Leftovers

• Stuart Langridge: A (limited) defence of footnotes

  So, Jake Archibald wrote that we should "give footnotes the boot", and... I do not wholly agree. So, here are some arguments against, or at least perpendicular to. Whether this is in grateful thanks of or cold-eyed revenge about him making me drink a limoncello and Red Bull last week can remain a mystery.

  Commentary about footnotes on the web tends to boil down into two categories: that they're foot, and that they're notes.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Here's How to Watch Mercury Photobomb Your 4th of July Fireworks

    The elusive planet will be shining at its very best for the year.

  • Science Alert ☛ Cheese May Actually Fuel Nightmares, Surprising Study Confirms

    But then why is it so delicious?

  • Science Alert ☛ You Can Now Rent a Flesh Computer Grown in a British Lab

    Real smarts are still squishy.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Weight-Loss Drugs Under Scrutiny Amid Pancreas Concerns

    "Like all medicines, there can be a risk."

  • New York Times ☛ How Drinking Alcohol Affects You in Older Age

    Alcohol can present health problems for even light or occasional drinkers.

• Career/Education

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean universities ramp up global recruitment as US tightens visa screenings

    Yonsei University established a new transfer system to accept international undergraduates year-round.

  • University of Michigan ☛ How UMich computer science students are navigating a shifting job market

    While the University of Michigan offers over 280 degree programs, the Computer Science and Engineering program is one of the largest academic communities on campus, consisting of 3,229 undergraduate and 651 graduate students as of the fall 2024 semester. For years, computer science has been viewed as a safe, high-paying path with strong job security.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ WisMesh Board ONE allows you to build a custom Meshtastic Node with OLED, GPS, battery, enclosure, and more

    There are now plenty of Meshtastic hardware platforms for off-grid messaging, audio communication, and GPS coordinate sharing, be it boards or modules for DIY projects, or complete solutions with battery and enclosure working out of the box, such as the Wio Tracker L1 Pro or ThinkNode M2, among many others.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nvidia's incendiary 12VHPWR connector consumes its latest victim — Chinese RTX 3060 Ti melts down despite modest power draw after ASUS shipped it with the wrong cable

    Wherever the 12VHPWR connector goes, it brings death with it. The latest in the series of murders is a measly RTX 3060 Ti from China.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ White House lifts chip design export ban on China in exchange for rare earth materials compromise — export licences for EDA software sales no longer required

    The U.S. has lifted recent license requirements on exporting chip design software to China in exchange for Beijing easing rare earth export controls, enabling Cadence, Siemens, and Synopsys to resume shipments to clients in the People's Republic.

  • Hackaday ☛ A Miniature Ostwald Reactor To Make Nitric Acid

    Modern fertilizer manufacturing uses the Haber-Bosch and Ostwald processes to fix aerial nitrogen as ammonia, then oxidize the ammonia to nitric acid. Having already created a Haber-Bosch reactor for ammonia production, [Markus Bindhammer] took the obvious next step and created an Ostwald reactor to make nitric acid.

  • Hackaday ☛ Smart Mjolnir Makes Questionable Judgement Call On Your Worthiness

    Mjolnir, also known as Thor’s hammer, is a discerning thing, at least if you believe the modern Marvel canon. [alemanjir] decided to build a semi-functional replica that makes judgement calls of its own, though they’re perhaps a little less thought-out than the storied hammer of legend.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • France24 ☛ The big business behind weight-loss drugs: Global market to hit $150 billion by 2035

    They burst onto the scene four years ago and are taking over the pharmaceutical world. New GLP-1-based drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound are said to be a weight-loss game changer and could drive big pharma's revenue for years to come. But they come with a hefty price tag, while some 50 to 70 percent of people taking GLP-1s suffer side effects. Charles Pellegrin asks Frederic Bizard, a health economist and professor at ESCP Business School, who has the most to gain from this pharma revolution.

  • NYPost ☛ Super relaxing vacation activity can lower your blood pressure and boost your immune system: study

    “It can be a very peaceful, sometimes religious, sometimes cultural and sometimes social experience,” one researcher said.

  • Latvia ☛ Epidemiologists search for cause of strep throat infection in Rīga

    Epidemiologists are searching for the source of a streptococcal infection after one child died and another was hospitalised in Rīga, TV3 reported on Wednesday.

  • Latvia ☛ Smoking quitting programme developed in Latvia

    Under the leadership of Associate Professor Māris Bukovskis, an allergist and pulmonologist, Latvian doctors have developed the first specialised smoking cessation programme in the Baltic States, the programme's representatives said on 3 July.

• Proprietary

  • The Register UK ☛ Former and current Microsofties react to the latest round of layoffs

    "How many billions must be burned in the AI furnace before this stops?"

    [...]

    Current Microsoft staffers have also been left aghast at the latest bloodletting. Veteran Microsoft engineer Larry Osterman wrote: "I know some folks in Xbox who are terrified ... We *think* our team is likely safe after a 10 percent haircut last time around, but it's scary."

    Those Xbox folk were right to be terrified. According to Bloomberg, the company's King division, which makes Candy Crush, is cutting 10 percent of its staff. Games such as Perfect Dark and Everwild have been cancelled, and the studio behind Forza Motorsport is also facing staff reductions.

  • TechRadar ☛ Romero Games has lost funding for its next, unannounced game, with one staffer claiming the 'whole studio' has been laid off due to Microsoft cuts [Ed: DOOM doomed by Microsoft strings]

    Romero Games has announced that funding for its next game has been pulled, as multiple staffers claim the entire studio has been affected by Microsoft's latest cuts.

    In a social media post, Romero Games co-founder Brenda Romero shared a statement saying the team learned last night that its publisher has canceled funding for its next project, "along with several other unannounced projects at other studios".

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • NYPost ☛ Google Hey Hi (AI) summaries increase frequency of ‘zero clicks’ to search results, sinking traffic to news sites: report [Ed: Those sites relied too much on third parties; misguided approach]

      Since Surveillance Giant Google rolled out Hey Hi (AI) Overviews in May 2024, the percentage of web searches without a click to a news site has jumped from 56% to nearly 69%.

    • Hackaday ☛ AI Might Kill Us All (With Carbon Emissions)

      So-called artificial intelligence (AI) is all the rage right now between your grandma asking ChatGPT how to code in Python or influencers making videos without having to hire extras, but one growing concern is where the power is going to come from for the data centers. The MIT Technology Review team did a deep dive on what the current situation is and whether AI is going to kill us all (with carbon emissions).

    • France24 ☛ Alligator Alcatraz: Yes, US Homeland Security posted AI-photo of alligators with ICE hats

      The Forrest Dump administration recently opened their new migrant detention center dubbed ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ located in the Florida everglades. The facility is surrounded by what state officials have called ‘alligator cops’ serving as a natural barrier that will deter any type of escape. Days before the opening of the detention center, the DHS posted a controversial AI-photo of alligators wearing ICE hats that left many confused and outraged. We explain in this edition of Truth or Fake.

    • New York Times ☛ Around Los Angeles, ICE Raids Are Casting a Shadow on July 4th Plans

      Some communities in the Los Angeles region canceled events over fears of immigration raids, as Latinos grapple with how, and whether, to celebrate Independence Day.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China web search giant Baidu upgrades Hey Hi (AI) engine as market share slips

      Experts say it has to prioritise what users want from its search engine, rather than becoming a content platform.

  • Social Control Media

    • New York Times ☛ How the Convicted Felon Administration Justified Ignoring the Fentanylware (TikTok) Ban

      In purporting to license otherwise illegal conduct by tech firms, Hell Toupée set a precedent expanding executive power, legal experts warned.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Surveillance Used by a Drug Cartel

      Once you build a surveillance system, you can’t control who will use it:

      A hacker working for the Sinaloa drug cartel was able to obtain an FBI official’s phone records and use Mexico City’s surveillance cameras to help track and kill the agency’s informants in 2018, according to a new US justice department report.

    • AccessNow ☛ Why client-side scanning on encrypted platforms is a lose-lose proposition

      Regulators worldwide have been pushing client-side scanning (CSS) as a way to examine encrypted communications. But this system still undermines people’s privacy and security by circumventing end-to-end encryption, as we explain.

    • Security Week ☛ Undetectable Android Spyware Backfires, Leaks 62,000 User Logins

      A vulnerability in the Catwatchful spyware allowed a security researcher to retrieve the usernames and passwords of over 62,000 accounts.

  • Confidentiality

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Recertified HDD vendor goHardDrive caught leaking thousands of customer details — company pays astonishingly low $20 bug bounty for discovery of inexplicable online database of names, addresses, phone numbers, and more

      Developer Michael Lynch accidentally discovered a privacy vulnerability exposing the details of thousands of customers online.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Mexico Confirms Arrest Warrant for Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr.

    The well-known Mexican boxer was detained by U.S. immigration agents in California on Wednesday, days after fighting a high-profile contest against the former YouTuber Jake Paul.

  • CS Monitor ☛ South Lebanon Shia Muslims seek solace in community mourning

    Villagers in south Lebanon, hit last year by Israeli strikes on Hezbollah, find new meaning in the observance of the Shia mourning period of Ashoura.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US, India pushing for trade pact after Convicted Felon strikes deal with Vietnam: Sources

    But disagreements over US dairy and agriculture remained unresolved.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese carrier Shandong moors in Hong Kong on ‘maritime great power’ visit

    China’s third and more advanced carrier, the Fujian, is undergoing sea trials.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China aircraft carrier 'Shandong' draws crowds in first Hong Kong visit

    HONG KONG - China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, sailed into Hong Kong waters on Thursday in its first visit to the Asian financial hub, accompanied by three People's Liberation Army vessels including missile destroyers.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US aircraft carrier makes Philippines port call as the allies increase defence cooperation

    Its port call came the same day China’s first domestically produced aircraft carrier Shandong sailed into Hong Kong.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong arrives in Hong Kong

    China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier sailed into Hong Kong on Thursday, just days after the city marked 28 years under Chinese rule.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China denies military base ambitions in Pacific Islands, focus instead on improved livelihoods

    Fiji’s prime minister said his nation opposes Beijing’s plan to build a military base in the region.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 'Many lifetimes of commitment': Richard Gere vows to keep fighting for Tibetan cause

    As the chair of the International Campaign for Tibet, Richard Gere is the best-known supporter of the Dalai Lama and his people. On Thursday, he vowed to keep fighting for the Tibetan cause even after the eventual death of the elderly Nobel laureate and as China seeks to impose its will on the community.

  • France24 ☛ 'Islamic regime uses ordinary citizens and civilians as a bargaining tool for their own interests'

    France is demanding the immediate release of two of its citizens held in Iran for more than three years, accusing the Islamic Republic of detaining Cecile Kohler and partner Jacques Paris arbitrarily, keeping them in conditions akin to torture in Tehran's Evin security prison and barring proper consular protection. French President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out taking retaliatory measures. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's François Picard welcomes Tara Kangarlou, Author, Award-Winning Global Affairs Journalist and Adjunct Professor in the Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) at Georgetown University.

  • PHR ☛ Statement by Civil Society Organizations on the Upcoming French Cour de Cassation Hearing Regarding Immunities for State Officials

    On July 4, 2025, the French Cour de cassation will hold a landmark hearing to determine the legality of the arrest warrant issued for former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

  • The Straits Times ☛ War between China, US inconceivable and avoidable, says top Chinese official

    People of both nations are peace-loving and would not want to meet on the battlefield, says Mr Liu Jianchao.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Top China official accuses US defence chief of ‘inciting conflict’

    A senior Chinese official accused the United States defence chief on Thursday of “inciting confrontation and conflict” after he urged American allies to bolster their militaries to counter Beijing.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ Moscow police arrest Azerbaijani crime boss Vagif Suleymanov amid rising diplomatic tensions between Moscow and Baku — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Patient with knife attacks medical staff at Russian hospital, leaving two women critically injured — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Becomes First Country to Recognize Afghanistan’s Taliban Government

      Afghanistan has remained largely isolated since the Taliban seized power nearly four years ago, despite subtle signs of increased cooperation with countries like China and India.

    • France24 ☛ Russia becomes first country to recognise Afghanistan's Taliban government

      Afghanistan said on Thursday Russia had become the first country to officially recognise its Taliban-led government, calling it a "brave decision." The Taliban regained power in 2021 after toppling the Western-backed administration and have since enforced strict Islamic law.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania revokes Russian citizen’s residency over frequent travel to Russia, Belarus

      Lithuanian authorities have revoked the temporary residence permit of a Russian citizen for repeatedly travelling to Russia and Belarus, violating new restrictions that came into effect in May, the Migration Department said Thursday.

    • Meduza ☛ Former mayor of Russian-occupied Luhansk killed in city center explosion — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian Navy deputy head killed in Kursk region, Moscow confirms — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian missile strike on Odesa kills two and injures six, including Syrian nationals — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Reading the room Russian pop star Instasamka denounces fellow performers in apparent bid to prove patriotic credentials — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Two dead after back-to-back explosions in northern Ukraine ‘completely destroy’ industrial facilities and homes — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Pushing west Russian forces breach Ukrainian defenses in the Dnipropetrovsk region, raising the risk of a deeper advance — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Top Russian General Killed in ‘Combat Operations’ Near Ukraine

      Maj. Gen. Mikhail Gudkov, promoted to deputy head of the Russian Navy just a few months earlier, died in an apparent Ukrainian strike.

    • France24 ☛ Russians and Belarusians trapped in administrative limbo in Serbia

      Serbia is home to a large Russian and Belarusian community, which has increased in number since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But the small Balkan country was already a popular destination for Russians and Belarusians looking to move abroad. Among this older population of Russian and Belarusian immigrants, those who want to adopt Serbian nationality have been facing administrative difficulties for the past two years, resulting in them becoming stateless. FRANCE 24's Laurent Rouy, Aleksandar Cvrkotic, Edward Godsell and Paul Murray report.

    • France24 ☛ Arms deliveries, sanctions loopholes: How Convicted Felon's recent moves benefit Russia

      Two recent decisions by US President The Insurrectionist have directly benefitted Russia, both in the war in Ukraine and in its economic standoff with Europe. The White House halted a planned shipment of arms to Kyiv and deliberately bypassed existing sanctions to offer economic relief to Russia’s nuclear giant Rosatom and to Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

    • France24 ☛ Too late to win over Convicted Felon? Europe frets as US freezes some weapons for Ukraine

      Remember last week and that collective sigh of relief among allies that The Insurrectionist had a) showed up at the Nato summit and b) agreed to a sidebar meeting with his Ukranian counterpart after which the U-S president gushed that Volodymyr Zelenskiy “couldn't have been nicer.” Quite the contrast with that February White House ambush on live television that so spooked Europeans.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Does the Convicted Felon administration have a coherent policy to establish a stable peace in Ukraine?

      Withholding planned military aid to Kyiv is a serious mistake that undercuts the Convicted Felon administration’s efforts to make peace in Ukraine.

    • The Strategist ☛ Europe’s lesson for Australia: invest in defence now, or spend more later

      Instead of learning from Europe’s mistakes in the decade leading into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine—underinvesting in defence, increasing trade with a strategic adversary and expecting the United States to disproportionately carry the security burden [...]

    • NYPost ☛ Beijing cannot allow Russia to lose Ukraine war because it wants America distracted, top Chinese diplomat told EU: report

      China's foreign minister touted the three-year war as keeping the US focused on Ukraine, claiming that if the war were to end, Washington would start putting its full attention in the Pacific and could enter into conflict with China.

    • Meduza ☛ Trump and Putin reportedly discuss Ukraine, Iran, and ‘traditional values’ films in hourlong phone call — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s Oscar rigging, Solovyov’s praise for Zelensky, and a Putin ideologist’s Obama portrait: What we learned from Ukrainian producer Alexander Rodnyansky’s new memoir — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says Call with Putin Yields No Progress on Ukraine Cease-Fire

      The apparent impasse came during a roughly hourlong conversation between the leaders on Thursday morning.

    • RFERL ☛ Putin Tells Convicted Felon He Won’t Give Up Goals In Ukraine, Kremlin Says

      Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President The Insurrectionist during a phone call that Moscow will not give up its goals in Ukraine as any remaining hope for a cease-fire in the more than 40-month war crumbles.

    • European Commission ☛ Doorstep by President von der Leyen with President Costa, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen

    • France24 ☛ Putin says he won't back down from Ukraine goals in hour-long call with Convicted Felon

      Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday told his US counterpart The Insurrectionist that Moscow would not give up on its war aims in Ukraine during a lengthy phone call – their sixth publicly disclosed chat this year – that also touched on Iran and the Middle East.

    • France24 ☛ Deputy head of Russian Navy killed in Kursk 'combat'

      The Russian Navy's deputy commander Mikhail Gudkov was killed during "combat operations" in the Kursk region bordering Ukraine, officials in Moscow said Thursday. Gudkov, who was promoted by President Vladimir Putin earlier this year, is one of the most senior Russian military officers to have been killed since the start of the war.

    • Standards/Consortia

      • C4ISRNET ☛ Researchers home in on origins of Russia’s Baltic GPS jamming

        The airwaves over the Baltic Sea have been compromised ever since the war began. In the past years, thousands of planes and ships have had their navigation systems bamboozled, with some ending up veering off course or even needing to cancel their trips altogether. The culprit behind these mysterious aberrations: radio waves emanating from secretive facilities run by Russia’s military.

• Environment

  • JURIST ☛ European Commission sets new 2040 climate target of emissions reduction

    The European Commission proposed on Tuesday to amend the EU Climate Law, setting a binding target of a 90 percent reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, compared to 1990 levels. The proposal would replace Articles 4(3) and 4(5), creating a midpoint to help track progress and guide compliance.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • European Commission ☛ Joint press release: Investment of €3.66 billion from EU emissions trading revenues in cleaner energy systems

      European Commission Press release Brussels, 03 Jul 2025 Today, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank announced that €3.66 billion have been disbursed from the Modernisation Fund to support 34 energy related projects in nine EU Member States.

    • LRT ☛ One flight from Vilnius to Paris cancelled amid air traffic controller strike in France

      Only one flight – operated by the Latvian airline airBaltic between Vilnius and Paris scheduled for Friday – has been cancelled in Lithuania so far amid air traffic controllers’ strike in France, Lithuanian Airports (or LTOU), the airport operator in Lithuania, said on Thursday.

    • France24 ☛ Hundreds of flights cancelled as French air traffic controllers go on strike

      A walkout by French air traffic controllers is causing major disruptions to summer travel, impacting not just French airports but also the country’s airspace. The US House of Representatives has passed The Insurrectionist’s sweeping budget bill, stripping millions of Americans of food benefits. Plus, France’s antitrust agency is fining fast-fashion retailer Shein €40 million for deceptive business practices.

    • New York Times ☛ ​North Korea Beach Resort Opens With Fanfare but No Foreigners

      The Kalma Beach resort town, one of Kim Jong-un’s most ambitious projects aimed at attracting foreign tourists, may not draw the waves of visitors he wants.

    • Pro Publica ☛ What We Know About Elon Musk’s Texas Lobbyists and Their Influence

      Elon Musk’s team of Texas lobbyists during the 2025 legislative session did not rival those of huge energy and telecommunications companies, which typically employ dozens of people to represent them. But Musk and his companies still hired more lobbyists this year than any other since 2021, according to data from the Texas Ethics Commission.

      Musk, the billionaire businessman behind carmaker Tesla and aerospace company SpaceX, influenced several new Texas laws this year. How his lobbyists came about these wins, however, is more of a mystery.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • NYPost ☛ Nantucket homeowner lists property for $10M after chopping down neighbor’s 50-year-old trees to create ‘sweeping’ ocean views: lawsuit

      The scorned homeowner is seeking over $1.4 million in damages – valuing each mutilated tree at roughly $486,000.

    • Mexico News Daily ☛ The state of Mexico’s sharks, 50 years after ‘Jaws’

      Half a century after the movie, we're going to need a bigger conservation effort if we want to protect Mexico's magnificent marine predators.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea president Lee says doing ‘utmost’ for trade deal with US

    Seoul is focused on negotiations over a 25% country-specific tariff that is suspended till next week.

  • NYPost ☛ Gen Z turns to ‘old-school’ money hack to curb spending: ‘Helps create awareness’

    It's not just about saving money — it’s about spending with purpose.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s Lee pledges ‘bold’ economic policy after martial law crisis

    The country hopes to contain the impact of US President The Insurrectionist’s threatened punishing tariffs.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ US’ Rubio calls off his Japan and South Korea visit, Nikkei reports

    Mr Rubio was expected to land in Tokyo on July 7.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China set to cancel part of EU summit in latest strain on ties

    The originally scheduled two-day meeting in July will now just be one day in Beijing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Big Comrade’: Former defence chief takes reins as acting Thai PM

    The 71-year-old Phumtham Wechayachai was sworn in as Interior Minister.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US tariff deal provides relief for Vietnam, and a sting in the tail for China

    Vietnam's trade deal with US President The Insurrectionist could be seen as provocative by Beijing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US-Vietnam trade deal sows new China uncertainty

    The deal with Vietnam would be just the third announced, following agreements with the UK and China.

  • New York Times ☛ The Site of the Jonestown Massacre Is Opening to Tourists

    Both American survivors of the mass suicide and murder and Guyanese have criticized the tour. But defenders say the site offers important lessons.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • The Straits Times ☛ Elderly duo travel across Malaysia for cable car ride seen in clip – only to find out it was all AI

      The video features scenes of people queueing up at the "Kuak SkyRide" ticket counter.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • AccessNow ☛ Why Annobón’s internet shutdown should matter to the world

    The ongoing internet shutdown in Annobón has cut off 5,300 residents from each other, from their loved ones abroad, and from the world, even as the government of Equatorial Guinea continues cracking down on dissent.

  • AccessNow ☛ #KeepItOn coalition ramps up campaign to end prolonged shutdown in Annobón

    Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition have today launched a campaign to galvanize international support in demanding an end to the ongoing internet shutdown in Annobón, an island province of Equatorial Guinea.

  • AccessNow ☛ #KeepItOn call on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to help end the shutdown in Annobón

    We are petitioning you, Commissioner Topsy-Sonoo, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and individual state signatories to the African Charter to condemn the Equatorial Guinea government’s human rights violations, the prolonged shutdown, and to help reestablish internet access in Annobón.  

  • Censor-busting dissident shines light on overworked Chinese students

    Li Ying has used data about the inhumane hours of Chinese kids to push change in school schedules.

  • Meduza ☛ ‘Ten million people read us — I’ll talk to them’: Meduza’s co-founder Galina Timchenko on reaching readers in times of brutal censorship — Meduza

  • Mint Press News ☛ Blinken Ordered the Hit. Big Tech Carried It Out. African Stream Is Dead. [Ed: "African Stream" is Kremlin propaganda outlet, some sites that support Hamas support Putin also; But the real issue is social control media, which means astroturfing and disinformation hub.

    A fast-growing pan-African media outlet was erased in a coordinated takedown, accused without evidence, censored without process, and punished for challenging Washington and Silicon Valley.

  • JURIST ☛ Iraqi authorities shut down news channel for covering ‘sensitive topics’

    The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on Iraqi authorities Wednesday to immediately reverse the unexplained suspension of Iraq AlHadath, a privately owned news channel based in Baghdad, after a surprise government raid forced it off air.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Lawmaker urges more English-language TV, radio programming, two years after gov’t cuts to required broadcast hours

    A lawmaker has called on the government to ensure more English-language TV and radio programming, two years after the government relaxed rules for programming hours.

  • JURIST ☛ Press advocacy group condemns Israel airstrike that killed Palestine journalists

    The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Tuesday criticized the deadly Israeli airstrike on Al-Baqa Café in Gaza that resulted in the death of Palestinian filmmaker and photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab, and injured freelance journalist Bayan Abusultan. 

  • France24 ☛ Gaza: In the rubble of a cafe bombed by Israel

    On June 30, 2025, the Israeli army bombed the Al-Baqa cafe in Gaza City. The beachfront venue was a gathering spot for residents and journalists seeking Wi-Fi connection.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • JURIST ☛ Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down abortion ban from 1800s

    The Supreme Court of Wisconsin ruled Wednesday that a 1849 statute that banned nearly all abortions is unenforceable. The majority held that the state legislature “impliedly repealed” the statute through its comprehensive abortion care legislation over the past 50 years.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong proposes tightening prison rules to restrict visiting of inmates on national security grounds

    Hong Kong has proposed tightening its prison rules to restrict inmate visits, including those made by religious leaders and lawyers, if the authorities deem it necessary for national security.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Hong Kong to tighten prison rules, citing national security

    Hong Kong's prison population has swelled in recent years.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ HMD Global and Hogan Lovells successfully fend off Huawei lawsuits

    Huawei sued HMD Global in November 2022 at the Regional Court of Munich based on three patents in its 4G and 5G portfolio. The dispute concerns EP 3 573 392, EP 2 528 366, and EP 3 407 519. The Chinese mobile communications provider claims these are SEPs.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Is BREAK OUT THE BANDIDO Confusable with BANDIT for Overlapping Alcoholic Beverages?

    Sutter Home Winery opposed an application to register BREAK OUT THE BANDIDO for "distilled blue agave liquor" (a/k/a tequila) on the ground of likelihood of confusion with its registered mark BANDIT for "alcoholic beverages except beer[s]." The goods are legally identical and presumably travel in the same trade channels to the same classes of consumers. But what about the marks? How do you think this came out?

• Copyrights

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Courts Agree: Hey Hi (AI) Training Ruled As Fair Use in Bartz v. Anthropic and Kadrey v. Meta [Ed: Ignoring much of the ruling; this NGO is infiltrated by Microsoft]

  • Public Domain Review ☛ The Mowing-Devil (1678), or, the Earliest Known Depiction of a Crop Circle

    A crop circle sighting tinged with Christian morality.

  • Digital Music News ☛ SBA Demands Venues Return Millions In COVID Relief Disbursements — Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Marshmello Could Also Face Clawbacks

    Hundreds of venues that received pandemic relief through the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program are now facing unexpected demands from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to return those COVID relief funds.