Leftovers

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • New York Times ☛ National Science Foundation Diverted $1.4 Billion in Science Funds Mandated by Congress

    The move, affecting about one-fifth of the National Science Foundation’s primary research budget, is the latest sign of how the White House is asserting more control over grants.

  • Science Alert ☛ No Longer Just North And South: A New Material Joins The Third Type of Magnetism

    Best of both worlds magnetism.

  • Science Alert ☛ Finally: Rose-Tinted Solar Panels Could Let Crops And Electricity Share The Same Land

    Could this be the future of solar farming?

  • Science Alert ☛ Almost All The Viruses Found in a Vast Deep-Sea Mining Zone Were New to Science⁠

    Nearly 12,000 new viruses have been hiding on the seafloor.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover a Genius Use For Leftover Steel Waste – And It Could Save Lives

    Win-win-win.

• Career/Education

  • Stanford University ☛ Stanford cuts sexual assault awareness program Flip the Script

    This change follows the cut to NSO’s Beyond Sex Ed programming last spring.

  • New York Times ☛ D.A. in Cornell Rape Inquiry Declined to Review Additional Evidence

    Records show that campus police officers informed Tompkins County prosecutors that they had conducted additional interviews beyond taking a statement from the woman who said she was raped.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Science Alert ☛ Choice of Tea or Coffee Might Affect Risk of Osteoporosis in Older Women

    A good excuse for a cuppa.

  • Science Alert ☛ This One Exercise 3x a Week Could Keep Your Blood Pressure Down – And It Doesn't Take Long

    All you need is a wall.

  • Science Alert ☛ Ozempic Rival Delivers 25% Weight Loss at Highest Dose in Phase 3 Trial

    A weekly injection, striking results.

  • Science Alert ☛ LASIK Alternative Promises to Improve Vision Without Scalpel or Lasers

    (Jacob Wackerhausen/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

    "The whole effect was discovered by accident."

• Proprietary / Vendor Lock-in / Malware

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

    • Mike Blumenkrantz: Welcome Robot Overlord

      Hm

      I’m no stranger to big tree-wide refactors. I’ve done lots of them. They suck for everyone.

  • Social Control Media

    • International Business Times ☛ Content Creators Slammed Online as Brain Dead After Blocking Ambulance During Photoshoot

      A viral video appears to show two people posing near an ambulance in West Hollywood as paramedics prepare to transport a patient, prompting online criticism and legal questions.

• Linux Foundation

  • Business Insider ☛ Remittix Reveals November 24 RTX Launch as BNB Price Prediction Explores $1,000 and Hedera (HBAR) Contributes CLPR to Linux Foundation [Ed: Again associating the Linux Mark with scams]

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • JURIST ☛ Whistleblower reveals Morocco intelligence service targeted journalists and activists, Amnesty International says

      Amnesty International on Thursday reported that a whistleblower inside Morocco’s intelligence service helped reveal a vast surveillance apparatus targeting journalists, activists and dissidents.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Flock drones with cameras deployed as first responders in some US cities amid privacy concerns

      U.S. cities consider deploying Flock drones that automatically respond to emergency calls. However, other jurisdictions are pushing back against the service due to privacy and other concerns.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ FlyDubai Attack Raises Questions About Pilot Background Checks

    Health screenings and criminal background checks may go only so far in identifying pilots who have become radicalized or try to hide their mental health issues, experts said.

  • International Business Times ☛ The Insurrectionist Calls Iran Nuclear Sites 'Drug Factories' While Recounting 2025 US Strikes [iophk: The signs have been there since 2015, but those around him utilize the dementia for their apocalyptic intrigue(s)]

    The Insurrectionist called Iran nuclear sites hit in Operation Midnight Hammer 'drug factories', but official records reviewed identify them as nuclear facilities.

  • JURIST ☛ UN reports continued obstacles to humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza

    The United Nations reported Wednesday that, nearly one year after the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, Palestinians still face significant deprivation of basic human rights, including access to clean water, adequate shelter, healthcare, and education.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea rejects South’s accusation over DMZ mine blast and won’t apologise

    Kim Jong Un's sister calls the South's demand for an apology over the incident “really despicable”.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea fires unidentified projectile toward sea off east coast, Seoul says

    North Korea has sharply ramped up hostility against the South in recent years.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan’s first two F-16V fighter jets arrive to bolster defences against China

    This comes amid Taiwan's growing concern about the US’ commitment to arming Taipei.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese work gathering pace on Antelope Reef in South China Sea, latest satellite images show

    China has yet to acknowledge the construction of a new military base.

  • JURIST ☛ Family of Minneapolis woman killed by ICE agents files two federal lawsuits

    The family of Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother of three who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in January, filed two federal civil lawsuits Thursday in the US District Court for the District of Minnesota. The lawsuits were filed nearly nine months after her death.

  • PHR ☛ Hospitals and Medics Should Never Be a Target: Documenting and Demanding Justice for Attacks on Health Care

    A decade ago, the UN Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 2286 condemning attacks on health care facilities and personnel in conflict. While this resolution was hailed as a turning point, attacks on health care have since skyrocketed.

  • Myanmar junta airstrikes target civilians to coerce Arakan Army into peace talks

    Rakhine rebel leadership says continued bombing of civilians negates trust required for negotiations.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ US Targets Russia's A7 Network In New Iran Sanctions Push

      US authorities designated the A7 financial network as a "significant transnational criminal organization," the latest in a series of steps by Western authorities to try and choke the sprawling Kremlin-backed sanctions-evading scheme.

    • France24 ☛ 'We have to close defence gaps urgently': EU Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee chief McAllister

      We sit down with David McAllister, the chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee. He talks to us about the security threats facing Europe, and what defence gaps the EU urgently needs to close. For McAllister, the EU is "not at war with the Russian Federation, but we are no longer at peace with Russia". He also believes that the EU is not, as yet, capable of making sovereign decisions in certain areas of defence "because we are too dependent on US capabilities."

    • LRT ☛ The long road home: how EU protection policy is affecting Ukrainian refugees

      On the one hand, living from one day to the next and worrying about their homeland; on the other, looking for ways to obtain permanent residence in the EU after March 2028. This is precisely how women who fled Ukraine for EU countries at the start of the war described their experiences of living under temporary protection to Suspilne.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Reports First Combat Use of Its Own Ballistic Missile

      While the missile fired on Thursday has a limited range, Kyiv is developing a larger weapon that could strike Moscow.

    • CS Monitor ☛ One of Ukraine’s winning principles

      Russia’s expanding attacks on innocent Ukrainians not only show desperation, they draw greater international support for Ukraine as it upholds the rules of war.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania tests Ukrainian-developed drone detection system SkyFortress

      Lithuania is testing a Ukrainian-developed airspace monitoring system designed to detect low-flying drones and other threats by analysing acoustic and radio signals, the Defence Ministry said Friday.

    • European Commission ☛ Commission disburses €2.9 billion under Ukraine Facility to support financial stability and reforms

      European Commission Press release Brussels, 02 Oct 2026 Today, the European Commission has released €2.9 billion to Ukraine to support financing needs and maintain the functioning of the country's public administration, as it continues to defend itself against Russia's war of aggression. This amount includes €800 million to be provided for the first time under the Ukraine Facility component of the Ukraine Support Loan.

    • New Yorker ☛ Can Europe Still Trust America?

      Russia is escalating its provocations in NATO territory. Poland's foreign minister has a message for the U.S.: “You may have affairs elsewhere, but to us, Europe, you are married.”

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • France24 ☛ A grim winter ahead? EU states asked to prepare gas and electricity savings

      Alarm bells are ringing about fuel prices across the EU. The average cost of diesel per litre is well above €2, whereas in October of last year it was around €1.50. Even before this latest spike, the cost of living was already biting, and it seems that the conflict in the Middle East is not going to give Europeans much respite as the winter draws closer. We review what EU member states have done to cushion the blow of rising energy prices for ordinary people, and whether those measures have been effective.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Futurism ☛ In Case You Still Have Faith in Humanity, Here’s an Influencer “Riding” a Sea Turtle While It Tries to Lay Eggs

      "The desire for fame and viral views has pushed many to do evil and stupid acts."

• Finance

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Consumer watchdog receives 286 complaints over sudden closure of Hong Kong yoga chain

    Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has received 286 complaints over the abrupt closure of yoga chain Hotstone Yoga, which shut its doors on Thursday. The Consumer Council said on Friday that the complaints involved around HK$3.9 million, adding that the Customs department was investigating the case.

  • France24 ☛ French Unrest: Are we witnessing a new 'Yellow Vests' movement?

    It's been 18 days since we first reported on isolated cases of schools protests at a high school in Rennes in Brittany, in Caen in Normandy and Villeneueve d'Asque on the suburbs of Lille. The complaints were similar in theme, overloaded timetables, staffing problems, poor facilities. It spread to Saint Denis and Creteil on the outskirts of Paris days later, one interview with the students was sen 1.4 million times on TikTok. It gathered pace, and morphed into what we've seen throughout the week, hundreds of protests, some peaceful, some with deeply distressing scenes, beyond the make shift barricades, a school in Nantes set off fire, firefighters forced out of the vehicle in Marseille and the fire engine set alight, scroll your socials itt's hard to miss some of the uglier scenes, a female police officer being attacked on the ground as youths shouted kill her. Where is it heading, and what has it become? Urban violence says the government, accusing agitators linked to the hard left exploiting geenuine concerns for political ends ahead of the election. Which La France Insoumise denies saying they favour no violent means of action.

    Today in Spotlight, we discuss this with Jean Remi Girard, a teacher in Asnieres in the north of Paris, and the President of the National Union des Lycees and Colleges, covering education workers from primary schools to college, 7 until 18.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • France24 ☛ What's real and what's fake? How [Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda] is impacting Brazil's election race

      With just two days to go before the first round of Brazil's presidential election, artificial intelligence is taking centre stage, whether it's a deepfake avatar of former president Jair Bolsonaro to support his son's candidacy, or an AI-generated working-class female voter criticising President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. According to the Brazilian intelligence agency, disinformation will be one of the main challenges of this election. Our correspondents report.

    • Futurism ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Was Reportedly Pushed Into Invading Venezuela by Conversation With Grok

      The Emperor has Hey Hi (AI) psychosis.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Audiocasts/Shows

    • Project Censored ☛ Banned Books Week 2026 - Let Books Be

      On this episode of The Project Censored Show, it’s the 44th annual Banned Books Week. This week celebrates the right to read and protecting your right to know. This year’s theme is “Let Books Be, Protect The Right To Read.” This past year, the American Library Association, a co-sponsor of Banned Books Week, tracked 4,235 unique titles challenged – in 2025 alone. That’s the second highest ever documented, following the highest ever in 2023. Co-host Mickey Huff speaks with President of the American Library Association Dr. Maria McCauley on the history of Banned Books Week, and how that history materializes in the challenges to libraries and books today.

    • Project Censored ☛ Banned Books Week 2026 - Protect The Right To Read

      On this episode of The Project Censored Show, it’s the 44th annual Banned Books Week, and this year’s theme is “Let Books Be, Protect The Right To Read.” Co-host Mickey Huff speaks with one of the Youth Honorary Chairs of Banned Books Week 2026, Marshall Romero. They discuss how censorship effects students and shows up in the education system, the ways that students are treated as they try to speak out, and why it’s so important to protect the freedom to learn.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • New Yorker ☛ An American Journalist Imprisoned as a Spy in Russia

    Evan Gershkovich, a foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal who was convicted on false charges of espionage, talks about his time in a Russian prison.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • BIA Net ☛ 'I’m the complainant, but I was put in the defendant’s seat'

    D.K., who was tortured during a protest on the Syrian border, was accused of taking down the Turkish flag. No such accusation was brought against him during his trial. He spoke to bianet about his imprisonment and how his life changed after his release.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Rights group, US lawmakers condemn first Starbucks cafes in China’s Xinjiang

    Rights groups say serious abuses continue in the region, including forced labour.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvian human rights expert re-elected to UN position

    On 1st October 2026, in Geneva, Latvian human rights expert Dr Elīna Šteinerte was re-elected to the United Nations' Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) under the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) for the 2027–2030 term.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • New York Times ☛ Amazon Promises More Local Funding and Less Secrecy Around Data Centers

    The internet giant is the latest technology company trying to address increasingly hostile local sentiment toward data center projects.

  • International Business Times ☛ Amazon Prime Customers Could Get Up to $200 Automatically as Settlement Payments Expand

    Amazon Prime settlement payments began on 1 October 2026. Eligible US customers may receive up to $200 automatically, with no claim required.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Report: Amazon to offload $8B worth of Hey Hi (AI) chips, lease them back [Ed: Seems like another form of financial fraud to cheat the balance sheets as losses and debt deepen fast]

    Amazon.com Inc. reportedly plans to offload some of its artificial intelligence chips and then lease them back. The Financial Times today cited sources as saying that the transaction would involve a special purpose vehicle, or SPV.

  • Patents

    • JUVE ☛ Moderna hits back against BioNTech and Pfizer in Hamburg

      Until now, Moderna had brought legal action against BioNTech and Pfizer exclusively at national level. However, these cases ultimately came to no success.

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ FY2026 Patent Data Update: Grants, Publications, and Cross-Border Inventors

      Final FY2026 numbers: 315,825 utility grants, continuing applications at 26% of grants, US-origin share at 39%, published applications down 6%, and cross-border inventor teams on a record 10.7% of patents.

    • JUVE ☛ Victor Torres: “Brazilian judges can be quite assertive and resolute”

      JUVE Patent: Brazilian patent monopoly courts, particularly your court, have seen their importance in patent monopoly litigation grow enormously over the past year. Is this solely due to Brazil’s economic significance as a market for consumer goods? Victor Torres: The size of our market plays a very important role.

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ YouTube Shorts Recommendations Will Prioritize Original Content

      To surface better Shorts recommendations for users, YouTube has adjusted its algorithm to “focus on originality.” YouTube says it will “focus on originality” in recommending Shorts to users, adjusting its algorithm so that users will see less unoriginal content.

    • Creative Commons ☛ From Reflection to Action: 8 Hot Takes from CC’s Open Heritage Roundtable

      Five months after Creative Commons hosted an Exploratory Dialogue at UNESCO House that brought the international community together to consider the promise of equitable access to heritage, we returned to Paris with a smaller group of UNESCO Member State representatives and open heritage champions. This time, the conversation had a different purpose: moving from exploring why open heritage matters to underscoring the urgency of taking action to establish international standards.