be the consequences of such an escalation? Analysis by Simon Mabon, professor of international policitcs and Middle East studies at Lancaster University.

  • France24 ☛ 'Dangerous escalation': World leaders call for return to diplomacy after US strikes on Iran

    The United States' overnight military strikes on Iran sparked reactions from world leaders across the globe on Sunday, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres saying he was “gravely alarmed” by the use of force. A number of countries condemned the strikes as a dangerous escalation in a volatile region, with US allies also calling for a return to negotiations.

  • France24 ☛ US secretary of defense explains the details of the US strikes on Iran : our analysis

    The US defense chief said Sunday that strikes ordered by President The Insurrectionist overnight had "devastated" Iran's nuclear program and urged Iranian leaders to seek peace to avoid further attacks. Watch his full speech, followed by our analysis, with FRANCE 24 correspondent in Washington Fraser Jackson, and FRANCE 24 international affairs editor Kethevane Gorjestani.

  • France24 ☛ World leaders react to US strikes on Iran with many calling for diplomacy

    Several close U.S. allies urged a return to the negotiating table in the wake of American strikes on Iran that fueled fears of a wider conflict, while noting the threat posed by Tehran’s nuclear program. Some countries and groups in the region, including those that support Iran, condemned the move while also urging de-escalation. Story by Charlotte Lam.

  • France24 ☛ US bombs Iran: what consequences for the 40,000 US soldiers stationed in the Middle East?

    The United States targeted Iran's three main nuclear sites including Fordo, a uranium enrichment facility buried 90 metres (about 300 feet) underground. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes "devastated the Iranian nuclear programme". What consequences for the 40,000 US soldiers stationed in the Middle East? Analysis by FRANCE 24 international affairs editor Kethevane Gorjestani.

  • France24 ☛ US bombs Iran: UN security council to convene on Sunday

    Together with European partners, France has advocated a diplomatic solution to end the conflict between Israel and Iran. President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday urged Tehran to de-escalate and "exercise the utmost restraint" after US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in a call with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian. The UN security council will meet on Sunday. Analysis by Pierre Vimont, senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, former ambassador to the US.

  • France24 ☛ Israeli military says struck 'dozens' of sites in Iran

    The Israeli military announced it launched a new wave of strikes on Iran, with 30 jets hitting 'dozens' of military targets across the country. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondent in Tehran, Saeed Azimi.

  • France24 ☛ US strikes on Iran: what we know so far

    The United States has carried out strikes that caused "extremely severe damage" to three of Iran's nuclear facilities, according to the top US military officer, General Dan Caine President The Insurrectionist had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path to replace the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in 2018. But he ultimately decided to take military action against Iran's nuclear program. FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee summarizes what we know so far.

  • France24 ☛ 'Israeli authorities are speaking with two vocies': euphoria and reevaluation

    The Israeli military said its fighter jets had struck "dozens" of targets across Iran on Sunday, including a long-range missile site in Yazd in the centre of the country for the first time. This changed from previous strikes, which had been aimed at military and nuclear targets. This highlights what FRANCE 24's correspondent in Jerusalem Noga Tarnopolsky sees as the 'authorities speaking with two voices' : the joy of a successful operation, but an effort to change the war's objectives.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ How will Iran respond to US strikes on its nuclear program?

    Following the US strike on Iranian nuclear sites, Iran’s foreign minister said his country must respond. Atlantic Council experts look at Tehran’s options.

  • NYPost ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s Iran strike opens the door to a new era of Mideast peace and prosperity

    With Iran's nuclear threat off the table, the Abraham Accord approach of friendship with America and Israel is already bringing peace and stability to the nations that have signed on.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Spain strikes deal with NATO to be exempt from 5 percent defence spending target

      Spain has struck a deal with the NATO military alliance that would allow the country to avoid spending 5 percent of its GDP on defence spending, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Sunday. US President The Insurrectionist has been pressuring NATO members to ramp up their defence spending.

    • Meduza ☛ Russia condemns U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Russia, ‘a Friend’ of Iran, Seems Unlikely to Offer Much Help

    • LRT ☛ Is the Russian opposition even relevant?

      In the complex political puzzle of our time, there is a black box – its contents unknown – that will play a significant role in shaping the future of the world. That box is the decision yet to be made by Russians living in Russia: the kind of political system, values, and way of life they will choose, writes Saulius Spurga, associate professor at Mykolas Romeris University, in an op-ed for LRT.lt.

    • France24 ☛ Russia and China push for a ceasefire as UN Security Council meets on Iran

      The UN Security Council met on Sunday at Tehran's request to discuss overnight US strikes launched on three sites connected to Iran's nuclear programme. China, Russia and Pakistan have passed around a draft resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.

    • RFERL ☛ RFE/RL Contributor Vladyslav Yesypenko Released From Russian Custody After More Than Four Years Of Detention

      Vladyslav Yesypenko, a Ukrainian citizen and journalist who contributed to Crimea.Realities, a regional news outlet of RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, has been released from custody more than four years after being detained on suspicion of collecting information for Ukrainian intelligence.

    • LRT ☛ Freed Belarusian opposition leader in Vilnius: ‘We remain committed to our fight’

      Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya vowed on Sunday to continue the fight together with her husband Siarhei Tsikhanousky after he was freed the previous day after spending almost five years in prison.

• Environment

  • CBC ☛ Phytoplankton, key to ocean life, falling 2% per year in North Atlantic

    Two main types of phytoplankton have been decreasing in biomass in the North Atlantic by two per cent each year for the past 60 years, a new study has found.

    Dalhousie University researchers analyzed data collected over more than half a century to assess how two types of phytoplankton — diatoms and dinoflagellates — are responding to climate change.

  • EcoWatch ☛ First-Ever Mushroom Casket Burial in North America Could Signal Cultural Shift Toward More Planet-Friendly Traditions

    Now, a company from the Netherlands has developed a casket made entirely of mycelium — the network of thread-like structures that make up mushroom roots — that biodegrades within 45 days of burial. The innovative Loop Living Cocoon mushroom casket is grown in one week and enriches the soil while nourishing new plant life.

  • Omicron Limited ☛ Student discovers widespread microplastic pollution in Appalachian streams and fish

    When West Virginia University biology undergraduate student Isabella Tuzzio tested fish from central Appalachian streams, her research revealed microplastics in every fish she sampled.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Dangerous Heat Wave Expands Over Central and Eastern United States

      A multiday heat wave is bringing high temperatures and health risks from the Midwest to the Northeast, prompting warnings and emergency measures.

    • Court House News ☛ FedEx founder Fred Smith, a Marine Corps veteran who revolutionized package delivery, dies at 80

      FedEx started operating in 1973, delivering small parcels and documents more quickly than the postal service. Over the next half-century, Smith, a Marine Corps veteran, oversaw the growth of a company that became something of an economic bellwether because so many other companies rely on it.

      Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx became a global transportation and logistics company that averages 17 million shipments per business day. Smith stepped down as CEO in 2022 but remained executive chairman.

    • Matt Birchler ☛ Seriously, use the browser you like, don't worry about battery

      Last year I compared the battery life using Safari and Chrome on a Mac. The critical thing that was different from this test to all the others I've seen out there is that this is actually a long term test and it was replicating the same workflow across all browsers AND it was always starting at 100% battery life, which is relevant since Apple holds the 100% reported battery life for a while longer than any other percentage.

    • Josh Withers ☛ The car collection of The Louwman Museum

      Took my Canon R5 with a 35mm plus Mike Stevens to The Hague’s Louwman Museum on Saturday and you wouldn’t believe it but I made photos.

  • Overpopulation

    • CBC ☛ Canada is facing a housing crisis. Could it take a page from Europe?

      While Europe struggles with similar trends to Canada of rising rents and skyrocketing home prices, experts say social housing models like Austria's are among the best defence against a growing affordability crisis — and are begging governments to continue investing aggressively in such programs.

• Finance

  • Ruben Schade ☛ My first Australian King Charles coin

    I think this is my first coin with the new king on it, and it already looks a bit worse for wear!

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thai PM claims she has coalition support after resignation demands over leaked Cambodian call

    She said she would seek to maintain political stability to address threats to national security.

  • New Yorker ☛ The People Being Disappeared by ICE in Los Angeles

    As communities across Southern California document and protest the escalating raids, loved ones grapple with the unimaginable.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Music Industry Cutbacks: A Bellwether for US Workforce Shifts

    UMG, the world’s largest record company, has announced job cuts affecting ‘hundreds’ of employees, with its recorded music division bearing the brunt of cuts. In 2024 alone, UMG confirmed plans to ‘create efficiencies’ and reduce overhead, even as it continued to invest in artist development and new technologies. The company has not specified the exact number of layoffs—but it was one of the first companies to begin slashing headcounts.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Couchbase agrees to be acquired by private equity firm Haveli for $1.5B

    NoSQL cloud database platform company Couchbase Inc. today agreed to be acquired by the private equity firm Haveli Investments LP in an all-cash [sic] transaction valued at about $1.5 billion.

  • The Telegraph UK ☛ Zuckerberg targets UK defence deals

    Meta’s major investment in Scale AI has prompted fears from some of its biggest customers over Mr Zuckerberg’s influence over the business. It was reported that Google and OpenAI had paused work with Scale in the wake of the deal.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • RFERL ☛ RFE/RL Fact Check: Recycled Videos And Photos Fuel Iran's Propaganda In Coverage Of Conflict With Israel

      However, the footage had no apparent connection to Iran.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • New York Times ☛ Oil Companies Fight Climate Lawsuits by Citing Free Speech

    The firms say their First Amendment rights are being violated when cities and states sue and accuse them of spreading misinformation about climate change.

  • France24 ☛ Extremist ministers in Israeli cabinet block foreign media from sites hit by Iranian missiles

    France 24’s Jerusalem correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky says two nationalist Israeli government ministers have barred foreign media from accessing sites hit by Iranian missiles without first getting authorisation from the military censor.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Chinese official hails national security law as Hong Kong’s ‘guardian,’ urging focus on ‘high-quality development’

    China’s top official on Hong Kong affairs has praised the Beijing-imposed national security law as the city’s “guardian,” adding that Hong Kong should use the rule of law to safeguard “high-quality development.”

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • JURIST ☛ Layoff notices served to hundreds of Voice of America and USAGM employees

    Plaintiffs Jessica Jerreat, Kate Neeper and Patsy Widakuswara, who were involved in the case Widakuswara v. Lake, said in a statement that the layoff “spells the death of 83 years of independent journalism that upholds U.S. ideals of democracy and freedom around the world”.

  • NPR ☛ Reporters for Voice of America and other U.S. networks fear what's next

    Given recent headlines about their employers, other journalists for the federally funded news outlets who are foreign citizens say they wonder whether they will have the U.S. government's support if they become victims of political retribution by their countries' leaders.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Kansas Reflector ☛ Oklahoma tour shows firsthand that freedom isn’t a destination. It's a perpetual climb.

    We remain in a perpetual approach pattern, where we descend but never land on justice. We measure racial progress in America by the pace of white acknowledgement, and during current Juneteenth celebrations, we should remember that freedom isn’t a destination.

    It remains an endless climb.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Ali Reza Hayati ☛ The war

    It’s now the eighth day of the direct war between Iran and Israel. For nearly five days, we’ve been living under a complete internet blackout.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Copyrights

  • Hackaday ☛ Giving A Drum MIDI Input With Lots Of Solenoids

    As far as giving mechanical instruments electronic control goes, drums are probably the best candidate for conversion; learning to play them is challenging and loud for a human, but they’re a straightforward matter for a microcontroller. [Jeremy Cook]’s latest project takes this approach by using an Arduino Opta to play a tongue drum. [Jeremy]’s design far the drum controller was inspired by the ring-shaped arrangement of the Cray 2 supercomputer. A laser-cut MDF frame forms a C-shape around the tongue drum, and holds eight camera mount friction arms. Each friction arm holds a solenoid above a different point on the drum head, making it easy to position them. A few supports were 3D-printed, and some sections of PVC tubing form pivots to close the ring frame. [Jeremy] found that the the bare metal tips of the solenoids made a harsh sound against the drum, so he covered the tips of six solenoids with plastic caps, while the other two uncoated tips provide an auditory contrast.The Arduino Opta is an open-source programmable logic controller normally intended for industrial automation. Here, its silent solid-state relays drive the solenoids, as [Jeremy]’s done before in an earlier experiment. The Opta is programmed to accept MIDI input, which [Jeremy] provided from two of the MIDI controllers which we’ve seen him build previously. He was able to get it working in time for the 2024 Orlando Maker Faire, which was the major time constraint.Of course, for a project like this you need a MIDI controller, and we’ve previously seen [Jeremy] convert a kalimba into such a controller. We’ve seen this kind of drum machine at least once before, but it’s more common to see a purely electronic implementation.