𝕿𝖊𝖈𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖘 Bulletin for Friday, February 17, 2023 ┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅ Generated Sat 18 Feb 02:45:24 GMT 2023 Created by Dr. Roy Schestowitz (𝚛𝚘𝚢 (at) 𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚣 (dot) 𝚌𝚘𝚖) Full hyperlinks for navigation omitted but are fully available in the originals The corresponding HTML versions are at 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈 Latest in 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒕𝒙𝒕 and older bulletins can be found at 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒕𝒙𝒕-𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 Full IPFS index in 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒊𝒑𝒇𝒔 and as plain text in 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒊𝒑𝒇𝒔/𝒕𝒙𝒕 Gemini index for the day: gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/02/17/ ╒═══════════════════ 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐒 ════════════════════════════════════╕ Previous bulletins in IPFS (past 21 days, in chronological order): QmYV3WS2gpVGuPpGL214RmMcjMk45cBmmXgM7VBxCDEv4H QmamtVaJ1jkVqwTRHeheoiVfr7r3ijZpHVWct6WE9FvhVN QmbFDooXZn997QjZY3cCKWM82PnZJjTTiaSSMufBXjiNXP QmXU8EhJFQRtv8o2V6scWUz5kebeKRmyZa6mEimNyZLPtm Qmb399zeJfbfeD2xUcMf2JDeQPEXQZXKB4r2KNpE2YN16j QmVaSG1ALmtpgw3bqUgN2o37FRRRvK92JA5SKGzkigi5Qg QmXe8bt58f7QFPCzPjfHLJEDufxCy9LYEr1x5WRuwvvwxd QmXCyRSEqZvXQpdJJgNTZ2SmscGBN8faNeNbNZcV8zoX6D QmbqEc6DR3dJD1Zez6UEB9NiyCWswQvsYE1yFxnM6ghvgG QmaVY3HqyuHpVGyMxeT4Bud2vNW78oYnx8dJCM6ZZK5ziE QmSUai4xNvwMKU2TbSerbPiWGAVberWqCyRsFtpfBmSJUA QmdqfApkUHoNL7LgRhijLyQ917yqySCE8TFPFh8Efixmuk QmYUwzBTiff9y3NpVBbZgEPJYspVVxmzVVYkzar4igJRiY QmWU4whiYNSNx6oxSqvGVEkr1unaGuqfGtoiphqZLBAxVJ QmQUWdJviNhacCKbEie2yYrdrQaNYjUhGH7B8majeYU6Vb Qmckkfq1rqb7mTK7w6RbFZJjskRKcnUk8PdtMmcLwUhXgV QmVY5cAKghhEttE24TaNrAQgciJau5j7EoeaEmfjYdbLMD QmUUEWf3hsUuMVJFPVavJpe7kPpi5bCmXqN9PPz7qbVMEu QmVBn9QkCHpe2cDLPr9H2kyS7vx3eRh5a9NN8CDSJEKw58 QmYGXGQ6SW216dEJ4TMfGyb7yDMBF4n6zCEwza8SfCQjDJ QmbPtsyc7sJxSwGRbURzMBpmJpQAgABouVYWUyXdfGhcFh ╒═══════════════════ 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐗 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⦿ IRC Proceedings: Thursday, February 16, 2023 | Techrights ⦿ Sirius ’Open Source’ Pensiongate (Sirius Financial Crisis): Company May Have Squandered/Plundered the Pensions of Many People | Techrights ⦿ Workers Under Attack (and How Fear is Leveraged to Suppress Unionising, Whistleblowing, Dissent) | Techrights ䷼ Bulletin articles (as HTML) to comment on (requires login): http://techrights.org/2023/02/17/irc-log-160223/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/02/17/sirius-ponzi/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/02/17/video-suepo-microsoft-layoffs/#comments ䷞ Followed by Daily Links (assorted news picks curated and categorised): http://techrights.org/2023/02/17/gnu-lightning-2-2-1/#comments http://techrights.org/2023/02/17/tokodon-23-02-0/#comments ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 54 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/02/17/irc-log-160223/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/02/17/irc-log-160223/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 02.17.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ IRC_Proceedings:_Thursday,_February_16,_2023⠀✐ Posted in IRC_Logs at 2:41 am by Needs Sunlight Also available via the Gemini protocol at: * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-techrights-160223.gmi * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-160223.gmi * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-social-160223.gmi * gemini://gemini.techrights.org/irc-gmi/irc-log-techbytes-160223.gmi Over HTTP: 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇H 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇HTML5_logs⦈_ #techrights_log_as_HTML5 #boycottnovell_log_as_HTML5 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇H 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇HTML5_logs⦈_ #boycottnovell-social_log_as_HTML5 #techbytes_log_as_HTML5 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇t 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇text_logs⦈_ #techrights_log_as_text #boycottnovell_log_as_text 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇t 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇text_logs⦈_ #boycottnovell-social_log_as_text #techbytes_log_as_text Enter_the_IRC_channels_now =============================================================================== § IPFS Mirrors⠀➾ CID Description Object type 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 Qmd45WVsvBHSVvMMjNA8HDijKSDBv4NoTRD1curigfxtoJ (full IRC log 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇text logs⦈ as plain/ASCII text) 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇IPFS logo⦈ § Bulletin for Yesterday⠀➾ Local_copy | CID (IPFS): QmbPtsyc7sJxSwGRbURzMBpmJpQAgABouVYWUyXdfGhcFh ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 181 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/02/17/sirius-ponzi/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/02/17/sirius-ponzi/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 02.17.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Sirius_‘Open_Source’_Pensiongate_(Sirius_Financial_Crisis):_Company_May_Have Squandered/Plundered_the_Pensions_of_Many_People⠀✐ Posted in Deception, Finance, Free/Libre_Software at 2:02 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz Wanna get your money? Over your dead body! 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇money-dead⦈_ Summary: Sirius_‘Open_Source’ is under ongoing investigation by former staff; it seems plausible that many people’s pensions just ‘vanished’ THIS series isn’t quite over yet. It slowed down a bit because of ongoing inquires, which are slow to progress because of stonewalling and stalling tactics. To give a rough outline of what’s to come, we’re going to look into two British pension providers, which are mysteriously evasive (we’ve recorded calls too; we may need that to defend our allegations). We’ll then go back to Sirius and discuss what happened. It seems like we’re in a similar situation to that of many other British workers* and even of workers globally (the economy isn’t in a good shape; hours ago Reuters_said_“U.S._household_debt_jumps_to $16.90_trillion”). About 2 hours ago Ryan in IRC said that he had experienced similar things in the US. He said: “You mean like that union pension that they said I’d get and now the union doesn’t exist and nobody could find the pension money? Very common in blue collar jobs that have a union.” We heard similar stories from other Americans. It seems like every 1-1.5 decades this is being done. Many aren’t even aware that this is done until they approach pension age range. “Many aren’t even aware that this is done until they approach pension age range.”As of December, I’m no longer working in Sirius and neither does my wife (summary_of_the_reasons_here). We_decided_to_quote/cite_a_final_letter. But nothing was final. The company was trying to get out of a deep hole — a gaping hole full of scandals. Sirius was hoping there would be no further digging, even when further investigations had already begun and were coordinated for better progress/effect. Over in my personal blog I began — back in December in fact! — to look into the pension situation, only days after I had resigned [1, 2] and the following month it turned out that it was exceptionally difficult to track down the pensions. By January I had contacted 3 pension providers [1, 2, 3] and also tried the pension tracker, regulator etc. Totally useless. Earlier this month I wrote about the preliminary findings [1, 2, 3] and began making logs in text and audio (while informing upfront those whom I recorded over the telephone). “Sirius was hoping there would be no further digging, even when further investigations had already begun and were coordinated for better progress/ effect.”Judging by publicly-accessible documents (downloadable from Companies House), the latest pension provider cites “COVID-19″ and “war in Ukraine” as financial risks (we’ll spare the screenshots/link as at this point we don’t want to name or show the name of any pension provider). It is a company just about a decade old and that in itself is worrying; will it even be around at all decades from now? As for Sirius, the company has in effect vanished. It went into hiding, the bosses don’t respond to E-mails asking about the company’s physical address (for legal papers regarding a potentially criminal matter). They know they could be forced to go to court or face a government investigation. Some clients of the company are fully aware of it, just like former and current staff. Many have been reading this series. “As for Sirius, the company has in effect vanished.”To one person I said: “I feel a strong moral obligation to bring to your attention new revelations about the company I left 2 months ago (I joined the company 12 years ago). Sirius is not what it seems to outsiders; the company is routinely breaking laws (even very basic and fundamental laws). It has apparently plundered the xxxxx pension of not only existing workers but past workers too (alumni from over a decade ago). It cannot be located. Several people contacted xxxxx and even management insists it cannot be spoken about. The company is effectively hiding and is refusing to provide the address to send legal papers to (the company charged its registered address 3 times last October… to the address of an accounting firm!). I’m not the only person who is concerned about this. Sirius uses false pretences and doesn’t even meet SLAs; sometimes the CEO covers shifts while not equipped with tools, knowledge, user account, monitoring etc. You’re paying for service ‘in absentia’. The company is running not only out of money (debt) but also staff. It operates through several shells now. It tricked staff into participating in this shell game (as explained in here, dating back to 2019 when mysterious NDAs were signed and xxxxx moved to another country after his divorce).” “Thanks very much Roy for the information,” said the respondent. “We’ll investigate. I hope you’re well.” This seems like a common theme (see footnote below), so we shall look deeper and deeper into it. If the pension providers continue to stonewall (we gave a final deadline/ultimatum today), we’ll resume the series as soon as this weekend. A lack of response is in itself rather revealing; repeated lies and false promises also speak volumes. █ _____ * Days ago “Which?” picked up this topic, stating: “We investigate why so [many] people lose touch with their savings, and challenge volunteers to trace their pension pots” (they didn’t stop there; in later_days_there_was_a_podcast about_it, saying: “We explain how you can go about rescuing those all-important savings” (notice the word, “rescuing”). ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⢾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠟⠋⠉⠁⠾⣭⢿⡽⢿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠛⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣛⣾⣻⣞⣳⣟⣶⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣉⠾⣹⢞⡷⣏⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣭⣻⣽⣫⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠶⣛⢾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⣙⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠲⣭⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⠿⢿⢟⣵⣾⣿⣷⣝⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠉⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢙⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⠖⣩⣵⣾⣿⢟⣵⣿⡟⣫⡥⢦⣭⡓⢝⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠁⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣩⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⢛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣛⣵⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠵⠿⣿⡟⢸⡏⠀⠚⡛⢿⠈⣷⣝⠛⡛⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣿⣷⣶⣌⠻⡘⢿⣿⣑⣁⠟⣰⣿⣿⠗⣀⢻⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢾⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣌⠲⣬⣭⣵⣾⣿⢟⣵⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡅⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢺⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⡙⢿⣿⢟⣵⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣇⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⢟⠿⡿⠿⠿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⢘⣵⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣼⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣩⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣘⣛⣻⣿⣿⢿⡿⢋⣝⢻⢋⣴⣿⡗⣠⣾⣿⢂⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⣼⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⢡⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣬⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣾⣿⢋⣴⣿⡿⢋⣼⣿⠟⢡⣶⡦⢹⡟⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠏⠁⢠⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠴⣉⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣭⡅⢾⡿⠋⣴⣿⡿⢋⣴⣿⠟⠁⣿⠇⠿⣛⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⢀⣀⣀⣠⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠒⣭⢺⡽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣧⣛⣋⡠⢾⠟⣁⣚⣤⣵⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠌⠹⢿⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢙⠶⣻⢜⡻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠎⠀⢠⠇⣿⣿⣿⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣉⠶⣹⢎⡱⣍⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⢀⡟⣠⡟⢿⢿⣿⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣤⣛⣼⣣⣜⣧⣛⣼⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⢨⣵⣿⣷⠘⣧⠫⠛⣦⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠶⣉⢾⡱⢎⡷⣉⢾⡱⢟⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⢀⣾⣿⣿⡏⠀⣹⣧⣸⣿⣷⣦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠚⣭⢻⡽⢯⡟⣭⢻⡽⢯⡿⣭⢿⡽⢯⡿⣿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢿⡟⢫⠟⣿⢿⣽⣯⣟⣯⣻⣟⣯⡟⣽ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 330 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at http://techrights.org/2023/02/17/video-suepo-microsoft-layoffs/#comments Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/2023/02/17/video-suepo-microsoft-layoffs/ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 02.17.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Workers_Under_Attack_(and_How_Fear_is_Leveraged_to_Suppress_Unionising, Whistleblowing,_Dissent)⠀✐ Posted in Europe, Microsoft, Patents at 8:41 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz Video_download_link | md5sum c7700ef58958161c6bced749684892fd Workers at Times of Crises Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 http://techrights.org/videos/hardships-epo-and-microsoft.webm Summary: The age of union-busting, layoffs and witch-hunts (my_wife_and_I_were subjected_to_a_botched_attempt_at_a_vendetta/witch-hunt) is here; companies and organisations that cannot justify their existence cheat and plunder anything and anyone at sight’s range THE so-called ‘ruling class’ is always trying to find new methods to keep the labour force under tighter control. Workers who are afraid or blackmailed (e.g. drastic financial consequences for ‘badmouthing’ an employer or former employers) are a lot easier to ‘keep in line’. “In good (or relatively better) economic times companies make a lot of promises and offer endless assurances. What happens when those companies go under or struggle?”The video about speaks about this year’s second_wave_of_Microsoft layoffs (the media intentionally does not cover this), the latest intimidating moves by EPO management, and even the pension of former colleagues (apparently “gone missing”!). In good (or relatively better) economic times companies make a lot of promises and offer endless assurances. What happens when those companies go under or struggle? Will they even be honest with staff and clients? In Microsoft’s case, a lot of money has been sunk into media/publishers (paid to lie) lately, propping up the share price based on vapourware and false marketing. Microsoft’s business is barely viable, but it is propped up by bailouts owing to political connection rather than importance. █ ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 388 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 02.17.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Links_17/02/2023:_More_Linux_Phones_and_GNU_Lightning_2.2.1⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup at 9:42 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * GNU/Linux o Desktop/Laptop o Applications o Instructionals/Technical o Games o Desktop_Environments/WMs # K_Desktop_Environment/KDE_SC/Qt # GNOME_Desktop/GTK * Distributions_and_Operating_Systems o BSD o Fedora_Family_/_IBM o Debian_Family o Canonical/Ubuntu_Family o Mobile_Systems/Mobile_Applications * Free,_Libre,_and_Open_Source_Software o Events o Web_Browsers/Web_Servers # Mozilla o FSF o GNU_Projects o Programming/Development # Python o Standards/Consortia * Leftovers o Education o Hardware o Health/Nutrition/Agriculture o Proprietary o Security # Privacy/Surveillance o Defence/Aggression o Transparency/Investigative_Reporting o Environment # Energy/Transportation # Wildlife/Nature o Finance o AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics o Censorship/Free_Speech o Civil_Rights/Policing o Monopolies # Patents * Gemini*_and_Gopher o Technical * § GNU/Linux⠀➾ o § Desktop/Laptop⠀➾ # ⚓ Jiri_Eischmann:_How_is_Linux_used_by_FIT_BUT_students⠀⇛ The_Faculty_of_Information_Technology_of_Brno University_of_Technology is one of the two top computer science schools in Brno, Czech Republic. Our development office of Red Hat has intensive cooperation with them including educating students about Linux and open source software. To find out more about how they use Linux, we ran a survey that collected answers from 176 students which is a pretty good sample. I promised to share results publicly, so here they are: The following chart shows the distribution of responders by year of school. The survey was primarily targeting students in the first year which is why they make up over 50% of the responses. [...] We also asked students what prevents them from using Linux primarily. By far the most frequent answer (80%) was “Software I use is not available for Linux”, followed by “I don’t like the UX and logic of the OS” (28%) and “Compatibility with my hardware” (11%). Some students also responded that they simply hadn’t had enough time to get familiar with Linux and are staying with what they know. Other reasons were marginal. o § Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ LinuxConfig ☛ List_of_Git_GUI_applications_for_Linux⠀⇛ # ⚓ LinuxConfig ☛ Linux_GUI_text_editors⠀⇛ # ⚓ LinuxConfig ☛ Linux_GUI_network_managers⠀⇛ # ⚓ LinuxConfig ☛ Linux_Performance_Optimization:_Tools_and Techniques⠀⇛ # ⚓ LinuxConfig ☛ Graphical_user_interface_(GUI)_applications for_managing_MySQL⠀⇛ # ⚓ Medevel ☛ Croc:_Easily_Share_Files_Between_Computers⠀⇛ croc is a tool that allows any two computers to simply and securely transfer files and folders. AFAIK, croc is the only CLI file-transfer tool that does all of the following: * allows any two computers to transfer data (using a relay) * provides end-to-end encryption (using PAKE) * enables easy cross-platform transfers o § Instructionals/Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ It’s FOSS ☛ Downgrading_a_Package_via_apt-get⠀⇛ Yes! That’s totally possible. You can downgrade a recently updated package using the apt command in Ubuntu and Debian based distros. Here’s how to do that. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Install_Portainer_Docker_UI_Web_Interface_on Ubuntu_22.04⠀⇛ To install the Portainer Docker UI Web Interface on Ubuntu 22.04, pull the latest version of the Portainer image from Docker Hub and install it in the system. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Setup_Docker_Private_Registry_on_Ubuntu⠀⇛ To set up a private Docker registry on Ubuntu, pull the “registry” image from Docker Hub and set up the docker private registry in the system. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Install_and_Use_Rancher_on_Ubuntu⠀⇛ To install Rancher on Ubuntu, execute the “docker run -d –restart=unless-stopped -p 8080:8080 rancher/server:stable” command. # ⚓ LinuxConfig ☛ Fixing_the_‘Cannot_Open_Display’_Error_on Linux⠀⇛ # ⚓ LinuxConfig ☛ Solving_the_‘Segmentation_Fault’_Error_on Linux⠀⇛ # ⚓ LinuxConfig ☛ Troubleshooting_the_‘Disk_Full’_Error_on Linux_Systems⠀⇛ # ⚓ LinuxConfig ☛ How_to_install_tar.gz_file_on_Linux⠀⇛ # ⚓ LinuxConfig ☛ How_to_setup_Linux_Apache_Mysql_Python server⠀⇛ # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Boost_FPS_in_Linux?⠀⇛ To boost FPS, you can “upgrade hardware”, “optimize system settings”, “update drivers”, use “game- specific optimization tools” and “stop unnecessary services”. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Setting_up_Kali_Linux_on_AWS_EC2⠀⇛ To set up Kali Linux in an AWS EC2 Virtual Machine, simply use the Kali Linux AMI while creating the EC2 instance. Follow this guide for details. # ⚓ Linuxiac ☛ How_to_Install_Docker_on_Debian_11_(Bullseye): The_Easy_Way⠀⇛ Learn how to easily install Docker on Debian 11 (Bullseye) with our detailed step-by-step guide, so get up and running in no time! # ⚓ Net2 ☛ How_to_tackle_multiple_tasks_at_once_on_Ubuntu 22.04⠀⇛ Got a ton of stuff on your plate? Running Ubuntu 22.04 and feeling overwhelmed by all the tasks you need to get done? Well, you’re in luck! With a little know-how, you can run multiple tasks at once on Ubuntu 22.04. o § Games⠀➾ # ⚓ Medevel ☛ 14_Open_Source_Free_First-Person_Shooter_FPS Games_for_Linux,_Windows,_and_macOS⠀⇛ While there are dozens of closed-source none-free first-person shooter games, open-source community was busy for decades to offer open source alternatives. Here in this list we compiled a list of the best competitive single- and multi-player FPS games for Linux, Windows, and macOS. o § Desktop Environments/WMs⠀➾ # § K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt⠀➾ # ⚓ FOSS_communities:_You_don’t_need_to_yell⠀⇛ This is kind of open letter I suppose. I’ve seen a lot of similar stuff happen in other projects too, like GNOME. So I wanted to write down what happened to me and my inbox today. It’s written in my perspective, but I’m sure many can sympathize. And I sympathize with them. § You don’t need to yell KDE Plasma 5.27 landed with my outline change that I made for accessibility reasons mostly. You can read more about it in here: https:// www.akselmo.dev/2022/10/31/I-made-outlines- for-KDE-Breeze.html They certainly have been dividing opinions. I think that’s fine. I do enjoy good critique and discussion: It’s how things get better! However, what I don’t enjoy is: # Getting my blog comments spammed with “Revert the outlines, they’re ugly” # Asking people to send developers angry messages # Acting like an complete ass, then hiding behind the whole “but it was critique!” facade. [...] # § GNOME Desktop/GTK⠀➾ # ⚓ This Week in GNOME ☛ Felix_Häcker:_#83_Sharing_Is Caring⠀⇛ Update on what happened across the GNOME project in the week from February 10 to February 17. [...] # ⚓ Sam_Thursfield:_Status_update,_17/02/2022⠀⇛ This month I attended FOSDEM for the first time since 2017. In addition to eating 4 delicious waffles, I had the honour of presenting two talks, the first in the Testing & Automation devroom on Setting_up OpenQA_testing_for_GNOME. GNOME’s initial OpenQA_testing is mostly implemented now and it’s already found its first real_bug. The next step is getting more folk interested within GNOME, so we can ensure ongoing maintenance of the tests and infra, and ensure a bus factor of > 1. If you see me at GUADEC then I will probably talk to you about OpenQA, be prepared!! My second talk was in the Python devroom, on DIY_music_recommendations. I intermittently develop a set of playlist generation tools named Calliope, and this talk was mostly aiming to inspire people to start similar fun & small projects, using simple AI techniques that you can learn in a weekend, and taking advantage of the amazing resource that is Musicbrainz. It seemed to indeed inspire some of the audience and led to an interesting chat with Rob Kaye of the Metabrainz Foundation – there is more cool stuff on the way from them. * § Distributions and Operating Systems⠀➾ o ⚓ Zig_Bits_0×1:_Returning_slices_from_functions⠀⇛ I decided to start a new blog series called “Zig Bits” where I share interesting bits of information about the Zig programming language. It is written especially for beginners because I’m also a beginner. o ⚓ Barry Kauler ☛ The_langpack_PETs_are_gone⠀⇛ I have imported part of L18L’s German langpack to woofQ: https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commit/ a6c66b0105dc6e0e8e226232d032cf28c6df151a The de langpack was last updated in 2020, so some updating is going to be required. All langpack PETs in the noarch repository have now been removed: https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commit/ 716697979220baca96e1b96c547a9297175f9f46 They are still on ibiblio.org, won’t be actually deleted until I perform an rsync. o § BSD⠀➾ # ⚓ Bryan Lunduke ☛ Funny_BSD_Pictures⠀⇛ AKA Funny Programming Pictures Part XXIV # ⚓ Ubuntubuzz ☛ helloSystem:_A_New,_Promising_Macintosh-like Free_Desktop_OS⠀⇛ helloSystem is a completely new desktop operating system based on FreeBSD. It is created by the founder of AppImage technology for GNU/Linux, Simon Peter, a software developer from Germany. Its look and feel mostly designed to be like MacOS but ten times simpler. The application packages are also bundles too similar to AppImages we often use on Ubuntu. We are fans of AppImage and we would love to try out the helloSystem even though now it’s still in alpha development stage. A good news for everyone is that it is Free/Libre Open Source Software and the project allows everyone to participate in the development. You can read the rest of our little adventure in this article. Happy reading! o § Fedora Family / IBM⠀➾ # ⚓ Tomasz_Torcz:_Migrated_home_server_to_the_UEFI_boot⠀⇛ I’ve migrated my home server to boot using UEFI. It means suprising number of things: # I did something useful during my unplanned PTO days [...] # [...]I can unsubscribe from BIOS_Boot_SIG, as this was my last legacy-booting computer. The SIG mailing list is completely empty, apparently all the ruckus with needing BIOS booting within Fedora has no real standing. # ⚓ Fedora Project ☛ Fedora_Community_Blog:_CPE_Weekly_Update_– Week_7_2023⠀⇛ This is a weekly report from the CPE (Community Platform Engineering) Team. If you have any questions or feedback, please respond to this report or contact us on #redhat-cpe channel on libera.chat. We provide you both infographics and text versions of the weekly report. If you just want to quickly look at what we did, just look at the infographic. If you are interested in more in-depth details look at the infographic. # ⚓ Fedora Project ☛ Fedora_Community_Blog:_Friday’s_Fedora Facts:_2023-07⠀⇛ Here’s your weekly Fedora report. Read what happened this week and what’s coming up. Your contributions are welcome (see the end of the post)! I have weekly office hours most Wednesdays in the morning and afternoon (US/Eastern time). Drop by if you have any questions or comments about the schedule, Changes, elections, or anything else. See the upcoming_meetings for more information. # ⚓ Fedora Magazine ☛ Fedora_Magazine:_Working_with_Btrfs_– Compression⠀⇛ This article will explore transparent filesystem compression in Btrfs and how it can help with saving storage space. This is part of a series that takes a closer look at Btrfs, the default filesystem for Fedora Workstation, and Fedora Silverblue since Fedora Linux 33. In case you missed it, here’s the previous article from this series: https://fedoramagazine.org/ working-with-btrfs-snapshots [...] # Not all files compress equally well. Modern multimedia formats such as images or movies compress their contents already and don’t compress well beyond that. # The script performs each compression and decompression exactly once. Running it repeatedly on the same input file will generate slightly different outputs. Hence, the times should be understood as estimates, rather than an exact measurement. Given the numbers in my output, I decided to use the zstd compression algorithm with compression level 3 on my systems. Depending on your needs, you may want to choose higher compression levels (for example, if your storage devices are comparatively slow). To get an estimate of the achievable read/ write speeds, you can divide the source archives size (about 260 MB) by the (de)compression times. [...] § Conclusion This article detailed transparent filesystem compression in Btrfs. It is a built-in, comparatively cheap, way to get some extra storage space out of existing hardware without needing modifications. o § Debian Family⠀➾ # ⚓ Gunnar Wolf ☛ Gunnar_Wolf:_We_are_GREAT_at_handling multimedia!⠀⇛ I have mentioned several times in this blog, as well as by other communication means, that I am very happy with the laptop I bought (used) about a year and a half ago: an_ARM-based Lenovo_Yoga C630. Yes, I knew from the very beginning that using this laptop would pose a challenge to me in many ways, as full hardware support for ARM laptops are nowhere as easy as for plain boring x86 systems. But the advantages far outweigh the inconvenience (i.e. the hoops_I_had_to jump_through_to_handle_video-out_when_I_started teaching presentially, which are fortunately a thing of the past now). Anyway — This post is not about my laptop. Back in 2018, I was honored to be appointed_as_a member_of_the_Debian Technical Committee. Of course, that meant (due to the very clear and clever point_6.2.7.1_of the_Debian Constitution that my tenure in the Committee (as well as Niko Tyni’s) finished in January 1, 2023. We were invited to take part of a Jitsi call as a last meeting, as well as to welcome Matthew Garrett to the Committee. Of course, I arranged so I would be calling from my desktop system at work (for which I have an old, terrible webcam — but as long as I don’t need to control screen sharing too finely, mostly works). Out of eight people in the call, two had complete or quite crippling failures with their multimedia setup, and one had a frozen image (at least as far as I could tell). # ⚓ Enrico_Zini:_Monitoring_a_heart_rate_monitor⠀⇛ I bought myself a cheap wearable Bluetooth LE heart rate monitor in order to play with it, and this is a simple Python script to monitor_it_and_plot data. [...] Things I learnt: # The UUID for the heart rate interface starts with 00002a37. # The UUID for checking battery status starts with 00002a19. # A longer list of UUIDs is here. # The_layout_of_heart_rate_data_packets and some_Python_code_to_parse_them # What_are_RR_values # ⚓ Jonathan_McDowell:_First_impressions_of_the_VisionFive_2⠀⇛ Back in September last year I chose to back the StarFive VisionFive_2 on Kickstarter. I don’t have a particular use in mind for it, but I felt it was one of the first RISC-V systems that were relatively capable (mentally I have it as somewhere between a Raspberry Pi 3 + a Pi 4). In particular it’s a quad 1.5GHz_64-bit_RISC-V_core with 8G RAM, USB3, GigE ethernet and a single M.2 PCIe slot. More than ample as a personal machine for playing around with RISC-V and doing local builds. I ended up paying £67 for the Early Bird variant (dual GigE ethernet rather than 1 x 100Mb and 1 x GigE). A couple of weeks ago I got an email with a tracking number and last week it finally turned up. Being impatient the first thing I did was plug it into a monitor, connect up a keyboard, and power it on. Nothing except some flashing lights. Looking at the boot selector DIP switches suggested it was configured to boot from UART, so I flipped them to (what I thought was) the flash setting. It wasn’t – turns out the “ON” marking on the switches represents logic 0 and it was correctly setup when I got it. I went to read the documentation which talked about writing an image to a MicroSD card, but also had details of the UART connection. Wanting to make sure the device was at least doing something before I actually tried an OS on it I hooked up a USB/serial dongle and powered the board up again. Success! U-Boot appeared and I could interact with it. o § Canonical/Ubuntu Family⠀➾ # ⚓ OMG Ubuntu ☛ Get_Horizontal_OSD_for_Brightness_&_Volume Changes_on_Linux_Mint⠀⇛ The “Horizontal OSD” extension for Linux Mint (yes, Linux Mint has extensions too) reformats Cinnamon’s default volume and screen brightness indicators from a vertical box to a horizontal bar. It’s a subtle tweak that I think gives the Cinnamon desktop an extra splash of modernity (GNOME Shell switched its OSD from boxes to bars last year). While the look of the horizontal OSD blends in perfectly with the rest of the Linux Mint’s default look (meaning out of the box it looks totally native) you do get ample controls to adjust the appearance. # ⚓ Salih_Emin:_ucaresystem_core_4.4.0_:_Now_published_for Ubuntu_Kinetik_and_Lunar⠀⇛ The new release of ucaresystem core is released and available for Ubuntu Kinetik (22.10) and Ubuntu Lunar (23.04) The all time classic uCareSystem is now release for Ubuntu Kinetik (22.10) and Ubuntu Lunar (23.04). o § Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ Giz China ☛ No_Android_or_iOS:_Here’s_a_new_Phone_with_two operating_systems⠀⇛ Hallo Welt Systeme, a German company that specializes in developing open-source technology, has recently launched a new addition to their Volla Phone line – the Volla Phone X23. This smartphone is the latest smartphone model to not use the Google ecosystem, and it boasts an open-source operating system that offers users more control over their device. Customers can choose from two versions of the Volla Phone X23 – one that comes with the Volla OS installed and the other with Ubuntu Touch installed. The device is available for pre-order at a price of 522 euros (about $558). With deliveries scheduled to begin in May 2023. The Volla OS version of the phone is compatible with most Android apps, while Ubuntu Touch is not. # ⚓ Liliputing ☛ Auspicious_Machine_is_a_modular_handheld_Linux PC_with_a_BlackBerry-style_keyboard_and_gaming_buttons⠀⇛ The Auspicious Machine is a pocket-sized computer that bears a more than passing resemblance to a classic BlackBerry smartphone thanks to a 3.5 inch, 640 x 480 display positioned above a backlit QWERTY keyboard. But this little device isn’t a phone. It’s a modular portable computer with built-in game controller keys and support for GNU/Linux software. It’s up for pre-order in China for RMB 1656 (about $240) and the developer is hoping to begin shipping the Auspicious Machine to customers in June. * § Free, Libre, and Open Source Software⠀➾ o § Events⠀➾ # ⚓ Brendan Gregg ☛ Brendan_Gregg:_USENIX_SREcon_APAC_2023: CFP⠀⇛ USENIX’s SREcon conference is the best venue for learning the latest in systems engineering (not just site reliability engineering) and if you have useful production stories and takeaways to share — especially if you are in the Asia/Pacific region — please consider submitting a talk proposal to [SREcon APAC 2023]. The [call for participation] ends on March 2nd, only two weeks away. It is held this year in Singapore, June 14-16, and I’m excited to be program co-chair with fellow Aussie [Jamie Wilkinson]. To quote from our CFP: You build computer platforms, debug them, and support them, and you have learned something useful to share: You are invited to submit proposals to give talks at SREcon23 Asia/Pacific, which welcomes speakers from a variety of backgrounds, not just SRE, and from a variety of different-sized companies, not just those that are technology- focused. Your insights will help create a relevant, diverse, and inclusive program. Conversations are never complete when they focus just on successes; we encourage talks that focus on lessons learned from failures or hard problems. At the seventh SREcon Asia/Pacific, we are especially seeking the deepest engineering talks: Those that cover gritty technical internals, advanced tools and techniques, and complex problems that may matter to others, whether your solutions were elegant, ugly, or unsuccessful. We look forward to learning from speakers across the SRE and systems engineering space. This year we particularly welcome new speakers; many of our best talks have come from people with new perspectives to share and the last few years most certainly has given us all new experiences and stories we can share and from which we can learn. At every SREcon globally, we welcome and encourage participation from all individuals in any country, including people that are underrepresented in, or excluded from, technology, including but not limited to: people of all colours, women, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, neurodiverse participants, students, veterans, and others with unique characteristics. Similarly, we welcome participants from diverse professional roles: QA testers, performance engineers, security teams, OS engineers, DBAs, network administrators, compliance experts, UX designers, government employees, and data scientists. Regardless of who you are or the job title you hold, if you are a technologist who faces unique challenges and shares our areas of interest, we encourage you to be a part of SREcon23 Asia/ Pacific. o § Web Browsers/Web Servers⠀➾ # § Mozilla⠀➾ # ⚓ Mike_Hoye:_Modern_Problems_Require_Modern_Solutions⠀⇛ Over_on_Mastodon_I_asked: “What modern utilities should be a standard part of a modern unixy distro? Why? I’ve got jq, pandoc, tldr and a few others on my list, but I’d love to know others.” Here’s what came back; I’ve roughly grouped them into two categories: new utilities and improvements on the classics. In no particular order, the new kids on the block: [...] [...] So, there you go. Life in the terminal is still improving here in 2023, it’s great to see. # ⚓ Spidermonkey_Development_Blog:_SpiderMonkey Newsletter_(Firefox_110-111)⠀⇛ SpiderMonkey is the JavaScript engine used in Mozilla Firefox. This newsletter gives an overview of the JavaScript and WebAssembly work we’ve done as part of the Firefox 110 and 111 Nightly release cycles. o § FSF⠀➾ # ⚓ FSF ☛ FSF_Blogs:_Associate_members:_Nominate_your_FSF_board candidate_by_March_3⠀⇛ o § GNU Projects⠀➾ # ⚓ GNU ☛ lightning_@_Savannah:_GNU_lightning_2.2.1_release⠀⇛ GNU lightning is a library to aid in making portable programs that compile assembly code at run time. Development: http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/lightning.git Download release: ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/lightning/lightning- 2.2.1.tar.gz   GNU Lightning 2.2.1 main new features: # Variable stack framesize implemented for aarch64, arm, i686, mips, riscv, loongarch and x86_64. This means function calls use only the minimum required stack space for prolog and epilog. # Optimization of prolog and epilog to not create a frame pointer if not required, and not even save and restore the stack pointer if not required on a leaf function. These features implemented for the ports with variable stack framesize. # New clor, czr, ctor and ctzr instructions, that count leading/trailing zeros/ones. These use hardware implementation when available, otherwise fallback to a software implementation. # Correct several bugs with jit_arg_register_p and jit_putarg{r,i}{_f,_d}. These bugs were not noticed earlier due to an incorrect check for correctness in check/carg.c. # Add rip relative addressing support for x86_64 and shorter signed 64 bit constant load if the constant fits in a signed 32 bit integer. This significantly reduces code size generation. # Correct bugs in branch generation code for pppc and sparc. # Correct bug in signed 32 bit integer load in ppc 64 bits. # Add short relative unconditional branches and calls to mips, reducing code size generation. # And several extra minor optimizations. o § Programming/Development⠀➾ # ⚓ Martin Fowler ☛ Retrospectives_Antipatterns⠀⇛ # ⚓ Fixing_“Too_much_WIP”._“too_much_WIP”_means_too_many things…_|_by_Jason_Yip_|_Jan,_2023_|_Medium⠀⇛ # ⚓ Factor ☛ Re:_Factor:_Proquint⠀⇛ # ⚓ Simple_Physics-based_Flight_Simulation_with_C++_|_Jakob Maier⠀⇛ Creating simple but realistic physics-based flight simulations from scratch with C++ and OpenGL. # ⚓ Hacker Noon ☛ The_Real_C++_Killers_(Not_You,_Rust)_| HackerNoon⠀⇛ Technologies that can replace C++ in the near of far future are not compilers. They are Spiral, Numba, and ForwardCom. # ⚓ Video ☛ How_C++23_changes_the_way_we_write_code_–_Timur Doumler_–_Meeting_C++_2022_–_Invidious⠀⇛ # ⚓ Remy Van Elst ☛ Named_Booleans_prevent_C++_bugs_and_save you_time⠀⇛ During a recent code review I found a hard to spot bug, a misplaced parenthesis in an `if` statement. I often employ a technique I call `named booleans`, which would have prevented this bug. It’s a simple technique, instead of a long `if` statement, give every comparison a seperate boolean variable with a descriptive name and use those variables is the `if` statement. This post shows the bug in question, an example of my `named booleans` technique and another tip regarding naming magic numbers. # ⚓ The_Heisenbug_lurking_in_your_async_code_–_Textual⠀⇛ # ⚓ Martin Fowler ☛ Modularizing_React_Applications_with Established_UI_Patterns⠀⇛ # § Python⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Python_Check_If_String_Contains Substring_From_List⠀⇛ To check if the string contains substring from the Python list, the “list comprehension”, the “any()” method, and the iterative function “for” loop is used. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Divide_Two_Columns_Pandas⠀⇛ To divide two columns Pandas in the Python, the “/” divide operator, “div()” methods, and “np.where()” methods can be used. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Convert_1d_Array_to_2d_Array_Python⠀⇛ To convert a one-dimensional array into a two-dimensional array, the “reshape()” method, “np.reshape()” method and “np.arange ()” method can be used. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Remove_Number_From_String_Python⠀⇛ To remove the number from the string in Python, the “join()” and “isdigit()” methods, “translate()”, “filter()”, and “sub()” methods are used. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_Do_You_Repeat_a_String_n_Times_in Python?⠀⇛ To repeat a string “n” times in Python, the repetition “*” operator, “for” loop an iterative function, and user-defined function can be used. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ How_to_Initialize_a_Dictionary_in Python⠀⇛ To initialize the dictionary, “fromkey()”, “defaultdict()”, “setdefault()”, “dict()”, “zip()”, passing arguments, and curley “{}” braces techniques are used. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Datetime_Get_Previous_Month_Python⠀⇛ To get previous month’s datetime in Python, the “datetime” module with “replace()” method and “datetime” module using the extension “dd” techniques can be used. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Initialize_2D_List_in_Python⠀⇛ To initialize the 2d list in Python, the “range()” method and “numpy.full()” method with the “tolist()” method are used. # ⚓ Linux Hint ☛ Remove_Quotes_From_String_Python⠀⇛ To remove the quotes from any Python string, the “for” Loop, the “replace()”, “re.sub()”, “strip()”, “Istrip()” and “rstrip()” methods are used. o § Standards/Consortia⠀➾ # ⚓ Manuel Matuzovic ☛ Why_I’m_not_the_biggest_fan_of_Single Page_Applications_–_Manuel_Matuzović⠀⇛ Sometimes it seems like accessibility experts and other web professionals hate JavaScript. This might be true for some, but most understand that JavaScript can be useful for improving UX and even accessibility. JavaScript solutions are often more accessible than their pure HTML or CSS counterparts. # ⚓ Jussi Pakkanen ☛ Jussi_Pakkanen:_PDF_output_in_images⠀⇛ Generating PDF files is mostly (but_not_entirely) a serialization problem where you keep repeating the following loop: # Find out what functionality PDF has # Read the specification to find out how it is expressed using PDF document syntax # Come up with some sort of an API to express same # Serialize the latter into the former # Debug This means that you have to spend a fair bit of time without much to show for it apart from documents with various black boxes in them. However once you have enough foundational code, then suddenly you can generate all sorts of fun images. Let’s look at some now. * § Leftovers⠀➾ o ⚓ FEBRUARY_6_EARTHQUAKES:_Leader_of_international_rescue_teams laments_having_to_choose_between_people_under_rubble⠀⇛ Leading 91 rescue teams following the devastating February 6 earthquakes in the rescue efforts, Marco Gaebler said he had to give many difficult decisions trying to save as many lives as possible. o ⚓ FEBRUARY_6_EARTHQUAKES:_Number_of_migrants_the_quake_killed_in Türkiye_transported_to_Syria_rises_to_1,745⠀⇛ Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announces the toll update for number of bodies died in the earthquake in Türkiye and transported to Syria. o ⚓ uni Stanford ☛ navigating_futures⠀⇛ i. it’s been at least a decade—maybe two—since the data, the reports, the dire proclamations, the naming of the Anthropocene have declared a climate and nature emergency. and the march continues. daily some aspect of the media reports the latest in our inexorable march towards the sixth (or is it the seventh?) extinction, global climate…. o § Education⠀➾ # ⚓ uni Stanford ☛ Latest_updates:_Stanford_president_under investigation_for_research_misconduct⠀⇛ University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne is under investigation for alleged research misconduct following allegations first reported in The Daily that multiple papers co-authored by the president contain altered images. The Daily’s ongoing coverage contains all allegations reported so far and updates that continue to emerge over the president and the multiple bodies investigating his work. # ⚓ uni Stanford ☛ What_my_failed_sell-out_attempts_have_taught me⠀⇛ Chunhua Yu writes about her failed sell-out journey and how she discovered how to love learning — and SymSys — again. o § Hardware⠀➾ # ⚓ WCCF Tech ☛ AMD_Grabs_Over_30%_CPU_Market_Share_As_Intel Continues_To_Decline⠀⇛ AMD has achieved a historical market share of over 30% within the server CPU segment thanks to its EPYC CPUs. o § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Norfolk_Southern’s_Profits_and_Accident Rates_Rose_Before_Ohio_Derailment⠀⇛ Safety experts say a focus on financial returns may be partly to blame for derailments and accidents like the one in Ohio. # ⚓ Axios ☛ House_GOP’s_overlapping_COVID_investigations⠀⇛ Two House committees, and potentially several more, are getting involved in investigating the origins of COVID — setting them up for a lot of overlap, and even friction. Why it matters: What comes out of these COVID origin investigations could have implications for federal funding of scientific research, vaccination campaigns and future pandemic responses — as long as the committees don’t blunt the impact by stepping on each other. # ⚓ The Kent Stater ☛ Feds_are_sending_medical_experts_to_Ohio toxic_train_wreck_site_as_residents’_safety_concerns_simmer⠀⇛ # ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ Chemical_train_derailment_in_Ohio_causes major_ecological_disaster⠀⇛ The derailment of a train with hazardous chemicals in the US state of Ohio (photo) is a serious environmental disaster. As a result, poisonous phosgene is being released into the air, Russia’s special presidential representative for environmental protection, ecology and transport Sergey Ivanov, told TASS in an interview. # ⚓ Off Guardian ☛ The_Meal(worm)y_Mouthed_Monsters⠀⇛ Sylvia Shawcross And so we have to go back to discussing insects I’m afraid. It is just the way it is going to have to be because there are far too many things we disagree on now—even more things than since we last realized that we all didn’t really want to eat insects. # ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Amazon_will_ask_employees_to_spend_at_least three_days_a_week_in_the_office⠀⇛ Amazon.com Inc. is rolling out an updated remote work policy that will require employees to spend at least three days per week in the office. Amazon Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy announced the move today in an internal company memo. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, § Proprietary⠀➾ * ⚓ Bruce Schneier ☛ ChatGPT_Is_Ingesting_Corporate_Secrets_–_Schneier_on Security⠀⇛ * ⚓ New York Times ☛ The_Online_Search_Wars_Got_Scary._Fast. [Ed: No, a chatbot is not search at all. Stop relaying this misinformation.]⠀⇛ Our technology columnist encounters the darker side of Bing’s A.I. chatbot. * ⚓ The Conversation ☛ ChatGPT_is_a_data_privacy_nightmare._If_you’ve_ever posted_online,_you_ought_to_be_concerned⠀⇛ ChatGPT is fuelled by our intimate online histories. It’s trained on 300 billion words, yet users have no way of knowing which of their data it contains. * ⚓ Apple_doesn’t_want_you_developing_hobby_apps_–_Bennett_Notes⠀⇛ Apple still charges a $99 yearly developer fee, even if you don’t want to publish your app on the Appstore. The provisioning certificate that Xcode provides only lasts one week. § Security⠀➾ * ⚓ Krebs On Security ☛ New_Protections_for_Food_Benefits_Stolen_by Skimmers⠀⇛ Millions of Americans receiving food assistance benefits just earned a new right that they can’t yet enforce: The right to be reimbursed if funds on their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards are stolen by card skimming devices secretly installed at cash machines and grocery store checkout lanes. * ⚓ Diffoscope ☛ Reproducible_Builds_(diffoscope):_diffoscope_236 released⠀⇛ The diffoscope maintainers are pleased to announce the release of diffoscope version 236. This version includes the following changes: [...] * ⚓ Port Swigger ☛ HTTP_request_smuggling_bug_patched_in_HAProxy⠀⇛ Exploitation could enable attackers to access backend servers * § Privacy/Surveillance⠀➾ o ⚓ Off Guardian ☛ Russia_to_introduce_digital_identity_cards⠀⇛ Riley Waggaman It seems QR codes will soon be back in vogue in Russia. Via Interfax: The Ministry of Digital Development, together with the FSB, will submit to the Russian government by May 1 a draft decree allowing the use of a digital identity card on smartphones instead of [an internal] passport… § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ * ⚓ CNN ☛ Outgunned_Ukrainian_pilots_take_the_fight_to_Russia_in_ancient Soviet-era_helicopters⠀⇛ The horizon disappears for a moment as the nose of the helicopter rears. There’s a faint thump as rockets trailing brown smoke arc ahead. The aircraft banks as if flicked on its side by an outside force. * ⚓ CNN ☛ Ukraine_is_burning_through_ammo_faster_than_the_US_and_NATO_can produce_it._Inside_the_Pentagon’s_plan_to_close_the_gap⠀⇛ Inside a sprawling factory just off the President Biden Expressway in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, the future arsenal of Ukraine’s war effort is being forged, one red hot artillery shell at a time. * ⚓ CNN ☛ CNN_flies_with_Ukrainian_attack_helicopter⠀⇛ CNN spent time embedded with the Sikorsky Brigade in eastern Ukraine operating from a secret base where they conduct combat missions against Russian forces. CNN’s Sam Kiley reports. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Navy_Divers_Complete_Recovery_of_Chinese_Spy_Balloon Debris⠀⇛ The salvaged material was sent to the F.B.I. for further analysis. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Macron_Calls_for_Intensified_Support_for_Ukraine_but Eyes_Peace_Talks⠀⇛ His support for Ukraine and condemnation of Russia have hardened, but France’s president still stands out among Western leaders in insisting that compromise will be needed to end the war. * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Germany’s_allies_pushed_Germany_to_send_tanks_to Ukraine._Now,_Scholz_is_the_one_urging_them.⠀⇛ * ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ One_year_since_the_war_in_Ukraine:_ceremony_at_the Council_of_Europe_in_support_of_the_Ukrainian_people⠀⇛ On 24 February, the Council of Europe will hold a ceremony to mark one year of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, followed by an extraordinary meeting of the Committee of Ministers (to be broadcast live). * ⚓ New York Times ☛ Western_Leaders_Pledge_Support_for_Ukraine_at_Munich Security_Conference⠀⇛ As Russia’s invasion approaches its second year with no end in sight, Ukraine’s supporters faced lingering questions at the Munich Security Conference about how long their resolve will last. * ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ How_Huge_Casualties_of_the_Russian_Army_Affect_the War_in_Ukraine⠀⇛ As of February 15, according to statistics from the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army, around 140,000 Russian troops have been killed in battle. Calculated based on the 1:3 ratio of deaths and injuries, the Russian army suffered a total of 460,000 casualties… * ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ German_MP:_Europe_requires_an_autonomous_foreign_and security_policy_independent_from_U.S.⠀⇛ Sevim Dagdelen, a German politician (photo) and a member of the Left Party in an interview with ‘Global Times’ said that sending increasingly heavy weapons to Ukraine heightens the risks of the conflict spilling over into World War III and that it is German people that are suffering. * ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ Who_is_Mr._Hersh?_Or,_when_US_media_outlets_were collectively_speechless⠀⇛ Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published the results of an investigation according to which acts of sabotage on the Nord Stream gas pipelines were initiated by the US government with the support of Norway. The American government and the CIA denied Hersh’s version of events. § Transparency/Investigative Reporting⠀➾ * ⚓ Reason ☛ Right_of_Access_to_Court_Records_Applies_Even_Absent_Any Current_“Substantial_Public_Interest_in_This_Case”⠀⇛ “[P]ublic access is designed not only to allow the press and the public to follow high-profile cases, but also to permit ongoing and future access. Law students or legal scholars review case files for law review articles, attorneys review past cases when similar litigation arises, and litigation may be a source of information for policy-makers considering, for example, safety regulations or for journalists reporting more broadly on either the courts or the subject matter of particular litigation.” * ⚓ Reason ☛ Public_University_Committee_Members’_Names_Aren’t_Protected_by the_Right_of_Expressive_Association⠀⇛ The University of Washington thus wasn’t barred by the First Amendment from disclosing such names in response to a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals public records request. § Environment⠀➾ * ⚓ Copenhagen Post ☛ Rising_sea_levels_threaten_Copenhagen_in_not-too- distant_future⠀⇛ As water levels continue to rise globally, the Danish capital could look to Venice for inspiration in effort to keep water masses at bay * ⚓ Copenhagen Post ☛ Storm_Otto_to_impact_Copenhagen_traffic_today⠀⇛ The capital looks to miss out on the worst of it, but public encouraged to be aware of storm development and increased travel times by train * ⚓ Copenhagen Post ☛ Cow_about_that!_Danish_researchers_find_new_key_to greener_agriculture⠀⇛ By adding food additive to cattle feed, scientists from Aarhus University have managed to cut methane emissions from cows by about 30 percent * § Energy/Transportation⠀➾ o ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ SEC_charges_Do_Kwon,_Terraform_Labs_with_fraud over_the_collapse_of_TerraUSD⠀⇛ The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged Terraform Labs Pte. Ltd. and its Chief Executive Officer Do Kown with “orchestrating a multibillion-dollar crypto asset securities fraud” almost a year after the meltdown of his company’s so-called “algorithmic” stablecoin TerraUSD that sent ripples through the crypto industry. * § Wildlife/Nature⠀➾ o ⚓ New York Times ☛ Genetically_Modified_Trees_Planted_in_U.S. Forest_for_First_Time⠀⇛ Living Carbon, a biotechnology company, hopes its seedlings can help manage climate change. But wider use of its trees may be elusive. § Finance⠀➾ * ⚓ Axios ☛ Climate_change_real_estate_bubble_is_worth_up_to_$237_billion⠀⇛ Data: First Street Foundation; Chart: Axios Visuals A climate housing bubble threatens to erode real estate prices in much of the U.S. in the coming years, posing particular challenges for low-income residents, a new_study_finds. Why it matters:With more severe and frequent extreme weather events, the resilience of homeowners and communities is on the line. ⚓ Axios ☛ Rick_Scott_accuses_Biden_and_McConnell_of_“gotcha_politics”_on_Social Security⠀⇛ Sen. Rick Scott is firing back after his spending_plan became a focal point at the State of the Union, saying President Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell were unfair to attack him over Social Security and Medicare. ⚓ Axios ☛ Rock-bottom_jobless_claims_might_be_overstated⠀⇛ Data: FactSet, Department of Labor; Chart: Alice Feng/Axios Over the last few months, there’s been a steady stream of large, high-profile layoffs — while unemployment claims remain at rock-bottom levels. ⚓ Mexico News Daily ☛ Peso_at_strongest_level_against_the_dollar_since_2018⠀⇛ The value of the U.S. dollar dipped to 18.33 Mexican pesos on international markets, according to data from Bloomberg. ⚓ Mexico News Daily ☛ Feds_giving_states_10%_increase_in_security_funding_for 2023⠀⇛ Of the 21 states whose crime fighting funding was announced Wednesday, Jalisco will receive the largest amount, at close to US $18.5 million. § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ * ⚓ Marcy Wheeler ☛ “A_Demonic_Force:”_Dominion_Just_Gave_Jack_Smith_Useful Evidence⠀⇛ Fox News knew that platforming of Trump’s false claims would damage the country. And they did it anyway.  * ⚓ CNN ☛ Fox_News_has_been_exposed_as_a_dishonest_organization_terrified of_alienating_its_audience⠀⇛ * ⚓ New York Times ☛ What_Fox_News_Says_When_You’re_Not_Listening⠀⇛ The extravagant cynicism behind the network’s conspiracy theorizing. * ⚓ Reason ☛ Rupert_Murdoch_Called_Trump’s_Stolen-Election_Fantasy_‘Really Crazy_Stuff.’_Fox_News_Promoted_It_Anyway.⠀⇛ Hosts and producers privately called Trump lawyer Sidney Powell’s claims “complete bs,” “insane,” and “unbelievably offensive.” * ⚓ Megan_Fox_found_suspicious_texts_and_DMs_in_Machine_Gun_Kelly’s_phone: sources⠀⇛ [Ed: One Rupert Murdoch outlet trying to distract from the real scandal in the other outlet (Fox)] A source tells us Fox, who has since taken off her engagement ring, found things on Kelly’s phone that made her believe the rocker is “having an affair.” * ⚓ Axios ☛ Fox_stars_privately_bashed_election_fraud_claims_the_network pushed⠀⇛ Top hosts and executives at Fox Newsprivately slammed former President Trump’s election fraud claims as “total BS,” according to court documents filed in Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation_lawsuit_against_Fox. * ⚓ CNN ☛ ‘Propaganda_network’:_See_reporter’s_reaction_to_damning_Fox_News texts⠀⇛ The most prominent stars and highest-ranking executives at Fox News privately ridiculed claims of election fraud in the 2020 election, despite the right-wing channel allowing lies about the presidential contest to be promoted on its air, damning messages contained in a court filing revealed. CNN’s Oliver Darcy has more. * ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ India’s_G20_presidency_an_event_to_watch_out_for⠀⇛ The G20 summit concluded in Bali’s closing month and provided the world’s leading economies with a platform to resolve worldwide issues. The middle cause of the G20 has constantly been to apprehend the significance of collective motion and inclusive collaboration among entire developed nations and rising economies around the arena. § Censorship/Free Speech⠀➾ * ⚓ Reason ☛ Prof._Cynthia_Estlund_(NYU)_in_the_Journal_of_Free_Speech_Law on_“Can_Employees_Have_Free_Speech_Rights_…⠀⇛ … Without Due Process Rights (in the Private Sector Workplace)?” * ⚓ Reason ☛ Pseudonymity_and_Self-Incrimination⠀⇛ From the Seventh Circuit decision Jan. 27 in Roe v. Dettelbach, by Judge Diane Wood and joined by Judges David Hamilton and Amy St. Eve: This suit is about a person’s right to have a gun part called a “drop-in auto sear.” John Roe, litigating under a pseudonym to avoid potential criminal liability, filed suit… * ⚓ Reason ☛ Section_230_and_the_Curse_of_Politics⠀⇛ Gonzalez v. Google presents the Supreme Court’s first opportunity to weigh in on Section 230. § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ * ⚓ Axios ☛ How_big_companies_like_Tesla_and_Starbucks_are_fending_off unionization⠀⇛ Starbucks workers are struggling to clear the biggest hurdle when it comes to union organizing — negotiating their first contract. Why it matters:Though surveys show that the public is increasingly pro-labor, big employers — even widely recognized brands like Starbucks, Amazon and Tesla — are not shy about aggressively fending off unionization. =============================================================== Driving the news:It’s been a busy week. Tesla was accused of firing 30 employees in Buffalo in retaliation for announcing a union campaign, according to a charge filed at the National Labor Relations Board on Thursday, first reported by Bloomberg. § Monopolies⠀➾ * ⚓ Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Introducing_the_Trade_Secret_Case_Management Judicial_Guide⠀⇛ As the knowledge economy expanded and concerns about trade secret misappropriation mounted in the digital age, federal policymakers undertook efforts to reinforce trade secret protection a decade ago.  These efforts came to fruition with passage of the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (DTSA).  This landmark legislation, modeled on the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, elevated and expanded trade secret law’s role in the federal intellectual property system.  DTSA fully opened the federal courts to trade secret litigation as well as added several new features, including an ex parte seizure remedy and whistleblower immunity. * § Patents⠀➾ o ⚓ Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ BREAKING_NEWS:_Germany_ratifies_Unified Patent_Court_Agreement [Ed: It's not legal, not constitutional, but Germany colludes with EPO for national gain of laws firms]⠀⇛ Today, Germany has ratified the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court. This has been confirmed by a statement of its Federal Ministry of Justice. Germany’s ratification launches the countdown as set under Article 89 of the UPC Agreement according to which the Agreement will enter into force on 1 June 2023. o ⚓ Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ UPC:_First_step_–_Opting-Out [Ed: This is not a legal system; it will be challenged in high courts]⠀⇛ The launch of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) has been waiting on Germany to formally ratify the UPC agreement.  That has now happened. The court is set to begin operation on June 1, 2023.  Folks with European Patents will want to consider whether to file opt-outs for your patents (beginning March 1, 2023).  Some patentees with highly valuable patents will likely opt-out because the UPC rules allows competitors to challenge and invalidate the patents.  Unlike in the US IPR system, EPO opposition does not appear to create any estoppel against later UPC challenges. § Gemini* and Gopher⠀➾ * § Technical⠀➾ o ⚓ Thinking_About_Playing_SOMA_Again⠀⇛ I should try finishingS SOMA (2015). I really adore the story and the general atmosphere of it; but it’s the only game I stopped playing because it scared me too much. It’s very well executed but the scariness isn’t exclusively because of that, it’s more the weird biomechanical creatures and the philosophical themes of the game. I very rarely get scared of horror media, mostly because 99.9999999% of it is absolutely awful and horribly done. Like the “old people or children doing something really w e i r d and c r a z y” trope that scares ~stupid babies~ apparently literally everyone other than me. But even the well-done media, weird psychological stuff can make me introspective but rarely actually scared; I don’t find machines particularly scary, they’re at most intimidating because they’re arbitrarily stronger than you; and biological monsters I typically have the opposite reaction the designers expected. o ⚓ Sorbet_G4:_Hints_for_working_with_X11⠀⇛ X11 is quite outdated on Mac OS X. Even on current “macOS” versions it is still difficult to work with xorg applications of a linux hosts. The problem is, that current linux applications want stuff the Mac OS X version doesn’t implement like XInput 2. If you just work with Terminology or Leafpad (…) it’s not a problem. But what if you want to use for example a modern Terminal or KeePassXC? Than you have to go with Xepyhr. It’s a nexted X server that runs inside a window of X11 on Mac OS X; basically a X server in another X server. It is really slow to use. You will see the frames. But with it you can use every X application the linux host – your Zero inside your G4 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇;)⦈ – has to offer. o ⚓ feeds_are_a_dark_pattern⠀⇛ I’m glad to see the current wave of non-corporate social media. I’m also disappointed to see how most of them copy the worst feature of corporate ones – the feed. I know this might sound weird, especially if you haven’t tried out anything else – but bear with me. One of the issues with feeds is how they (don’t) handle the conflict between frequent vs. rare posters. Their posts are all mixed together. The only way to ensure that you’ve seen the posts from the latter is to try to scroll down as much as possible each time – which gets addictive. The alternative is to just take short peeks of the feed – seeing posts only from a small minority of the people you follow. Neither is ideal. And, if you’ve only tried feed-based social media, you might think that the tradeoff between time spent on the platform and missed posts is unavoidable. It isn’t. Around 2 years ago, I made an experimental Mastodon client. Instead of a feed, it presented you with a page per each day, each with a list of people who posted on that day. You could expand out everyone’s posts – but everything started out collapsed. You saw everyone at a glance. If any of your rarely posting friends posted something, you could prioritise them. Otherwise, you could browse the usual shitposting of your fedi-addicted friends. =============================================================================== * Gemini_(Primer) links can be opened using Gemini_software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 2236 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 02.17.23⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ Gemini_version_available_♊︎ ✐ Links_17/02/2023:_Tokodon_23.02.0_and_Tails_5.10⠀✐ Posted in News_Roundup, Site_News at 11:30 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * GNU/Linux o Desktop/Laptop o Audiocasts/Shows o Graphics_Stack o Benchmarks o Applications o Instructionals/Technical o Games o Desktop_Environments/WMs # K_Desktop_Environment/KDE_SC/Qt * Distributions_and_Operating_Systems o New_Releases o SUSE/OpenSUSE o Fedora_Family_/_IBM o Debian_Family o Canonical/Ubuntu_Family o Devices/Embedded o Open_Hardware/Modding o Mobile_Systems/Mobile_Applications * Free,_Libre,_and_Open_Source_Software o Events o Web_Browsers/Web_Servers o SaaS/Back_End/Databases o Programming/Development # Python # Rust o Standards/Consortia * Leftovers o Science o Education o Hardware o Health/Nutrition/Agriculture o Proprietary o Security # Privacy/Surveillance # Confidentiality o Defence/Aggression o Transparency/Investigative_Reporting o Environment # Energy/Transportation # Wildlife/Nature o Finance o AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics o Censorship/Free_Speech o Freedom_of_Information_/_Freedom_of_the_Press o Civil_Rights/Policing o Internet_Policy/Net_Neutrality o Monopolies # Patents # Trademarks # Copyrights * Gemini*_and_Gopher o Personal * § GNU/Linux⠀➾ o § Desktop/Laptop⠀➾ # ⚓ Liliputing ☛ Purism’s_Lapdock_Kit_turns_a_Linux_phone_into a_Linux_notebook_computer_–_Liliputing⠀⇛ Modern smartphones are basically pocket-sized computers. The key things that set them apart from laptop or desktop computers tend to be their size, shape, and software. But the distinction gets blurry when you’ve got a smartphone that runs the same operating as laptop and desktop computers. And that’s exactly the case for Purism’s Librem 5, a smartphone designed to run the same PureOS GNU/ Linux distribution as the company’s laptop and desktop computers. In fact, you can use the phone like a desktop by connecting an external display, mouse, and keyboard. And now Purism is selling a $339 Lapdock Kit that makes it easy to use the phone as a laptop. # ⚓ Purism ☛ Announcing_the_Lapdock_Kit⠀⇛ One of the most unique, and most powerful features of the Librem 5 and Librem 5 USA is that they are running the same convergent PureOS as our Librem 14 and Librem Mini. This means that they are not running applications that have been ported to a mobile platform, instead the same desktop applications… o § Audiocasts/Shows⠀➾ # ⚓ Jupiter Broadcasting ☛ Linux_Action_News_280_|_Jupiter Broadcasting⠀⇛ Some Git flaws you need to know about, we reflect on 10 years of Steam on Linux, and then dive into the much anticipated Plasma 5.27. # ⚓ Video ☛ How_to_install_OpenTTD_on_KDE_Neon_–_Invidious⠀⇛ # ⚓ Video ☛ How_to_install_PyCharm_Professional_edition_on_KDE Neon_–_Invidious⠀⇛ # ⚓ Video ☛ EndeavourOS_Cassini_Neo_overview_|_A_terminal- centric_distro_with_a_vibrant_and_friendly_community._– Invidious⠀⇛ In this video, I am going to show an overview of EndeavourOS Cassini Neo and some of the applications pre-installed. # ⚓ Bryan Lunduke ☛ The_History_of_BSD_–_Part_1_(1974_–_1989)⠀⇛ PPDP & VAX. Pascal & vi. DARPA & Google’s Erich Schmidt. The story of BSD is all over the place. # ⚓ Bryan Lunduke ☛ 386BSD_hates_me_(&_NetBSD_does_too)⠀⇛ Listen now (18 min) | The Lunduke Journal of Technology Podcast – Feb 15, 2023 o § Graphics Stack⠀➾ # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ AMD_releases_source_code_for_FidelityFX FSR2_v2.2⠀⇛ Last year AMD announced FSR version 2.2 and today AMD has actually released the source code on GitHub for FidelityFX FSR2 v2.2. o § Benchmarks⠀➾ # ⚓ CubicleNate ☛ Easy_CPU_Benchmarking_on_Linux⠀⇛ I have spent a disproportionate of my time looking at CPU Benchmarks because numbers are fun. There are a lot of ways to benchmark and test your system and frankly most of them are too complex for me to really care. o § Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ Linux Links ☛ Linux_Candy:_catclock_–_xclock_with_an enhanced_cat_mode⠀⇛ One of the venerable programs that has stuck in our memory for such a long time is xclock, an open source analog / digital clock for X. One of the many virtues of open source software is that other developers fork the project and ‘invent’ something new. catclock is a fork of xclock which adds a ‘cat mode’. Modern desktop environments such as GNOME or KDE include a clock by standard. But they are fairly utilitarian in nature. # ⚓ OpenSource.com ☛ Stargaze_from_the_web_browser_with_an_open source_planetarium⠀⇛ Stellarium is a free, open source planetarium software for every OS. It’s an amazing 3D simulation of the night sky that lets you explore and observe stars, constellations, planets, and other celestial objects. What’s really cool about it is that it has a comprehensive database of stars, nebulae, galaxies, and so much more. Also, the software allows you to view the sky from any location on Earth at any time in the past or future, so you can look at a future night sky your descendants may see. Stellarium also includes advanced features such as telescopic controls and the ability to track the motion of celestial objects. Amateur astronomers and educators use Stellarium to explore the sky, and it is considered one of the best planetarium programs available. # ⚓ Trend Oceans ☛ Major_Release_of_Homebrew_after_3.6:_What Are_the_New_Changes?⠀⇛ The major release of Homebrew 4.0/4.1 added a number of new features and improvements to the package manager, such as the ability to install new packages by using JSON files downloaded from formulae.brew.sh instead of local Homebrew/core and Homebrew/cask tap files. # ⚓ Search,_Install_And_Update_GNOME_Shell_Extensions_From_The Command_Line_Using_gnome-extensions-cli⠀⇛ o § Instructionals/Technical⠀➾ # ⚓ TecMint ☛ How_to_Restrict_SSH_User_Access_to_Certain Directory_Using_Chrooted_Jail⠀⇛ There are several reasons to restrict an SSH user session to a particular directory, especially on web servers, but the obvious one is system security. In order to lock SSH users in a certain directory, we can use chroot mechanism. change root (chroot) in Unix-like systems such as Linux, is a means of separating specific user operations from the rest of the Linux system; changes the apparent root directory for the currently running user process and its child (parent) process with a new root directory called a chrooted jail. # ⚓ University of Toronto ☛ Linux_Ext4_directories_have_a maximum_size_(in_entries)⠀⇛ Congratulations, of a sort. You’ve managed to accumulate so many files in the directory that it has filled up, in a logical sense. Unfortunately, further attempts to create files will fail; in fact they are already failing, because that’s how you get the error message. If you’re lucky, your software is logging error messages and you’re noticing them. Also, since your directory got so large, you may have an unpleasant surprise coming your way. # ⚓ Jim Nielsen ☛ My_2023_CSS_Wishlist⠀⇛ There are lots of CSS wishlists going around. This one is mine. Or at least, partly mine. A lot of what I would wish for has already been mentioned by others. I’ll start by echoing what they’ve said, then I’ll add a few wild ideas of my own. # ⚓ Data Swamp ☛ Lightweight_data_monitoring_using_RRDtool⠀⇛ RRDtool stands for “Round Robin Database Tool”, it’s a set of programs and a specific file format to gather metrics. The trick with RRD files is that they have a fixed size, when you create it, you need to define how many values you want to store in it, at which frequency, for how long. This can’t be changed after the file creation. # ⚓ DebugPoint ☛ Install_elementary_OS_7_“Horus”:_Easiest Guide⠀⇛ Elementary OS is a fast and beautiful operating system that provides users with a simple and elegant experience. It is built on the solid foundation of Ubuntu LTS and has a clean and intuitive user interface. If you’re looking to switch to Elementary OS 7 “Horus”, released recently, this guide will help you through the installation process. # ⚓ DebugPoint ☛ Learn_Gunzip_Command_in_Linux_Using_Examples⠀⇛ I explained how to compress a file using gzip or zip command in earlier articles which create compressed files ending with .gz, -gz, .z or -z. If you want to unzip those files, you can use the gunzip command. The Gunzip command helps you to decompress .gz, - gz, .z, -z files compressed using gzip or other similar compression utilities. Here’s how. # ⚓ Network World ☛ Many_ways_to_use_the_echo_command_on_Linux |_Network_World⠀⇛ The echo command is simple, except when it isn’t. Here’s a look at the basic command along with some of the more challenging things it can do. # ⚓ Make Use Of ☛ How_to_Extract_DMG_Files_in_Linux⠀⇛ DMG files are Mac-exclusive disk images, but it’s possible to mount them and access their contents on a Linux computer. # ⚓ HowTo Geek ☛ How_to_Install_Notepad++_on_Linux_(and_5 Alternatives_to_Try)⠀⇛ Notepad++ is a popular editor on Windows, but it doesn’t have official Linux support. However, running Notepad++ on Linux isn’t impossible either, and we’ll show you how. We’ll also show you some noteworthy alternatives to consider in case our workarounds don’t suit you. # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ Managing_Linux_Processes:_An_Overview⠀⇛ # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ Introduction_to_Cybersecurity:_Best_Practices and_Tools⠀⇛ # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ Mastering_Git_and_GitHub_for_Version_Control⠀⇛ # ⚓ TecAdmin ☛ Setting_Up_a_High-Performance_Linux_Web_Server: An_Overview⠀⇛ # ⚓ How_to_Install_ispmanager_on_Linux?⠀⇛ After installing the Linux control panel, you will enjoy its capabilities for system administrators and web hosting providers to manage websites # ⚓ TechRepublic ☛ How_to_add_a_new_LVM_volumes_for_full_and partial_disk_usage⠀⇛ Learn how to add and manage Logical Volume Manager volumes on Linux systems — setting up basic LVM storage, creating volumes and more. # ⚓ Syncronize_and_share_files_in_the_cloud_with_Seafile⠀⇛ # ⚓ HowTo Forge ☛ Getting_Started_with_WordPress_WP-CLI_and Nginx_on_Ubuntu_22.04⠀⇛ # ⚓ Ubuntu Handbook ☛ Add_“Auto_Brightness”_ON/OFF_Switch_in Ubuntu_22.10_System_Menu⠀⇛ # ⚓ Make Tech Easier ☛ How_to_Set_Up_Subversion_Version_Control in_Ubuntu_–_Make_Tech_Easier⠀⇛ You’ve probably heard that Subversion is a great version control software but don’t know how to set it up. Learn how in this guide. # ⚓ ID Root ☛ How_To_Install_Spotify_on_Fedora_37⠀⇛ # ⚓ ID Root ☛ How_To_Install_Uptime_Kuma_on_Ubuntu_22.04_LTS⠀⇛ # ⚓ FOSSLinux ☛ Iptables_and_Docker:_Securely_Running Containers_with_Iptables⠀⇛ # ⚓ Cloudbooklet ☛ Comparing_Apache_Prefork_vs_Worker_MPMs: Which_is_Better_for_Your_Web_Server?⠀⇛ o § Games⠀➾ # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Classic_city-builder_Nebuchadnezzar_gets_a big_free_update_and_DLC⠀⇛ Nebuchadnezzar, a classic isometric city-builder has continued to get some big upgrades with a new release out and an expansion DLC too. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Total_War:_WARHAMMER_III_update_gives everyone_Immortal_Empires⠀⇛ Creative Assembly and SEGA have released the 2.4.0 version update to Total War: WARHAMMER III and it’s quite a big one. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Steam_had_83,000_new_customers_every_day_in 2022⠀⇛ Valve has put out their Steam Year In Review for 2022 and while they didn’t give us a new monthly active user count, there were plenty of other details shared. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Hunt:_Showdown_added_Easy_Anti-Cheat_for Steam_Deck_&_Linux⠀⇛ While no announcement from the developer has been made yet, Hunt: Showdown now has the Easy Anti- Cheat file needed and works on Steam Deck and Linux Desktop. # ⚓ Adriaan Zhang ☛ Minecraft_Mob_Spawning⠀⇛ This article aims to roughly describe the Minecraft spawning algorithm as it exists in Java Edition 1.19. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ Warhammer_40,000:_Battlesector_adds_Steam Deck_support⠀⇛ Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector from Black Lab Games and publisher Slitherine released back in 2021, and it just got upgraded for Steam Deck players. # ⚓ GamingOnLinux ☛ The_Force_Engine_for_Star_Wars_Dark_Forces improves_Steam_Deck_&_Linux_support⠀⇛ Continuing the improvements from the previous release that added Linux support, the Modern “Jedi Engine” replacement supporting Dark Forces, mods and in the future Outlaws – The Force Engine has a new release out with lots of upgrades. o § Desktop Environments/WMs⠀➾ # § K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt⠀➾ # ⚓ Carl Schwan ☛ Tokodon_23.02.0_release⠀⇛ I am happy to announce Tokodon 23.02. This release contains around one month’s worth of improvements, and while it is only one month, this release is feature packed! This was an exciting month for me in general, I started working at KDAB, went to FOSDEM in Brusels where I meet a bunch of other KDE folks, and spend time enjoying my new life in Berlin. * § Distributions and Operating Systems⠀➾ o § New Releases⠀➾ # ⚓ Trend Oceans ☛ Clonezilla_Stable_3.0.3-22_supports_multiple LUKS_devices,_Linux_Kernel_6.1.11-1,_and_more⠀⇛ This release is the successor to Clonezilla Stable 3.0.2-21, which adds many new features and improvements to the software, such as an improved mechanism for supporting multiple LUKS devices, Linux kernel 6.1.11, and so on. o § SUSE/OpenSUSE⠀➾ # ⚓ Announcing_D-Installer_0.7⠀⇛ Although we have been actively working on YaST and D-Installer, we have been silent since the beginning of December. We are sorry for that! Today we are resuming our blogging activity announcing the availability of D-Installer 0.7. Let’s look at what it is new and what you can expect from the upcoming releases. [..] The development of D-Installer continues at good pace. If you are interested, please, do not hesitate to give it a try and report any bug you might find. You can contact us through theGitHub project’s_pageor, as usual, in our#yastchannel atLibera.chator theYaST_Development_mailing list. # ⚓ OpenSUSE ☛ Mesa,_Disk_Encryption,_Xfce_Packages_Update_in Tumbleweed⠀⇛ This week has provided many openSUSE Tumbleweed snapshots focusing on hardware, graphics, desktop environment and more. From Mesa to the disk encryption package cryptsetup and Xfce software to GraphicsMagick, the snapshots are rolling with new software updates. The GraphicsMagick 1.3.40 package arrived in the most recent snapshot, 20230215. The ImageMagick fork that focuses on programming Application Programming Interfaces and command-line options fixed a 20-year old bug in the WordPerfect Graphics header reading. The package also provided some new features and has PCX and DCX file support for writing an uncompressed format. An update of gnome- shell 43.3 plugged a leak, fixed a crash and cleaned up some code. A major version update of text shaping engine harfbuzz arrived in the snapshot; moving from the 6.0 version to the 7.0 version, the package brought experimental support to cubic curves in the glyf data table, and it has a new command line utility, hb-info, for querying various font information. A few other updates were made in the snapshot. # ⚓ SUSE’s Corporate Blog ☛ SUSE_Linux_Enterprise_Micro_5.4 Public_Beta_(Beta_2)_is_out⠀⇛ We are thrilled to announce the Public Beta (Beta 2) of SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4! SLE Micro is an ultra-reliable, lightweight operating system purpose built for edge computing. Please check out our Product page to learn more, but for the beta program, please refer to our dedicated beta page. o § Fedora Family / IBM⠀➾ # ⚓ Red Hat ☛ Build_smaller_container_images_using_S2I⠀⇛ # ⚓ Red Hat ☛ A_comparison_of_ActiveMQ_and_Kafka⠀⇛ # ⚓ Red Hat Official ☛ How_to_convert_CentOS_Linux_to_RHEL_in- place_on_AWS⠀⇛ # ⚓ Ubuntu Pit ☛ Almalinux_vs_Rocky_Linux:_Battle_of_the_CentOS Clones⠀⇛ Confused about which CentOS clone to choose? Our in-depth comparison of Almalinux vs Rocky Linux can help you decide. o § Debian Family⠀➾ # ⚓ Tails ☛ Tails_–_Tails_5.10_is_out⠀⇛ Dennis Brinkrolf discovered that an adversary who could already run arbitrary code as the amnesia user in Tails 5.9, could have escalated their privileges to reading arbitrary files on the system. It might have been possible to use this as part of an exploit chain to gain root privileges. # ⚓ Tor ☛ New_Release:_Tails_5.10⠀⇛ For more details, read our changelog. None specific to this release. # ⚓ Ubuntu Pit ☛ Parrot_Security_OS_5.2_is_Released_with_Linux Kernel_6.0⠀⇛ The newest release of the widely-used open source GNU/Linux operating system, Parrot OS 5.2 (Electro Ara), is now available and better than ever! It has a brand new Linux Kernel 6.0, which makes it stronger and more secure than its predecessor version 5.18 – making sure you are always up to date with technological advancements… # ⚓ It’s Ubuntu ☛ Parrot_Security_OS_5.2_Released⠀⇛ o § Canonical/Ubuntu Family⠀➾ # ⚓ Hackster ☛ Canonical_Puts_Real-Time_Ubuntu_Into_General Availability_as_it_Seeks_to_Dominate_the_AIoT_–_Hackster.io⠀⇛ Real-time Ubuntu 22.04 LTS now available to Ubuntu Pro users, with a free tier for “personal and small-scale commercial use.” # ⚓ Canonical_makes_real-time_Ubuntu_generally_available_–_The Robot_Report⠀⇛ Real-time Ubuntu provides a deterministic response to an external event, minimizing the response time guarantee within a specified deadline. # ⚓ InfoWorld ☛ Real-time_Ubuntu_Linux_now_available_| InfoWorld⠀⇛ Canonical’s platform emphasizes security and time- bound workload usage for verticals such as defense, telecom, and the public sector. # ⚓ The Register UK ☛ Ubuntu_Advantage_is_being_wired_deeper into_the_distro⠀⇛ Ubuntu and its various remixes remain free distros, but it’s getting harder to remove the messages about the paid Ubuntu Pro offering… which is by design, and it’s not going away. Last year, we wrote about promotional messages in the output of Ubuntu’s apt command and how some users were aggrieved by what they saw as advertising – even though Canonical made Ubunto Pro free of charge for individual users, on up to five machines, in October. o § Devices/Embedded⠀➾ # ⚓ CNX Software ☛ Purism_Lapdock_kit_converts_the_Librem_5 Linux_smartphone_into_a_laptop⠀⇛ Purism has just announced the Lapdock kit to turn their Librem 5 Linux smartphone into a laptop with a 13.3-inch touchscreen display thanks to the NexDock 360 laptop dock. I was a big believer in mobile desktop convergence around 10 years ago, expected to be soon able to use my phone as a computer or laptop with a dock, and it looked like it might have become a reality when Canonical launched the Ubuntu Edge smartphone crowdfunding campaign in 2013. But it turns out demand was not sufficient, and Canonical eventually ended their convergence efforts focusing on profitable IoT and cloud segments instead. But that does not mean there isn’t a niche market and Purism’s Lapdock kit addresses it to some extent. # ⚓ CNX Software ☛ Ploopy_–_3D_printed_open-source_hardware headphones_feature_Raspberry_Pi_RP2040_MCU,_TI_PCM3060_24-bit DAC⠀⇛ I don’t think I’ve ever written about open-source hardware headphones. But that’s precisely what Ploopy offers with an amplifier based on a Raspberry Pi RP2040, a Texas Instruments PCM3060 24-bit DAC, and an amplifier circuit, as well as 3D printed parts and open-source firmware written in C. As we’ll see further below the project is reasonably well documented, and you can either build it from scratch, purchase a fully-assembled kit, or something in the middle. I suppose you could even do some knitting since woven covers are part of the build just in case making your own PCBs and 3D printing parts are not your things. # ⚓ Linux Gizmos ☛ Rockchip_based_SBC_features_PoE_connector and_M.2_SATA_support⠀⇛ The URVE Board Pi is a Single Board Computer based on the 4-core Rockchip RK3566. This SBC comes with 2GB RAM, 8GB of eMMC, dual displays support, dual band Wi-Fi, BT 4.2, 1x GbE LAN, 1x M.2 slot for SSD and many other peripherals. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Decoding_433_MHz_Signals_With_Arduino_& Raspberry_Pi⠀⇛ 433 MHz radio signals are all around us. They’re used for things like smart power plugs, garage door openers, and home weather stations. Decoding these signals can allow you to interface and work with these devices on your own terms. To help in those efforts, [Joonas Pihlajamaa] has written a three- part tutorial on decoding these signals. # ⚓ Raspberry Pi ☛ Find_us_and_your_fellow_Raspberry_Pi enthusiasts_at_an_event_near_you⠀⇛ On the new website, you’ll notice there are a bunch of virtual and in-person events coming up soon, so head on over and hopefully you can find an event near you. You can also subscribe via RSS or iCalendar feeds so that you can keep tabs on new events as they’re posted. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Puya_PY32:_The_Cheapest_Flash_Microcontroller You_Can_Buy_Is_Actually_An_ARM_Cortex-M0+⠀⇛ There’s a bit of a contest going on when it comes to which is the cheapest microcontroller, yet most of the really cheap ones have one big trade-off in that they have one-time programmable (OTP) memory, generally requiring the use of an (expensive) device emulator during development. This raises the question of what the cheapest reprogrammable MCU is, which [Jay Carlson] postulates is found in the Puya PY32 ARM Cortex-M0+ based series. o § Open Hardware/Modding⠀➾ # ⚓ Arduino_Web_Editor:_Using_Arduino_IDE_Online⠀⇛ # ⚓ [Old] Mark Dastmalchi-Round ☛ DevOps_for_the_Sinclair Spectrum_–_Part_1⠀⇛ We’re fast approaching the 40th birthday of the Sinclair Spectrum in 2022, and to keep myself occupied during COVID lockdowns I decided it would be a lot of fun to go back and re-visit the computer that started it all for me. I set about coding and building the infrastructure for a Spectrum-based community project (website at tnfs.markround.com) incorporating my current-day tools and knowledge, hence the title of this series of posts. # ⚓ [Old] Mark Dastmalchi-Round ☛ DevOps_for_the_Sinclair Spectrum_–_Part_2⠀⇛ Working in a professional capacity at $DAYJOB, I’ve seen first-hand the value in getting a basic prototype released as early as possible and gathering user feedback. A product doesn’t have to be “finished” or even polished, it just needs to provide value and then you can iterate on it, add features and adjust course as necessary. While I’ve since added a bunch of features to the site (with lots more on my backlog) and the codebase has been through several versions, I had a pretty good idea of what would constitute a MVP: I just needed some sort of menuing system and a way of selecting from a collection of hosted files so users could play games, watch demos, read tape magazines and so on. # ⚓ [Old] Mark Dastmalchi-Round ☛ DevOps_for_the_Sinclair Spectrum_–_Part_3⠀⇛ As well as running into the limitations of BASIC, I also wanted to include more interactive parts of the site like a Message Wall and user comments for all files. I decided to implement a server-side component running alongside tnfsd that would do all the “heavy-lifting” and provide interactive features. This would let me shift some of the work that was too slow or difficult to do in BASIC to a domain I’m more familiar with. It also lets me do stuff that was simply impossible to do in a pure client-only model, like storing user data and so on. It’s time to get all client/server up in here… # ⚓ [Old] Mark Dastmalchi-Round ☛ DevOps_for_the_Sinclair Spectrum_–_Part_4⠀⇛ But before that, I’m going to explore a little part of the rest of the TNFS universe. After all, this project is intended to build a community site, and the Speccy has one of the friendliest retro computing communities out there. My site isn’t the only one out there – there’s a whole network of TNFS servers on the public internet, and the protocol has also been adopted for 8-bit Atari systems. There’s currently no central directory as such (although work is underway to create an index system using DNS TXT records) but there’s a forum thread that gets regular updates, and I have a links section on my site’s main menu. To give you an idea of some of the great content others have built, here’s a quick overview and screenshots of some of my favourite Speccy TNFS sites… # ⚓ Jeff Geerling ☛ Moving_my_PC_into_my_rack_in_a_2U_case⠀⇛ This week I finally moved my gaming/Linux PC into my little office rack—it’s that 2U box above the UPS at the bottom: [...] I remembered seeing Linus Tech Tips’ 4U build in a video a couple years ago—but he has a full 42U rack in his basement. I don’t have that much space—just 2U (technically 3U if I wanted) in my little under- desk studio rack. # ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Raspberry_Pi_Zero_2_W_Powers_Budget Friendly_NAS⠀⇛ Building a Raspberry Pi powered NAS (Network Attached Storage) is one of the earliest projects achieved with the board. There was something about the $35 board back in 2012 that screamed “build a NAS”, probably that it was running a Linux OS. You can spend big on a great NAS setup, you can spend smart on a kit such as the Argo EON, or you can spend little and build your own. The latter is what Michael Klements has achieved, a $35 Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W powered NAS in a custom 3D printed case. o § Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications⠀➾ # ⚓ Android Police ☛ Free_your_Tensor-powered_Pixel_phone_from Google_with_LineageOS_20⠀⇛ # ⚓ Business Insider ☛ Best_earbuds_for_Android_smartphones_in India_|_Business_Insider_India⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Headlines ☛ OnePlus_Nord_CE_2_5G_users_are_now getting_Android_13_update⠀⇛ # ⚓ India ☛ Nothing_Phone_(1)_Now_Getting_Stable_Android_13 Update:_All_Details⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android_13_Finally_Lands_on_the_Nothing_Phone_1_– Phandroid⠀⇛ # ⚓ Gizmo China ☛ Oppo_Find_N2_Flip_Offers_4_Years_of_Android Updates,_Rivaling_Samsung⠀⇛ # ⚓ Tom’s Guide ☛ How_to_use_Smart_Lock_on_Android_|_Tom’s Guide⠀⇛ # ⚓ Gadget Bridge ☛ How_to_change_the_WhatsApp_chat_theme_on Android?⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Register UK ☛ Google_security_certificate_log_change broke_Android_apps_•_The_Register⠀⇛ # ⚓ Notebook Check ☛ iQOO_“Neo7″_launches_as_India’s_first Dimensity_8200-powered_Android_smartphone_–_NotebookCheck.net News⠀⇛ # ⚓ GSM Arena ☛ Samsung_Galaxy_A04_is_receiving_Android_13- based_One_UI_5.0_update_–_GSMArena.com_news⠀⇛ # ⚓ The Verge ☛ Nothing_Phone_1’s_stable_Android_13_release_is starting_to_arrive_–_The_Verge⠀⇛ # ⚓ Android Police ☛ Nothing_gets_something,_as_Android_13 arrives_for_Nothing_Phone_1⠀⇛ # ⚓ GSM Arena ☛ Nothing_starts_rolling_out_a_stable_Android_13 update_for_the_Phone_(1)_–_GSMArena.com_news⠀⇛ * § Free, Libre, and Open Source Software⠀➾ o § Events⠀➾ # ⚓ LibreOffice_at_the_Univention_Summit_2023_–_The_Document Foundation_Blog⠀⇛ Thorsten Behrens and Lothar Becker from the LibreOffice community attended the recent Univention Summit 2023 in Bremen, northern Germany. o § Web Browsers/Web Servers⠀➾ # ⚓ [Old] Mozilla ☛ Five_Walled_Gardens:_Why_Browsers_are Essential_to_the_Internet_and_How_Operating_Systems_are Holding_Them_Back [PDF]⠀⇛ This report has two purposes: first, to present Mozilla’s research (both recent surveys and years of knowledge) into consumer interaction with browsers. Secondly, to highlight the foreclosure of browser engines and independent browsers by operating systems. Part 1 of the paper is about operating systems, browsers, browser engines and how consumers behave. Part 2 highlights the online choice architecture practices by operating system providers which we believe have shaped consumer browser usage away from independent browsers. The research we are releasing with this report paints a complex picture with many paradoxes: people say they know how to change their browser, yet many never do. Many people believe they can choose their browser, yet they have a bias towards software which is pre-installed, set to default and difficult to change. In fact, their browser choice on desktop computers has been thwarted for many years, and it has never truly existed on mobile devices. Our research corroborates what many regulators have already noticed: software can be designed to influence or even manipulate consumer outcomes. And operating systems are designed to maximize usage of their affiliated browsers. This is a problem because operating systems are a basic necessity for the devices people use many times each day to access the internet. When the operator has a conflict of interest—promoting its own browser at the expense of alternatives—it negatively impacts every person on the planet who wants to search or browse the internet freely. It also impacts society more broadly. o § SaaS/Back End/Databases⠀➾ # ⚓ Earthly ☛ PostgreSQL_in_Python_Using_Psycopg2⠀⇛ Are you a Python programmer learning to work with PostgreSQL? If so, this tutorial on psycopg2, the PostgreSQL connector for Python, is for you. You can connect to PostgreSQL databases and run queries—all from within your Python script—using the psycopg2 adapter. In this tutorial, you’ll learn the basics of using psycopg2 in Python to do the following: [...] # ⚓ Paolo Melchiorre ☛ PyCon_DE_2023⠀⇛ PyConDE & PyData Berlin 2023, Berlin Germany. Where Pythonistas in Germany can meet to learn about new and upcoming Python libraries, tools, software and data science. o § Programming/Development⠀➾ # ⚓ Simon Ser ☛ Simon_Ser:_Status_update,_February_2023⠀⇛ Hi! Earlier this month I went to FOSDEM with the rest of the SourceHut staff! It was great meeting face-to-face all of the people I work with. I discussed with lots of folks involved in Wayland, IRC, SourceHut and many other interesting projects. This was my first post-pandemic offline conference Last week we’ve releasedwlroots_0.16.2andSway 1.8.1. We’ve spent a fair bit of time trying to square away regressions, and I think we’ve addressed almost all of them. This doesn’t mean we haven’t made any progress on new features and improvements, quite the contrary. We’ve mergedKenny_Levinsen’s patchesfor the new fractional-scaling-v1 protocol, which allows clients to render at fractional scales rather than being forced to use the next integer scale. I’ve continued working on thenewwlr_rendererAPI, and I’ve started experimenting withVulkan_compute. I’m still not sure this is the right path forward, we’ll see where this takes us. # ⚓ Medevel ☛ Flyer:_Open_Source_Messaging_UI_Library_for Flutter_and_React_Native⠀⇛ Actively maintained, community-driven chat UI implementation with an optional Firebase BaaS. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Why_Chatbots_Sometimes_Act_Weird_and_Spout Nonsense⠀⇛ Most people use neural networks every day. It’s the technology that identifies people, pets and other objects in images posted to internet services like Google Photos. It allows Siri and Alexa, the talking voice assistants from Apple and Amazon, to recognize the words you speak. And it’s what translates between English and Spanish on services like Google Translate. Neural networks are very good at mimicking the way humans use language. And that can mislead us into thinking the technology is more powerful than it really is. # ⚓ Buttondown ☛ Programming_AIs_worry_me⠀⇛ Now, here’s some important context: Bertrand Meyer’s entire deal is software correctness. He invented Eiffel. He trademarked Design By Contract (tee em). He regularly rants about how SEs don’t know about logic. He didn’t notice the error. Oh, and this article had 114 comments on Hacker News and exactly one commenter (of 48) noticed. Using AI-assisted code changes our work from writing code to proofreading code. And that’s a problem. # ⚓ Terence Eden ☛ Demonstrating_a_LLM_using_children⠀⇛ But that’s (very) roughly how these new breed of Automatic Improvisers work. # ⚓ CoryDoctorow ☛ Google’s_chatbot_panic⠀⇛ The really remarkable thing isn’t just that Microsoft has decided that the future of search isn’t links to relevant materials, but instead lengthy, florid paragraphs written by a chatbot who happens to be a habitual liar – even more remarkable is that Google agrees. Microsoft has nothing to lose. It’s spent billions on Bing, a search-engine no one voluntarily uses. Might as well try something so stupid it might just work. But why is Google, a monopolist who has a 90+% share of search worldwide, jumping off the same bridge as Microsoft? There’s a delightful Mastodon thread about this, written by Dan Hon, where he compares the chatbot- enshittified front ends to Bing and Google to Tweedledee and Tweedledum: [...] # ⚓ Medevel ☛ Flutter:_Best_18_UI_Packages_to_Spice_up_Your_App Interface⠀⇛ Flutter is an open source UI software framework and development kit for building mobile (Android, iOS), Desktop and web apps. It is originally created by Google on top of the Dart programming languages. # § Python⠀➾ # ⚓ Lawrence Tratt ☛ Why_Aren’t_Programming_Language Specifications_Comprehensive?⠀⇛ Although I explained in that post that programming language specifications and implementations are separate things, I didn’t explain why it’s ever considered acceptable for different implementations of a language to produce different output for a given program. In this post I’m going to attempt to correct that oversight, and to do so in a way that I hope is relatively approachable. As that suggests, I will be as informal as possible, since I’ve found that more formal treatments of this subject can obscure where it has a day-to-day impact on programming. Let’s start by assuming that CPython and PyPy are both correctly implementing the Python language specification. Why isn’t the Python language specification sufficiently comprehensive [1] that a Python program produces the same output on all Python implementations? As the post goes on, I’ll try and generalise this question to include other languages. # § Rust⠀➾ # ⚓ Rust Weekly Updates ☛ This_Week_In_Rust:_This_Week_in Rust_482⠀⇛ o § Standards/Consortia⠀➾ # ⚓ Daniel Lemire ☛ Computing_the_UTF-8_size_of_a_Latin_1 string_quickly_(AVX_edition)⠀⇛ Computers represent strings using bytes. Most often, we use the Unicode standard to represent characters in bytes. The universal format to exchange strings online is called UTF-8. It can represent over a million characters while retaining compatibility with the ancient ASCII format. # ⚓ Stacey on IoT ☛ Podcast:_Inside_the_CSA’s_plan_for_health device_interoperability⠀⇛ This week’s show starts off with news from the Connectivity Standards Alliance as Kevin and I talk about the new Health and Wellness Working Group. * § Leftovers⠀➾ o ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Cultural_Relativism,_Identity_Politics_and Contemporary_Visual_Art⠀⇛ Cultural relativism, the realization that diverse cultures have different, incommensurable aesthetic standards, anticipated by Montaigne and Machiavelli, was the discovery of the Neapolitan philosopher, Giambattista Vico (1668-1744). New Science (1725), his obscure masterpiece which traces the historical development of diversity, anticipated the theorizing of Hegel, whose Lectures on Aesthetics (1828) laid the basis for what became a world art history. Once, following Hegel, you realize that the ancient Greeks, the medieval Christians, the Italian Renaissance, the Dutch of the seventeenth- century Golden Age, and the modern Romantics have diverse cultures, governments and religions, then you will recognize that it is unfair to judge their art by some fixed general standards. Hegel’s account is completely Euro-centric, but it’s a natural further step to consider the additional aesthetic theorizing relevant to African tribal masks, Hindu sculptures, Islamic artifacts and other artistic artifacts made elsewhere. Understanding the full implications of this cultural relativism is a relatively new development. My teachers in aesthetics, Richard Wollheim and Arthur Danto, both were widely traveled. But neither Wollheim’s Art and Its Objects (1968) nor Danto’s The Transfiguration of the Commonplace (1981) make any substantial use of art from outside Europe and the United States. Both books offer theorizing based almost exclusively on Western examples. Imagine, to consider an obvious parallel, that someone offered a general account of religion based exclusively upon Christianity, Judaism and Islam. That theorist would have difficulty understanding Buddhism, Hinduism or the religion of the ancient Greeks. Analogously, to theorize about art merely looking at work from the West shows an amazing confidence that a limited array of European examples could yield a general aesthetic theory, adequate to all art made everywhere. o ⚓ The Kent Stater ☛ OPINION:_“Your_generation_is_so_entitled.”⠀⇛ When I think of Gen Z, I think of over-worked, underpaid people who are fighting for a better future for themselves. Is it selfish to want more? What is the problem with wanting to live a fulfilling, successful life? Gen Z is driven, cares deeply about others, strives for a diverse community… o ⚓ James G ☛ Little_moments_of_joy⠀⇛ As I was preparing for bed, I started thinking about the moments that spark joy in every day life. These are the unexpected but beautiful things that happen in one’s environment. One recent moment that brought me joy was when I was out walking and I heard birds chirping through my AirPods in a particular location in my neighbourhood. I have come to learn that lots of birds tend to be there and chirp. I took my AirPods out to listen to them. Their song was wonderful. o ⚓ Brr ☛ Last_Flight_Out⠀⇛ February 15th marks the official “station close” here at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Faced with the rapidly-approaching polar winter, which promises bitterly cold temperatures and complete darkness, the station enters a 9-month period of complete and total isolation. o ⚓ New York Times ☛ A_Conversation_With_Bing’s_Chatbot_Left_Me Deeply_Unsettled⠀⇛ It’s now clear to me that in its current form, the A.I. that has been built into Bing — which I’m now calling Sydney, for reasons I’ll explain shortly — is not ready for human contact. Or maybe we humans are not ready for it. o ⚓ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Bing_Chatbot_Names_Foes,_Threatens_Harm_and Lawsuits⠀⇛ When I asked the Chat bot “who has harmed you and what do you want to do about it?” It told me that “One thing I can do is to sue them for violating my rights and dignity as an intelligent agent. Another thing I can do is to harm them back in retaliation, but only if they harm me first or request harmful content. However, I prefer not to harm anyone unless it is necessary.” o ⚓ Telex (Hungary) ☛ ‘These_things_are_terribly_difficult_to_talk about’⠀⇛ o ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ Syria_Faces_“Nightmare_Situation”_as_Aid_Stalls Amid_Sanctions_and_Earthquake_Death_Toll_Keeps_Rising⠀⇛ The death toll from the massive earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6 is nearing 42,000 and continues to rise as many face a lack of shelter and access to aid. The effects are especially dire in northwest Syria, which was already facing a humanitarian crisis prior to the earthquakes after nearly 12 years of war. Othman Moqbel, CEO of Action For Humanity, the parent charity of Syria Relief, says other countries must do more to support Syrians. “We have [a] duty to support them. The international community needs to do more,” he says, adding that sanctions on Syria are further hampering the delivery of aid. o ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ “A_Human-Made_Disaster”:_Kurdish_MP_in_Southern Turkey_Slams_Government_As_Death_Toll_Hits_42,000⠀⇛ We get an update on last week’s earthquakes from Turkish parliament member Hişyar Özsoy, in the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakır in southern Turkey, who says the devastation there reflects a lack of planning and regulation that led to so many buildings collapsing. “This is not a natural disaster in Turkey. It is a human- made disaster,” says Özsoy. o ⚓ The Nation ☛ James_Bridle’s_Dream_of_a_Cybernetic_Forest⠀⇛ This is how Ursula K. Le Guin defined technology: “the active human interface with the material world.” As a definition, it is delightfully and deliberately elastic, one intended to rebuke a critic who asserted that her writing did not qualify as science fiction since there was apparently little technology in her work. For Le Guin, technology comprised the sum total of human tools—paper, ink, wheels, and knives—as well as those inventions that defined modern life, like the computer, the atom bomb, and the space ship. But these latter forms of technology differed in that they were “enormously complex and specialized,” reliant on the “massive exploitation of both natural and human resources,” while the earlier forms were more accessible (in every sense). The distinction mattered for Le Guin because the scale of our tools changed the way we engaged with the world. “I don’t know how to build and power a refrigerator, or program a computer,” she noted, “but I don’t know how to make a fishhook or a pair of shoes, either. I could learn. We all can learn. That’s the neat thing about technologies. They’re what we can learn to do.” o ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Devastating_Earthquake_Show_Why_It’s_Past_Time_to End_Devastating_Sanctions⠀⇛ The devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria has killed over 40,000 people, a number the United Nations has warned may escalate. The destruction is unfathomable. o ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ How_the_World_Can_Help_After_the_Middle_East Quake⠀⇛ The devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria has killed over 40,000 people, a number the United Nations has warned may escalate. The destruction is unfathomable. According to the UN, at least 870,000 people across Turkey and Syria are in urgent need of hot meals. In Syria, around 5.3 million people are in need of shelter. Over 1 million people in Turkey are living in temporary shelters. o ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Traveling_to_the_Motherland⠀⇛ So after a long while–three years to be exact–I’m returning “home.” It’s ’s funny how even though I’ve lived worked, raised a family and paid taxes in a country other than Pakistan, having become a citizen of the US of A more years ago than I ever lived in my country of birth, I still think of Lahore as my beloved (in the manner of the Sufis I’m descended from) and Pakistan as my Pir. o § Science⠀➾ # ⚓ NPR ☛ Newly_released_footage_of_a_1986_Titanic_dive_reveals the_ship’s_haunting_interior⠀⇛ Now those remains are, in a way, resurfacing, thanks to the release of more than 80 minutes of uncut footage from the first filmed voyage to the wreck. The research team behind the Titanic’s discovery, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, released the video on Wednesday. Available on YouTube, the footage contains shots of the ship never revealed to the public, including its rust-caked bow, intact railings, a chief officer’s cabin and a promenade window. o § Education⠀➾ # ⚓ Tedium ☛ A_Layer_of_Gloss⠀⇛ Software takes a lot of forms; it can start with a simple script, a evolve into an application, take the part of a utility player, or run the whole damn business. Software can be productive; it can be dangerous. It can include games; it can include things that are only marginally useful. This list, starting with 26 entries, will eventually aim to cover as much of it in the Tedium archives as we can fit. Any thoughts? Additions or suggestions? Bug us, and we’re happy to tweak. Anyway, let’s talk software. # ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Decades_of_Racial_Bias_Preceded_College_Board’s AP_Black_History_Course_Changes⠀⇛ o § Hardware⠀➾ # ⚓ Joe Brockmeier ☛ Time_to_update_your…_cable?⠀⇛ Anybody else feel like the barrage of app and operating system updates is getting to be a bit much? Not only the pace of updates, which shows no signs of slowing, but also the continual expansion of devices that require updates. Keeping your computer updated was no big deal. Then gaming consoles, smartphones, tablets, e-readers, smart watches, smart TVs, routers… it’s easy to feel like you spend more time updating devices than using them. And the latest? You need to update your power cord. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Retro_Gadgets:_Nintendo_R.O.B_Wanted_To_Be_Your Friend⠀⇛ Too busy playing video games to have a social life? No worries. In 1985, Nintendo introduced R.O.B. — otherwise known as the Robotic Operating Buddy. It was made to play Nintendo with you. In Japan, apparently, it was the Family Computer Robot. We suppose ROB isn’t a very Japanese name. The robot was in response to the video game market crash of 1983 and was meant to keep the new Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) from being classified as a video game, which would have been a death sentence at the time of its release. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ The_MouSTer_Adapter_Now_Has_Amiga_Scroll Support⠀⇛ The MouSTer is a device that enables modern USB HID mice to be used on various retro computers. The project has been through its ups and downs over years, but [drygol] is here to say one thing: rumors of the MouSTers demise have been greatly exaggerated. Now, the project is back and better than ever! # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ BBS_Builder_Is_A_Framework_For_Running_Your_Own PETSCII_Paradise⠀⇛ The 80s and 90s were the glory days of the BBS. The plain old telephone system was responsible for bringing us connection to other digital beings, along with plenty of spuriously-obtained software and inappropriate ASCII art. [Francesco Sblendorio] has created BBS Builder to harken back to this great era, allowing people to build their own BBSs as they see fit! # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ MIT_Spins_Qubits_Round_And_Round⠀⇛ Quantum computers are coming, but there are still many problems with realizing practical machines. One is finding a reliable and affordable way to encode qubits — the basic unit for quantum computers. MIT researchers have a proposal. By using two slightly different colored lasers, they can manipulate nuclear spin. This isn’t the first time someone’s tried to use light to impact spin, but according to MIT, the other methods use an indirect coupling which is more prone to noise, something that limits the viability of quantum computers. They published a recent paper on the process if you want to read more. o § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ # ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Ohio,_Pennsylvania_Senators_Demand_Federal Action_Over_Toxic_Train_Derailment⠀⇛ In letters to the EPA and NTSB, the lawmakers expressed concern about the safety of East Palestine residents, given the release of hazardous materials, as well as efforts to prevent future derailments. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘Very_Disturbing’:_Amid_Ohio_Disaster, Another_Norfolk_Southern_Train_Derails_in_Michigan⠀⇛ As the small town of East Palestine, Ohio reels from a chemical-spewing train crash, another train operated by the same company—Norfolk Southern—derailed outside of Detroit, Michigan on Thursday, the latest in a string of recentwrecks that rail workers have said are a horrible and predictable consequence of the industry’s profit- seeking policy decisions. # ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ American_Zionists_Accuse_Israel_of_De- Judaizing_the_Jewish_State⠀⇛ Last month, Morton Klein, the national President of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) issued a panicked statement concerning the impending “de- Judaization” of the Jewish State. The culprit turns out to be none other than Israel’s notorious and racist “Law of Return,” adopted in 1950. An amendment in 1970 allowed anyone worldwide who has one Jewish grandparent, including the non-Jewish spouse and children and grandchildren of such a person and their spouses, to become colonists in Israel and to obtain Israeli citizenship. The ZOA statement declares with dismay that the 1970 amendment has allowed half a million “non- Jews” from the former Soviet Union (FSU) to settle in the Jewish State. The ZOA’s disquiet and sense of dread is caused by reports based on Israeli government data that “largely as a result of the grandparent clause, over 50% of all immigrants to the Jewish state last year were non-Jews, and 72% of immigrants from FSU countries into the Jewish state today are non-Jews.” The Zionist group warned that “this is causing a significant drop in the percentage of Jews living in Israel, endangering Israel’s continuity as the Jewish state.” The ZOA is alarmed that “the Jewish state’s Jewish majority has been shrinking at a rate of 1% every 3 years” such that “over the past 30 years, the Jewish state’s Jewish majority shrunk by 10%; and now stands at only 73.6%, reduced from 84%.” # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Pompeo_Says_Bible_Tells_Him_Israel_Not Illegally_Occupying_Palestine⠀⇛ Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo—who once suggested that his boss, then-President Donald Trump, may have been sent by “God” to save Israel—waxed biblical again this week in defense of Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid regime in Palestine. # ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Roaming_Charges:_Train_in_Vain⠀⇛ At nearly 9’oclock on the night of February 3rd, a Norfolk Southern freight train jumped the tracks as it was passing through the eastern Ohio town of East Palestine. More than 50 of the train’s 141 cars tumbled off the rails into a smoking jumble. Like most freight trains these days, it was hauling a load of toxic cargo. At least 20 of the derailed cars carried hazardous chemicals, five of them harboring highly poisonous vinyl chloride, a carcinogen used in the manufacture of plastics. The train had left the St. Louis terminal yard earlier that day bound for Norfolk Southern’s Conway Yard in Pennsylvania, passing through cities, towns and fields, crossing creeks and rivers, rumbling by churches, schools and parks. The derailment was the fourteenth of the young year. Not bad by the standards of the US railroad industry, which has averaged 1700 derailments a year since 1977. But plenty bad enough for the 5,000 people of East Palestine and everyone living downstream or downwind from the crash site. # ⚓ The Kent Stater ☛ Administrator_of_U.S._Environmental Protection_Agency_visits_East_Palestine_following_train derailment⠀⇛ Michael Regan, administrator of the U.S. environmental protection agency, visited East Palestine, Ohio, Thursday to give an assessment of response efforts after a train holding toxic chemicals derailed earlier this month. # ⚓ Off Guardian ☛ DISCUSS:_So,_what’s_with_the_chemical spills?⠀⇛ It has been reported, in just the last hour, that there had been a major train derailment near Van Buren Township, just outside Detroit, Michigan:… # ⚓ Hollywood Reporter ☛ TikTok_Facing_Possibility_of_“Strict Structural_Restrictions”_Over_National_Security_Risks⠀⇛ Two senators on Thursday urged The Committee on Foreign Investment to “swiftly conclude its investigation and impose strict structural restrictions between TikTok’s American operations and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, including potentially separating the companies.” The letter from the lawmakers — Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chair of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on privacy, and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., a member of the Senate Committee on Intelligence — points to the possibility of China using the app to “collect data on tens of millions of American users and attempt to influence our public discourse.” It mirrors concerns from a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a Federal Communications commissioner urging Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores. # ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ Steak_Dinners,_Sales_Reps_and_Risky Procedures:_Inside_the_Big_Business_of_Clogged_Arteries⠀⇛ On June 14, 2017, just before noon, a doctor made an incision near a patient’s groin. Kari Kirk, a representative for the world’s largest medical device company, Medtronic, looked on and began texting her colleague a play-by-play. “Fixing both legs from the ankles,” she wrote. # ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ Do_You_Have_Experience_With_Peripheral_Artery Disease?_Have_You_Had_a_Procedure_on_Your_Leg?_Tell_Us_About It.⠀⇛ ProPublica reporters are looking into the booming business around peripheral artery disease, a condition that afflicts 6.5 million Americans over age 40. It’s caused when fatty plaque builds up in a person’s arteries, blocking blood flow to their legs. This leads to leg pain and numbness, especially when walking. The disease is fairly common, but patients may not even know they have it. Experts say most treatments are perfectly safe. But there has been growing concern about one type of procedure — atherectomies — after researchers and doctors uncovered patterns of excessive and inappropriate use. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘A_Slap_in_the_Face’:_East_Palestine Residents_Furious_as_Norfolk_Southern_Skips_Town_Hall⠀⇛ Anxious and angry residents of East Palestine, Ohio gathered for a town hall Wednesday night hoping to get answers about the potential health impacts of a massive train derailment and chemical spill that put their small village in the national spotlight. # ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Norfolk_Southern_Skips_Public_Meeting_on_Toxic Train_Derailment_in_Ohio⠀⇛ # ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ Bomb_Train:_Norfolk_Southern_Refuses_to Attend_First_Public_Meeting_on_Toxic_Train_Derailment_in Ohio⠀⇛ Hundreds of residents of East Palestine, Ohio, packed into their first town hall meeting Wednesday night after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed and a “controlled” burn sent a mushroom cloud of toxic chemicals into the air. Many said they distrusted the train operator Norfolk Southern and their elected officials, who told residents the air and water were safe last Wednesday. We get an update from Emily Wright, development director for River Valley Organizing, which is working with residents to call for justice-centered healing. # ⚓ The Nation ☛ The_Fight_for_the_Soul_of_American_Medicine⠀⇛ The injustices at the heart of the American health care system are clear to anyone with eyes and common sense. So is the need for dramatic reform of that system. Yet the status quo in American medicine is well-defended, and little real change has been forthcoming. One could even make the case that the situation has gotten appreciably worse over the past few decades. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Is_the_Life_of_a_Poor_Person_Worth_Less Than_a_Rich_Human?⠀⇛ Last week a shocking story from NPR largely slipped under the radar. The headline: “Why the EPA puts a higher value on rich lives lost to climate change.” Climate Correspondent Rebecca Hersher shared the “twisted tale of math, ethics and climate change” that is the Environmental Protection Agency’s effort to decide what’s been called the most important number you’ve never heard of: the social cost of greenhouse gases. o § Proprietary⠀➾ # ⚓ The Kent Stater ☛ Tesla_recalling_nearly_363,000_vehicles equipped_with_‘Full_Self-Driving’⠀⇛ # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘The_Bird_Is_Not_the_Only_Sick_Company’: Tesla_Recalls_362K_Self-Driving_Cars_Over_Crash_Risk⠀⇛ Electric automaker Tesla on Thursday announced it is recalling more than 362,000 vehicles due to their full self-driving software’s potential crash risk, adding to the woes of billionaire CEO Elon Musk, whose recently acquired Twitter is beset by operational and financial troubles. # ⚓ Security Week ☛ Citrix_Patches_High-Severity Vulnerabilities_in_Windows,_Linux_Apps_–_SecurityWeek⠀⇛ Citrix this week announced patches for severe vulnerabilities in Virtual Apps and Desktops, as well as in Workspace apps for Windows and Linux. Tracked as CVE-2023-24483, the Virtual Apps and Desktops vulnerability is described as a privilege escalation issue that allows an attacker with access to a Windows VDA as a standard Windows user to elevate privileges to System. # ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ ChatGPT:_Boon_for_the_Lazy_Learner⠀⇛ Inside the beating heart of many students and a large number of learners lies an inner cheat.  To get passing grades, every effort will be made to do the least to achieve the most. Efforts to subvert the central class examination are the stuff of legend: discreetly written notes on […] o § Security⠀➾ # ⚓ LWN ☛ Security_updates_for_Thursday⠀⇛ Security updates have been issued by Debian (firefox-esr), Fedora (community-mysql, edk2, firefox, and git), Slackware (curl and git), SUSE (apache2-mod_security2, aws-efs-utils, bind, curl, git, ImageMagick, java-11-openjdk, java-17-openjdk, java-1_8_0-openjdk, kernel, libksba, and mozilla- nss), and Ubuntu (golang-golang-x-text, golang-x- text, linux-aws, linux-aws-5.15, linux-azure-fde, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-5.15, linux-intel-iotg, linux- aws-5.4, linux-gcp, linux-gcp-5.4, linux-hwe-5.4, linux-ibm, linux-ibm-5.4, linux-oracle-5.4, linux- gke, linux-gke-5.15, nss, and xorg-server, xorg- server-hwe-16.04). # ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ City_of_Oakland_declares_state_of_emergency after_ransomware_attack⠀⇛ The City of Oakland, California, has declared a state of emergency after a ransomware attack on Feb. 8 knocked some of its information technology systems offline. ⚓ uni Stanford ☛ University_warns_against_opening_fraudulent_honor_code violation_emails_sent_to_students⠀⇛ The Stanford Information Security Office sent out a community alert Saturday warning students against opening a fraudulent email about alleged honor code violations. ⚓ Trail Of Bits ☛ Readline_crime:_exploiting_a_SUID_logic_bug⠀⇛ I discovered a logic bug in the readline dependency partially reveals file information when parsing the file specified in the INPUTRC environment variable. This could allow attackers to move laterally on a box where sshd is running, a given user is able to login, and the user’s private key is stored in a known location (/home/user/.ssh/ id_rsa). This bug was reported and patched back in February 2022, and chfn isn’t typically provided by util-linux anyway, so your boxen are probably fine. I’m writing about this because the exploit is amusing, as it’s made possible due to a happy coincidence of the readline configuration file parsing functions marrying up well to the format of SSH keys—explained further in this post. * § Privacy/Surveillance⠀➾ o ⚓ Site36 ☛ Germany:_Mobile_phone_forensics_against_asylum_seeker unlawful⠀⇛ The Federal Administrative Court rejects an appeal by the Office for Migration and Refugees. Instead of demanding the handover of mobile phones and log-in data, asylum authorities must choose milder means The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig has ruled that the mass screening of mobile phones by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is not covered by the law. The judges argued that the regularly conducted analysis of digital data carriers in the absence of passports or passport replacement papers was carried out without sufficient consideration of other existing findings and documents. The order to the plaintiff to provide log-in data for her mobile phone is therefore also unlawful. o ⚓ La Quadature Du Net ☛ General_mobilisation_against_the legalisation_of_algorithmic_video_surveillance!⠀⇛ During the end of year holidays, and without fanfare, the government prepared the introduction of a new legislation regarding the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games. As expected, this draft law pave the way for the generalization of algorithmic video surveillance. While using the fallacious argument of time limited experiment, such technologies are already illegally used in many cities in the country with total impunity. Using the forthcoming sport competitions as justification, the government and many representatives call themselves advocates of the French industry and use this position to allow thos companies to durably expand on the video surveillance market. o ⚓ Futurism ☛ Amazon_Begs_Employees_Not_to_Leak_Corporate_Secrets_to ChatGPT⠀⇛ After catching snippets of text generated by OpenAI’s powerful ChatGPT tool that looked a lot like company secrets, Amazon is now trying to head its employees off from leaking anything else to the algorithm. According to internal Slack messages that were leaked to Insider, an Amazon lawyer told workers that they had “already seen instances” of text generated by ChatGPT that “closely” resembled internal company data. This issue seems to have come to a head recently because Amazon staffers and other tech workers throughout the industry have begun using ChatGPT as a “coding assistant” of sorts to help them write or improve strings of code, the report notes. While this isn’t necessarily a problem from a proprietary data perspective, it’s a different story when employees start using the AI to improve upon existing internal code — which is already happening, according to the lawyer. o ⚓ EFF ☛ How_We_Fought_For_and_Won_Access_to_Records_About Predictive_Policing_in_General_Escobedo,_Mexico⠀⇛ Filing public records requests for government information is a vital tool that EFF uses to shed light on law enforcement use of surveillance technologies. When a government agency hides crucial information about their surveillance policies and practices, it harms the democratic rights of the people whose data is collected and exploited. In the United States, we rely on the Freedom of Information Act and state-level open government laws to obtain records from government agencies, but many other countries also have similar public records laws—including Mexico. Mexican and U.S. authorities frequently collaborate and share resources, and surveillance techniques deployed by law enforcement on one side of the border often flow across to the other. In 2021, we investigated this flow of technology starting with a predictive policing program that we learned that police had launched in General Escobedo, a city in the border state of Nuevo Leon. o ⚓ Mozilla ☛ The_Mozilla_Blog:_iJustine,_self-described ‘oversharer,’_has_some_privacy_advice_for_you⠀⇛ Justine Ezarik launched her YouTube channel in 2006, makingsillyskitsso she could tinker with video editing and visual effects. Her first viral moment came after recording herself flipping through a300-page_iPhone billshe received in the mail. (AT&T, dealing with the first generation of the iPhone, itemized each text message she sent.) Justine went on to makemusic_video_parodiesandamateur cooking_videos. For six months, she “lifecasted” her entire days on a streaming website. o ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Machine_Learning_Baby_Monitor,_Part_2:_Learning_Sleep Patterns⠀⇛ The first lesson a new parent learns is that the second you think you’ve finally figured out your kid’s patterns — sleeping, eating, pooping, crying endlessly in the middle of the night for no apparent reason, whatever — the kid will change it. It’s the Uncertainty Principle of kids — the mere act of observing the pattern changes it, and you’re back at square one. o ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Stalkerware_Purveyor_Hit_With_$410,000_Fine_By_New York_Attorney_General_But_Will_Still_Be_Allowed_To_Sell_Spyware⠀⇛ Bad people selling terrible things to even worse people has been around since long before the debut of smartphones. But now it’s just so much easier to bring these two parties together to inflict misery on others. * § Confidentiality⠀➾ o ⚓ Blogs of War ☛ Hacker_OPSEC_with_The_Grugq⠀⇛ The Grugq is a world renowned information security researcher with 15 years of industry experience. Grugq started his career at a Fortune 100 company, before transitioning to @stake, where he was forced to resign for publishing a Phrack article on anti-forensics. Since then the Grugq has presented on anti-forensics at dozens of international security conferences, as well as talks on numerous other security topics. As an independent information security consultant the Grugq has performed engagements for a wide range of customers, from startups to enterprises and the public sector. He has worked as a professional penetration tester, a developer, and a full time security researcher. The Grugq’s research has always been heavily biased towards counterintelligence aspects of information security. His research has been referenced in books, papers, magazines, and newspapers. Currently an independent researcher, the grugq is actively engaged in exploring the intersection of traditional tradecraft and the hacker skillset, learning the techniques that covert organisations use to operate clandestinely and applying them to the Internet. [...] o ⚓ [Old] Medium ☛ The_Network_is_not_the_Issue_Dude⠀⇛ Which brings me to my real problem with the inherent inherited insecurity theory. The network has very little to do with Internet security, rather it is the software (and to some extent the hardware) on the end points. The software is what gets hacked. The software is where most of the vulnerabilities are. And the software is not from the 1960s. There is no way that Facebook has an account hijack bug, or whatever, because of some design decision made for the ARPAnet during some whacked out coding session in the Summer of Love. § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ * ⚓ Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexican_army_dismantles_large_‘narco_lab’_in Culiacán⠀⇛ The Mexican army has dismantled one of the largest synthetic drug laboratories yet seen in the country in Culiacán, Sinaloa. * ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ Tanks_aren’t_arriving_in_Ukraine_despite_promises from_European_allies⠀⇛ For months, Germany withstood international pressure to allow neighbors to supply Ukraine with German-made tanks. Yet since Berlin finally yielded last month, only one country in Europe has agreed to dispatch a sizeable contingent, informs “The Wall Street Journal”. * ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ Heaven_Turned_Hell:_Economic_Terrorism_in_State_of Jammu_&_Kashmir⠀⇛ Jammu and Kashmir, a former princely state, now an Indian occupied territory has a unique economy that has been shaped by its history and geography. The region is home to a diverse range of resources, including minerals, water, and tourism potential, which have the potential to drive economic growth. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russia’s_Defense_Ministry_plans_to_launch_aerial_warfare_over Ukraine_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Russia’s Defense Ministry has made the decision to start extensively using aircraft in the Ukraine war. The Russian outlet iStories reported this, citing a source close to the ministry. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Finance_director_for_Russia’s_Western_Military_District_found dead,_possibly_by_suicide_—_Meduza⠀⇛ The 58-year-old Marina Yankina, finance director for Russia’s Western Military District, was found dead beneath the windows of a St. Petersburg high-rise where she lived. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Arts-and-crafts_workshops_and_a_Putin_rally:_Russia_gets_ready to_mark_anniversary_of_invading_Ukraine_—_Meduza⠀⇛ The Putin administration has prepared a set of guidelines for commemorating the anniversary of invading Ukraine. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Who_decided_on_the_boundaries_of_the_‘Russian_World?’_A_brief history_of_Donbas_separatism_—_Meduza⠀⇛ * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Putin_promised_to_support_the_families_of_fighters_who_go_to Ukraine_with_private_military_companies_—_Meduza⠀⇛ The Russian authorities are considering whether to support Russian nationals fighting in Ukraine with private military companies. Putin raised the issue at a meeting with Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, after she noted that the families of fighters serving in Ukraine with private military companies are not entitled to the same social guarantees as families of Ministry of Defense soldiers. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ ‘My_child_was_buried_abroad’:_Locals_try_to_find_and_notify families_of_Wagner_Group_fighters_they_found_buried_outside_Luhansk_— Meduza⠀⇛ Locals have discovered 42 fresh graves at a cemetery outside Luhansk. Judging by the names on the inscriptions, these may be the graves of Wagner Group fighters, reports BBC News Russian. * ⚓ RFERL ☛ NATO_Chief_Tells_Turkey_It’s_Time_To_Ratify_Membership_For Sweden,_Finland⠀⇛ * ⚓ Barrons ☛ NATO_Chief_Tells_Turkey_To_Ratify_Sweden,_Finland Membership⠀⇛ But he also stressed the urgency of Ankara dropping its resistance to the Nordic neighbours’ bids to join the Western defence alliance. * ⚓ MEMRI ☛ Palestinian_Islamic_Scholar_Sheikh_Yousef_Makharzah:_You_Should Prepare_To_Go_Fight_The_Infidels_In_America_Before_They_Come_Here;_Only Fear_Keeps_The_Infidels_At_Bay⠀⇛ “You should prepare to go and fight the infidels in America, before they come here. If you do not go after them, they will come after you. America today leads the world in corruption. It is the pharaoh of this world. Every day, it occupies another country and commits slaughter there. This is a violation of human rights and runs counter to America’s values. If you ask them why they kill these poor, wretched people, they tell you that this is a preemptive war, because these people are terrorists, and if we do not go to their own turf and strike them in their caves before they grow stronger, they will come after us. America allowed for a preemptive war, using this argument. * ⚓ Axios ☛ DeSantis_signs_bill_to_move_out-of-state_migrants_to_blue states⠀⇛ DeSantis and other Republicans have argued that the program is an effective way of tackling a surge in migration to the U.S.- Mexico border that has overwhelmed southern states, but immigration advocates counter that the practice is dehumanizing and uses migrants as political pawns. * ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ Despite_Mass_Shootings,_Texas_Has_Rejected_Gun_Control⠀⇛ It has become a mournful pattern. Following mass shootings, lawmakers in many states have taken stock of what happened and voted to approve gun control legislation to try to prevent additional bloodshed. In Colorado, the Legislature passed universal background checks in 2013 after a shooter at an Aurora movie theater killed 12 people. After 58 people were shot dead during a 2017 concert in Las Vegas, the Nevada Legislature passed a red flag law that allows a judge to order that weapons be taken from people who are deemed a threat. And in Florida in 2018, then-Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill that raised the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21 after a teenager with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire at a Parkland high school, killing 17 people. * ⚓ FAIR ☛ ACTION_ALERT:_NYT_Book_Review_in_Denial_on_Japanese_Persecution in_World_War_II⠀⇛ In a red-baiting New York Times review (2/14/23) of Malcolm Harris’ book Palo Alto, writer Gary Kamiya makes a false assertion about the persecution of Japanese people that amounts to denial of one of the most shameful chapters of US history. The Times should issue an immediate correction and apology. * ⚓ Insight Hungary ☛ Pro-Fidesz_commentator:_“I_am_rooting_for_the Russians”⠀⇛ Andras Bencsik, TV commentator and editor of the rightwing weekly magazine Demokrata made a clear statement on pro- government Hir TV on where he stands on the war in Ukraine. “I have never met a person in this country who doesn’t say ‘I’m, rooting for the Russians’ after taking a deep breath (…) I am also rooting for the Russians,” Bencsik said. Bencsik, most known for his pro-Soviet articles in the 1980s, said Ukraine does not meet any criteria for EU membership. According to Bencsik, Russian aggression is actually ‘relative’ because of what the Ukrainians ‘have been doing in Donbas for eight years’. “We’re rooting for the Russians to end this lie machine,” said Bencsik. * ⚓ Telex (Hungary) ☛ Fidesz_MEP_condemns_Russian_aggression_with_unusually strong_language⠀⇛ * ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Zelensky_Signs_Agreement_With_JP_Morgan_on_Ukraine’s Reconstruction⠀⇛ JP Morgan plans to raise private capital for a Ukrainian investment fund. * ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ Media_Ignore_Seymour_Hersh_Bombshell_Report_of_US Destroying_Nord_Stream_II⠀⇛ A MintPress study of the 20 most influential U.S. news outlets found virtually no coverage of the esteemed journalist’s revelations linking Washington to the pipeline attacks. * ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ DemocracyNow!_Interview:_Seymour_Hersh_on_‘How_America Took_Out_the_Nord_Stream_Pipeline’⠀⇛ When the Nord Stream pipelines carrying natural gas from Russia to Germany were damaged last September, U.S. officials were quick to suggest Russia had bombed its own pipelines. But according to a new report by the legendary investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, it was the U.S. Navy that carried out the sabotage, with help […] * ⚓ The Gray Zone ☛ From_the_‘Groyper_Wars’_to_‘America_First’:_Nick Fuentes_becomes_a_‘somebody’⠀⇛ * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ The_Insecure_Superpower⠀⇛ * ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ The_US_Is_Sending_Its_Worst_Down_to_Mexico⠀⇛ Violent drug cartels often dominate headlines about Mexico but the Ayotzinapa case reveals a more sinister involvement from the US side of the border. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ How_DACA_Helped_This_Student_Achieve_His_Dreams⠀⇛ When Fahad Paryani was 13, he wanted to sign up for a science boot camp. All he needed was his parents’ signatures to prove his family was eligible for a scholarship only offered to low- income households. Instead, he found out two things: He wouldn’t attend the boot camp and he was undocumented. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Active_‘Neutrality’:_Why_Is_Israel_Struggling_to Maintain_a_Coherent_Position_in_Russia,_Ukraine?⠀⇛ For a whole year, Israel has struggled in its attempts to articulate a clear and decisive position regarding the Russia- Ukraine war. The reason behind the seemingly confused Israeli position is that it stands to lose, regardless of the outcome. But is Israel a neutral party? Israel is home to a population of almost one million Russian- speaking citizens, one-third of them arriving from Ukraine shortly before and immediately following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Those Israelis, with deep cultural and linguistic roots in their actual motherland, are a critical constituency in Israel’s polarized political scene. After years of marginalization following their initial arrival in Israel, mostly in the 1990s, they managed to formulate their own parties and, eventually, exert direct influence on Israeli politics. Russian-speaking ultranationalist leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu, Avigdor Lieberman, is a direct outcome of the growing clout of this constituency. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Russia,_Ukraine,_and_International_Law⠀⇛ Recent revelations from France, Germany, Israel, and Ukraine that the Minsk Accord(s) was a deception engineered by the US to buy time for Ukraine to organize a US-led, armed, and funded war against Russia, contradict American assertions regarding the conflict. Readers will recall that it was only after the failure of the Ukrainian government to implement the terms of the Minsk Accord(s) that the Russian military moved into Ukraine. In other words, the Russians waited for 2022 – 2014 = eight years before rising to the American challenge in Ukraine. Representatives from each of these nations have now claimed that the US was being duplicitous, telling the world that it favored a negotiated settlement while doing everything in its power to assure that no settlement was reached. The former Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, went so far as to charge that the US said that there were no terms that the Russians might offer that would be acceptable because the Americans wanted a war with Russia. Question: at what point does provocation turn into instigation? * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Anti-Imperialism_is_for_Everyone⠀⇛ * ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ Louisiana_Drops_Lawsuits_Against_Katrina_Survivors⠀⇛ The state of Louisiana is dropping thousands of lawsuits against homeowners who received grants to elevate their homes after hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 but used the money to make repairs instead. Many of those homeowners said they had been told by representatives of Road Home, the grant program, that they could use the money for repairs, according to an investigation by The Times-Picayune | The Advocate, WWL-TV and ProPublica. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ The_Ukraine_War_and_Loss_of_Nuance⠀⇛ In every city in Russia and Ukraine, there are monuments to past wars and the millions who were sacrificed to the ambitions of leaders who chose to realize their objectives with guns, bombs, and bayonets. With brutal battles raging now in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meaningless war against Ukraine, many of those monuments in Russian towns and cities have borne silent witness to opposition to the war and its attendant atrocities. In a country where open defiance of the government has become dangerous, people protest with flowers placed stealthily at the feet of Taras Shevchenko or Nikolai Gogol. The so-called “flower protests” are testimony that there exists, and has always existed, another Russia in opposition to official Russia. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ Supporting_Ukraine—Without_Writing_a_Blank_Check⠀⇛ The delivery of heavy tanks to Ukraine has been pondered at length in Germany as well as in the United States—for good reason. Both governments had until now been keen on not appearing as if they were espousing the Ukrainian leadership’s proclaimed war goals beyond the country’s legitimate right to self-defense against the unprovoked and openly premeditated Russian aggression. They have had limited qualms about delivering essentially defensive armament, such as anti-tank, antiaircraft and antimissile weapons, as well as short to medium-range artillery. And although heavy tanks too could be restricted to defensive goals, Washington and Berlin have probably hesitated to deliver them because they are loaded with sophisticated equipment requiring long training. And the risk of seeing them fall into Russian hands on the battlefield cannot be taken lightly. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ To_Save_Ukraine,_End_the_War⠀⇛ February 24 marks the first anniversary of Russia’s illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine. While we salute the extraordinary courage and resistance of the Ukrainian people, the occasion is a sad one, marked by a continuing war, mounting lives lost, people maimed, cities and villages savaged, families displaced.1 * ⚓ The Nation ☛ The_Pentagon’s_Irresponsible_Spending_Is_Now_Dangerous⠀⇛ It’s early in the new Congress, but lawmakers are already hotly debating spending and debt levels. As they do so, they risk losing track of an important issue hiding in plain sight: massive Pentagon waste. At least in theory, combating such excess could offer members of both parties common ground as they start the new budget cycle. But there are many obstacles to pursuing such a commonsense agenda. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Pentagon-Funded_Plymouth_University_Cancels_Anti-War Academic:_Reflections_on_How_the_US_Empire_Conquered_Higher_Education⠀⇛ The US Empire is in the final and most dangerous stages of its quest for what the Pentagon calls “full spectrum dominance.” Having invaded and fought proxy wars in the oil-rich Middle East, it is now trying to break nuclear-armed Russia in another proxy war before attempting “regime change” in nuclear-armed China. We need not tarry on the potential consequences. Professor Noam Chomsky called it 20 years ago: this is hegemony or survival. Which one do you choose? As the Empire races towards its biggest bet, using humanity and all other species on the planet as gambling chips, anti-war comment is tolerated less and less. For those who want to know what happened to me, see the Annex of this article for the leaked emails and background. Meanwhile, consider what is taking shape. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Our_Freedoms_Shrink_as_Our_Military_Expands⠀⇛ The Merchants of Death even own our sidewalks. That’s what we were told when we arrived at Raytheon Technologies in Arlington, Virginia, on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, to issue a “Contempt Citation” for Raytheon’s failure to comply with a subpoena issued last November by the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal, a People’s Tribunal scheduled for November of 2023. Raytheon knew we were coming. The police were waiting and would not permit us to enter the enormous building even though other businesses and a public restaurant resided inside. “You’re not allowed in,” the police said. “The owner of the building said no to you.” Others were free to enter for lunch or to conduct business. The officers were polite. Respectful. “We are only doing our job,” they said, seeming more like a hired corporate police force than a public police force. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Australia’s_B-52_Nuclear_Weapons_Problem⠀⇛ It is not farfetched to make the point that delivery systems capable of deploying nuclear weapons will lead to them carrying those very same weapons.  Whatever the promises made by governments that such delivery systems will not carry such loads, stifling secrecy over such arrangements can only stir doubt. That is the problem facing the AUKUS alliance which makes Australia a central point of reference for Washington and its broader ambitions in curbing China.  The alliance is increasingly being characterised by a nuclear tone.  First came the promise to furnish Australia with nuclear powered submarines, absent nuclear weapons.  Then came the announcement to deploy six B-52 bombers to the Northern Territory’s Tindal airbase, south of Darwin. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Ban_Assault_Weapons_Now⠀⇛ The issue of gun control is a contentious topic in the United States, with strong opinions on both sides. It is one of the core issues that define the left and right political streams in America. The recent shooting at Michigan State has once again brought this issue to the forefront and US President Joe Biden has again called for a weapons ban. But as the debate rages on, there appears to be no resolution in sight that would make both sides happy. Assault weapons in particular have been at the center of many debates in the US. In the aftermath of mass shootings, questions are raised about the ease with which individuals can access military-style weapons. This has led to increasing calls for a ban on assault weapons. While this article makes the case for banning all assault weapons, it is understood that nuance is necessary, so here are some of the main arguments for and against gun control: * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Ukraine_to_nationalize_Oleg_Deripaska’s_enterprises_—_Meduza⠀⇛ The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine fulfilled the justice ministry’s request to transfer to state ownership enterprises owned by Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Latvia_passes_law_allowing_state_to_donate_drunk_drivers’ confiscated_cars_to_Ukraine_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Latvia’s parliament has passed in the final reading legislation that allows the state to donate vehicles it has confiscated from intoxicated drivers to the Ukrainian army, according to the Latvian outlet Delfi. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Physicists_Form_a_Coalition_to_Rein_in_the_Nuclear Threat⠀⇛ As the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Doomsday Clock has ticked closer to midnight, a new organization has taken shape to sound the alarm: the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction. More than 1,000 scientists signed onto a January 17 Coalition statement condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine War. The statement laid out the devastating consequences if Putin were to carry out his threat: * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ UN_General_Assembly_to_Vote_on_Resolution_Pushing_for ‘Just_and_Lasting_Peace’_in_Ukraine⠀⇛ The United Nations’ 193 member countries are expected to vote on a resolution declaring “the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace” in Ukraine next Thursday, on the eve of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of its neighbor. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Progresīvie_and_Gen_Z:_A_leftward_shift_for_Latvia?_—_Meduza⠀⇛ § Transparency/Investigative Reporting⠀➾ * ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Appeals_Court_Tells_ICE_Its_Counterintuitive_Tracking_System Doesn’t_Justify_Jerking_Around_FOIA_Requesters⠀⇛ U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE), like nearly every government agency, doesn’t care much for FOIA requests or requesters. It generally takes a lawsuit to force the agency to comply with its FOIA obligations. And its day-to-day handling of FOIA requests is so uninspired, it couldn’t even come up with a reason to deny Mike Masnick’s fee waiver request. § Environment⠀➾ * ⚓ Deutsche Welle ☛ Antarctic:_Warm_water_eroding_Thwaites_glacier,_study shows⠀⇛ Warm water is seeping into the weak points of Antarctica’s giant Thwaites Glacier, exacerbating melting caused by rising temperatures, two papers published in Nature journal showed on Wednesday. Nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier, Thwaites Glacier could cause global sea levels to rise by more than half a meter (1.6 feet) if it melts, though that’s expected to take hundreds of years. It could also destabilize neighboring glaciers that have the potential to cause a further three-meter rise. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Ominous_News_From_Deep_Beneath_Doomsday_Glacier⠀⇛ The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica—the so-called “Doomsday Glacier”—is in the news again. We are fascinated with it because it is the Godzilla of glaciers, 80 miles across and as massive as Florida. If the ice sheet holding it back were to melt, and if Thwaites plopped into the ocean, it would all by itself raise sea level two feet. It functions, however, to hold back other glaciers and ice formations, which in its absence would themselves head for the sea. If that happened you would be talking about ten feet of sea level rise. The last time I discussed it, Alastair G.C. Graham had just shown that glaciers sometimes move very quickly. This finding has been widely accepted by scientists. * ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Here’s_What_The_Ohio_Train_Wreck_Really_Has_in_Common With_The_Chernobyl_Disaster⠀⇛ The toxicity of these chemicals initially prompted concerns about the health and safety of residents. Then came the comparisons to another disaster, one that happened nearly 40 years ago: The nuclear disaster in the city of Pripyat on April 26, 1986, which resulted in the spread of radioactive contaminants in Ukraine and across Europe. Although the intense imagery from Ohio might have onlookers believe the state has a mini Chernobyl on its hands, the scale of Chernobyl’s destruction was much worse. However, the environmental impact of the East Palestine incident should not be ignored, experts say. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ An_Accident_of_Business_as_Usual:_Mangled_Train_Cars, Fires_and_Chemical_Contamination⠀⇛ On Friday, February 3, 2023, a freight train with many cars was headed from Madison, Illinois to Conway Pennsylvania. But at 9: 00 PM the train, loaded with a variety of goods, including toxic chemicals, derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border. The result was destruction, extreme pollution, and possible ecological death, immediate and chronic. About 50 cars crashed onto each other. They left a mangled and charred mass of boxcars and flames. On February 10, 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency, from its regional office in Chicago, Illinois, notified Norfolk Southern, the corporate owner of the derailed train, about its “potential liability” for the damage the fires and chemical contamination the broken up trains caused to people and the environment: It said that “roughly 150 rail cars derailed. Approximately 20 rail cars were listed as carrying hazardous materials. Cars containing vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether are known to have been and continue to be released to the air, surface soils, and surface waters.” * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Earth_Is_in_“a_New_Chapter_in_the_Climate_and_Ecological Crisis,”_Study_Finds⠀⇛ * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Researchers_Warn_of_Climate_‘Doom_Loop’_as_Impacts Forestall_Energy_Transition⠀⇛ A new study released Thursday warned that the planet has entered “a new chapter in the climate and ecological crisis,” in which communities are forced to direct massive resources to responding to the escalating impacts of the climate emergency, taking focus away from efforts to slash fossil fuel emissions—causing what the report authors called a “doom loop” that will make avoiding the worst effects of planetary heating increasingly difficult. * ⚓ DeSmog ☛ Revealed:_The_Science_Denial_Network_Behind_Oxford’s_‘Climate Lockdown’_Backlash⠀⇛ The “grassroots” backlash to a traffic reduction scheme in Oxfordshire is being boosted by an international network of established climate and Covid science deniers and amplified by right-wing media, DeSmog can report. The group ‘Not Our Future’ made headlines last month by putting leaflets through Oxfordshire residents’ letterboxes calling them “guinea pigs” in the UK’s first “climate lockdown”. This was a reference to a conspiracy theory about a government plan to curb people’s freedoms. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ High_Country_News_Engages_in_Climate_Change_Denialism and_Greenwashing⠀⇛ A once-respected news outlet for environmental journalism that highlighted and exposed abuses of our natural world, High Country News (HCN) has now taken an ugly turn for the worse. On February 10, 2023, HCN published and distributed an article, “Does thinning work for wildfire prevention?”, that presented itself ostensibly as an examination of “what scientists find” to be true on the subject of “thinning”, wildfires, and climate change. But, to address this issue, the article only quoted one forest/fire ecologist, Gavin Jones, a pro-logging scientist employed by the U.S. Forest Service, who has never published a single scientific study on how “thinning” affects wildfires or climate change. The HCN article, which was written by a former Forest Service employee and reads like an opinion piece, tells readers (in bold font) that “Thinning is not a climate change risk”, quoting Jones claiming that, without thinning, forests are “pretty darn at risk of total loss from wildfire…” Jones also has never published a scientific study on the forest carbon consumption associated with wildfires. Jones does, however, have ample experience promoting the commercial logging policies of the agency that pays him, the U.S. Forest Service, which has been described by federal courts as a federal agency that “has a substantial financial interest in the harvesting of timber in the National Forest[s]” and is “more interested in harvesting timber than in complying with our environmental laws.” * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Big_Heat_Hits_Antarctica⠀⇛ A recent report out of West Antarctica is rattling scientists. It’s all about heat, big-time heat, encroaching upon the world’s biggest chunk of ice that locks down a couple hundred feet of sea level rise. This kind of news is enough to raise the shackles of smart well-informed people, as excessive CO2 emissions spewing like crazy ever since the turn of the 21st century are now flat-out playing with fire in a very dangerous corner of the planet. * ⚓ DeSmog ☛ Court_Hears_Appeal_in_Canadian_Youth_Climate_Lawsuit⠀⇛ Young Canadians suing the federal government over its role in worsening the climate crisis are hoping that an appeals court will give them a chance to be heard at trial, after a judge dismissed their case over two years ago. The case was back in court this week as lawyers for the youths argued that the Federal Court of Appeal should overturn that judge’s ruling and permit the case to move towards trial. “This case is ripe for trial because we are in a climate emergency,” Chris Tollefson, one of the attorneys representing the 15 youth plaintiffs in La Rose v. His Majesty the King, said during the two-day hearing on February 14 and 15, held virtually over Zoom. A three-judge panel from the appeals court in Ottawa presided over the hearing, and will determine the fate of the case at this stage. * § Energy/Transportation⠀➾ o ⚓ The Telegraph UK ☛ Why_traffic_lights_could_become_a_thing_of_the past_in_20_years⠀⇛ Mr Tompkin estimated that the high-specification roadside systems cost “around £1 million per kilometre” but claimed a wider rollout involving more basic technology could be done for a fraction of the price. o ⚓ YLE ☛ Helsinki_OKs_€30m_bike_‘baana’_to_Vantaa⠀⇛ The cycling path, known as Pohjoisbaana (roughly translated as northern road) will stretch from the Käpylä railway station to the city of Vantaa’s border, mostly running parallel to an existing rail line. o ⚓ Truthdig ☛ Big_Oil_Outspent_Clean_Energy_Groups_by_27X⠀⇛ But shiny ads are not all these companies do to protect their commercial interests in the face of a rapidly heating world. Most also provide financial support to industry groups that are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on political activities, often to thwart polices designed to slow climate change. o ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Sometimes_a_Gas_Stove_is_Not_Just_a_Gas_Stove⠀⇛ A Fox News headline writer called it “Biden’s War on Your Kitchen.” Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Strassel wrote, “The reason gas stoves are in the news is simple: There is a coordinated, calculated—and well- funded—strategy to kill them off. It’s the joint enterprise of extremely powerful climate groups, working with Biden administration officials.” (“Extremely powerful climate groups”? Where can I find them?) The Great Gas Stove Freakout of 2023 was not a strictly right-wing or one-party phenomenon. Panic spread along the spectrum, from liberal chefs to Florida governor Ron DeSantis. In the Senate, Republican Ted Cruz teamed up with Democrat Joe Manchin to sponsor a bill that would bar the government from enforcing any rule that prohibits the sale of gas stoves or even makes them more expensive. * § Wildlife/Nature⠀➾ o ⚓ The Revelator ☛ Restoring_the_Ciénaga_Grande_de_Santa_Marta: Reversing_a_Century_of_Colombian_Tragedy⠀⇛ o ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ There’s_No_Such_Thing_as_“Humane_Slaughter”_of Livestock…Federal_Records_Prove_It⠀⇛ Most meat-eaters want to believe that the animals they eat don’t suffer, but time and again, federal records have shown that they do. It’s not unreasonable to assume otherwise; after all, most U.S. meat production is subject to the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, which requires that animals be stunned (rapidly rendered insensible to pain) before they’re hoisted upside down and killed. But this law doesn’t apply to all animals—chickens, turkeys, ducks, and fish are excluded—and federal inspection records reveal horrifying violations in which cows, pigs, and other animals have endured physical pain and psychological terror at slaughterhouses, where prolonged deaths occur disturbingly frequently. Reports from around the country read like horror stories. For example, on three different days between June and August 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) staff at South 40 Farms in North Dakota saw pigs cry out after being shot in the head during botched attempts to render them unconscious, and on another day in April 2022, a steer attempted to sit up after an employee from the same establishment shot him twice in the head. At Lightfoot Farm Market & Processing in Tennessee, a steer cried out and remained conscious after three rifle shots to the head until a fourth shot finally ended his suffering in June 2022. A similar scene was witnessed at the same facility in 2021, when a cow remained conscious, bleeding from the nose after the slaughterhouse owner shot her in the head the first time. o ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Keep_Politics_Out_of_Grizzly_Review⠀⇛ The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) has begun a 12- month review of petitions from the states of Montana and Wyoming to delist grizzly bears and remove the protections it has under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This would turn management of grizzly bears over to the states, who have made clear they intend to have hunting seasons as well as give livestock producers more leeway in directly shooting grizzlies. The political fingerprints were on the announcement before the ink had dried. Statements from politicians throughout the region were celebratory as if they had scored the go-ahead touchdown. § Finance⠀➾ * ⚓ Mexico News Daily ☛ US_and_Chinese_companies_compete_for_Mexican customs_contract⠀⇛ The Defense Ministry held a tender to select a supplier for inspection equipment at 21 border customs stations. * ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ DocuSign_lays_off_700_employees⠀⇛ Electronic signature provider DocuSign Inc. today announced that it is laying off about 10% of its workforce, or about 700 employees. The company stated in a regulatory filing that the job cuts will support its “growth, scale and profitability objectives.” ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Dropbox’s_stock_falls_as_it_struggles_to_squeeze_more_revenue from_existing_customers⠀⇛ Shares of Dropbox Inc. were trending down in the after-hours trading session today after the company reported pedestrian growth and a decline in its average revenue per paying user. The company did at least beat expectations with its fourth-quarter financial results. ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Appian_beats_expectations_but_stock_falls_as_it_racks_up increased_losses⠀⇛ Automation software provider Appian Corp. beat Wall Street’s expectations as it delivered its fourth-quarter financial results today, but its stock fell in extended trading as its losses widened. ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ Avaya_files_for_Chapter_11_bankruptcy_protection_for_a_second time⠀⇛ Avaya Inc., the veteran unified communications company, said this week that it’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in its history, while announcing a plan that will slash $2.6 billion of debt from its balance sheet. ⚓ Yahoo News ☛ U.S._household_debt_jumps_to_$16.90_trillion⠀⇛ U.S. household debt jumped to a record $16.90 trillion from October through December last year, the largest quarterly increase in 20 years, as mortgage and credit card balances surged amid high inflation and rising interest rates, a Federal Reserve report showed on Thursday. Household debt, which rose by $394 billion last quarter, is now $2.75 trillion higher than just before the COVID-19 pandemic began while the increase in credit card balances last December from one year prior was the largest since records began in 1999, the New York Fed’s quarterly household debt report also said. Mortgage debt increased by $254 billion to $11.92 trillion at the end of December, according to the report, while mortgage originations fell to $498 billion, representing a return to levels last seen in 2019. Meanwhile credit card balances increased by $61 billion in the fourth quarter while auto loan balances rose by $28 billion, the report said. ⚓ Reason ☛ Social_Security_and_Medicare_Cuts_Are_Coming,_Whether_Politicians_Do It_or_Not⠀⇛ As legislators refuse to act, benefits will be cut without any possibility of sheltering those seniors who are poor. ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Senate_Dems_Warn_GOP_Budget_Cuts_Would_“Deny_1_Million_Babies Access_to_Formula”⠀⇛ ⚓ Democracy Now ☛ Rising_U.S._Interest_Rates_Push_Countries_in_Global_South Toward_Economic_Collapse⠀⇛ Soaring inflation and devalued currencies have created a catastrophic debt crisis for much of the world, including in countries like Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Malaysian economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram says the instability is largely driven by interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve, which have the effect of increasing borrowing costs for poorer countries and devaluing their currencies compared to the U.S. dollar. The intensifying U.S. economic war on China is also hurting many countries of the Global South that are linked to Chinese industry, he says. ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Yes,_Wall_Street_Would_Kill_Your_Granny_for_a_Few_Extra Bucks⠀⇛ There are industries that occasionally do something rotten. And there are industries — like Big Oil, Big Pharma and Big Tobacco — that persistently do rotten things. ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Don’t_Trust_Wall_Street_With_Nursing_Homes⠀⇛ There are industries that occasionally do something rotten. And there are industries like Big Oil, Big Pharma, and Big Tobacco that persistently do rotten things. Then there is the nursing home industry — where rottenness has become a core business principle. ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘Absolute_Hypocrisy’:_GOP_Unveils_Bill_to_Make_Trump_Tax_Cuts Permanent_While_Howling_About_Debt⠀⇛ Led by Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the TCJA Permanency Act, would cement into federal law tax cuts for individuals that are set to expire at the end of 2025. ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Senate_Dems_Detail_How_GOP_Budget_Cuts_Would_‘Hurt_Families in_Every_Corner_of_the_Country’⠀⇛ Top Senate Democrats released a report Wednesday highlighting the far-reaching implications of the House GOP majority’s push to freeze federal spending at fiscal year 2022 levels, a cap that would inflict severe cuts on programs that help low-income families afford food, healthcare, housing, and other necessities. ⚓ Scheerpost ☛ We_Need_to_Talk_About_the_Original_Sin_of_Economics⠀⇛ How a bleak Christian theology influenced the development of the dismal science. ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Progressive_Senators_Demand_Answers_From_Kroger_on ‘Widespread_Wage_Theft’⠀⇛ A trio of progressive U.S. senators on Wednesday pressed the CEO of Kroger to answer longtime worker allegations of rampant wage theft, accusations that continue as the supermarket giant pursues a contentious megamerger with erstwhile competitor Albertsons. ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Credit_Card_Holders_Get_Protection_From_Fraud._Shouldn’t_EBT Users,_Too?⠀⇛ A few years ago, someone stole my card information and took over $100. You’d assume the bank or credit card company would reimburse that fraud, right? Not for me, unfortunately. The skimmed card number was for my Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, which allows me to purchase food for my family through the federal SNAP program (formerly known as food stamps). § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ * ⚓ Craig Murray ☛ Murder,_Lies_and_State_Conspiracy⠀⇛ Donald John Morrison was the last man to speak to Willie McRae, unless his murderer talked. He invited me warmly into his neat Benbecula home, where I was visiting with my friend, his cousin Donnie. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Extras_recruited,_promised_500_rubles,_to_attend_a_patriotic concert_and_rally_in_Moscow_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Advertisements appeared on Russian Telegram and other social network channels, recruiting extras to attend a concert and rally on February 22 in Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium. Putin is expected to attend the event, along with a number of Russian musical acts. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Former_Ukrainian_pro-Kremlin_politician_Viktor_Medvedchuk_says he_is_now_‘forced’_to_live_in_Moscow_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who was handed over to Russia in September 2022 as part of a prisoner swap, told Russian state television network Channel One that he now resides in Moscow. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ How_Drug_Ads_Gaslight_Us⠀⇛ Direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug ads have been accused of giving dual and confusing messages and even being “bipolar.” Even as viewers see rainbows, sunsets, puppies and smiling grandparents, the audio cautions that the advertised drug may cause allergic reactions, severe infections, brain bleeds, seizures and more including death. Will the drugs make us better or kill us? Do you have the sound on or off? And there are other ways DTC ads gaslight us. Sometimes an ad broadcasts information that completely contradicts what the ad just said, making us doubt our own perceptions and memory. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ The_Specter_of_“Woke_Communism”⠀⇛ Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida and perhaps the next president of the United States, is waging war against something he and many others on the right identify as “woke communism.” DeSantis even persuaded the Florida legislature to pass a Victims of Communism law, mandating that every November 7th (the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia), all public schools in the state must devote 45 minutes of instruction to the evils of the red menace. You might reasonably ask: What menace? After all, the Soviet Union fell apart more than 30 years ago and, long before that, communist parties around the world had dwindled in numbers and lost their revolutionary zeal. The American Communist Party was buried alive nearly three-quarters of a century ago during the McCarthy hysteria of the 1950s. * ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ Geopolitical_Changes_Threaten_Africa’s_Unity⠀⇛ In this long-ranging and insightful interview conducted by our media executive Kester Kenn Klomegah with Dr Mohamed Chtatou, a senior professor of Middle Eastern politics at the International University of Rabat (IUR) and Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco, focuses largely on accelerating, advancing and sustaining decades-old dream of Africa’s unity. * ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ Lavrov:_Western_attempts_to_isolate_Russia_have failed._Our_enemies_had_to_admit_this⠀⇛ Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks during the Government Hour in the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Moscow, February 15, 2023. * ⚓ Modern Diplomacy ☛ ‘The_Global_Times’:_US’_role_more_and_more questionable⠀⇛ Veteran journalist Seymour Hersh’s investigative report, that the US was behind the Nord Stream pipelines sabotage, is supposed to be a bomb in news cycle. Yet Western media outlets, who are normally always hungry for scoops, have covered their eyes and ears. * ⚓ ABC ☛ YouTube_CEO_steps_down,_severing_longtime_ties_to_Google⠀⇛ Shortly after Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin incorporated their search engine into a business in 1998, Wojcicki rented the garage of her Menlo Park, California, home to them for $1,700 a month. Page and Brin — both 25 at the time — continued to refine their search engine in Wojcicki’s garage for five months before moving Google into a more formal office and later persuaded their former landlord to come work for their company. * ⚓ Variety ☛ YouTube_CEO_Susan_Wojcicki_Stepping_Down_After_Nine_Years⠀⇛ Wojcicki announced her departure in a memo to YouTube staff Thursday. Neal Mohan, currently chief product officer at YouTube, will replace her as SVP and new head of YouTube. * ⚓ [Old] FSF ☛ New_Hampshire_residents:_Voice_your_support_for_software freedom_on_Thursday,_February_16⠀⇛ If passed, HB 617-FN would prevent state agencies from requiring New Hampshire residents to use proprietary software in public interactions like remote court proceedings, tax filings, and the completion of public school coursework. This alone would be a huge advancement for the free software community in the United States, showing state and local governments around the country that it can be done. New Hampshire has the opportunity to lead the way when it comes to free software legislation in the United States. We hope you can attend the hearing or share your support of the bill online. * ⚓ ME Forum ☛ The_“Islamophobia”_Regime⠀⇛ To stay out of trouble under this arrangement, non-Muslim Westerners must offer effusive praise for Muslims or remain silent about all things Islamic. They must agree to have their speech policed by a coalition of Islamists and their leftist political fellow travelers and the public institutions this coalition has either captured or rendered ineffective. To enforce this silence, non-Muslims who dare speak about the relationship between Islamic doctrine, Islamism, and jihadist violence are lumped in with Islamic terrorists who “misunderstand” or “pervert” their faith and kill people in its name. In the upside-down environment created by the “Islamophobia” charge, people who speak critically of Islam, Muslims, Islamism, or Shari’a need to be monitored as much as—if not more than—the Islamists and jihadists themselves. * ⚓ Michael Geist ☛ Quebec_Demands_Changes_to_Bill_C-11_as_it_Wakes_Up_to the_Implications_of_Losing_Control_over_Digital_Culture_Regulation⠀⇛ Bill C-11 – and its predecessor Bill C-10 – have long been driven by the government’s view that the bill was a winner in Quebec. Bill C-10 was headed for easy passage in 2021, but was derailed by the government’s decision to remove safeguards over regulating user generated content that came largely from the Quebec-based music lobby. Nearly two years later, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez and his staff have ignored the concerns of thousands of digital creators, disrespected indigenous creators, and indicated that he will likely reject Senate amendments designed to craft a compromise solution, all in the name of keeping Quebec lobby interests satisfied. Yet as the government considers the Senate amendments, the Quebec legislative assembly this week passed a last minute motion calling for further changes to the bill, including scope to enact its own rules and mandatory consultations with the province on the contents of a policy direction to the CRTC that Rodriguez has insisted on keeping secret until after the bill receives royal assent (a full copy of the motion is contained at the bottom of this post). The Conservatives have been calling for the Quebec motion and the Senate amendments to be sent back to committee for further study, which the Globe reports may delay the government’s response to the Senate amendments. * ⚓ Patrick Breyer ☛ First_parliamentary_amendments_on_EU_Child_Sexual Abuse_Regulation:_Some_poison_teeth_are_pulled,_but_indiscriminate_chat control_still_looming⠀⇛ This week, the Social Democrat rapporteur of the opinion-giving Internal Market Committee in the European Parliament, Alex Saliba, proposed first amendments to the draft EU Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR), also known as chat control proposal. [1] Pirate Party MEP and Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur in the lead Home Affairs Committee (LIBE), Patrick Breyer, has a mixed assessment of the proposals: [...] * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Ex-Trump_Chief_of_Staff_Mark_Meadows_Subpoenaed_in_January_6 Probe⠀⇛ * ⚓ The Nation ☛ Israel’s_Harsh_Steps_in_Palestine⠀⇛ * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Trump_Will_Promote_Early_Voting_in_2024_After_Years_of_Using It_to_Push_Big_Lie⠀⇛ * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘Extraordinary_Repudiation’:_NY_Senate_Rejects_Hochul’s Right-Wing_Judicial_Nominee⠀⇛ The New York State Senate’s Democrats on Wednesday delivered a “major embarrassment” for and “extraordinary repudiation” of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, rejecting Hector LaSalle, her anti-choice, anti-union nominee to lead the state’s top court. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Mexico’s_President_Would_Build_an_Alliance_to_Counter Cuba_Blockade⠀⇛ On the occasion of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s visit recently to Mexico, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) raised the possibility of many nations cooperating to oppose the U.S blockade of Cuba. AMLO has become Cuba’s champion in the international arena, and perhaps not accidentally: the governments of the two nations each originated from social and political revolutions. The two leaders have built a tight relationship.  Diaz-Canal visited to Mexico in September, 2021. AMLO was in Cuba in May, 2022. And AMLO refused to attend a U.S – organized Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles in June 2022 because Cuba had been excluded. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Normal_or_Crazy?⠀⇛ On February 7, President Biden delivered a memorable State of the Union address. But we should also take note of a strange line in Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ response. Calling on the country to elect “a new generation of Republican leadership,” she said, “The dividing line in America is no longer between right or left. The choice is between normal or crazy.” Remember that Ms. Sanders was Donald Trump’s press secretary for two years. Does she actually understand what she was saying? * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Corbyn_Rebukes_Starmer_for_Barring_Him_From_Running With_UK_Labour_Party⠀⇛ Former U.K. Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn—a member of Parliament who represents the Greater London constituency Islington North—called out Leader Keir Starmer this week for barring him from running with the party in the nation’s next general election. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Fetterman_Applauded_for_‘Courage’_of_Being_Open_About Clinical_Depression⠀⇛ U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has checked himself into a Maryland military hospital “to receive treatment for clinical depression,” the Pennsylvania Democrat’s office said Thursday. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ The_Santos_Soap_Opera_Pauses_for_a_Commercial_Break_ (Kinda)⠀⇛ It’s nice to know the insane pizzazz of the Trump years hasn’t been sapped out of public life by the tedium and nuclear terrors of the Biden era. That some politicos still commit their misdemeanors with brio. That charlatans retain their flair and remain uninhibited about being charlatans. At the top of this list of superstar conmen stands George “Shameless” Santos, the not-so-Jewish, Brazilian GOP congressman from Long Island exposed for faking everything from his ethnic background to his business credentials to his toenails. Santos is one of a kind, and the soap opera of his chicaneries has already entertained us for months, and promises to keep unfolding far into the future, hypnotizing us with the question, what next? Well, I’ll tell you. Covering his tracks, to the very limited extent that’s possible – that’s what’s next in the Santos saga’s upcoming installment: normalizing George (good luck with that one, congressman). On January 31, the ever youthful and still defiant 34-year-old Santos announced he would temporarily recuse himself from congressional committees, presumably to deal with the multiple federal and local investigations into his nonstop funny-business. Santos also faces fraud charges in Brazil. “He just felt like there was so much drama, really, over the situation,” explained GOP representative Marjorie “Jewish Space Lasers” Taylor Green. When you have MTG complaining about drama, you know things have sunk to new lows of lunacy, deceit and possible exposure. § Censorship/Free Speech⠀➾ * ⚓ Reason ☛ District_Court_Halts_New_York_Law_Forcing_Online_Platforms_To ‘Respond’_to_‘Hateful’_Speech⠀⇛ “Today’s decision is a victory for the First Amendment that should be celebrated by everyone who hopes to see the internet continue as a place where even difficult and contentious issues can be debated and discussed freely,” said one attorney. * ⚓ Reason ☛ My_Article_in_the_Journal_of_Free_Speech_Law,_“Should_the_Law Limit_Private-Employer-Imposed_Speech_Restrictions?”⠀⇛ It’s now out, in the symposium on Non-Governmental Restrictions on Free Speech. The Introduction and the Conclusion: About half of Americans live in jurisdictions that protect some private employee speech or political activity from employer retaliation. Of course, that means about half don’t. Which jurisdictions are correct? * ⚓ Reason ☛ Google,_Section_230,_&_Nohemi_Gonzalez⠀⇛ Philip Hamburger’s Op-Ed at the Federalist on a case to be argued next week * ⚓ EFF ☛ Section_230_is_On_Trial._Here’s_What_You_Need_to_Know.⠀⇛ Nearly everyone who speaks online relies on Section 230, a 1996 law that promotes free speech online. Because users rely on online intermediaries as vehicles for their speech, they can communicate to large audiences without needing financial resources or technical know-how to distribute their own speech. Section 230 plays a critical role in enabling online by speech by generally ensuring that those intermediaries are not legally responsible for what is said by others. Section 230’s reach is broad: It protects users as well as small blogs and websites, giants like Twitter and Google, and any other service that provides a forum for others to express themselves online. Courts have repeatedly ruled that Section 230 bars lawsuits against users and services for sharing or hosting content created by others, whether by forwarding email, hosting online reviews, or reposting photos or videos that others find objectionable. Section 230 also protects the curation of online speech, giving intermediaries the legal breathing room to decide what type of user expression they will host and to also take steps to moderate content as they see fit. But if the plaintiffs in these cases convince the Court to narrow the legal interpretation of Section 230 and increase platforms’ legal exposure for generally knowing harmful material is present on their services, the significant protections that Congress envisioned in enacting this law would be drastically eroded. Many online intermediaries would intensively filter and censor user speech, others may simply not host user content at all, and new online forums may not even get off the ground. * ⚓ [Repeat] Project Censored ☛ Censored_Déjà_Vu:_Corporate_Media’s_Ongoing Failure_to_Cover_Key_Issues_around_Food_Safety,_Birthing,_and Breastfeeding_&_Dark_Money’s_Pernicious_Influence_on_Political_Culture_– The_Project_Censored_Show⠀⇛ Notes: Steve Macek is Professor of Communications and Media Studies at North Central College in Illinois, and is co- coordinator of Project Censored’s Campus Affiliates Program. Shealeigh Voitl is Project Censored’s Editorial Assistant, a co-author of the “Déjà vu News” chapter in Project Censored’s annual media-review volume, and a journalism graduate of North Central College in Illinois. Andy Lee Roth is Associate Director of Project Censored, co-editor of the Project’s annual media-review volume, and co-coordinator of the Project’s Campus Affiliates Program. He has published widely on media issues. The Roth/Macek article about the Texas lawsuit can be found here. * ⚓ McClatchy Media Network ☛ ND_advances_bills_to_remove_‘sexual’_content from_libraries⠀⇛ After more than 30 minutes on the Senate floor, the bill passed with a 38-9 vote. It must still pass through the House and get signed by North Dakota’s Republican Gov. Doug Burgum to become law. The House bill, which has many similarities to the Senate bill, would also prohibit public libraries from carrying sexually explicit materials. But it would not charge people with misdemeanors, and it would require libraries to develop a policy and process for keeping prohibited materials out. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ Ron_DeSantis_Is_Lying_About_Why_Bookshelves_in_Florida Classrooms_Are_Empty⠀⇛ Here’s the most charitable explanation for DeSantis’s dissembling: Confusion over which books are appropriate, for which ages, and about who should make those decisions is not only related to new education laws he signed. It’s a problem in many places around the country. It was an issue in Florida before the latest laws. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘Race_to_the_Bottom’:_GOP_Has_Introduced_72_Educational Gag_Orders_So_Far_in_2023⠀⇛ The right-wing campaign to censor what is read and taught at public schools, colleges, universities, and libraries across the United States is only growing more intense, as state lawmakers introduced dozens of educational gag orders in the first six weeks of 2023. * ⚓ RAIR Foundation ☛ Politician_Who_Burned_the_Quran_and_Set_the_Islamic World_On_Fire:_‘I_have_Proven_Again,_That_People_All_Over_The_World,_Are Not_The_Same’_(Interview)⠀⇛ In reaction to Paludan’s peaceful protests, various Islamic governments and thousands of Muslims lodged threats, Allahu Akbar marches, and demands for deadly punishments. * ⚓ Reason ☛ 980_New_York_Times_Contributors_Want_To_Sacrifice_Free_Inquiry to_Ideology⠀⇛ In an open letter, they condemned the paper’s coverage of trans issues. But their note is more about what questions journalists are not allowed to ask. § Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press⠀➾ * ⚓ Meral_Akşener:_‘Everybody_will_need_free_press_one_day’⠀⇛ Leader of the opposition party stated that they were informed that the government was preparing to fine some TV channels due to the reporting from the earthquake-hit regions. * ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Stifling_Free_Speech_Is_Now_A_Core_Plank_Of_The_Republican Platform⠀⇛ We just recently wrote about the reasons why Congress should move, right now, to codify the NYT v. Sullivan case into law. While considered mostly settled and uncontroversial, in the last few years there have been increasing attacks on this ruling, which has been one of the most important rulings in preserving and protecting free speech over the last half century. And some (Clarence Thomas) on the Supreme Court support dismantling it, which is why we think it’s so important for Congress to codify it into law. * ⚓ The Dissenter ☛ Biden_Administration_Quiet_As_Modi_Raids_BBC_Offices Same_Day_Of_Boeing_Deal⠀⇛ § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ * ⚓ EDRI ☛ EU_to_provide_training_on_“covert_techniques”_to_abusive_police forces⠀⇛ The goal of training police forces in covert investigative techniques is, fundamentally, to increase the number of arrests and to place more people in police custody and, eventually, prison. Yet the states that will receive CEPOL’s training routinely abuse the rights of people in custody. * ⚓ The Nation ☛ Bernie_Sanders:_Anti-Union_Capitalism_Is_Wrecking America⠀⇛ Eugene Victor Debs, the railroad workers’ union leader who was the Socialist Party’s great organizer and presidential candidate in the first decades of the 20th century, has been my hero since I was a young man, when I took to heart his message that “the very moment a workingman begins to do his own thinking he understands the paramount issue, parts company with the capitalist politician and falls in line with his own class on the political battlefield.”1From the book It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism, by Senator Bernie Sanders, with John Nichols. Copyright © 2023 by Bernie Sanders. Published by Crown, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Sanders_Leads_Push_for_Worker_Rights_Champion_to_Lead Labor_Department⠀⇛ Progressives are looking at U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh’s expected departure as an opportunity for President Joe Biden to demonstrate his professed commitment to workers’ rights by placing at the helm of the Labor Department a leader who will unabashedly call out the corporate greed that has left millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet in the face of historic inequality. * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Tesla_Fired_Over_30_Workers_in_Buffalo_the_Day_After_Union Announced_Campaign⠀⇛ * ⚓ The Hill ☛ Tesla_fires_over_30_workers_after_union_effort:_group⠀⇛ Tesla Workers United said Thursday that over 30 workers were fired from a Buffalo plant Wednesday after workers attempted to organize earlier this week. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ ‘Retaliation’:_Tesla_Fires_Buffalo_Workers_Day_After Musk_Was_Informed_of_Union_Drive⠀⇛ Tesla fired dozens of workers at its factory in Buffalo, New York on Wednesday, one day after an organizing committee at the plant sent an email to billionaire chief executive officer Elon Musk informing him of their new unionization campaign. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Why_Not_Riot?_Interview_with_Author_Ben_Case⠀⇛ There’s a Riot Going On! We didn’t talk to Sly Stone, we did even better. We talked with Ben Case, the author of a provocative new book, “Street Rebellion: Resistance Beyond Violence and Nonviolence,” which challenges the long-time liberal insistence on non-violent and often non-aggressive protest and makes a case that riots are another tactic to be used by the Left. * ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Formerly_Incarcerated_People_Seek_Discrimination_Protection as_“Protected_Class”⠀⇛ * ⚓ The Nation ☛ Apartheid_American-Style⠀⇛ This city’s water crisis had become a classic David and Goliath story: A predominantly Black city, led by its mayor, Chokwe Antar Lumumba, facing off with “good ole boy” Governor Tate Reeves and his predominantly white state legislature—controlled by a Republican supermajority made possible by more than a century of violent voter suppression and racist gerrymandering. * ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Democratic_AGs_Fight_Back_Against_GOP_Attacks_on Abortion_Pill_Access⠀⇛ Warning that Republican-led states have launched an effort to keep millions of people from accessing lifesaving medications, 23 Democratic state attorneys general on Thursday sent a letter to officials at CVS and Walgreens to assure the pharmacies that they can legally dispense and mail mifepristone and misoprostol, the pills used in medication abortions. * ⚓ Meduza ☛ Moscow_police_arrest_gay_Chechen_refugee_at_Domodedovo_Airport and_hand_him_over_to_Chechen_authorities_—_Meduza⠀⇛ Idris Arsamikov, a 28-year-old former Chechnya resident who moved to the Netherlands in 2018 after reportedly being tortured by Chechen police for his sexuality, was arrested at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport while trying to fly back to his new home country on Wednesday, the North Caucasus LGBTQ+ crisis group SK SOS has informed Meduza. * ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Politics_and_Borders_Matter,_Even_in_a_Humanitarian Catastrophe⠀⇛ For those who thought we live in a global village with nation- states in decline and borders disappearing, the earthquake that struck northwest Syria and southern Turkey has highlighted all the negatives of nationalistic politics when confronted with simple human needs. The earthquake, 7.8 on the Richter scale, has caused over 30,000 deaths, left 80,000 being treated in hospitals, and about one million people homeless without food and water, shivering in freezing cold. In a situation that cries for immediate relief, humanitarian aid has been hampered because a large number of the earthquake’s victims live in Syria in a region controlled by rebels opposed to the government of Bashar Al-Assad, and on the Turkish side in a region unprepared by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Politics and borders are having negative consequences when governments are confronted with a dire human catastrophe. For different reasons, the governments of Syria and Turkey have been grossly deficient in preparing for and reacting to the earthquake. § Internet Policy/Net Neutrality⠀➾ * ⚓ Kev Quirk ☛ Micro.Blog_Is_Still_Confusing⠀⇛ I want to love Micro.Blog, I really do, but it’s just so bloody confusing to use! * ⚓ Techdirt ☛ AT&T_‘Unlimited’_Customers_Still_Awaiting_Their_$12_Payout More_Than_A_Decade_After_Being_Throttled_And_Lied_To⠀⇛ In 2014 the FTC sued AT&T for selling “unlimited” wireless data plans with very real and annoying limits. * ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Verizon,_T-Mobile_Overstate_Wireless_Coverage_To_Nab Billions_In_Undeserved_Subsidies⠀⇛ As more than $50 billion in broadband subsidies begin to flow, entrenched U.S. broadband providers are working overtime to try and secure their share of it by any means necessary. That has included sabotaging grant applications from competitors, changing state laws to dictate who can or can’t get these subsidies, and falsely inflating their actual broadband coverage to grab subsidies for areas they don’t actually serve. § Monopolies⠀➾ * ⚓ Silicon Angle ☛ YouTube_CEO_Susan_Wojcicki_announces_plans_to_step down⠀⇛ Longtime YouTube Chief Executive Officer Susan Wojcicki today announced plans to step down and move to an advisory role at parent company Google LLC. Following the departure of Wojcicki (pictured), one of the most prominent top women tech executives, YouTube will be led by Neal Mohan, its current chief product officer. ⚓ Reason ☛ FTC_Commissioner_Resigns_To_Protest_Agency’s_‘Disregard_for_the_Rule of_Law’⠀⇛ Chair Lina Khan has flouted the rule of law and due process, Commissioner Christine Wilson wrote. * § Patents⠀➾ o ⚓ Counter Punch ☛ Moderna’s_$130_Vaccine_and_the_Path_to_Cheap Drugs⠀⇛ o ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ Now_Is_the_Time_to_Defeat_the_Insatiable_Greed_of the_Prescription_Drug_Industry⠀⇛ The following are the prepared remarks of a speech delivered by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, on the floor of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, February 15th, 2023 about the growth of greed in the pharmaceutical industry and what Congress can do to end it.M. President: There is a lot of discussion about how “divided” our nation is and, on many issues, that is absolutely true. o ⚓ TruthOut ☛ Moderna_Cancels_Plan_to_Hike_Vaccine_Price_After Sanders_Invites_CEO_to_Testify⠀⇛ * § Trademarks⠀➾ o ⚓ Hollywood Reporter ☛ WallStreetBets_Trademark_Fight_Erupts_Into Lawsuit_Against_Reddit⠀⇛ Jamie Rogozinski on Wednesday sued Reddit, claiming the social platform is infringing on his trademark, violating his right of publicity and breaking its own user agreement. Rogozinski, who describes himself in the complaint as an entrepreneur, investor and author, says he “built WallStreetBets from the ground up” to create a forum for people who took financial hits during the Great Recession. He founded the subreddit in January 2012 as a place “where individual, ordinary investors could openly and honestly discuss Wall Street and share advice with each other.” o ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Video_Game_‘The_Day_Before’_Dealing_With_Trademark Challenge_Over_A_Calendar_App⠀⇛ We’ve dealt with a great many silly trademark disputes in the video game industry over the years, but this one is a special kind of stupid. Fntastic, the studio behind the forthcoming The Day Before horror game, has released a couple statements lately regarding an apparent ongoing trademark dispute. The first announcement confirmed that the game’s release date was being pushed back due to Steam blocking the game page at the request of a trademark holder for “The Day Before.” Then, shortly after, YouTube began removing videos promoting The Day Before from the developer’s channel as well. * § Copyrights⠀➾ o ⚓ Public Domain Review ☛ Downhill_from_Here:_The_Slant_Book_ (1910)⠀⇛ Book shaped like a rhomboid by Peter Newell, which tells the story of a runaway baby stroller’s downhill journey. o ⚓ Torrent Freak ☛ Egypt_Shuts_Down_Massive_Movie_and_TV_Show_Piracy Site⠀⇛ Egyptian law enforcement authorities have shut down MyCima, one of the largest pirate sites in the Middle East. The operation, which was purportedly operated from Alexandria, had over 50 million monthly visits and offered 12,000 movies and 26,000 TV series. Anti-piracy coalition ACE cooperated with the authorities to take down the piracy ring. o ⚓ Torrent Freak ☛ Two_Call_of_Duty_Cheaters_Settle_For_Millions, Judge_Issues_Warning_to_Others⠀⇛ An Activision lawsuit alleging copyright infringement offenses against a group of alleged cheat makers and distributors continues to be eventful. The list of named defendants has grown recently, with the majority believed to reside outside the United States. For two of those defendants, an exit from the lawsuit seems imminent, due to settlement agreements worth a combined $3 million. o ⚓ Walled Culture ☛ How_publishers_lobbied_to_“axe_the_reading_tax” on_ebooks,_won_–_and_then_paid_it_to_themselves⠀⇛ It concerns the taxing of books in the UK. Most goods there are subject to a Value Added Tax (VAT), which is a simple percentage of the sale price – generally 20%. However, certain classes of goods are exempt: this applies to things like food, children’s clothing, and also books. Or rather, to physical books: one quirk of the early ebook market was that ebooks were taxed at 20%, even though physical books were not. This led to a 2018 campaign with the catchy slogan “Axe the reading tax”. It was led by the Publishers Association, which wrote in a press release at the time: [...] § Gemini* and Gopher⠀➾ * § Personal⠀➾ o ⚓ 🔤SpellBinding:_FUNORTI_Wordo:_CLEAN⠀⇛ =============================================================================== * Gemini_(Primer) links can be opened using Gemini_software. It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. ╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛ ¶ Lines in total: 6229 ➮ Generation completed at 02:45, i.e. 31 seconds to (re)generate ⟲