Leftovers

• MIT Technology Review ☛ Montana’s new “right to try” law can’t come soon enough for some

  Kris DeVault is desperate. His son, Brody, was born in March 2023. It wasn’t long before he started to show signs of developmental delay, says DeVault. As time went on, Brody started missing key milestones in speech, movement, and coordination, he says.

• Otto Kekäläinen: Estonia, the country of the fit and the wit

  While many Western democracies seem to be in a state of decay and are no longer the safe, civilized and prosperous countries they once were, there are still some European countries that are governed well. One of those that stand out is Estonia.

  Estonia is probably most well known for multiple software companies that originated from there, such as Wise, Bolt, Pipedrive and Skype.

• Clint Adams: N.K. Jemisin is doing a worldbuilding workshop at the Bronx Library Center tomorrow afternoon

  Normally, I do not read book reviews. Either I haven't read the book, in which case there's spoiler potential, or I have, in which case it's unlikely to be useful or enjoyable for me to read a thing about a thing I've already read.

• New York Times ☛ Next Met Gala Show Will Honor John Galliano, Celebrated Designer Infamous for Antisemitic Rant

  As famous for his antisemitic rant in 2011 as he is for his fashion, Galliano would be one of only three living designers ever to receive the honor.

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • New York Times ☛ Archaeologists Find Hundreds of Ancient Glyphs in the Amazon

    The geometric earthwork structures, carved into the ground with embankments and ditches, are in some cases more than 2,500 years old, researchers said.

  • New York Times ☛ I Flew in the Douglas DC-3, a WWII Workhorse of Aviation, Over the Amazon

    The Douglas DC-3 was mass-produced during World War II. Today, one of the few still remaining transports passengers in Colombia’s jungle.

  • Chronicle Of Higher Education ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man's Proposed Rules for Funding Would Destroy American Science

    Political appointees, not scientists, may soon determine who gets grants.

  • Science Alert ☛ Concerning Map Suggests The Worst May Be Yet to Come For Devastating European Fires

    Stay safe, everyone.

  • Science Alert ☛ A New Kind of HIV Pill Just Passed Its First Test in Humans

    Could this be a new weapon against HIV?

  • Science Alert ☛ Did Everyone's Period Actually Go Weird in June? Here's What Experts Say

    Was it a real trend?

  • Science Alert ☛ Good News, at Last: Coral Reefs Presumed Dead Have Been Found Teeming With Life

    Lush new deep-water coral garden found off the coast of West Africa.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Within 20 Km of 2 Million People': Major Volcano Is Hiding Two Active Magma Chambers

    It has a knack for explosive outbursts.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Reveal The Chain Reaction That Leads to Gluten Attacking The Gut

    A chain reaction.

  • Science Alert ☛ Diabetes Drug Used For More Than 60 Years Found to Unexpectedly Affect The Brain

    A hidden pathway is emerging.

• Career/Education

  • Chronicle Of Higher Education ☛ This College Changed Grades Behind Professors’ Backs. Then Things Got Weirder.

    The fallout at a South Carolina technical college has laid tensions bare.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan fills free college gap, lowers eligibility to 21 — for now

    Officials are aiming to reach 8,000 residents with the Michigan Reconnect expansion and provide free tuition to young people whose high school education was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

• Proprietary / SaaS

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Big tech spends more than $1 trillion on Hey Hi (AI) infrastructure — additional $745 billion expected to be added to the figure in 2026 alone

    Amazon, Google, Meta, and Abusive Monopolist Microsoft have collectively spent more than $1 trillion on Hey Hi (AI) investments since the rush started in 2023. However, the big four are planning to spend more on Hey Hi (AI) CAPEX, with billions more planned for this year, even as their "hidden debt" balloons to over $1.65 trillion.

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

    • New York Times ☛ Leopold Aschenbrenner Built a Hot Hey Hi (AI) Hedge Fund. Then it Melted Down.

      Situational Awareness, led by a 24-year-old, exploded onto the artificial intelligence scene — and then nose-dived.

    • Futurism ☛ Google Pulls Down Feature for AI-Generating Fake Satellite Images on Surveillance Giant Google Earth After It’s Immediately Used to Fake Terror Attacks

      "It inherits the credibility of the map it was born on."

    • Bert Hubert ☛ AI: Considerations for people who make decisions

      Recently I gave two presentations in quick succession to the Dutch Network of Government Service Providers and the Dutch Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation about AI. In these two different and brief presentations, I hoped to share some insights that would be useful to the people currently at the helm, the people who can or must make decisions about Hey Hi (AI) policy. Many thanks to the NPD and AWTI for the invitations and the stimulating discussions!

    • Futurism ☛ We Are Alarmed by This PR Firm Using a Small Army of Fake AI-Powered Publicists to Barrage Journalists With Pitches for Its Clients

      Why am I getting emails from fake PR reps with AI-generated faces?

    • Futurism ☛ Major Publisher Cans $2.4 Million Book Deal After Author Was Accused of Using AI, for a Very Cynical Reason

      "Unfortunately, we are no longer able to authenticate how the manuscript fully evolved from origin to completion."

    • Federal News Network ☛ AI is only as reliable as its information, and some are learning this late

      "Being more selective in which cases you want to prioritize, that's, I think, where a lot of firms are gonna move in their maturation," said Robert Cruz.

  • Social Control Media

    • The Straits Times ☛ Meta India head named in case over Facebook (Farcebook) videos targeting PM Narendra Modi

      Case adds to tension between the tech giant and the Indian government over online content.

• Privatisation/Privateering

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexican soccer officials break ranks wth US and Canada by not rejecting FIFA’s World Cup privatization plan

    FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plan to privatize chunks of the organization that controls international soccer has drawn nearly universal rejection, but the Mexican Football Federaion is keeping its options open.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Facial Recognition at Madison Square Garden

      Last month, the story broke (alternate link) that Madison Square Garden uses facial recognition software on everyone entering the facility, and—among other groups—flags activists that oppose using facial recognition.

    • ACLU ☛ Government Playing a Dangerous Game With Drone Cybersecurity

      Return of the zombie idea that software vulnerabilities can be reserved for good actors

    • Citizen Lab ☛ Kate Robertson on the Risks That Lie Behind Canada’s Unexpected Signing of the UN Cybercrime Convention

      Earlier this month, the Canadian government announced that it had signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Solomon Islands signs security agreement with US, reaffirms neutrality

    Engaging with both Beijing and Washington is ‘standard practice’ for countries in the region, experts said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Sri Lanka sentences two ex-security officials to death over 2019 bombings

    A three-judge bench ruled that the duo had failed in his duties to stop the deadly attacks.

  • JURIST ☛ Pakistan dispatch: deadly clashes in Azad Jammu and Kashmir escalate political crisis

    Pakistan-administered territories of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) are witnessing one of their most serious episodes of political unrest in recent years, as protests led by Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) have escalated into deadly confrontations with security forces, disrupting elections, transport, and public life across several districts.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia President Prabowo willing to go to North Korea to open a dialogue at request of South Korea

    Indonesia traditionally has a non-aligned foreign policy.

  • New York Times ☛ Beijing Protests After New Zealand Minister Insults Chinese-Born Lawmaker

    The foreign minister, Winston Peters, who leads a populist party, has refused to back down after telling the member of Parliament to “go back to your own country.”

  • The Straits Times ☛ Death toll rises to at least 34 after blast at Pakistan coal mine complex

    The incident occurred in Sorange, a remote area near Quetta, Balochistan's provincial capital.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin urges deeper anti-graft fight in military, Xinhua reports

    The US believed China wanted its military ready to be able to win a conflict over Taiwan by 2027.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China Coast Guard patrols east of Taiwan, angering Taipei

    Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said it sent a patrol ship to monitor the Chinese ships.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China conducts naval, air patrols around disputed shoal near the Philippines

    The Chinese military said the drills were aimed at testing its combat readiness.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China denies US accusation of forced labour in Xinjiang

    The Commerce Ministry urged the US to stop “attacking and smearing” Xinjiang.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan monitors China coast guard ships ‘drifting’ east of the island

    Taiwan said Friday it has deployed vessels to monitor two China Coast Guard ships east of the island, as Beijing asserts authority over an area of the Western Pacific. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and also insists that waters around the island democracy come under its jurisdiction, which Taipei rejects. Chinese ships […]

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Explosions, red flags: Chinese tourists reenact communist victory

    Dressed in Red Army uniforms and waving prop weapons, scores of tourists stormed a mound in southwestern China’s Loushan Pass as pyrotechnics lit up the hillside in a reenactment of a historic battle.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Clock stopped at 04:45 The Medininkai massacre in the shadow of world powers

      That day, the world's attention was focused on Moscow. On July 30–31, 1991, some 3,000 journalists gathered there to witness one of the defining moments marking the end of the Cold War – the signing of a landmark arms-reduction treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia-Belarus border closed due to 'technical reasons'

      For ''technical reasons'', the Latvian-Belarusian border has been closed, as announced by the Minister for the Interior, Jānis Dombrava (National Alliance), on his social control media accounts.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Boldly going in different directions? US and Russia diverge on joint space plans.

      U.S.-Russia space cooperation, a success story of the Cold War, could be under threat if a new agreement can't be reached.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Designates Telegram Founder Pavel Durov As A 'Terrorist'

      Russia said it had designated Telegram founder Pavel Durov a “terrorist” and “extremist,” further tightening the screws on the popular messenger app ahead of parliamentary elections in September.

    • Latvia ☛ More espionage cases seen in Latvian courts

      A financier who collaborated with the pro-Kremlin organisation “Baltic Anti-Fascists” appeared in court on Thursday. Jevgenijs Okss gathered information in Russia’s interests about two people living in Latvia; he also met with a representative of the Russian Federal Security Service in Moscow, Latvian Television reported on July 30.

    • France24 ☛ Russian attack on Ukrainian capital kills at least nine people

      At leased nine people were killed and 28 others wounded in Ukrainian capital Kyiv after Russia launched a series of ballistic missiles overnight Saturday, authorities said. Both Russia and Ukraine have ramped up attacks in recent months, with Moscow increasing its long-range strikes on towns and cities across Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine’s Strike on Iranian Ship Shows How Two Wars Could Spiral

      Iran sent military aid to Russia for its war against Ukraine. Now the question is whether that conflict and the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran are converging.

    • New York Times ☛ Political Turmoil Will Not Derail Killer Robot Program, Ousted Minister Says

      The Ukrainian former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, an advocate for drone and robot warfare, says the country’s tech-heavy strategy will persist.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Backs Away From Deal to Let Ukraine Build Patriot Missiles

      The president of Ukraine had warned that the country was running out of Patriot interceptors, the most reliable weapon it has to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles.

    • CS Monitor ☛ War and peace: Ukraine’s ambassador in Washington joins our table

      Ukrainian Ambassador Olga Stefanishyna met reporters at a Monitor Breakfast, in the wake of a Convicted Felon-Zelenskyy White House meeting and headlines about Ukraine bombing an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea.

    • CS Monitor ☛ US military is taking drone lessons from wars in Ukraine, Middle East

      A look at the evolving capabilities of drones and how the U.S. military is copying tactics from wars in Ukraine and Iran to change how troops fight.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea says NATO fuel plan shows alliance preparing for war

      NATO has said it is strengthening deterrence and defence following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says US Should Be 'Careful' About Granting Kyiv Patriot License Despite Zelenskyy Pleas

      President The Insurrectionist said the United States should be "very careful" about granting Kyiv a license to produce Patriot missiles as Ukraine seeks greater air defense capabilities to protect itself against Russia's daily air attacks.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Targets Kyiv With Ballistic Missiles As Zelenskyy Awaits US Patriot Decision

      Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital with ballistic missiles early on August 1, even as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed for the Washington to grant licenses for Kyiv to produce its own Patriot air defense missiles amid apparent renewed reluctance by US President The Insurrectionist.

    • RFERL ☛ Patriot Debate Deepens As Bacon Questions Convicted Felon Shift, Senate Moves On Ukraine Arms

      US President The Insurrectionist's decision to step back from his earlier pledge to allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors has prompted renewed debate in Washington over the future direction of US military support for Kyiv.

    • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man says US has not agreed to Ukraine producing Patriot missiles

      US President The Insurrectionist said on Friday that Washington had not agreed to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles, contradicting remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following talks between the two leaders earlier this week.

    • France24 ☛ No, this video does not show a drone attack on ships in Egypt

      Following reports of a drone attack on a US-owned gas storage vessel at Egypt’s Damietta port, a video purporting to show the incident began circulating online. The footage, however, is unrelated to the conflict in the Middle East. FRANCE 24 found that the footage instead shows a Ukrainian drone striking a Russian ship in the Black Sea.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ S. Korea records highest-ever temperature of 41.4 deg C as heatwave intensifies

    The heatwave was caused by two weather systems that have acted like a lid, trapping heat.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • France24 ☛ Heatwave pushes energy-hungry Tunisia to enforce rolling blackouts

      In Tunisia, after weeks of extended power cuts, the effects are serious. Between 150 and 200 died in the heatwave, according to the Order of Young Doctors, and businesses took severe hits after their goods spoiled. Authorities have announced that power is returning to normal as temperatures go back down this week. This crisis has highlighted Tunisia’s fragile dependence on energy as climate change sees regularly higher temperatures. FRANCE 24's Lilia Blaise and Hamdi Tlili report.

    • JURIST ☛ Rights group urges Ecuador to comply with court ruling ordering elimination of gas flares

      Amnesty International urged authorities in Ecuador on Wednesday to implement a court ruling mandating the elimination of oil industry gas flares near populated areas in the Amazon and the provision of reparations to affected communities.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New York Times ☛ A Whale Gave Birth. A Drone Was There to Capture the Spectacle.

      A wildlife photographer noticed a humpback whale displaying unusual behavior off Australia’s east coast, then something extraordinary happened.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s tariffs are sending some companies back to China

    For some US brands seeking a location for their factories, the economic logic is once again pointing to China.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man to Appeal Judge’s Ruling Denouncing I.R.S. Lawsuit as Exercise in Self-Dealing

    It was the latest sign that the president was doubling down on his fight for aspects of a deal that brings him vast benefits, even though they have jeopardized the confirmation of his pick for attorney general.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Administration Plans to Upend Head Start by Deregulating It

    The White House tried but failed to block funding for preschool for poor children. Instead, it will seek to strip away standards on health, literacy — and brushing teeth.

  • France24 ☛ Cameroon president's absence sparks debate over government inaction

    The lengthy absence of Cameroon's long-serving President Paul Biya, who has been in Switzerland since early June, has reignited debate about government inaction, in a country where many crave change. Biya has made frequent trips to Geneva over the years and has faced waves of speculation and rumours regarding his health. FRANCE 24's Indira Ayuk tells us more from Yaoundé.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan was to be a ‘haven state’ for abortion. It didn’t happen

    Waiting lists stretched for weeks at abortion clinics in Michigan in 2022, as residents in states that banned the procedure scrambled for services in ‘haven states.’ Today, some Michigan clinic owners say they struggle to stay open as more patients seek abortion resources online.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Senate committee advances nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz to be Convicted Felon’s CDC director

    A committee on Thursday sent to the full Senate the nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz to be director of the CDC, the nation's top public health agency.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • NYPost ☛ Google Earth Hey Hi (AI) image feature yanked after users raise misinformation concerns

      Google announced it is rolling back its new Hey Hi (AI) feature within Surveillance Giant Google Earth after users generated images that violate the company's policies.

    • Cloudbooklet ☛ LinkedIn Now Lets Users Report Hey Hi (AI) Generated Slop Posts

      Struggling with fake content? Microsoft's Surveillance Arm LinkedIn now allows users to report Hey Hi (AI) generated slop posts easily. Read the full story on this new update.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan hails late Hong Kong bookseller for ‘resistance’ against China

    A Hong Kong bookseller who fled to Taiwan in 2019 after being detained by China was hailed for his “resistance and defiance” at a memorial service on Friday. Lam Wing-kee, 70, died in Taipei on July 2 after a battle with cancer.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • JURIST ☛ Canada high court strikes down law barring judicial review of legal and factual errors

    The Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday ruled unanimously that a partial privative clause cannot bar judicial review on questions of fact and law. It held that judicial review on such questions is the courts’ “core supervisory jurisdiction” guaranteed by the Constitution.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Rejection Is Not Denial: What a Final Office Action Actually Costs

      Across 1.5 million utility applications, a first final rejection cuts the odds of a patent monopoly by only seven points. The PTAB is the only real cliff.

    • Unified Patents ☛ Another WirelessWerx IP geofencing patent monopoly challenged

      On July 30, 2026, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 8,009,037, owned by WirelessWerx IP LLC, an NPE and Dynamic IP Deals LLC entity. The ‘037 patent monopoly is directed to tracking and managing wireless devices using geofencing techniques.

    • JUVE ☛ Munich Regional Court stops Suno using GEMA-protected music

      Today, the Regional Court Munich handed down its decision in the dispute between GEMA and Suno AI. US company Suno Hey Hi (AI) is the provider of an Hey Hi (AI) tool that generates complete, playable songs using simple text commands or prompts.

    • Unified Patents ☛ Validity of IP Edge entity Kreatosphere patent monopoly being investigated

      The team at Unified is using Pearl to identify and chart prior art against a patent monopoly owned by Kreatosphere LLC, an NPE and entity of IP Edge LLC.

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ GEMA Notches a Major Legal Win Over Suno in High-Stakes Infringement Case — Hey Hi (AI) Music Platform Preps Appeal

      Germany’s GEMA has notched another Hey Hi (AI) legal victory – this time over Suno, which the Munich Regional Court has reportedly ordered to disclose its revenue and pay damages. Meanwhile, the music-generation startup is set to appeal. GEMA touted its “groundbreaking success” today, after suing Suno closer to 2025’s start.