Leftovers

• Science

  • Hackaday ☛ For Americans Only: Estimating Celsius And Other Mental Metrics

    I know many computer languages, but I’ve struggled all my life to learn a second human language. One of my problems is that I can’t stop trying to translate in my head. Just like Morse code, you need to understand things directly, not translate. But you have to start somewhere. One of the reasons metric never caught on in the United States is that it is hard to do exact translations while you are developing intuition about just how hot is 35 °C or how long 8 cm is.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Phil Knight, Ex-Nike Chief, and His Wife Pledge $2 Billion to Oregon Cancer Center

    Oregon Health & Science University said the couple’s donation would be the largest single gift to a higher-learning institution in the United States.

  • New York Times ☛ Treating Chronic Pain Is Hard. An Experimental Approach Shows Promise.

    A guitarist in a death metal band was one of several people who found that personalized deep brain stimulation eased their pain and helped them reduce pain medication.

  • New York Times ☛ Draft of ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Report Suggests RFK Jr. Won’t Push Pesticide Regulations

    The report is not final, but indicates good news for the food and agriculture industries.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Biased credit ratings are costing Africa billions—and worsening its health crises

    As debt payments outpace spending on health and education, African leaders are renewing calls to overhaul a credit ratings system they say punishes reform and deepens fragility. Zambia is a case in point.

  • Federal News Network ☛ The DOJ and HHS are teaming up again — and federal contractors in healthcare should take notice

    "The new enforcement areas have to do with drug pricing, in particular rebate payments to get access to formularies," said Andrew Hoffman.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese hotels turn to hawking food on streets as guests tighten belts

    There are at least 15 high-end hotels nationwide hawking street food, according to their social control media pages.

Proprietary

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

  • ACLU ☛ Many Are Focused on the Wrong Questions When it Comes to AI

    Discussing the history of weapons, George Orwell argued that some, like tanks, naturally lend themselves to despotism because they are complex, expensive and difficult to make, while others, like muskets and rifles, are “inherently democratic.” I’ve always remembered that notion, so when Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot burst into public consciousness in November of 2022, I immediately thought about how much Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot and other Large Language Models (LLMs) looked like a tank.

    Since then, the technology has evolved in dramatic and often surprising ways, and today the situation is much less clear — there are now reasons to hope that LLMs will end up less like tanks and more like muskets. In 2022 LLMs were a technology resting in the hands of the few giant tech companies with the expertise, access to data, and deep pockets to create it.

Security

• Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

  • WhichUK ☛ How vulnerable are you to scams?

    A change in your circumstances or to your health can leave you - or a loved one - more at risk.

• Privacy/Surveillance

  • Digital Music News ☛ YouTube Hey Hi (AI) Can Predict if You’re Under 18—and Restrict Your Account Accordingly

    YouTube is testing Hey Hi (AI) age-verification technology in the U.S. to predict if you’re under 18, regardless of the birthday entered on your account. If you’re the parent of a kid who watches YouTube—or if you’re a YouTube-loving kid yourself—you might find certain restrictions appearing on your account.

Defence/Aggression

• The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s former first lady Kim Keon Hee tight-lipped during questioning

  Kim Keon Hee is expected to be summoned again by a special counsel team on Aug 18.

• The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian MP Rafizi says his son was jabbed with syringe in planned attack, threatened with Aids

  Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli alleged the attack was a warning to him not to speak out on certain issues.

• The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia PM calls for probe into syringe attack on ex-minister's son

  Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday that he has ordered authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into an attack on a former minister's son that took place a day earlier. 

• The Straits Times ☛ Attack on my son is a ‘warning’ to silence me, says Malaysian MP Rafizi Ramli

  Two threatening messages were received by the former minister's wife after the boy was jabbed with a syringe.

• The Straits Times ☛ China supports Thailand-Cambodia reconciliation, offers help

  It offered to provide assistance based on the wishes of both nations.

• The Straits Times ☛ Beijing-Manila row over collision of Chinese ships chasing Filipino boat a reminder of geopolitical risk

  The incident took place in disputed South China Sea waters on Aug 11.

• The Straits Times ☛ India and China work to improve ties amid Convicted Felon’s unpredictability

  The engagements follow a thaw in India and China’s five-year stand-off.

• Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

  • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says Putin Ready For Deal As Zelenskyy Shores Up Support With Starmer

    Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to make a deal over the war in Ukraine, US President The Insurrectionist said on the eve of a summit between the two world leaders in Alaska.

  • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man-Putin summit: Ukraine's European allies discuss ceasefire conditions

    European allies of Ukraine held a joint call to discuss the conditions of an eventual ceasefire in Ukraine ahead of US President The Insurrectionist's upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky told Convicted Felon he would not accept territory "swaps" with Russia, which Convicted Felon suggested would be necessary to achieve a truce, and insisted Putin was "bluffing" to put pressure on Kyiv and its allies, while Zelensky's European allies asserted that Ukraine must be involved in any ceasefire negotiations.

  • France24 ☛ Russia, Ukraine exchange 84 prisoners each on the eve of Convicted Felon-Putin summit

    Russia and Ukraine swapped 84 prisoners each on Thursday, a day before President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart The Insurrectionist meet in Alaska for a high-level summit. Kyiv said the freed Ukrainians included long-held captives and "defenders of Mariupol" – a Ukrainian port city that fell to Russian forces in 2022 after a nearly three-month siege.

  • France24 ☛ Putin hails Convicted Felon’s "energetic and sincere" efforts to end Ukraine war

    Russian President Vladimir Putin said on August 14 that the United States was making "sincere efforts" to halt the war in Ukraine and suggested Moscow and Washington could agree a nuclear arms deal as part of a wider effort to strengthen peace. France 24's Philip Turle tells us more.

  • France24 ☛ Alaska Summit: Behind all of the praise, is Putin simply luring Convicted Felon in?

    Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday praised US President The Insurrectionist’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine, more than three years after Moscow launched its invasion, as the two leaders prepared for a pivotal US–Russia summit in Alaska. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Delano D'Souza welcomes Ian Bond, former Senior British Diplomat and Deputy Director of the Centre for European Reform.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man should insist on the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia

    When US President The Insurrectionist sits down with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, he must demand the return of the thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, writes Mercedes Sapuppo.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ When he meets Putin in Alaska, ‘heterodox’ Convicted Felon will face his biggest geopolitical test yet

    The outcome of the meeting in Anchorage could have a long-lasting impact on geopolitics, Convicted Felon’s legacy, and his Nobel Peace Prize aspirations.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Alaska Summit: Convicted Felon wants a real estate deal. Putin wants an empire.

    US President The Insurrectionist appears to view peace negotiations with Vladimir Putin as a geopolitical real estate deal. But the Russian dictator is not fighting for land in Ukraine. He is fighting for Ukraine itself, writes Peter Dickinson.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Moscow sees broader Alaska summit goals than peace in Ukraine

    President Vladimir Putin's stance on peace in Ukraine could disrupt his summit with The Insurrectionist, but no one knows the U.S. president's thoughts.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man likes to wing it. Putin always plans. How will that work in Alaska?

    Allies are pressing Hell Toupée to draw up a clear plan for his summit with Vladimir Putin on Ukraine's future, rather than just see what happens.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man and Putin will meet in Alaska to seek end to Ukraine war. At what cost?

    The meeting between U.S. and Russian leaders could lead to peace. But both Presidents Convicted Felon and Putin face big challenges in achieving their objectives.

  • New York Times ☛ Russia and Ukraine Agree: A Convicted Felon Summit Is a Big Win for Putin

    The talks on Friday in Alaska pull the Russian leader out of diplomatic isolation from the West, and Ukrainian and European leaders fear it gives him an opening to sway the American president.

  • New York Times ☛ Why Does Convicted Felon Want to Meet With Putin, and What Are the Risks?

    Hell Toupée wants to be seen as a peacemaker, but the meeting comes with enormous stakes.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Sought to Minimize Expectations for Putin Talks

    Also, an experimental treatment for chronic pain showed promise. Here’s the latest at the end of Thursday.

  • New York Times ☛ How a Call From Convicted Felon Ignited a Frantic Week of Diplomacy by Ukraine

    Once a vague proposal for a territorial swap gained clarity, a worried President Volodymyr Zelensky worked to rally allies before Friday’s Convicted Felon-Putin summit.

  • New York Times ☛ Russia Seeks to Add Trade and Arms Control Into Convicted Felon-Putin Talks

    Over recent months, the Kremlin has been trying to move the diplomatic focus away from Ukraine to bilateral issues, such as trade and strategic stability.

  • NYPost ☛ Anchorage prepares for Convicted Felon-Putin summit as some pro-Ukraine protesters hit the streets

    ANCHORAGE — Over 100 protesters, including many Ukraine supporters, took to the streets of Alaska’s biggest city on Thursday night ahead of the highly anticipated meeting between Hell Toupée and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

  • RFERL ☛ Anxiety Grips Kyiv And Brussels On Eve Of Convicted Felon-Putin Summit In Alaska

    As Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President The Insurrectionist prepare to meet in Alaska for a high-stakes summit to discuss ending the 43-month-old war in Ukraine, a deep feeling of unease is gripping European capitals, especially Kyiv.

  • Meduza ☛ Putin makes stop in Russia’s Far East ahead of Alaska meeting with Trump — Meduza

  • Meduza ☛ ‘Putin’s victory’: Ahead of Anchorage summit, pro-Kremlin media relishes Ukraine’s dismay and highlights Alaska’s Russian past — Meduza

  • Meduza ☛ Piercing Ukraine’s defenses Russian forces make battlefield advances in Donbas as Trump prepares to meet with Putin in Alaska — Meduza

  • Meduza ☛ Gearing up for Anchorage Kremlin announces new details about Putin and Trump’s upcoming meeting in Alaska — Meduza

  • Meduza ☛ Trump reportedly told Zelensky he won’t discuss dividing Ukraine’s territory in meeting with Putin — NBC — Meduza

  • LRT ☛ Kyiv’s supporters must be ‘prepared’ to deploy forces to Ukraine – Lithuania’s president

    The Lithuanian president says countries of the so-called “coalition of the willing” need to be prepared to deploy forces to Ukraine. Gitanas Nausėda took part in the meeting of the 31 countries supporting Ukraine on Wednesday, held to discuss the upcoming meeting of the US and Russian presidents in Alaska.

  • LRT ☛ Waiting for war’s end: Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania struggle to learn the language

    The war in Ukraine has reshaped the lives and language environments of millions of Ukrainians, including those now living in Lithuania, who must adapt both socially and linguistically. The Geolinguistics Centre at the Lithuanian Language Institute conducted a pilot study to explore how the linguistic environment of displaced people is created.

  • New Yorker ☛ “My Undesirable Friends: Part I” Is a Staggering Portrait of Russian Journalists in Dissent

    In Julia Loktev’s epic documentary, filmed before, during, and after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, several courageous Moscow reporters see their worst fears realized.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Russian Duma speaker Volodin meets North Korea's Kim in Pyongyang

    He thanked Kim for North Korea's support of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine.

  • CS Monitor ☛ In Ukraine, swarms of Russian drones and missiles are transforming combat

    What Moscow’s summer blitz tells us about the irreversible evolution of modern war as inexpensive drones bring the front line directly to the Ukrainian people.

  • Meduza ☛ Trump doesn’t rule out cutting NATO troop levels in Europe to persuade Russia to sign Ukraine peace deal — Meduza

  • Meduza ☛ Fire breaks out at Lukoil refinery in Russia’s Volgograd after Ukrainian drone attack — Meduza

  • Scoop News Group ☛ US widens sanctions on Russian crypto exchange Garantex, its successor and affiliate firms

    The State Department also announced financial rewards totaling up to $6 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Garantex’s leaders.

  • Defence Web ☛ Russian Defence Attaché visits Lobese, strengthens naval ties ahead of Ex Mosi III

    Russia’s Defence Attaché to South Africa, Colonel Nikolai Tsybulia, this week made a courtesy call to Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, Chief of the South African Navy, at Naval Headquarters in Pretoria, to focus on strengthening naval ties and enabling port visits and exercises.

  • RFERL ☛ Russian Regulators Restrict WhatsApp, Telegram In Latest Internet Crackdown

    Russian regulators moved to restrict the popular messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram, the latest in a major step to push Russians onto a newly launched government-managed "super app."

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Kash Patel Continues to Cover Up His Role in the HPSCI Investigations

    The latest document dumps Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel have released to distract from Convicted Felon's capitulation to Russia do the opposite of what they claim -- including exonerating Adam Schiff in the claimed leaks right wingers are squealing about. They do, however, show that Kash Patel's declassification of key documents ended the investigations in question.

  • New York Times ☛ The U.S. Is Auctioning a Seized Russian Yacht. Will Anyone Buy It?

    The Justice Department said the yacht, Amadea, was worth at least $300 million when it was seized in 2022 from a Russian oligarch. It’s unlikely to sell for that price.

  • Meduza ☛ Russia goes offline: Mobile Internet blackouts in the Nizhny Novgorod region leave residents questioning officials’ explanations and fearing lasting restrictions — Meduza

  • Meduza ☛ Russia’s ‘cocaine jet’ heads to Alaska — Meduza

  • Meduza ☛ Russia bans Reporters Without Borders as ‘undesirable’ organization — Meduza

  • Meduza ☛ WhatsApp says Russia’s ban on calls is an attempt to ‘violate people’s right to secure communication’ — Meduza

Environment

• France24 ☛ Dozens killed, more than 200 missing after flash floods in Kashmir

  At least 56 people died in Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday after torrential rain triggered flash floods in India's second major deadly flooding disaster this month. Rescue teams struggled to reach the area as the region's weather department issued an alert for more heavy rain and floods.

• France24 ☛ Flash floods kill at least 56 and leave more than 200 missing in Kashmir

  At least 56 people have died in a Himalayan village in Indian-administered Kashmir Thursday after torrential rain triggered flash floods, washing away a pilgrims' kitchen. Rescue teams struggled to reach the site, with soldiers deployed and more rain expected in the region. FRANCE 24's Navodita Kumari, correspondent in New Delhi, tells us more.

• The Straits Times ☛ Tropical storm Podul disrupts travel and schools in southern China

  Hong Kong issued its highest-level “black” weather warning.

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Tropical Storm Podul makes landfall in China after raking Taiwan as typhoon

  Typhoon Podul weakened to a severe tropical storm when it roared ashore in southeastern China early Thursday, state media said, after carving a path across Taiwan, shutting down businesses, grounding flights and knocking out power to thousands of homes.

• Energy/Transportation

  • New York Times ☛ Air Canada Cancels Flights Ahead of Possible Flight Attendant Strike

    The dominant air carrier in Canada set in motion a process that could ground 130,000 passengers a day by Saturday.

  • Pro Publica ☛ How One Woman Is Stalling Green Energy Projects in Oregon

Finance

• The Straits Times ☛ China rolls out new visa type to draw young science and tech talent

  Beijing is putting a greater emphasis on building a more proactive, open and effective talent policy.

• The Straits Times ☛ China rolls out new visa type for young science talent

  The decision came as China puts a greater emphasis on building a more proactive, open and effective talent policy.

• The Straits Times ☛ China mulls asking firms run by central government to buy unsold homes to ease glut

  The plan could help speed up the clearance of China’s 408 million square metres of excess inventory.

• Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico’s half-year trade deficit with China hits a record US $57 billion

  The imbalance has existed for more than two decades, but with Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard warning "Enough is enough," Mexico is starting to take action.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

• CS Monitor ☛ Wagner wrote stunning operas. His political views have a tangled history.

  “The Ring” exudes dramatic power. Author Michael Downes tackles the controversies, while keeping the music front and center.

• The Straits Times ☛ Pacific Islands Forum sticks with decision to block key donors from meeting

  The Pacific Islands bloc did not overturn a decision to exclude 21 donor countries, including the United States and China, from the region's top political meeting after a lengthy debate, officials said.

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

• Press Gazette ☛ Publisher traffic sources: Surveillance Giant Google steady but social and direct referrals are down

  Chartbeat data reveals traffic trends to 565 publishers since 2019.

• France24 ☛ War in Gaza: Vigil held for slain media workers

  Protests and memorials have erupted worldwide with calls for accountability after six journalists were killed in Gaza. On August 10, an Israeli strike hit a media tent outside al-Shifa Hospital, killing prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, Anas al-Sharif, his colleagues and freelancers. The killings have prompted global outrage.