Leftovers

• Ben Congdon ☛ The Decline of the Software Drafter?

  It’s hard not to think about the direction the software engineering field is going in. I don’t think you, dear reader, need to be reminded of this, but just to set up some timeline tentpoles: [...]

• France24 ☛ 'Lessons in joyful mathematics' with French mathematician Cédric Villani

  Cédric Villani is one of France's top mathematicians, working across several fields of the discipline. He's won a number of titles and awards for his work. A professor at Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University and member of France's Académie des sciences, Villani is also the author of the new book "Leçons de mathématique joyeuse" – literally "Lessons in joyful mathematics". He spoke to us in Perspective.

• Science

  • Hackaday ☛ MagQuest: Measuring Earth’s Magnetic Field With Space-Based Quantum Sensors

    Recently the MagQuest competition on improving the measuring of the Earth’s magnetic field announced that the contestants in the final phase have now moved on to launching their satellites within the near future. The goal here is to create a much improved World Magnetic Model (WMM), which is used by the World Geodetic System (WGS). The WGS is an integral part of cartography, geodesy and satellite-based navigation, which includes every sat nav, smartphone and similar with built-in GNSS capabilities.

  • Science Alert ☛ Black Hole 'UFO' Caught at Critical Moment in Scientific First

    WHOOSH!

  • Science Alert ☛ Rock Used as Doorstop For Decades Revealed to Be Worth Over $1 Million

    Jewel thieves walked right past it.

  • Science Alert ☛ We Finally Know Why Roman Concrete Has Survived For Nearly 2,000 Years

    An abandoned construction site had the answer.

  • Science Alert ☛ Cats Meow More Than Twice as Much at Men, And We Can Only Guess Why

    How do you like being cat called?

  • Science Alert ☛ Massive Study Reveals Where Gout Comes From, And It's Not What We Thought

    "The myth that gout is caused by lifestyle or diet needs to be busted."

• Hardware

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Modern Commodore 64 cartridge loaders

    It’s the Christmas season, which means the obligatory Commodore Christmas Demo is getting a workout in the lounge when people come over. I’ve been setting up my “daily driver” Commodore 64C with the TV instead of my 8-bit monitor setup in the study, which lead me to remember a few things.

    First, the Commodore 64 is awesome! I’ve been getting more stuck into 486-era PC hardware and the Fashion Company Apple II of late, but it bowls me over just how good the graphics and sound are every time I use it, especially for the time it was designed and released. It’s no wonder so many of my GenX friends and older have these machines etched into their soul. Compared to everything else at the time, it must have felt like an alien delivered the goods. I’m more a tinkerer than a gamer, but wow.

  • Hackaday ☛ Keebin’ With Kristina: The One With The C64 Keyboard

    [Jean] wrote into the tips line (the system works!) to let all of us know about his hacked and hand-wired C64 keyboard, a thing of beauty in its chocolate-brown and 9u space bar-havin’ glory.

  • Hackaday ☛ Making Glasses That Detect Smartglasses

    [NullPxl]’s Ban-Rays concept is a wearable that detects when one is in the presence of camera-bearing smartglasses, such as Meta’s line of Ray-Bans. A project in progress, it’s currently focused on how to reliably perform detection without resorting to using a camera itself. Right now, it plays a well-known audio cue whenever it gets a hit.

  • Hackaday ☛ A Deep Drive Deep Dive Into A Twin-Rotor Motor

    Compromise is key to keeping a team humming along. Say one person wants an inrunner electric motor, and the other prefers outrunner. What to do? Well, if you work at [Deep Drive], the compromise position is a dual-rotor setup that they claim can be up to 20% more efficient than standard designs. In a recent video, [Ziroth] provides a deep dive into Deep Drive’s Twin-Rotor Motor. 

  • Hackaday ☛ G4 IMac Becomes A Monitor With A MagSafe Secret

    The G4 iMac is one of the more popular computers in the restomodding scene given its charm and unparalleled ergonomics. Most modern machines that people squeeze in don’t have a disc drive anymore though, so [EasternBloc Engineering] has fitted a retractable MagSafe charger into the drive bay of the machine.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Bird Flu Is Suspected After Vulture Carcasses Sat Rotting Outside Ohio School

    The birds lingered for days at a Catholic school near Cincinnati as agencies haggled over who was responsible for removing them. Officials said the public health risk was low.

  • New Yorker ☛ This Bowl Has One Hundred Grams of Protein

    This meal is full of macros. What are macros? Who cares? You don’t need to know. What you need to know is that you are the alpha of this fast-healthy-adjacent bowl purveyor.

  • NYPost ☛ My energy drink habit nearly killed me — what happened when my body finally crashed

    Now there's more evidence that no matter how young or healthy you are, pounding energy drinks can lead to serious health issues.

  • Futurism ☛ Social Media Is Absolutely Nuking Children’s Brains, New Research Finds

    "Our study suggests that it is specifically social control media that affects children’s ability to concentrate."

  • Futurism ☛ Scientists Find That Dosing Men With Antidepressants Can Cut Down on Domestic Violence

    "I used to sleep with a hammer under my bed. Since he started this medication, I can sleep more easily, and I don't need to sleep with the hammer anymore."

  • Latvia ☛ Flu epidemic officially begins in Latvia

    An influenza epidemic has begun in Latvia, according to the Disease Prevention and Control Centre (SPKC) statement on Monday, 8th December.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Death strikes stranded evacuees in isolated Sumatra shelters

    Although airdrops have continued, the joint search and rescue task force has yet to reach thousands of isolated residents.

  • NYPost ☛ NYC Chipotle customer allegedly ‘bit into a rodent’ inside burrito bowl ordered through DoorDash: lawsuit

    “[T]he rodent was within the plaintiff’s mouth after biting into the meal," the lawsuit alleged.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Hong Kong grapples with mental health crisis after Tai Po inferno

    Counsellors’ accounts shed light on depth of trauma facing victims and volunteers alike.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Families of deadly Tai Po fire victims begin providing DNA samples

    Families of the Tai Po fire victims have started providing DNA samples to help identify their loved ones, as 31 people remain missing nearly two weeks after the deadly blaze. Hong Kong police said they had reached out to families of the missing victims, as well as those who had preliminarily identified bodies through photos.

  • France24 ☛ ‘Planting to preserve our dignity’: Gaza farmers remain cut off from their land

    Despite the ceasefire signed in October 2025, many Gazans are still unable to return to their homes and land. Among them is our Observer, farmer Amro Abu Rabee, who remains displaced in Deir al-Balah. His farm lies beyond the “yellow line” in territory still occupied by the Israeli army, and so to feed his family and preserve a sense of dignity, he is planting food crops in whatever space he can find in their camp.

  • LRT ☛ Study finds Lithuanian teens smoke and drink less, prescription drug misuse on the rise

    A new European school survey shows that smoking and alcohol use among Lithuanian minors continues to decline, but experts warn that the misuse of over-the-counter and prescription medications is emerging as one of the country’s most serious youth health problems. Electronic cigarettes also remain highly popular, especially among younger girls.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Press Gazette ☛ Europe to investigate Surveillance Giant Google over use of publisher content for AI

      Use of Youtube content for Hey Hi (AI) products also under scrutiny.

    • Futurism ☛ Grok Will Now Give Tesla Drivers Directions

      We can only imagine what witty navigation advice it'll cook up next.

    • Futurism ☛ Grok, Now Built Into Teslas for Navigation, Says It Would Run Over a Billion Children to Avoid Hitting MElon

      Correction: 999,999,999 children.

    • Futurism ☛ McDonald’s Pulls Down AI-Generated Holiday Ad After Deluge of Mockery

      "The future is here, and it's not looking good."

    • Futurism ☛ Details Emerge on Scam Altman’s Panic Sweats

      "We should be at the top of things like LM arena."

  • Social Control Media

    • Bryan Lunduke ☛ New Study Suggests Nick Fuentes's X Account Propped Up by Foreign Bots

      92% of “repeat early-retweeters” are anonymous accounts, from non-Western nations, which do nothing else.

    • New Yorker ☛ If You Quit Social Media, Will You Read More Books?

      Books are inefficient, and the internet is training us to expect optimized experiences.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Australia now bans social control media for teens under 16. Will other countries follow?

      As of Dec. 10, no one under 16 is allowed to access Instagram, TikTok, or other social control media platforms. Other countries are mulling following Australia’s lead.

    • France24 ☛ Australia's social control media ban for under-16s takes effect in world first

      Australia banned under-16s from the likes of Facebook (Farcebook) and Fentanylware (CheeTok) on Wednesday, in a world-first move that will be closely monitored by other countries considering similar measures to offset the harms of social control media on children.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Alternative social control media apps surge as Australia teen ban starts

      Lemon8, a video and photo sharing app powered by TikTok, is currently the most-downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ 15 South Koreans, two Chinese arrested over alleged call-centre scam in Thailand

      The operation was launched after the South Korean Embassy alerted the Thai authorities.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ French man facing death in Malaysia drug trial to hear fate soon

    French national Tom Felix has denied all charges since police arrested him in 2023.

  • New York Times ☛ A History of U.S. Military Action in Latin America

    The United States’ history in the region includes several about-faces, contradictions and missteps.

  • ADF ☛ RSF’s Parallel Government Threatens Peace

    For almost nine months, Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces group has operated its own government in the west — a government that has been ignored by international authorities yet one that risks making Sudan’s crisis even worse, according to observers.

  • Maine Morning Star ☛ American soldiers have long faced unlawful orders. They need courage and our support to resist.

    What is sickening about the threads that runs through Sand Creek, My Lai, and the supposed drug boat strikes, is the inherent racism and coordinated cruelty. In each case, the U.S. military targeted non-white groups of civilians. After annihilating them with superior firepower, their villages were burned to the ground or their boats turned into flotsam, all without trial. But in the cases of Sand Creek and My Lai, there were service members who resisted.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan threatening China militarily, Wang Yi tells German foreign minister

    Tokyo said Chinese fighter jets had aimed their radar at Japanese military aircraft.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China releases audio to say it notified Japan of drill in radar incident

    Tokyo has strongly protested the Dec 6 action by the Chinese military aircraft.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Osaka tourism endures heavy hit as China-Japan tension simmers

    Chinese visitors are Japan’s biggest spenders, accounting for a fifth of the nation’s ¥8.1 trillion tourism revenue.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania will not meet China’s conditions on Taiwanese office – president’s adviser

    Lithuania has no intention of meeting China’s conditions related to the Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius, President Gitanas Nausėda’s chief foreign policy adviser said Tuesday, signalling continued deadlock in efforts to restore diplomatic representation.

  • Mercenary recruitment suspects granted bail

    Five suspects arrested in connection with allegedly recruiting young South Africans as mercenaries were granted bail ranging from R5 000 [...]

  • New York Times ☛ Nobel Peace Prize for Venezuela’s María Corina Machado Draws Criticism

    María Corina Machado is being honored for her push for democracy even as she backs Hell Toupée’s military buildup and aggressive campaign against Venezuela.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man and Europe’s Far Right

    The American national security strategy echoes the language of far-right parties. But hardliners across the Atlantic seem unimpressed.

  • New York Times ☛ Europe, Too, Is Worth Fighting For

    Provided Europeans want to fight for it.

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ White Man’s Burden: Convicted Felon Is Failing Six of Ten Metrics on His Own Open Book Test

    The self-imagined competent boys who wrote Convicted Felon's National Security Strategy effectively wrote a list of standards they're affirmatively failing to meet.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Six Pakistani soldiers killed in militant attack, sources say

    PESHAWAR, Pakistan Dec 9 - Militants stormed a security checkpoint in Pakistan's northwest near the Afghan border, killing six soldiers, three police and security sources ‍said ​on Tuesday.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ ‘The pressure had become too intense’: Journalist Simon Shuster on Trump’s peace deal, Yermak’s ouster, and Zelensky’s postwar future — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Chechen woman found dead in Armenia had family ties to Kadyrov — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Lithuania Declares National Emergency Over Suspicious Balloons From Belarus

      Hundreds of weather balloons sent to Lithuania this year have disrupted flights and stirred alarm in a sabotage campaign against a NATO state.

    • RFERL ☛ Belarus Accused Of Sabotaging Lithuanian Airspace As EU Moves Toward New Sanctions

      The EU is preparing new sanctions on Belarus after hundreds of weather balloons crossed into Lithuania, disrupting airports and prompting temporary border closures. Vilnius says the balloons are used for smuggling and sabotage, and pressure on Minsk is set to escalate.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s govt declares nationwide emergency over smuggler balloons from Belarus

      Lithuania’s government on Tuesday declared a nationwide emergency situation (ekstremali situacija) in response to a growing threat posed by smuggling balloons regularly launched from Belarus into Lithuanian territory.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania to consider freezing Belarusian assets over smuggler balloon crisis – president

      Lithuania’s State Defence Council will examine which Belarusian-owned assets in the country could be frozen or confiscated as part of new measures to counter the growing threat posed by smugglers’ balloons launched from Belarus, President Gitanas Nausėda said Monday.

    • LRT ☛ Customs says Belarus holding 185 Lithuanian trucks, far fewer than industry claims

      As Lithuanian authorities try to determine the scale of Belarus’ detention of Lithuanian cargo trucks, the Customs Department said Tuesday that Minsk is currently holding 185 trucks and trailers – far fewer than the numbers publicly cited by the trucking industry.

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky says ready to hold Ukraine elections

      President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday he was ready to hold new elections in Ukraine, and that he expected to send Washington within a day revised proposals on ending the nearly four-year war with Russia. US President The Insurrectionist is pressuring Kyiv to accept a deal formulated by Washington, the initial version of which was criticised by Ukraine's allies as overly favourable to Russia. FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg reports from Kharkiv.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Open To Wartime Elections In Ukraine If US, Allies Can Guarantee Security

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is ready to hold elections in the war-wracked country if the United States and other partners can provide the security necessary to ensure the vote can be held safely.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Could Be ‘Ready for Elections,’ Zelensky Says

      The Ukrainian president told reporters that a vote could be held in 60 to 90 days if the country received security protections from the United States.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian president’s adviser hails US security strategy despite differences on Ukraine

      President Gitanas Nausėda’s chief foreign policy adviser, Asta Skaisgirytė, said Tuesday she sees encouraging elements in the newly released US National Security Strategy and does not expect Washington to alter its rhetoric even when views differ between countries, including on how to achieve peace in Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Rejects Land Concessions As Europe Reiterates 'Ironclad' Support For Ukraine

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on December 8 that Kyiv had "no moral right" to give up territory to Russia, while Washington is seeking compromises.

    • RFERL ☛ 4 Russian Soldiers Sentenced For Killing Of American Fighting For Moscow In Ukraine

      A court in Russian-controlled Ukraine sentenced four Russian soldiers for the death last year of Russell Bentley, a Texas man who as the "Donbas Cowboy" gained notoriety for joining Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Calls Europe ‘Decaying’ and Suggests ‘Size Will Win’ in Ukraine War

      Hell Toupée’s comments deepened his rift with mainstream European leaders over defense and Ukraine policy.

    • New York Times ☛ The Territorial Sticking Point Between Russia and Ukraine

      The Kremlin says any peace deal must cede to Russia the entire eastern Donbas region, including territory Ukraine still controls — a nonstarter for Kyiv.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Pressures Ukraine

      Also, the Supreme Court considers campaign finance limits. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.

    • New York Times ☛ Another Front in the War in Ukraine: Who Gets to Claim a Famed Artist?

      Looking to shake off Moscow’s cultural influences, Kyiv has been seeking to highlight the Ukrainian roots of Kazimir Malevich, a renowned avant-garde painter.

    • Futurism ☛ Russia Damaged Protective Dome Around Chernobyl, Can No Longer Contain Radiation

      It "lost its primary safety functions."

    • France24 ☛ Europe 'already formidable enough to deter any aggression even without the United States'

      A top European Union official warned the United States against interfering in Europe’s affairs and said only European citizens can decide which parties should govern them. European Council President António Costa’s remarks came in reaction to the Convicted Felon administration’s new national security strategy, which was published on Friday, praised by Russia, and paints European allies as weak, while offering tacit support to far-right political parties. For nin-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, Jean-Émile Jammine, is pleased to welcome Ambassador Claude-France Arnould is a former senior French diplomat, and Senior Fellow for European Defence at the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russian bombers join Chinese air patrol near Japan as Tokyo-Beijing tie strains

      Japan has scrambled jets to monitor Russian and Chinese air forces conducting joint patrols around the country, the Japanese defence ministry said late Tuesday, amid rising tensions between ‍Tokyo ​and Beijing.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russian bombers join Chinese air patrol near Japan as Tokyo-Beijing tie strains

      Four Chinese J-16 fighter jets made a round-trip flight between Japan's Okinawa and Miyako islands.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Top Indian arms makers held rare meetings in Russia on potential joint ventures, sources say

      At least half a dozen executives from top Indian arms makers, including Adani Defence and Bharat Forge, attended rare meetings in Russia this year to discuss potential joint ventures, three people familiar with the matter said.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea scrambles jets as Chinese, Russia warplanes approach

      There was no breach of South Korea's territorial airspace, the country's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

    • Meduza ☛ Duma speaker warns Putin about Europe’s ‘AI minister’ corruption scandal, unaware it was Croatian satire — Meduza

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Europe’s choice: Fund Ukraine now or pay a far higher price if Russia wins

      Europe’s reluctance to pay for Ukraine’s defense is shortsighted, write Elena Davlikanova and Lesia Orobets. If Russia’s invasion succeeds, Europe will soon have to boost defense spending to levels that would completely dwarf the current cost of backing Ukraine.

    • The Strategist ☛ Putin’s India visit reveals New Delhi’s complicated strategy

      A major sore point in India’s relations with its Western partners is its continuing empathetic relations with Russia, especially since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. So there was considerable attention on Russian ...

    • LRT ☛ President: EU enlargement is Europe’s key geopolitical tool to ensure peace

      Speaking after a meeting with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, visiting Lithuania, President Gitanas Nausėda said the European Union’s expansion is a crucial geopolitical instrument for ensuring peace and security across the continent.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ China’s climate balancing act: Mixed signals over coal undercut clean energy drive

      With overall emissions set to remain stable, all eyes are on what Beijing does next.

    • It's FOSS ☛ This Company Uses Lab-Grown Human Neurons for Energy-efficient Computing

      Swiss startup offers remote access to living neural networks for research.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • CS Monitor ☛ In the Himalayas, local ‘astro-ambassadors’ help protect India’s first dark-sky reserve

      In one of the darkest corners of the world, a group of “astro-ambassadors” are making a living off the night sky – and creating a bridge between science and tradition.

    • New York Times ☛ All 187,460 Miles of Road That Led to Rome, Mapped

      A digital atlas of ancient Rome’s highways and byways reveals a road network that was more extensive than thought.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ The Second ‘China Shock’

    Chinese exports are flooding the developing world, and the social consequences are bound to be profound.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Li Qiang criticises tariffs as record trade surplus irks export markets

    The country's trade surplus topped US$1 trillion (S$1.3 trillion) for the first time in November.

  • France24 ☛ U.S. China hawks say Convicted Felon approved Nvidia chip sales to China will supercharge its military

    China hardliners in Washington slammed the Convicted Felon administration for its decision to allow Nvidia to ship its second most advanced Hey Hi (AI) chip to China, citing fears Beijing could harness the technology to supercharge its military. Speaking on FRANCE 24, Jean-Francois Di Meglio, Economist and Honorary Chair at the Asia Centre think tank, says China is on a path towards strategic autonomy and 'it's only a matter of time before it becomes totally autonomous' in the chip sector.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Eases Limits on Nvidia Exports to China at ‘Critical Moment’

    Hell Toupée said Nvidia can export some chips. But years of U.S. restrictions have propelled China to make everything it needs for advanced A.I.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China executes former Huarong senior executive for $202m graft

    Bai Tianhui exploited his positions between 2014 and 2018 to illegally accept money and assets.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China executes former senior banker for taking $156m bribes

    China executed a former executive of a top state-controlled asset management firm for corruption on Tuesday, state media reported.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian Mandopop fans turn to Malay in resistance against China’s ‘yellow cows’

    They are using the local language to express frustration against concert scalpers from China.

  • France24 ☛ Taffy Brodesser-Akner's take on the Jewish American family saga

    The author and journalist Taffy Brodesser-Akner has been awarded the Grand Prix de Littérature Américaine for her novel "Long Island Compromise" and its translation by Diniz Galhos. Brodesser-Akner tells us about the kidnapping that kicks off this sprawling family saga, and its repercussions through younger generations. We also discuss the pivotal role of wealth and privilege in American society, and why the aspirational lifestyles peddled by the rich and famous prompt such heated debate, after Brodesser-Akner's profile of Gwyneth Paltrow in the New York Times Magazine went viral.

  • Breach Media ☛ Canada’s Big Banks are a ‘culprit’ driving housing prices out of control

    Canada’s political and media class has spent years chasing convenient villains to blame for the housing crisis, pointing the finger at foreign buyers, immigrants, supply shortages, zoning rules, or an overheated market.

  • France24 ☛ French PM and Socialists raise the stakes ahead of key social security budget vote

    The Assemblée Nationale is set to vote on a key social security budget bill on December 9. Socialist leader Olivier Faure has called for backing the bill. If rejected, there would be major consequences for the country and the prime minister. Solange Mougin tells us more.

  • France24 ☛ France: Make-or-break vote for 2026 budget

    France’s social security budget heads into a knife-edge vote on Tuesday that could plunge Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's government into a new political crisis and open a €30-billion gap in funding for welfare, pensions and healthcare. France24 Senior Reporter James Andre tells us the latest.

  • France24 ☛ France’s National Assembly approves social security budget in victory for Prime Minister Lecornu

  • France24 ☛ France faces pivotal budget vote amid deep political divisions

    France’s divided parliament faces a pivotal vote on Tuesday that could spark a new political crisis and create a €30 billion shortfall in funding for healthcare, pensions and welfare. Lawmakers are deciding whether to approve next year’s social security budget - an especially critical test for Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who lacks a majority in the National Assembly. He is banking on concessions, including suspending Emmanuel Macron’s landmark pension reform until the next presidential election, to win support from other blocs, but the vote is shaping up to be extremely tight. France24 Senior reporter James Andre tells us the latest.

  • Latvia ☛ Change at the top of Luminor bank

    Baltic bank Luminor has announced the appointment of a new Chair of its Supervisory Councils.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s president begins move back to historic Blue House

    The moving process began on Dec 8 and will be wrapped up by Christmas.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • New York Times ☛ For Real, a Natural History of Misinformation

      It’s not just humans who suffer from leading one another astray. So do fish, flies and even bacteria.

    • Science Alert ☛ Retracted: The Monsanto-Backed Paper That Told Us Roundup Was Safe

      25 years after it was published.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • JURIST ☛ Rights group urges China, Hong Kong to respect press freedom over latest fire incident

    The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Monday urged Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to release news commentator Wong Kwok-ngon, to halt harassment of other journalists, and to allow free coverage of the latest deadly fire incident in Hong Kong.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Political commentator remanded in custody after being charged with revealing details of nat. sec probe

    A Hong Kong political commentator has been remanded in custody after being charged with disclosing details of a national security investigation, marking the first time police have brought a prosecution over this offence.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Half of UK freelance journalists report being offered less than 10p a word

    Almost eight in ten respondents say they plan to keep working as a freelance journalist.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • New York Times ☛ With Cheap Tickets and Lax Etiquette, a Theater Builds an Older Fan Base

    The Hollywood Classic cinema in Seoul is popular in a country where 70-year-olds now outnumber people in their 20s.

  • ACLU ☛ Through the Lens of Liberty: The ACLU’s Year in Photos

    As The Insurrectionist started his second presidential term, 2025 began with a lot of uncertainty. However, the ACLU was ready to protect the civil liberties of individuals around the country, as we had done hundreds of times during Convicted Felon’s first term. This year saw many wins, setbacks, and enduring battles over issues like immigrants rights, trans justice, and the right to vote. As we look back on a pivotal year, join us in remembering the many moments captured on camera that defined 2025 at the ACLU.

  • The Straits Times ☛ UN troubled by Hong Kong clampdown after fire

    The UN said several provisions under the national security law did not comply with international human rights law.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Internet Society ☛ Why the UN’s Next Decision on Internet Governance Matters for Everyone

    It is critical that countries reaffirm their longstanding support for including the global Internet community’s stakeholders in its governance. 

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge, National Digital Inclusion Alliance Launch Nationwide Program To Shape America’s Digital Future

    The Connectivity Policy Corps will advance digital inclusion and broadband policies.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Connectivity Policy Corps: Building Policy With Community

    A more equitable, connected digital future is possible.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Why the Minority Party Matters for Independent Agencies

    Even when outvoted, minority commissioners have significant influence on how agencies operate.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • France24 ☛ Warner Bros fight heats up with $108 billion hostile bid from Paramount

    Jared Kushner’s role in helping finance Paramount’s $108 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery is injecting Convicted Felon-family interests into one of the most significant media battles in years. The Insurrectionist has said he will take part in the decision on the proposed Warner Bros. acquisition involving Paramount and Netflix, though he told reporters he has not discussed the matter with Kushner. Higdon Professor of Management at Florida State University, David King, shares his insights.

  • France24 ☛ Warner Bros fight heats up: Convicted Felon's son-in-law is key player in takeover battle

    Jared Kushner’s role in helping finance Paramount’s $108 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery is injecting Convicted Felon-family interests into one of the most significant media battles in years. The Insurrectionist has said he will take part in the decision on the proposed Warner Bros. acquisition involving Paramount and Netflix, though he told reporters he has not discussed the matter with Kushner. Emerald Maxwell reports.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ Mimzi voice interaction patent monopoly challenge instituted

    On December 4, 2025, five weeks after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 9,792,361, owned and asserted by Mimzi, LLC, an NPE. The ’361 patent monopoly relates to using a phone to record phone calls, meetings, and dictation, and to store associated metadata, audio, and/or speech-recognized text in a centralized, content-searchable repository.

  • JUVE ☛ Marks & Clerk grows IP offering with Potter Clarkson partner [Ed: How on Earth i9s the hiring of one person news? Follow the money (of JUVE sponsors)]

    Mixed UK patent monopoly firm Marks & Clerk has reinforced its IP offering in London with the hire of Nick McDonald.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ VETEMENTS AG Files Reply to USPTO's Certiorari Opposition: TTABlog Asks, What About the Perception of 99 Percent of American Purchasers as to Genericness?

    Vetements AG has filed its Reply Brief [pdf here] on its petition for writ of certiorari in the VETEMENTS genericness case. In upholding the TTAB's decision affirming the genericness refusal, the CAFC ruled that Vetements AG had the burden to prove it unlikely that the ordinary American purchaser (including those familiar with the French language) would not stop and translate the French word "vetements" into the English word "clothing." [The petition for certiorari may be found here, and the USPTO's opposition here.]

    Vetements AG points out that French is spoken by fewer than 1% of Americans, yet the Board and the CAFC found that 1% is enough, under the doctrine of foreign equivalents, to justify the finding that the mark VETEMENTS is generic for clothing. My question is, should the remaining 99% of American purchasers be ignored? In the likelihood-of-confusion context, if a survey showed that less than 1% - or even less than 15% - of consumers would be confused as to source with respect to a particular mark or marks, a Section 2(d) refusal (or an infringement claim) would not stand. Why is 1% enough when the issue is genericness?

    Here is Vetement AG's introduction to the Reply Brief: [...]

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ USCO Leadership Battle Rages On: Government Says Shira Perlmutter ‘Was Lawfully Removed As Register of Copyrights—Either by Mr. Blanche or by the President’

    Seven months later, the Copyright Office leadership battle is raging on – with the litigation now playing out across a district court, an appellate court, and the Supreme Court alike. We’ve covered the multifaceted dispute since USCO head Shira Perlmutter was fired in May.