Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Cup of Tea Could Contain Billions of Microplastics From One Source

    "A daily routine for millions of people worldwide."

  • Science Alert ☛ NASA's Psyche Is About to Use Mars as a Slingshot to a Rare Metal Asteroid

    It's capturing stunning images on its way past.

• Career/Education

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ CUHK proposes new grounds to remove leaders, replace alumni body

    The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has proposed amendments to laws governing the institution that would allow university heads to be sacked on new grounds, including “misconduct, incompetence, and inefficiency.”

  • CS Monitor ☛ More civility on campus – and perhaps beyond

    Across the U.S., colleges and universities are recentering a core purpose of higher education: equipping young people with the civic skills of open inquiry, free speech, and mutual respect, all essential to a thriving democracy.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ AMD GPU owners take to Reddit to report fan problem with driver update — Zero RPM feature could cause GPU temperatures to rise unexpectedly

    Reddit users report that the AMD Adrenalin 26.5.1 graphics driver causes the Zero RPM feature to malfunction when the monitor goes to sleep or when turned off.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • BIA Net ☛ Food security expert Bülent Şık sentenced to pay damages for health warnings on herbal products

    Şık had written about the potentially misleading marketing of herbal products. He was found liable for unfair competition against a company that manufactures such products.

  • Science Alert ☛ One Habit May Protect You From Work Stress More Than Exercise, Study Says

    For many of us, work stress is chronic.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Eyes Could Reveal Your Risk of Osteoporosis, Study Finds

    The retina is a window.

  • Science Alert ☛ Roots of Many Miscarriages Could Trace Back To Before The Mother Is Even Born

    Based on data from nearly 140,000 embryos.

  • Science Alert ☛ Speaking Two Languages May Affect Dementia Risk in an Unexpected Way

    A trio of factors were studied together for the first time.

  • Science Alert ☛ Using Weight Loss Drugs May Come With a Downside We Don't Talk About

    Not all 'side effects' happen in your body.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Common Nutrient Could Give Your Workout a Surprising Boost

    Experts explain the evidence.

  • New York Times ☛ Wes Streeting Resigns and Calls for Leadership Contest to Replace Starmer

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer now appears set to face at least two possible challengers: his health minister, who resigned Thursday, and the popular mayor of Manchester.

  • JURIST ☛ Supreme Court preserves telehealth access to abortion pill mifepristone pending appeal

    The US Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the abortion drug mifepristone to remain available by mail and through telehealth nationwide, staying a Fifth Circuit order that had reinstated an in-person dispensing requirement while Louisiana’s challenge to the drug’s regulation proceeds in the lower courts.

  • Latvia ☛ Blood urgently needed in Latvia

    The State Blood Donor Centre (VADC) has seen a decline in the number of donors in recent weeks, while the need for blood supplies is increasing, Latvian Television reported on May 13.

  • New York Times ☛ Another Convicted Felon Appointee Learns It’s Easier to Be a Critic Than a Leader

    We have no F.D.A. director, no permanent C.D.C. director and no surgeon general.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania's health system is locking out its own doctors

    Medics who trained abroad face near-insurmountable barriers to entering specialist medical training, whilst young doctors who want to invest and work in their own country are finding themselves shut out of Lithuania's state health insurance system.

• Proprietary / SaaS

  • So-Called 'Artificial Intelligence' ('AI') / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Press Gazette ☛ Health coverage is getting killed by Surveillance Giant Google Hey Hi (AI) Overviews [Ed: Slop kills.]

      New data reveals the impact of Surveillance Giant Google Hey Hi (AI) Overviews on clickthroughs to different publishers and topic areas.

    • Press Gazette ☛ Future reveals it is still heavily reliant on Surveillance Giant Google as profit falls 67%

      Mag giant's half year results 'could have been worse' as share price remains in doldrums.

    • Futurism ☛ OpenAI Accused of Handing Over Your Intimate Personal Information to Meta and Google

      AI companies are tech companies — and they're vacuuming up your most personal secrets.

    • New York Times ☛ UCF Commencement Speaker Draws Boos After Hey Hi (AI) Remarks

      Humanities students made their displeasure known at the University of Central Florida.

    • Futurism ☛ Microsoft Hey Hi (AI) Researchers Just Discovered Something That’s Going to Make Their Bosses Extremely Mad

      Relying on Hey Hi (AI) in the workplace? You may be about to discover a drastic problem.

    • New York Times ☛ OpenAI Considers Legal Action Against Fashion Company Apple in Strained Relationship

      The Hey Hi (AI) company, which is in the middle of a court fight with MElon, has been unhappy with how Fashion Company Apple has integrated Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot into its devices.

    • Silicon Angle ☛ OpenAI reportedly mulls taking Fashion Company Apple to court over ChatGPT’s Siri integration

      OpenAI Group PBC has reportedly become so upset with Fashion Company Apple Inc. over its poor handling of the ChatGPT-Siri integration that it’s now exploring legal action against the company.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Reset the ICO

      Data protection rights only work if they’re enforced, that’s why we need an effective regulator. The problem with the ICO Your data reveals who you are, what you like, where you live and more. That’s why so many companies, government bodies and criminals want access to it.

    • OpenRightsGroup ☛ The ICO isn’t doing its job – why the data watchdog needs an overhaul

      The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is currently missing its Commissioner, after unspecified HR complaints about John Edwards. Whatever the reasons for his absence, the Commissioner’s decision to step back from his role is an opportunity to take stock of the direction of travel of the ICO and outline why it needs a reset.

  • Confidentiality

    • Citizen Lab ☛ Signal Warns It Would Pull Out of Canada if Made to Comply with Lawful Access Bill

      Senior research associate Kate Robertson says Bill C-22 could lead to the rollout of forced metadata collection for messaging apps.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2026-05-05 [Older] Taiwan's Lai returns from Eswatini trip amid China objection

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia to seek legal action, compensation in row with Norway over scrapped defence deal

    Norwegian group Kongsberg said in 2018 it had agreed on a contract with the Royal Malaysian Navy.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian singer Namewee acquitted of drug-related charges

    The Attorney General’s Chambers had accepted Namewee’s second representation to drop the charges.

  • New York Times ☛ Saudi Arabia and U.A.E. Carried Out Secret Attacks in Iran, U.S. Officials Say

    The Gulf Arab states have been grappling with how to deter Iran after the war made clear the limits of American security guarantees.

  • New York Times ☛ Nigel Farage, Leader of Reform UK, Says £5 Million Gift Was ‘Reward’ for Brexit

    Nigel Farage, the leader of the populist right-wing party, had previously said the money was for personal security.

  • New York Times ☛ Green Card Holders Targeted for Deportation by New ‘Removal Apparatus’

    The Department of Homeland Security recently formed a unit tasked with revetting thousands of immigrants with permanent residency.

  • France24 ☛ Haiti gang clashes kill at least 78 in Port-au-Prince suburbs, UN says

    Clashes between rival gangs in the suburbs of Haiti’s capital have killed at least 78 people and wounded 66 since Saturday, the United Nations office in Haiti said on Thursday. The toll included 10 civilians. Haiti, the Caribbean’s poorest country, has faced spiralling gang violence and worsening insecurity over the past two years.

  • New York Times ☛ A Top U.S. Commander Dismisses Reports of Civilian Deaths in Iran

    Adm. Brad Cooper said a strike on an Iranian school may have been the only civilian casualty incident of the war.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India condemns sinking of cargo vessel off Oman after suspected attack

    India said on Thursday that an Indian-flagged wooden cargo vessel had sunk while sailing through Omani waters following a fire from a suspected drone or missile strike.

  • Mint Press News ☛ From Bahrain to the UAE: Gulf States Expand Anti-Shia Crackdowns During Direct Strikes on Iran

    As reports emerge of direct Gulf involvement in strikes on Iran, Bahrain is escalating a sweeping anti-Shia crackdown — arresting clerics, revoking citizenships, and threatening dissidents with death sentences.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania under pressure from US to renew Belarusian fertiliser transit, says FM

      Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said the US is pressuring Lithuania to allow the transit of Belarusian fertilisers through its territory, according to remarks made in a closed-door meeting with the Social Democratic faction.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania denies airspace use for drone strikes, calls claims Russian disinformation

      Statements by Lithuanian officials banning other countries from using the country’s airspace for drone attacks are aimed at countering Russian disinformation, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said on Thursday.

    • France24 ☛ Russia pummels Kyiv, killing at least 10 as advance in the east slows

      Russia pummelled Kyiv for hours early on Thursday, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in an attack that killed at least 10 people and further shredded hopes of a halt to Moscow's grinding invasion. FRANCE 24's August Hakansson reports.

    • RFERL ☛ Kyiv Court Orders Former Zelenskyy Adviser Yermak Jailed On $3 Million Bail

      A Ukrainian court ordered Andriy Yermak jailed as part of a luxury real estate scandal, setting bail at $3 million for the man who was once President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's most influential adviser.

    • RFERL ☛ US Pledges Fresh $1.8 Billion For UN Aid Operations, Including Ukraine

      The United States has announced an additional $1.8 billion in humanitarian assistance for UN-led relief operations worldwide, including continued support for Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Death Toll Rises In Russia's 2-Day Air Assault On Kyiv, Other Cities

      Russian forces blasted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in one of the largest two-day aerial assaults since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, with at least 21 people killed in the capital, authorities said early on May 15.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian president says no point engaging Russia until it ends Ukraine war

      Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said there is no point in engaging with Russia until it shows willingness to end its full-scale war in Ukraine.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian, Finnish presidents call for stronger air defences after drone incidents

      Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Wednesday that recent incidents involving Ukrainian drones entering Baltic and Finnish airspace highlight the need to strengthen air defences.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Pummels Kyiv in the Largest Drone Attack of the War

      At least 12 people were killed and dozens were wounded in a drone and missile assault, days after President Vladimir Putin of Russia said the war could end soon.

• Environment

  • Futurism ☛ Last Time an El Niño Was This Bad, It Killed 50 Million People

    "It was arguably the worst environmental disaster to ever befall humanity."

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Futurism ☛ Electric Company Says It’s Cutting Off an Entire Town So It Can Sell All Its Power to Data Centers

      "It's like we don't exist."

    • France24 ☛ Cuba runs out of fuel, diesel amid US blockade

      Cuba has run out of fuel and diesel, as the US blockade plunges the island deeper into an energy crisis. The government is now considering a renewed offer of aid from the Convicted Felon administration - but that financing would come with conditions. Also in the show - US President The Insurrectionist announces China will buy 200 aircraft from Boeing, as he continues his high-stakes visit to Beijing.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ 49,000 Lake Tahoe residents could be left powerless as Hey Hi (AI) data centers inhale electricity supply — power company looking to redirect power to 12 data centers, high demand plus a regulatory limbo equals a dim situation

      Around 49,000 Lake Tahoe residents are finding out in the worst way that they might become literally powerless come May 2027, as provider NV Energy is poised to redirect the spice flow elsewhere, according to an article on Fortune.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Australian judge criticises Tesla for ‘gobsmacking’ slow progress in class action lawsuit

      Tesla has said it does not mischaracterise its product.

    • New York Times ☛ Is MElon Running an Illegal Power Plant? The D.O.J. Says It Might Weigh In.

      In a court filing, the administration signaled support for MElon’s artificial intelligence company in a lawsuit challenging xAI’s generators at a huge Mississippi data center.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ China urges caution over British Steel nationalisation plan

    Britain took operational control of British Steel from ​its Chinese owner, Jingye, in April 2025.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Affordability crunch also spurs creativity, generosity around the globe

    Consumers worldwide have felt squeezed for many reasons, including the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. So, they’ve come up with their own solutions.

  • France24 ☛ Iran’s small businesses collapse under war, inflation and internet blackout

    Prices for some goods have tripled or quadrupled within a matter of months. At least two million people have lost their jobs, the currency has lost 60% of its value, the international internet has been shut down for more than 75 days, and there is no end in sight. This is the reality of Iran’s economy after two and a half months of war, ceasefire and blockade. We spoke to the owner of an e-shop, a small business, and a major tech startup to capture what life is like for Iranians today.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Why Modimir wants Indians to stop buying gold

    Gold’s role as a safe-haven asset and a hedge against inflation makes it highly valuable for Indian households.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan thanks US for support ahead of further Convicted Felon-Xi talks

    China’s daily military activities around Taiwan have not ceased.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Solomon Islands elects former China critic Wale as prime minister

    Solomon Islands parliament on Friday elected opposition leader Matthew Wale as prime minister, after incumbent Jeremiah Manele was ousted from power last week in a no-confidence vote.

  • France24 ☛ Nobel winner Mukwege warns of predatory US deal for DR Congo

    In tonight's edition, Congolese Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege slams the US-brokered peace deal in eastern DRC as predatory. Also, once dominant in Senegal’s economy, France is now being overtaken  as China and Turkey emerge as the country’s leading investors. And we take a squint at the stellar career of South African sensation Tyla.

  • France24 ☛ UK: Keir Starmer is fighting for his political survival

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is fighting for his political survival. He is warning of chaos as is expected to face a leadership challenge from his own health secretary, Wes Streeting. Starmer started the week saying he would prove his doubters wrong, but that address and Wednesday's King Speech has done little to quell the mutiny that's been brewing within the Labour party. Story by Delano D’Souza.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Futurism ☛ A Deranged New Wikipedia Clone Is Made Entirely of Surreal Hey Hi (AI) Hallucinations

      An entire "universe" of nonsensical information that somehow all still fits together.

    • Futurism ☛ Scam Altman Accuses MElon of Laughing at Memes During Important Proprietary Chaffbot Company Meetings

      "MEMES ON HIS PHONE."

    • Futurism ☛ Scam Altman Faces Nightmare Questions in Cross-Examination

      "I believe I am an honest and trustworthy business person."

    • Futurism ☛ MElon Flees Proprietary Chaffbot Company Trial as Tide Turns Against Him

      And he's gone.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • NYPost ☛ Daily Mail editor known to ‘disrespect women’ drove subordinates to smear poop on restroom walls in protest: suit

    “[T]he Daily Mail has conveyed a blatant yet grim message to its female employees: this is not a safe place for you and you are not welcome here,” real estate reporter Marianne Garvey said in her lawsuit.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Xe's Blog ☛ Amazonbot is finally respecting robots.txt

    Thanks for giving me a viable business model Amazon!

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Digital Music News ☛ Live Nation/Ticketmaster Ticket-Fee Class Action Rolls Forward Ahead of Scheduled July 2027 Trial

    52 months later, the Popp v. Live Nation class action lawsuit against the leading promoter and its Ticketmaster subsidiary is moving forward in anticipation of a scheduled July 2027 trial. DMN’s been covering the high-stakes legal battle since it kicked off way back in January 2022.

  • Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ After LKQ: The Boilerplate Changed; The Rejection Rate Did Not

      Two years after LKQ Corp. v. GM, a 297-case study finds examiners stripped Rosen-Durling boilerplate but did not adopt new doctrine. Rate flat.

    • JUVE ☛ Game over: Subsonic prevails against Sony in infringement case over PlayStation controllers

      Since 2014 the parties have been locked in a fierce battle over three patents, EP 0 867 212, EP 08 34 338 and EP 13 31 974. They cover controllers for the popular Sony PlayStation games console. All three patents have long expired: EP 212 and EP 338 in 2017, with EP 974 expiring in 2020.

    • Federal News Network ☛ Technology transfer is getting a credential meant to sustain expertise and credibility over time [Ed: Technology transfer as lousy cover for patent monopolies]

      "We need to take those inventions, those patents, that intellectual property and move it into the public sphere.," said Andy Myers.

    • Unified Patents ☛ ITC Funding Disclosure Proposal Could Reshape Patent Litigation Strategy

      The US International Trade Commission’s proposed rule requiring disclosure of third-party litigation funding in Section 337 investigations is intensifying scrutiny of who finances patent monopoly disputes and how those relationships influence enforcement strategy. The proposal would require complainants to disclose funders, ownership interests, and entities with control over litigation or settlement decisions, with the ITC arguing the changes would improve transparency, identify conflicts of interest, and clarify who truly stands behind patent monopoly assertions.

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ DistroKid Is Now Asking Creators If Their Music Is AI-Generated as ‘Self-Disclosure’ Moves Out of Beta

      As Spotify tests Hey Hi (AI) credit labels in a beta rollout, DistroKid is now asking creators to disclose what parts, if any, of their tracks are AI-assisted. Last month, Spotify launched a beta test alongside DistroKid of a new feature that exposes artificial intelligence assistance within track credits, part of a major step towards platform-level transparency.