𝕿𝖊𝖈𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖘 Bulletin for Sunday, December 10, 2023 ┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅┅ Generated Mon 11 Dec 02:49:26 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/2023/12/10/ ╒═══════════════════ 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐒 ════════════════════════════════════╕ Previous bulletins in IPFS (past 21 days, in chronological order): QmbHjgPAAcGNUG9Sej4vSKhK8DfUYokfFkXLdKwr1JtGJG QmdLsuRLzrwb58dZaSmJah6oCmNNZ6cW4ick4chqJmHjmY QmTNR3uqcbMYjPAbbHjBqyNJb3ib8kytQvdFnATzkBFVvo QmfCHrqMLfMsHXYnQeAvVuNYt91Zw2AmMJ5mx4RqsrWy3b QmR2rr1yXDANjQBEz2oGtd2UMgy9U37FHdjpUhPfAk7h5z QmWE6ucdKk9Q1pi6ce3ko9xPWd9Y4BjpLij3W7tJ5TMjG3 QmaoEDiALTYYZdaq3SQ86aQpMwUji1nqCeLbXAoszFRYvJ QmSTkZUY74BcgbgqS6JKwwNbVnbzY5uqwpgWtYonGJua8s QmXZcp3rXLYa24pYd7jUu6sPDrhziRCNCok875WLJTLysP QmUE7nd24kx2soZFbSYKDsb1ik1wpirFTRTBhDTj6w9sjh QmdKeWBhfnjgQLYU48wto7DdStpXsB5mE1yEEnWcxQ53vu QmfSnnTnjcAe3YvtRsVgAwUJfpcEk1dM5J5yjJLyv7MxqM QmQ16CkpxBbMzPZ6wZcuKBUcxH1RZ8uAEhcvdBsPRpVZe9 QmT3gTQRv33wEDtJveL8DiqiacGeRaxEbRFDUyVSJEAvDL QmTs9qcwghZPs5oBh9qzsu8a11T4s6xHrJjVNyk5miFy3X Qmdqd6mb8mj27qVvQZRR7sjshrXYYirWm9vRttLkNB5rW6 QmSjY85vxbu9nNFHUMmuK7CxRame2VYuhb523CJaK5zRkj QmZwah9nZHVvSzbJWEAMxumYDpanFPqTahnqoNP83tuZbx QmQWSrGfeYwgf6HE9N3742DJrJwq8uNSCUAz469CnuUFGe QmcgTTyseF5zFd4MLquM4PtJZzkFcBEqaUbqDe4eaUx6Na QmZMEFKvpgvjxAcV9Pwu7yF74LYZwS7ktdLFdYb988Ncfu ╒═══════════════════ 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐗 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⦿ Techrights - IRC Proceedings: Saturday, December 09, 2023 ䷼ Bulletin articles (as HTML) to comment on (requires login): https://news.techrights.org/n/2023/12/10/irc-log-091223.shtml ䷞ Followed by Daily Links (assorted news picks curated and categorised): https://news.techrights.org/n/2023/12/10/Links_10_12_2023_Inflation_Woes_Tensions_With_China.shtml https://news.techrights.org/n/2023/12/10/Links_10_12_2023_Second_Belmarsh_Tribunal_For_Assange_EU_Legisl.shtml ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 48 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ (ℹ) Images, hyperlinks and comments at https://news.techrights.org/n/2023/12/10/irc-log-091223.shtml Gemini version at gemini://gemini.techrights.org/n/2023/12/10/irc-log-091223.gmi ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ IRC Proceedings: Saturday, December 09, 2023⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ posted by Roy Schestowitz on Dec 10, 2023 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇GN 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇GNOME_Gedit⦈_ #techrights_log #boycottnovell_log 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇GN 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴_🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽_⦇GNOME_Gedit⦈_ #boycottnovell-social_log #techbytes_log Enter_the_IRC_channels_now ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 80 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ Links 10/12/2023: Inflation Woes, Tensions With China⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ posted by Roy Schestowitz on Dec 10, 2023 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * Leftovers o Hardware o Health/Nutrition/Agriculture o Proprietary/Artificial_Intelligence_(AI) o Security # Privacy/Surveillance o Defence/Aggression o Environment # Nature # Overpopulation 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 Digital_Restrictions_(DRM) o Monopolies/Monopsonies # Patents # Kangaroo_Courts # Software_Patents # Trademarks # Copyrights # Gemini*_and_Gopher # Personal/Opinions # Politics_and_World_Events # Technology_and_Free_Software # Internet/Gemini * § Leftovers⠀➾ o ⚓ James G ☛ Advent_of_Technical_Writing:_Style⠀⇛ This is the ninth post in the Advent of Technical Writing series, wherein I will share something I have learned from my experience as a technical writer. My experience is primarily in software technical writing, but what you read may apply to different fields, too. View_all_posts in_the_series. o ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Metronome_Flashes_And_Vibrates_To_The_Beat⠀⇛ Annoying though they can be, if you play any kind of instrument, you will definitely benefit from using a metronome. While many of them thock or otherwise tock, the VRRVRR metronome from [Turi] works a little differently. o ⚓ Hackaday ☛ MOSFETs_—_The_Big_Lie⠀⇛ How many terminals does a MOSFET have? Trick question since most have three leads, even though there are really four connections to the underlying device. It isn’t a conspiracy, though and [Aaron Lanterman] talks about how MOSFETs really work and why thinking of them as three- terminal devices can lead you astray in a recent video that you can watch below. o ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Cold_War_Spying_And_The_Questionable_Use_Of_Smuggled Blueprints_In_Developing_Supersonic_Airliners⠀⇛ Although spying is a time-honored tradition, the sheer scope of it reached a fever pitch during the Cold War, when everyone was spying on everyone, and conceivably for both sides at the same time. In an era where both McCarthyism and the character of James Bond enjoyed strong popularity, it should come as no surprise that a project of geopolitical importance like the development of the world’s first supersonic airliner would come amidst espionage, as well as accusations thereof. This is the topic of a documentary that recently aired on Channel 4 in the UK called Concorde: The Race for Supersonic, yet what is the evidence that the Soviet Tu-144 truly was just a Concorde clone, a derogatory nicknamed ‘Concordski’? o ⚓ Hackaday ☛ A_Ham_Radio_Answering_Machine⠀⇛ For those who grew up with a cell phone in their hand, it might be difficult to imagine a time where the phone wasn’t fully integrated with voicemail. It sounds like a fantastical past, yet at one point a separate machine needed to be attached to the phone to record messages if no one was home to answer. Not only that, but a third device, a cassette tape, was generally needed as a storage device to hold the messages. In many ways we live in a much simpler world now, but in the amateur radio world one group is looking to bring this esoteric technology to the airwaves and [saveitforparts] is demonstrating one as part of a beta test. o § Hardware⠀➾ # ⚓ dwaves.de ☛ [Old]_Why_this_user_avoids_LANCOM_routers_like the_plague⠀⇛ LANCOM is not so well known German company that is the partner when it comes to “business” DSL routers for Telekom and T-Systems customers and as such they are conducting the worst closed source rippoff of their customers possible. # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Switching_Converter_For_EEPROM_Programmer_Taxes Solderless_Breadboard⠀⇛ We all know that solderless breadboards have their limitations. All that stray capacitance can play hell with circuits, especially high-speed stuff, but they’re so darn useful that avoiding them in favor of some other prototyping method can be really hard. So we often just forge ahead, plugging in our parts and hoping for the best # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Marconi_Circuit_Magnification_Meter_Gives_Up Secrets⠀⇛ [Thomas] picked up a Marconi TF1245 with dents and dings. We have to admit that we had not heard of a “circuit magnification meter,” but apparently, this was a thing in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Turns out, we have heard of this kind of meter before, but it was called a Q meter. The device works using a very low-impedance resonant circuit and a very high-impedance voltmeter. It measures the ratio of the voltage across the known circuit and the unknown circuit. This particular meter needs an external signal source with very special characteristics. You can see the well-built device in the video below. # ⚓ CNX Software ☛ LONGER_Laser_B1_30W_review_–_A_33-36W_laser engraver_tested_with_LightBurn⠀⇛ Today we will review the LONGER Laser B1 30W laser engraver with the LightBurn program. The machine is equipped with a laser module comprised of six 6W laser diodes for a total power of 33 – 36 W when accounting for some variation in the power delivered by each diode. The Laser B1 can cut through 20 mm thick wood and 10 mm thick black acrylic in just one cut, and with multiple passes, it can also handle up to 25mm thick wood 50mm thick black acrylic, and even 0.1mm thick stainless steel. The kit comes with an air pump to improve the cutting ability and prevent/limit burns around the engraving or cutting area, and has a working area of 450 x 440 mm. o § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Magic_Mushrooms:_Why_Psychedelic_'Designer Shrooms'_Could_Be_The_Future⠀⇛ Where does the magic really come from? # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ After_an_Ear_Piercing,_Your_Skin_Microbiome Changes_in_a_Fundamental_Way⠀⇛ Like an earthquake. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ New_Sickle_Cell_Therapies_Will_Be_Out_of Reach_Where_They_Are_Needed_Most⠀⇛ There is no clear path for African patients to get access to the treatments, which have multimillion- dollar price tags and are highly complex to manufacture and deliver. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Britons_Love_the_N.H.S._Some_Will_Also_Pay to_Avoid_It.⠀⇛ With millions-long lines for routine surgery, it has become more common for patients to pay for procedures. That carries risks for the future of the treasured public system. # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ Research_in_Mice_Suggests_a_Surprising_Link Between_Nose-Picking_And_Alzheimer's⠀⇛ Do you really need to pick it? o § Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)⠀➾ # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ The_Year_Hey_Hi_(AI)_Ate_the_Internet⠀⇛ Call 2023 the year many of us learned to communicate, create, cheat, and collaborate with robots. o § Security⠀➾ # § Privacy/Surveillance⠀➾ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Whatever_you’ve_got_How_LDPR_leader_Leonid Slutsky’s_Russian_Peace_Foundation_passed_foreign citizens’_personal_information_to_Russian_intelligence —_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Meta_Finally_Launches_Default_End-To-End Encryption_In_Messenger [Ed: Techdirt_helps_Facebook like_about_"E2EE"]⠀⇛ For many, many years we’ve been calling on companies to enable end-to-end encryption by default on any messaging/communications tools. It’s important to recognize that doing so correctly is difficult, but not impossible (similarly, it’s important to recognize that doing so poorly is dangerous, as it will lead people to believe their communications are secure when they are most certainly not). # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Another_State_Lawmaker_Wants_To Criminalize_Porn_Through_Age_Verification⠀⇛ Here we go again, everyone. Another far-right state lawmaker has introduced a bill requiring age verification in order to access porn sites from within state limits. This time it is Tennessee state Rep. Patsy Hazlewood who introduced yet another extreme age verification proposal that essentially makes it a crime to own a legally operating porn website protected by the First Amendment – regardless of whether the material protects certain regional regulations. o § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ # ⚓ Latvia ☛ Latvia_signs_naval_missile_deal_with_the_United States⠀⇛ Latvia entered into a $105 million agreement with the United States on Friday, December 8 to purchase the  “Naval Strike Missile” system (NSM) manufactured by U.S. company Raytheon and Norwegian company Kongsberg, the Ministry of Defense (AM) reported. # ⚓ France24 ☛ 🔴_Live:_Iran_warns_of_a_regional_'explosion' after_US_vetoes_UN_ceasefire_resolution_on_Gaza⠀⇛ Iran warned on Saturday of the threat of an "uncontrollable explosion" of the situation in the Middle East, after the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in the two-month war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. # ⚓ France24 ☛ US_vetoes_UN_Security_Council_resolution demanding_humanitarian_ceasefire_in_Gaza⠀⇛ The United States on Friday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have called for an immediate ceasefire in the intense fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The United States' deputy representative at the UN, Robert Wood, said the resolution was "divorced from reality" and "would have not moved the needle forward on the ground." # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ No_appeal_by_Japan_after_ruling_for wartime_sex_slaves,_says_South_Korea⠀⇛ A court ruling ordered Japan to compensate 16 women over forced wartime sexual slavery. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ US,_South_Korea_and_Japan_to_step_up actions_on_North_Korean_cyberthreats⠀⇛ December 09, 2023 8:45 AM The threats include satellite launches and cryptocurrency abuses. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ U.S._Vetoes_Gaza_Cease-Fire_Resolution_at U.N._Security_Council⠀⇛ The veto came amid a warning that “civil order is breaking down” in Gaza, and a day after the Biden administration warned that Israel’s military had not done enough to reduce harm to civilians. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Teenagers_Convicted_in_France_in Connection_With_Teacher_Samuel_Paty’s_Killing⠀⇛ The teacher, Samuel Paty, was beheaded in 2020 by an Islamist extremist after showing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad to his students to illustrate free speech. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Washington,_allies_to_‘stand_up’_for stability_in_Taiwan_Strait:_US⠀⇛ US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Dec 9 that Washington and its Asia allies would “stand up” for stability across the Taiwan Strait, and reiterated their commitment to freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea. # ⚓ teleSUR ☛ Somalia:_ATMIS_to_Ramp_up_Offensives_Against_Al- Shabab⠀⇛ The removal of the arms embargo by the UN Security Council marked a significant moment in the evolution of Somalia's security. # ⚓ JURIST ☛ Belgium_to_introduce_travel_ban_on_Israeli_West Bank_settlers⠀⇛ Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced on Thursday that Israeli settlers from the West Bank would be banned from entering Belgium. This follows the US’s announcement of travel restrictions “targeting individuals and their family members involved in or meaningfully contributing to actions that undermine peace, security, and stability in the West Bank.” # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong_Kong_activist_Koo_Sze-yiu arrested_for_sedition_over_plan_to_protest_against_‘unfair’ District_Council_race_–_reports⠀⇛ Veteran Hong Kong social activist Koo Sze-yiu has been arrested under the sedition law, local media have reported citing sources. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Rockets_fired_at_the_US_embassy_in_Baghdad's Green_Zone⠀⇛ At least three rockets targeted the US embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone at dawn on Friday, landing on the outskirts of the district housing government and diplomatic buildings, an Iraqi security official said. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ North_Korea_boasts_of_satellite capability,_says_it_will_launch_more_soon⠀⇛ It intends to launch more spy satellites in the future to collect information on the military activities of its enemies. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ White_House_‘eager’_to_resume_military talks_with_China⠀⇛ Talks may not happen as China has not replaced former defence minister who was dismissed in October. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ China’s_investments_to_Vietnam_boom_as Pooh-tin_visits_Hanoi,_US_spending_down⠀⇛ Chinese President Pooh-tin will travel to Vietnam next week with the aim of further deepening ties. # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s_Pooh-tin_Jinping_to_visit Vietnam_to_bring_relations_‘to_a_higher_position’⠀⇛ Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping will visit neighbouring Vietnam next week to push for deeper ties between the socialist neighbours, Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Thursday. Xi’s state visit will take place next Tuesday and Wednesday, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement. The Chinese president was invited by Vietnam’s top leaders Nguyen Phu Trong and […] # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ China_LandSpace’s_methane-powered rocket_sends_satellites_into_orbit⠀⇛ The success could boost investors’ confidence in methane as a potential rocket fuel. # ⚓ Atlantic Council ☛ A_pivotal_contest_for_strategic_islands in_the_Pacific_is_upon_us—and_it’s_not_about_Taiwan_or_the South_China_Sea⠀⇛ Time is running out for Congress to take concerted bipartisan action on agreements with Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands. # ⚓ YLE ☛ Complaints_to_parliamentary_ombudsman_over_police_use of_force_at_Helsinki_demo⠀⇛ Police detained 54 people who were attempting to take part in an anti-Nazi demonstration that had not received prior authorisation. # ⚓ YLE ☛ PM_Orpo:_Finland_to_decide_on_ending_or_extending eastern_border_closure_next_week⠀⇛ The border checkpoints were closed at the end of last month for a period of two weeks, which comes to an end next Wednesday night. # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Court_Shuts_Down_Union’s_Assertion_That_NYPD Officers_Should_Be_Allowed_To_Choke_People_To_Death⠀⇛ The killing of Eric Garner — an unarmed black man — by white NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo was yet another in long and unending series of flashpoints that generated nationwide protests against police violence. # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ NY_Appeals_Court_Says_Law_Enforcement_Can’t Withhold_Misconduct_Records_Containing_Only_‘Unproven” Allegations⠀⇛ New York law enforcement agencies have always considered transparency to be something to be foisted on other government entities. The NYPD spends a lot of its time screwing over public records requests, in one notable case rejecting a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request for a copy of its FOIL response guidelines. # ⚓ BIA Net ☛ Was_Syrian_activist_Katie_abducted_by intelligence_agents?⠀⇛ Nurullah Çelen, the lawyer of Syrian refugee and human rights activist Ahmed Katie, who has been missing for 12 days, stated that his client was abducted by individuals presenting themselves as intelligence agents. Çelen mentioned that they have filed complaints with the police and the prosecutor's office but have still received no information. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ White_House_Disavows_U.S._Islamic_Group After_Leader’s_Oct._7_Remarks⠀⇛ The director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a speech that he was “was happy to see” Palestinians break out of Gaza on the day Hamas attacked Israel. # § Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine⠀➾ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ ‘We_have_to_prove_Putin_wrong’:_Human_rights lawyer_and_Nobel_Peace_Prize_laureate_Oleksandra Matviichuk_on_pursuing_justice_for_Ukraine_in_wartime_— Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russia’s_economy_grew_rapidly_in_2023, thanks_mainly_to_militarization._And_that_poses enormous_risks_for_the_future._—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ International_Olympic_Committee_allows Russian_and_Belarusian_athletes_to_participate_in_2024 Paris_Olympics_under_neutral_flag_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Latvia ☛ Financial_Intelligence_Unit_will_have decisive_role_in_EU_sanctions_enforcement⠀⇛ The Financial Intelligence Unit (FID) will be the competent authority in Latvia for the enforcement of European Union (EU) sanctions according to amendments to the Law on International and National Sanctions of the Republic of Latvia adopted by the Saeima on Thursday, December 7, in the final reading. o § Environment⠀➾ # ⚓ Science Alert ☛ The_Climate_Change_We've_Already_Created Will_Last_50,000_Years,_Scientists_Warn⠀⇛ "Beyond the life of human society as we know it." # ⚓ RFA ☛ China_stagnates_as_Indonesia,_Malaysia_slip_in climate_ranking⠀⇛ The Philippines fares among the best in the global report card at COP28. # ⚓ Ruben Schade ☛ Heatwave_and_Unicode_in_Sydney⠀⇛ It’s already 38 degrees (≅ 100 ℉) where Clara and I are in Sydney, and the forecast expects it to go much higher by midday. I’ve broken out the collared shirt and chinos, because while looking overdressed, they’re the only clothes I can wear without my angmoh skin burning off. You don’t need me to tell you, but stay hydrated and cool. I have a friend who’s a paramedic, and you don’t want to not take that seriously. That was a double negative way of saying take it seriously. No, really, have you had a glass of water recently? I suppose one good thing has come out of this: I learned about some new Unicode symbols! We have ℃ and ℉ for temperature, and ≅ for approximate values. In the words of Technology Connections: neat. # § Nature⠀➾ # ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ Survivor_of_Hermits_Peak-Calf_Canyon Wildfire_Dies_Awaiting_FEMA_Payout⠀⇛ Donato Sena and his wife, Maria Luisa, spent a recent afternoon loading furniture into the new mobile home placed on their land in Rociada, one of the areas hit hardest by New Mexico’s massive wildfire last spring. The task was tiring for the couple, both in their 70s, and came after months of struggle to rebuild a semblance of their former lives stolen by the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire. They’d fought with contractors, bureaucrats, lawyers and sometimes each other as stress mounted and time stretched on. # ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ Interior_Department_Revamps_Rules_to Speed_Repatriations_Under_NAGPRA⠀⇛ The Biden administration has revised the rules that institutions and government agencies must follow to comply with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act — a law long hampered by limited funding and the unwillingness of many museums to relinquish Indigenous remains and burial items. # ⚓ YLE ☛ Large_'smokybrown'_cockroach_found_in_Finland for_very_first_time⠀⇛ The specimen measured more than three centimetres in length. # § Overpopulation⠀➾ # ⚓ YLE ☛ Birth_rate_highest_among_women_with_foreign backgrounds⠀⇛ Finland's overall fertility rate last year was 1.32. o § Finance⠀➾ # ⚓ YLE ☛ Planned_rail_strike_could_cause_commuter_chaos_next week⠀⇛ The industrial action is planned for Thursday 14 December, and could see train and tram services disrupted across the country. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ SmileDirectClub_Shuts_Down,_Months_After Filing_for_Bankruptcy⠀⇛ The telehealth company, which sold teeth alignment devices to two million customers, was unprofitable and had been criticized by medical groups. # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ China’s_consumer_price_decline_worsens, fuelling_deflation_fears⠀⇛ The consumer price index fell 0.5 per cent in November from a year earlier, said the National Statistics Bureau. # ⚓ RFA ☛ China_opposes_attempts_to_'smear,'_'sabotage'_Belt and_Road_Initiative⠀⇛ Italy announced plans to leave the project, saying it hadn’t produced the expected results. # ⚓ LRT ☛ EU_adopts_legislation_to_resist_economic_coercion following_China–Lithuania_dispute⠀⇛ A new EU regulation will come into force later this month, protecting member states from economic coercion by third countries. # ⚓ WhichUK ☛ Millions_of_EE_and_Three_customers_ripped_off_on contract_inflation⠀⇛ We believe legacy customers on bundled contracts are being unfairly charged extra for their device through inflation-based price rises # ⚓ RFA ☛ Lao_PM_introduces_new_measures_to_tackle_inflation⠀⇛ But workers are not optimistic about the reforms. # ⚓ Latvia ☛ Latvia's_annual_inflation_just_1%_in_November⠀⇛ The latest data published by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) December 8 show that in November 2023, compared to November 2022, the average level of consumer prices increased by just 1.0 % as inflationary pressures continued to  subside. o § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ # ⚓ The Kent Stater ☛ Russia’s_Vladimir_Putin_says_he_will_run for_president_again_in_2024_election⠀⇛ The Russian presidential election is scheduled to be held in March 2024. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Putin_Says_'I_Will_Run'_When_Asked_About_Russia's Presidential_Election_In_March⠀⇛ Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will run again for office in Russia's March presidential election in which he is expected to easily win a new six-year term and extend the longest rule of a Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin. # ⚓ Common Dreams ☛ We_Are_Who_We_Hate,_Father_Time_Is Undefeated,_and_Other_Lessons_From_the_GOP⠀⇛ Hoo boy. Hopefully you missed the GOP "trash fire," "play date," "darkest saddest game of MadLibs ever" and "rancid buffet of bigotry" that was the final debate among four also-rans who again confirm the party isn't sending their best, or there aren't any. In an ugly, hollow, extremely loud and incredibly dumb display, Haley, Christie, DeFascist and "the most obnoxious blowhard in America" yelled at each other in a sordid effort to out-hate anyone who isn't a straight white Christian male. The result: They/we all lost. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Russia’s_Putin_announces_presidential_candidacy in_2024_elections⠀⇛ Vladimir Putin on Friday moved to prolong his repressive and unyielding grip on Russia for at least another six years, announcing his candidacy in the presidential election next March that he is all but certain to win. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Putin_announces_candidacy_for_fifth_term_as president_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ ‘I_will_run’:_The_moment_Vladimir_Putin_announced he_would_seek_a_fifth_term_as_president._Video._—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ ‘It’s_impossible_to_imagine_Russia_with_another leader’:_Politicians,_pro-Kremlin_media,_and_the_opposition on_Putin’s_bid_for_a_fifth_term_as_president_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russian_presidential_election_set_for_March_15-17, 2024_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Alexey_Navalny’s_lawyers_not_allowed_to_visit_him in_prison_for_third_day_in_a_row_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong_Kong_vs._Agnes_Chow:_What_place does_negotiated_remorse_have_in_the_rule_of_law?⠀⇛ Our leaders are awfully upset about Agnes Chow. Chow, if you have been abroad for a few days, was a young and charismatic protest leader when such things were still allowed. # ⚓ JURIST ☛ Kenya_judge_dismisses_contempt_of_court_charges against_Meta⠀⇛ A judge in Nairobi, Kenya ruled on Thursday that Meta Platforms, Inc., the parent company of social control media sites like Facebook, is not in contempt of court for failure to pay dozens of content moderators that a contractor had laid off, according to Kenyan news source People Daily. # ⚓ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Consulates_in_Hong_Kong_may_need approval_from_China_foreign_ministry_to_extend_property leases⠀⇛ Consulates and international organisations in Hong Kong will have to win approval from China’s foreign ministry to extend leases for their properties in the city, the government has said in a proposal to revamp lease extension mechanism ahead of an expected mass expiries. o § Censorship/Free Speech⠀➾ # ⚓ The Straits Times ☛ Trending_in_Shaolin:_China’s_gongfu monks_draw_fans_online_but_also_raise_eyebrows⠀⇛ While warrior monks with an online following have broadened the reach of Shaolin, some question if it is fitting for them to embrace the Internet. # ⚓ Stanford University ☛ From_the_Community_|_Antisemitism_is alive_and_well_at_Stanford⠀⇛ “For the first time in my life, rather than the unabashed pride I have always felt as a member of the Stanford family, I feel ashamed,” writes Michael Weis. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Campus_Antisemitism,_Free_Speech_and Double_Standards⠀⇛ Colleges have discovered the virtues of free speech only now, when the speech in question hurts Jews. # ⚓ Reason ☛ Prof._Glenn_Harlan_Reynolds_(Tennessee)_on_Speech at_Universities⠀⇛ From his Instapundit Substack post: So the shocking pro-genocide/pro-Palestinian marches at top Ivy League schools have put their administrations into a pretty pickle.  They want to escape responsibility for student speech, but their efforts to plead "free speech" ring hollow, when they've been eagerly policing student—and faculty—speech for years…. # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Supporting_Free_Speech_Means_Supporting_Victims Of_SLAPP_Suits,_Even_If_You_Disagree_With_The_Speakers⠀⇛ When Elon filed his recent ridiculous SLAPP suit against Media Matters, it was noteworthy (but not surprising) to me to see people who not only claimed to be “free speech supporters,” but who made that a key part of their persona, cheering on the lawsuit, even though its only purpose was to use the power of the state to stifle and suppress free speech. o § Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press⠀➾ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russia_puts_Masha_Gessen_on_wanted_list_—_Meduza⠀⇛ o § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russia’s_Kaliningrad_region_authorizes_protest against_introduction_of_fines_for_‘coercing’_women_to_have abortions_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Pro Publica ☛ “Uprooted”_Documentary_Explores_Black_Land Loss_Amid_a_University’s_Growth⠀⇛ In the 1960s, when Newport News, Virginia, remained a largely segregated city, longtime Black residents wanted to expand their neighborhood, offering former farmland as plots to other middle-class families looking to build homes.  # ⚓ RFERL ☛ U.S._Imposes_Sanctions_On_Dozens_Of_People_Over Rights_Abuses_In_Nine_Countries⠀⇛ The United States has imposed sanctions on dozens of people in several countries, including in Afghanistan, China, and Iran, cracking down on human rights abuses ahead of Human Rights Day on December 10. # ⚓ RFA ☛ US_sanctions_Chinese_officials_over_Uyghur_abuse⠀⇛ Three additional companies are also blocked from exporting goods to the US due to the possible use of forced labor. # ⚓ ACLU ☛ ACLU_Wins:_8_Victories_We_Celebrated_in_2023⠀⇛ This year, the ACLU continued our defense against challenges to our civil rights and liberties — but we also enjoyed some heartening victories. This advocacy is hard-fought and lasts months, if not years. But we persist in courts, legislatures, and communities, and this persistence pays off. # ⚓ RFA ☛ Last_handshake_in_Beijing⠀⇛ # ⚓ RFA ☛ North_Korean_factory_workers_in_China_to_lose_pay_for product_flaws⠀⇛ The new policy seems to be a way for the government to extract more funds from the workers, sources say. o § Internet Policy/Net Neutrality⠀➾ # ⚓ Ruben Schade ☛ Leo_Babauta’s_minimalist_site_guidelines⠀⇛ Leo_Babauta_has_a_great_post talking about minimalist websites. He defines such a site as: A website with the main purpose of having people read content would best serve its readers with almost nothing else but what’s needed for the reading experience. Strip a site of all its distraction, cruft, gimmicks, promotions, advertising, social sharing and more … and all you have is the pure reading experience. A minimalist website. Perfect for the readers, which is perfect for the writer. Not so perfect for advertisers and marketers, perhaps, but we’re not creating sites for them. We’re creating sites for us. I love the pitch. Most of the suggestions on his page are great, from eschewing (geshundheit) ads, cookies, tracking, popus, social control media sharing buttons, and so on. Yes, yes, and yes! # ⚓ Meduza ☛ German_web_hosting_provider_cancels_watchdog website_Agentura.ru’s_hosting_contract,_says_journalist Andrei_Soldatov_—_Meduza⠀⇛ o § Digital Restrictions (DRM)⠀➾ # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ Judge_Allows_Major_‘Right_To_Repair’_Lawsuit Against_John_Deere_To_Move_Forward⠀⇛ Last year agricultural equipment giant John Deere found itself on the receiving end of an antitrust lawsuit for its efforts to monopolize tractor repair. The lawsuits noted that the company consistently purchased competing repair centers in order to consolidate the sector and force customers into using the company’s own repair facilities, driving up costs and logistical hurdles dramatically for farmers. # ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Spotify_CEO_Daniel_Ek_Didn’t_Draw_a Salary_in_2022_—_But_He_Did_Receive_a_Cool_$181,085_‘For_Home Security_Services’⠀⇛ Spotify CEO Daniel Ek didn’t collect a salary from the streaming platform during 2022 – but he did pull in a cool $181,085 “for home security services.” The Stockholm-based platform disclosed Ek’s fortress-level security bill and other noteworthy details in its Form 20-F, which covers 2022 and was filed earlier in 2023. § Monopolies/Monopsonies⠀➾ o § Patents⠀➾ # § Kangaroo Courts⠀➾ # ⚓ Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ New_in_CMS_Unified_Patent_Court: downloading_multiple_documents,_correction representatives [Ed: Unified Patent Court is completely illegal and unconstitutional in most countries. This is another distraction from the simple fact that Unified Patent Court must be abolished as soon as possible and those who pushed for a "Unified Patent Court" held accountable.]⠀⇛ The Unified Patent Court has announced that a new functionality is available on the CMS to download multiple documents at once from a given case. # § Software Patents⠀➾ # ⚓ Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Sonos_v._Google:_Late Claiming_Estoppel⠀⇛ Sonos has filed its notice appealing Judge Alsup’s recent decision in Sonos v. Google that rendered two Sonos patents unenforceable due to prosecution laches. After being awarded $32 million by a jury, Sonos saw its verdict flipped by Judge Alsup in a harsh ruling accusing the company of “wringing fresh claims to read on a competitor’s products from an ancient application.” To mount its appeal, Sonos has enlisted Supreme Court heavyweight Josh Rosenkranz, head of Orrick’s Supreme Court and Appellate practice alongside the trial team led by George Lee.  Dan Bagatell, Perkins Coie’s head of Federal Circuit Patent Appeals Practice has filed an appearance in the case for Google. # ⚓ Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Emotionally_Yours:_On_Artificial Neural_Networks_as_Programs_for_Computers_under_UK Patent_Law [Ed: Software patents are suicide. UK must identify and abolish them all, regardless of the buzzwords chosen.]⠀⇛ The facts of the case On 21 November 2023, Sir Anthony Mann of the London High Court handed down a judgment in the case of Emotional Perception Hey Hi (AI) Ltd v Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks [2023] EWHC 2948 (Ch). # ⚓ Unified Patents ☛ Acacia_entity,_Monarch,_networking patent_monopoly_reexam_granted⠀⇛ On December 5, 2023, three months after Unified filed_an_ex_parte_reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding a substantial new question of patentability on the challenged claims of U.S._Patent_8,451,845, owned and asserted by Monarch Networking Solutions, LLC, an Acacia_Research_Corp. entity.  The ‘845 patent monopoly relates to converting data packets between the IPv4 and IPv6 domains. # ⚓ Unified Patents ☛ Mel_NavIP_automobile_speech recognition_patent_monopoly_challenged⠀⇛ On December 7, 2023, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S._Patent_8,060,368, owned and asserted by Mel NavIP, LLC. The '368 patent monopoly is generally directed to navigation and speech recognition for a vehicle. The patent monopoly had been asserted against Toyota and is currently asserted against GM and Hyundai. View district_court_litigations_by_Mel_NavIP. # ⚓ Unified Patents ☛ Heeeerrrreees_Patty!_World's_First Patent_Chatbot⠀⇛ Unified is pleased to announce the latest addition to its patent monopoly analytics tools, ‘Ask Patty’ - Unified’s first Hey Hi (AI) ChatBot. Patty is our new interactive chatbot assistant designed to enhance the user experience on our Portal. It will automatically pop up on every patent monopoly information page. With Patty, users can interact directly and ask questions. Conversation history is stored anonymously so that the system can analyze data for future use and assist in building products that cater to our users' specific needs. Powered by OpenAI, users can have natural language conversations, regenerate individual responses, or reset the entire discussion. # ⚓ Unified Patents ☛ IP_Investments_entity,_Distributed Media,_media_streaming_patent_monopoly_challenged⠀⇛ On December 5, 2023, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S._Patent_7,739,714, owned and asserted by Distributed_Media_Solutions, an NPE and entity of IP_Investments_Group. The ‘714 patent monopoly relates to methods and systems for encoding digital multimedia data for transmission over a network. o § Trademarks⠀➾ # ⚓ TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog_Test:_Are_Candy_and_Nuts_Related_for Section_2(d)_Purposes?⠀⇛ The USPTO refused to register the mark CREME DE LA CREME for raw and processed nuts, including candied nuts, "supplied to grocery chains and wholesale grocers," finding confusion likely with the mark CRÈME DE LA CRÈME registered (on the Supplemental Register) for "candy.” Applicant Hines Nut argued that the cited mark is laudatory, commonly used, and therefore weak and entitled to a narrow scope of protection. How do you think this appeal came out? In_re_Hines_Nut_Company,_Ltd., Serial No. 90672644 (December 5, 2023) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge David K. Heasley). # § Right of Publicity⠀➾ # ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ ASCAP_Doubles_Down_on_Support for_Direct_Licensing,_Right_of_Publicity_Expansion_in New_Copyright_Office_Hey_Hi_(AI)_Comments⠀⇛ The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has submitted new comments on artificial intelligence to the Copyright Office, addressing the arguments of Hey Hi (AI) and tech companies including Anthropic. o § Copyrights⠀➾ # ⚓ Digital Music News ☛ Major_Labels_Urge_Court_to_Uphold_$47 Million_Judgement_Against_ISP_Grande_Communications⠀⇛ Major record labels are urging a federal Texas court to uphold its $47 million piracy liability judgement against internet provider Grande Communications. # ⚓ YLE ☛ Editor-in-chief_resigns_from_journalism_union magazine_following_plagiarism_row⠀⇛ Finland's copyright monopoly council found that Journalisti magazine editor Maria Pettersson had quoted passages from scientific articles in her book in "breach of good practice". # ⚓ Techdirt ☛ The_Copia_Institute_Tells_The_Copyright_Office Again_That_Copyright_Law_Has_No_Business_Obstructing_AI Training⠀⇛ A little over a month ago we told the Copyright Office in a comment that there was no role for copyright law to play when it comes to training AI systems. In fact, on the whole there’s little for copyright law to do to address the externalities of AI at all. No matter how one might feel about some of AI’s more dubious applications, copyright law is no remedy. Instead, as we reminded in this follow- up reply comment, trying to use copyright to obstruct development of the technology instead creates its own harms, especially when applied to the training aspect. # ⚓ CS Monitor ☛ Oates_tried_to_sell_his_half_of_the_business. Hall_can’t_go_for_that.⠀⇛ Hall & Oates is in court. Daryl Hall is suing to stop John Oates from selling his stake of a shared business partnership. The ’80s pop-rock duo has accused each other of inflammatory statements and even betrayal. o § Gemini* and Gopher⠀➾ # § Personal/Opinions⠀➾ # ⚓ Ohtani_to_the_Dodgers⠀⇛ Well isn't this off-season just the most perfect distillation of being a Blue Jays fan. While they were getting strung along by Ohtani, Soto is traded in the division to the Yankees. The two premium options are off the market; in any other year, Soto would be the crowl jewel, and this year he's barely a story, given, well, you know. # ⚓ Cycling_in_snow,_2023_edition⠀⇛ There was no cold autumn this year. Temperatures were unusually moderate - ~5 degrees of Celsius and definitely over zero. Then in the last week of the November it have started to snow. We got unusually big amount of snow. Much more that in many previous years. For example, last year we had some snow in November but it was gone in a few days. Now it persists for almost two weeks and some more snow is expected. # § Politics and World Events⠀➾ # ⚓ Properties_of_a_good_economics_system⠀⇛ I was in an argument online with someone and I was close to tears but then the other person graciously shifted both of our gears from the “quips and slags and put-downs” mode it felt like we were both in by asking an interesting and genuine question. # ⚓ I_Hate_The_Government⠀⇛ I was required to take a civics class this semester. The professor is a nice guy, but he would harp on and on about those cynics who had no faith in the government. I never felt targeted or anything since I never made much of a stink in class, but his undying faith in the system would make me roll my eyes. One time a person in class alluded to the media having an agenda on certain topics and he corrected him saying "well don't say they have an agenda, that makes it sound like there's some sort of collusion between them and government". Yes. That is exactly right. The fact he as a professor doesn't have more knowledge about the well documented history (and soon to be history) of the intelligence community and other parts of our government working with the media to push stories that are beneficial to their narrative made me lose any remaining faith in the facade of self-criticality within academia. # § Technology and Free Software⠀➾ # ⚓ Ĉio_pliboniĝas_matene⠀⇛ As I've been here, I've had a lot of time to think. A little while ago I did a self-test for depression on my phone. I'm not gonna self-diagnose, but it got me thinking. The days I feel worst about myself and about what I'm doing are the days where I have nobody to talk to and nothing to do. I miss my friends and family, and the glacial downlink I have access to is aggravating. (Dear game developers: please don't release 130GB patches kthx). All of this will be forgotten tomorrow. # ⚓ Arduino_robot_adventures_(1)⠀⇛ I have started - for practical reasons of course - to play with an Arduino-based 3D- printed robot. I decided to use the SMARS [1], It is not "free hardware" but it's freely available for personal use and it is rather simple to print and assemble. I have had a few Arduino [2] parts at home (the Arduino Uno an some add-ons) and the rest was quite inexpensive and easy to obtain. The reason why I have wanted to get this thing was a need to inspect some hard to access places in our cottage and to rescue things from those places. A robot with camera would be useful here. # ⚓ SGI,_BASIC,_OPL_and_so⠀⇛ I'm running my SGI O2 once more. This is what I am doing rather randomly since I have got the POWER9 machine for a desktop and the ARM- based MNT-reform for as a laptop. # § Internet/Gemini⠀➾ # ⚓ 🛰_Full_Mailing_List_with_Numbers_Restored!⠀⇛ I really wanted to be able use the same numbering convention in my gemtext archive, so that I could re-write the hyperlinks to point to the correct message in my archive. As I mentioned in a previous post, six digit number was *mostly* increasing, however there were some odd jumps. Message #125 would appear chronologically *before* message #124, and some numbers wouldn't be used at all. # ⚓ Journal_Update_26:_Taking_a_Step_Back⠀⇛ As some of you have noticed, I journal a lot. I've gone the past three and a half odd years averaging two-hundred nine words per day, one new entry every four to five days, and with the largest time gap between entries being less than a month long. There are still so many topics I want to write about and I don't feel anywhere close to burnt out. =============================================================================== * Gemini_(Primer) links can be opened using Gemini_software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. ䷩ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 1535 ╒═══════════════════ 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 ═════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ⠀⌧ █▇▆▅▄▃▂▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ Links 10/12/2023: Second Belmarsh Tribunal For Assange, EU Legislates for Buzzwords⠀▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█ ⌧ posted by Roy Schestowitz on Dec 10, 2023 🄸🄼🄰🄶🄴 🄳🄴🅂🄲🅁🄸🄿🅃🄸🄾🄽 ⦇GNOME bluefish⦈ § Contents⠀➾ * Leftovers o Science o Education o Health/Nutrition/Agriculture o Proprietary/Artificial_Intelligence_(AI) o Security # Privacy/Surveillance o Defence/Aggression o Environment # Energy/Transportation 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/Monopsonies # Patents # Copyrights * § Leftovers⠀➾ o ⚓ [Repeat] James G ☛ Advent_of_Technical_Writing:_Style⠀⇛ Technical writing involves a lot of regiment. Many organisations have style guides that document how you should write. Content should be consistent. But, there is still significant room for creativity. We often call this "style." Style is how you write. The way that you express, explain, structure. The way that you turn an idea from a light bulb above your head (metaphorically), to a finished piece. o ⚓ New York Times ☛ Mad_for_It:_What_Happened_When_Chanel_Came_to Manchester⠀⇛ The French fashion house took its Métiers d’Art show to the north of England and the home of soccer, Coronation Street and Northern soul. o ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Degrees_Of_Freedom,_But_For_Whom?⠀⇛ Opening up this week’s podcast, I told Kristina about my saga repairing our German toilet valve. I’m American, and although I’ve lived here over a decade, it’s still surprising how things can be subtly different from how they worked back home. o ⚓ Ruben Schade ☛ Delayed_gratification_and_fear⠀⇛ One of the poignant observations James Clear makes in Atomic Habits is that we crave instant gratification, but we live in a delayed gratification society. An ice cream or expensive phone feels great now, but health and savings reward us in the long term. We need our lizard brains to stay alive, but sometimes we need to exert willpower to keep it in check. James didn’t mention it in the book, but I’ve noticed I’ve traditionally tackled anxiety in the same way. When there’s an event with a timetime for which I have control, I crave the instant fix of distracting myself with an unrelated task, or other delaying tactics. Pushing it out only compounds the worry. I know this, but as I’ve come to say here many times this year: emotions aren’t rational! o § Science⠀➾ # ⚓ Hackaday ☛ Impact_Of_Imperfect_Timekeeping_On_Quantum Control_And_Computing⠀⇛ In classical control theory, both open-loop and closed-loop control systems are commonly used. These systems are well understood and rather straightforward, controlling everything from washing machines to industrial equipment to the classical computing devices that make today’s society work. When trying to transfer this knowledge to the world of quantum control theory, however, many issues arise. The most pertinent ones involve closed-loop quantum control and the clocking of quantum computations. With physical limitations on the accuracy and resolution of clocks, this would set hard limits on the accuracy and speed of quantum computing. o § Education⠀➾ # ⚓ Postsen, Sweden ☛ The_school_will_become_mobile-free_– throughout_the_school_day⠀⇛ To meet the school’s collapse of knowledge, we are now changing the policy and pushing through a long series of bourgeois school reforms. This means, among other things, that we move from screen time to reading time and that we stop the ill-considered use of screens at school. Instead, the school – especially in the younger ages – should be filled with paper, pencil and real books. Exactly what science shows us creates the best conditions for students to learn to read and count. Now we are taking the next step and making the school mobile-free throughout the school day. # ⚓ University of Michigan ☛ Provost’s_seminar_explores_new_era of_teaching,_learning_with_GenAI⠀⇛ Videos of the opening session and closing panel will be available at the CRLT website in the coming days. # ⚓ YLE ☛ More_Finnish_children_enrolled_in_home_school⠀⇛ After a post-pandemic dip in 2021, home schooling has regained risen to similar levels at the height of the pandemic. o § Health/Nutrition/Agriculture⠀➾ # ⚓ Postsen, Sweden ☛ Mussels_should_be_tested_as_salmon_food_– can_reduce_the_climate_footprint⠀⇛ Approximately 80 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions from the Norwegian salmon farms come from the fish’s food – which today consists of fishmeal, including from Baltic Sea herring, plant-based oil and soy imported from the other side of the globe, where Brazil is the largest supplier. Today, only 0.4 percent of food comes from what are described as new and sustainable sources, mainly insects and algae. Now researchers hope at the Marine Research Institute in Norway on a new ingredient in fish feed – which can drastically reduce the climate footprint of farms: blue mussels. o § Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)⠀➾ # ⚓ ABC ☛ Europe_reaches_a_deal_on_the_world's_first comprehensive_AI_rules⠀⇛ The European Parliament will still need to vote on the act early next year, but with the deal done that’s a formality, Brando Benifei, an Italian lawmaker co-leading the body’s negotiating efforts, told The Associated Press late Friday. # ⚓ Press Gazette ☛ Using_AI_to_transform_discoverability_at Germany’s_oldest_news_publisher⠀⇛ The company turned to metadata and taxonomy experts iMatrics to boost reach and SEO across the sites, using software which automatically reads and categorises articles. o § Security⠀➾ # § Privacy/Surveillance⠀➾ # ⚓ 404 Media ☛ Verizon_Gave_Phone_Data_to_Armed_Stalker Who_Posed_as_Cop_Over_Email⠀⇛ The news is a massive failure by Verizon who did not verify that the data request was fraudulent, and the company potentially put someone’s safety at risk. The news also highlights the now common use of fraudulent emergency data requests (EDRs) or search warrants in the digital underworld, where criminals pretend to be law enforcement officers, fabricate an urgent scenario such as a kidnapping, and then convince telecoms or tech companies to hand over data that should only be accessible through legitimate law enforcement requests. As 404 Media previously reported, some hackers are using compromised government email accounts for this purpose. o § Defence/Aggression⠀➾ # ⚓ Kansas Reflector ☛ Growing_threat_of_political_violence looms_over_2024,_former_members_of_Congress_warn⠀⇛ Comstock noted that antisemitism on some elite college campuses also represented a disturbing trend and Jones described a growing acceptance of violence “across the board.” # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Talk_of_a_Trump_Dictatorship_Charges_the American_Political_Debate⠀⇛ If Mr. Trump is returned to office, people close to him have vowed to “come after” the news media, open criminal investigations into onetime aides who broke with the former president and purge the government of civil servants deemed disloyal. When critics said Mr. Trump’s language about ridding Washington of “vermin” echoed that of Adolf Hitler, the former president’s spokesman said the critics’ “sad, miserable existence will be crushed” under a new Trump administration. # ⚓ Postsen, Sweden ☛ Anders_Borg:_“We_made_big_mistakes_with immigration”_|_Sweden⠀⇛ At the same time, he now calls on the government to mobilize against increasing honor violence and oppression of young immigrant women in Sweden. # ⚓ Idiomdrottning ☛ Properties_of_a_good_economics_system⠀⇛ I was in an argument online with someone and I was close to tears but then the other person graciously shifted both of our gears from the “quips and slags and put-downs” mode it felt like we were both in by asking an interesting and genuine question. "if you could unleash an AI on the world that would maximize a variable, what would you pick to maximize?" # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Israeli_Strikes_Pound_Gaza_a_Day_after U.S._Vetoes_Cease-Fire_Resolution.⠀⇛ Some of the strikes targeted the southern Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military has ordered civilians to go to avoid bombardment. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ State_Department_Bypasses_Congress_to Approve_Israel’s_Order_for_Tank_Ammunition⠀⇛ It is the first time the Biden administration has declared an emergency to expedite arms shipments to the Middle East, which are controversial because of the civilian death toll from Israeli airstrikes. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Israel_strikes_targets_across_the_Gaza Strip.⠀⇛ # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Mexico_Shootout_Kills_14_After_Town_Fights Back_Against_Cartel⠀⇛ At least 14 people were killed in a clash between the gunmen and members of a small farming community in central Mexico, an episode that the state authorities cast as a gang extortion attempt that backfired. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Who’s_a_‘Colonizer’?_How_an_Old_Word Became_a_New_Weapon⠀⇛ In bitter debates from Israel to Africa to America, invoking a brutal history has become a powerful accusation. # ⚓ YLE ☛ NBI_opens_preliminary_investigation_into_terror suspect⠀⇛ This preliminary investigation is unorthodox because the suspect did not commit a crime in Finland and is not a Finnish citizen, but is suspected of terror offences in Ukraine. # § Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine⠀➾ # ⚓ LRT ☛ LRT_from_Kherson._A_city_freed_from_occupation but_not_from_death⠀⇛ Oleksandr, a resident of Kherson, drives through the empty streets of the city observing the buildings destroyed by shelling. “This is where they hit just this week,” he points to an apartment building. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Vice_principal,_security_firm_director,_and shooter’s_father_arrested_after_deadly_school_shooting in_Russia_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ RFERL ☛ 'Initiative_Group'_Meets_To_Plan_Putin's Presidential_Campaign⠀⇛ Representatives of the ruling United Russia party and the All-Russia Popular Front met in Moscow on December 9 as an "initiative group" to discuss their support for President Vladimir Putin's bid for a fifth presidential term. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Criminal_case_opened_against_Russian journalist_for_‘publicly_inciting_actions_against_the security_of_the_state’_—_Meduza⠀⇛ # ⚓ Marcy Wheeler ☛ The_May_2017_Report_Tying_Oleg Deripaska_to_Russian_Intelligence⠀⇛ Bill Barr's flunkie, Seth DuCharme, thinks his client Charles McGonigal should get a probation sentence even though he reviewed reports of Oleg Deripaska's Russian intelligence ties before choosing to work for Deripaska. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Russian_Opposition_Leader_Navalny_Missing_For Three_Days,_Life_'At_Risk,'_Supporters_Say⠀⇛ Supporters of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny say they have had no contact with him for three days. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ U.S.-Russian_Citizen_Arrested_For_Social- Media_Posts⠀⇛ Russia has arrested a dual U.S.-Russian citizen on charges of "rehabilitating Nazism" for two critical posts he made on social control media. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Russia_Transfers_Seized_Stake_In_Strategic Metals_Firm_To_State_Nuclear_Energy_Company⠀⇛ Russia has transferred a majority stake in a strategic metals firm to the state's nuclear energy company after seizing shares from its private owners. # ⚓ Latvia ☛ U.S._Ambassador_to_NATO:_We_take_Russia's threats_against_Baltics_seriously⠀⇛ Latvian Television's Brussels correspondent Ilze Nagla has secured an interesting interview with the United States' ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith. Ambassador Smith assumed her position as the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO in November 2021. Prior to her current position, she served as a Senior Advisor at the Department of State. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Bulgarian_Parliament_Approves_Additional Surplus_Military_Aid_To_Ukraine⠀⇛ The Bulgarian parliament on December 8 voted overwhelmingly to provide surplus air-defense missiles to Ukraine. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Ukrainian_Parliament_Approves_Three_Bills Seen_As_Key_To_Starting_EU_Accession_Talks⠀⇛ The Ukrainian parliament on December 8 approved three bills necessary to start European Union accession talks. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Kyiv_Removes_Monument_To_Bolshevik_Military Commander_Shchors⠀⇛ The authorities in Kyiv on December 9 dismantled a massive equestrian monument to Bolshevik military commander Mykola Shchors that was erected in the Ukrainian capital nearly 70 years ago. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Russia_Seeks_To_Unfreeze_Gold_Reserves_As_It Woos_Global_South⠀⇛ Russia has said it is studying whether its gold reserves, frozen by the West in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, could be used to help developing countries overcome the impact of climate change. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Ukraine's_Zelenskiy_Heads_To_Argentina_To Drum_Up_Global_South_Support_In_War_With_Russia⠀⇛ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has made a stopover visit to Cape Verde on his way to Argentina, where he is due to attend the inauguration of new President Javier Milei, his latest bid to shore up support in the Global South for Kyiv in its 21-month-old war against Russia. o § Environment⠀➾ # ⚓ Omicron Limited ☛ Climate_'tipping_points'_can_be_positive too—our_report_sets_out_how_to_engineer_a_domino_effect_of rapid_changes⠀⇛ Fortunately, tipping points with good outcomes—"positive" tipping points—are also possible in human technology, economics, politics, and social behavior. In fact, they're already happening in areas ranging from renewable energy and electric vehicles to social movements and plant-based diets. Our report sets out ways to intervene in these systems to enable positive tipping points to be triggered—for example, by making the desired change the cheapest, most convenient, or morally acceptable option. # ⚓ Omicron Limited ☛ What_is_carbon_capture_and_why_does_it keep_coming_up_at_COP28?⠀⇛ The future of fossil fuels is at the center of the United Nations climate summit in Dubai, where many activists, experts and nations are calling for an agreement to phase out the oil, gas and coal responsible for warming the planet. On the other side: energy companies and oil-rich nations with plans to keep drilling well into the future. # § Energy/Transportation⠀➾ # ⚓ The Verge ☛ How_to_build_a_bike_lane_in_America⠀⇛ The US, like most of the world, is straining under the weight of cars and their baggage. People are buying bigger, heavier vehicles, causing roads to crack and deteriorate. EVs cause less atmospheric harm, but their production is deeply problematic, and they’re too heavy for the country’s crumbling roads. Car tires still create unhealthy pollution. Even setting aside environmental, social, and structural concerns, the US’s swollen SUVs and trucks are killing people more often and more effectively, and Black people and people of color are dying at disproportionate rates. Roads and highways are also expensive. A list of Florida Department of Transportation reports on various projects, for example, puts new construction of a two-lane urban arterial road with a four-foot bike lane at very nearly $6 million per mile. Widening it can cost even more. By contrast, the most expensive pedestrian and cyclist improvement — a two-way, 12-foot shared-use path — is listed at about $410,000. Cycling infrastructure also doesn’t cost nearly as much to maintain. In fact, it’s likely a net financial benefit instead, owing to the reduced healthcare debt of more active people. # ⚓ Futurism ☛ Experts_Deeply_Concerned_About_Cybertruck Safety⠀⇛ Because only limited footage was shared with the public with no accompanying data, there's only so much that can be deduced right now. But whatever the armchair experts may be saying online, the real experts are already quite concerned with what they've seen so far. # ⚓ Reuters ☛ Tesla_Cybertruck's_stiff_structure,_sharp design_raise_safety_concerns_-experts⠀⇛ "The big problem there is if they really make the skin of the vehicle very stiff by using thick stainless steel, then when people hit their heads on it, it's going to cause more damage to them," said Adrian Lund, the former president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), whose vehicle crash tests are an industry standard. # ⚓ DeSmog ☛ ‘Inoculate_From_Criticism’:_A_Closer_Look_at the_Public_Relations_Companies_Active_at_COP28⠀⇛ There’s only a few days to go before Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the first oil executive to preside over UN climate negotiations, brings down his gavel in Dubai.   While COP28 delegates have been wrangling over the wording of the all-important text, DeSmog has been tracking an overlooked factor in climate diplomacy: the role of the advertising and public relations (PR) industry in shaping perceptions of key players. # ⚓ DeSmog ☛ Meet_the_‘Extreme’_Atlas_Network_Groups Fighting_Canada’s_Oil_and_Gas_Emissions_Cap⠀⇛ Within hours of Canada’s federal government announcing key details during COP28 about its plans to cap greenhouse gas emissions within the oil and gas sector, the country’s top conservative think tanks started sounding the alarm.  “Capping the energy sector’s emissions would deprive Canada of over $6.0 billion a year,” declared a media release from the Quebec- based Montreal Economic Institute, which was soon quoted extensively by the media outlet Business in Vancouver. o § Finance⠀➾ # ⚓ Ruben Schade ☛ People_who_need_cash_being_left_behind⠀⇛ Future access to physical cash is now under a cloud, according to Australia’s primary cash transit company, amid a sharp decline in the use of notes and coins […] which experts say risks isolating those who rely on [cash]. […] actual cash usage has dropped to just 13% of transactions, according to professional services firm Accenture, down from 27% before the pandemic. Australians are early adopters of payments technology and among the least likely in the world to transact in cash, alongside those in the Nordic countries. Wait, 13% of transactions? I would not have guessed that little, not even close. There are issues of digital fraud and tracking here worth considering. But the point raised in this article is one of accessibility. There’s a real risk that those whom depend on cash may find themselves unable to live and work in our economy, or only with extreme difficulty. o § AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics⠀➾ # ⚓ [Old] Sven Vermeulen ☛ The_three_additional_layers_in_the OSI_model⠀⇛ Then, we start rising up the stack. Discussions that are close to the physical aspects are still easy to moderate, but the higher up we go the more chance we have of misinterpretation of the information at hand. People make more assumptions to understand the discussion, which might lead to misunderstandings. Higher layers are also because we want to abstract away the complexity of reality. Discussions are held on topics that have wider consequences, and thus we abstract this complexity in models so that the discussions can move forward quickly enough. If not all people understand the abstraction (and its consequences), the discussions might quickly move to details and specifics that do not provide much value to the discussion, but are considered as necessary by some of the attendees. # ⚓ European Commission ☛ Digital_Services_Act_–_implementing regulation⠀⇛ The Digital Services Act (DSA) empowers the Commission to adopt implementing acts detailing arrangements on issues identified in Article 83 of the DSA, such as: the proceedings in Articles 69 to 72 regulating aspects of the Commission’s investigatory and enforcement powers • the hearings in Article 79 • the negotiated disclosure of information provided for in Article 79. This implementing regulation will lay down rules on all procedural practical arrangements in Article 83 of DSA. [...] Feedback period 08 December 2023 - 05 January 2024 (midnight Brussels time) # ⚓ EDRI ☛ EU_AI_Act:_Deal_reached,_but_too_soon_to_celebrate⠀⇛ On 8 Dec, after over 36 hours of negotiations, a political deal has been reached on the EU’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act. The European Parliament, Council and Commission have brokered a high-level compromise on the main rules for artificial intelligence in Europe. However, whilst EU negotiators celebrate the conclusion one of the most controversial digital legislations in EU history, the devil will be in the detail. The extent to which the AI Act protects people in Europe from the worst excesses of surveillance, discrimination and AI-based harms will require a fuller assessment of the technical drafts, which will surface over the next weeks. # ⚓ France24 ☛ EU_member_states_and_lawmakers_strike_landmark deal_on_AI_regulation⠀⇛ "Historic! With the political deal on the AI Act sealed today, the EU becomes the first continent to set clear rules for the use of AI," declared the EU's internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton. # ⚓ Security Week ☛ Europe_Reaches_a_Deal_on_the_World’s_First Comprehensive_AI_Rules⠀⇛ European Union negotiators clinched a deal Friday on the world’s first comprehensive artificial intelligence rules, paving the way for legal oversight of AI technology that has promised to transform everyday life and spurred warnings of existential dangers to humanity. Negotiators from the European Parliament and the bloc’s 27 member countries overcame big differences on controversial points including generative AI and police use of face recognition surveillance to sign a tentative political agreement for the Artificial Intelligence Act. # ⚓ Axios ☛ EU_reaches_landmark_deal_on_world’s_first comprehensive_AI_regulation⠀⇛ Yes, but: The new law still needs to be approved by the European Parliament, though that will be a formality. Lawmakers still need to work out some of the details of the new law. The rules also won't take effect until 2025 at the earliest, leaving room for a lot of technological evolution until then. # ⚓ El País ☛ Europe_reaches_a_deal_on_the_world’s_first comprehensive_AI_rules⠀⇛ Officials were under the gun to secure a political victory for the flagship legislation. Civil society groups, however, gave it a cool reception as they wait for technical details that will need to be ironed out in the coming weeks. They said the deal didn’t go far enough in protecting people from harm caused by AI systems. # ⚓ [Old] The Business of Fashion ☛ Vanessa_Kingori_to_Exit Condé_Nast,_Join_Google⠀⇛ In recent years, Kingori has been vital to helping Condé Nast navigate an increasingly challenging environment for legacy media players, spearheading innovative ways to open and expand new revenue streams like digital content creation for brand clients. She will be joining Google UK as managing director of technology, with a focus on deploying new tools including artificial intelligence. In recent months, the search giant, like many other big tech players, has begun introducing features powered by generative AI. Shopping has been a key area of experimentation for the company. # ⚓ Futurism ☛ OpenAI_Cofounder_Who_Pushed_Out_Sam_Altman_Is_In a_Confusing_Limbo⠀⇛ Known primarily for his outlandish statements about algorithmic sentience, the Russian-born researcher is considered something of an "AI god" by his acolytes — and now is thought of as a traitor to others who think he won't be able to come back from voting alongside two fellow (and now former) OpenAI board members to fire Altman as CEO over vague accusations of dishonesty. # ⚓ New York Times ☛ Inside_OpenAI’s_Crisis_Over_the_Future_of Artificial_Intelligence⠀⇛ Unbeknownst to Mr. Altman, Dr. Sutskever and the three board members had been whispering behind his back for months. They believed Mr. Altman had been dishonest and should no longer lead a company that was driving the A.I. race. On a hush-hush 15-minute video call the previous afternoon, the board members had voted one by one to push Mr. Altman out of OpenAI. # ⚓ Futurism ☛ Elon_Musk_Fans_Horrified_When_His_Grok_AI Immediately_"Goes_Woke"⠀⇛ The situation is admittedly very funny, but it's also a perfect illustration of a fundamental reality of machine learning: that it's near- impossible for the creators of advanced AI systems to perfectly control what their creations say. # ⚓ New Yorker ☛ Why_Are_House_Republicans_Leaving_Congress?⠀⇛ Former Representative Jim Cooper of Tennessee joins The Political Scene to discuss the rush of lawmakers leaving Congress and what’s driving them away. # § Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda⠀➾ # ⚓ Vice Media Group ☛ Elon_Musk's_Grok_AI_Is_Pushing Misinformation_and_Legitimizing_Conspiracies⠀⇛ The chatbot’s big selling point is that it is designed to integrate with X and draw information from users’ posts in order to have access to real-time events around the world. But, perhaps unsurprisingly, the chatbot is just as reliable at giving accurate information as the once-cherished platform formerly known as Twitter and its right-wing billionaire owner—which is to say, not at all. The chatbot produced fake timelines for news events and misinformation when tested by Motherboard, and lent credence to conspiracy theories such as Pizzagate. o § Censorship/Free Speech⠀➾ # ⚓ France24 ☛ French_teens_convicted_for_identifying_Samuel Paty_to_his_attacker_before_2020_murder⠀⇛ Samuel Paty, a 47-year-old history and geography teacher, was stabbed and then beheaded near his secondary school in the Paris suburb of Conflans- Sainte-Honorine on October 16, 2020. Lawyers representing Paty's friends and family hit out at the leniency of the sentences, describing them as "not fitting" and sending "a bad signal". "A man beheaded in the street is not nothing," said Virginie Le Roy, a lawyer representing members of Paty's family. # ⚓ Deutsche Welle ☛ France:_Six_teenagers_convicted_in_teacher murder_trial⠀⇛ Paty was killed on October 16, 2020, by Abdoullakh Anzorov, a radicalized 18-year-old of Chechen origin. The killing was classified as an act of Islamist terrorism. The teacher had shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad to his class during a debate on freedom of expression. # ⚓ US News And World Report ☛ Iran_Begins_Trial_of_Swedish_EU Employee_Detained_in_2022⠀⇛ Rights groups and Western governments have accused the Islamic Republic of trying to extract political concessions from other countries through arrests on security charges that may have been trumped up. Tehran says such arrests are based on its criminal code and denies holding people for political reasons. # ⚓ France24 ☛ Iran_bans_Mahsa_Amini’s_family_from_travelling to_accept_EU's_Sakharov_human_rights_prize⠀⇛ She said the family had been banned from leaving Iran despite having a valid visa, and their passports had been confiscated. Ardakani said Iranian authorities "have never been so mobilised to prevent the families of the victims from speaking to the international community". # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Iran_Blocks_Amini's_Family_From_Traveling_To_Accept EU_Award⠀⇛ The family's lawyer, Saleh Nikhbakht, who was accompanying them, was apparently allowed to travel. The European Parliament on October 19 awarded the 2023 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Amini and the Women, Life, Freedom movement that was sparked by her death. # ⚓ VOA News ☛ Criticized_Over_Blogger_Arrests,_Uzbekistan Denies_It's_a_Free_Speech_Issue⠀⇛ While debates rage about the allegations in each case, many Uzbek journalists and bloggers worry that the modest freedom Mirziyoyev seemed to offer is rapidly vanishing. The Tashkent-based Ezgulik Human Rights Society reports more than 20 criminal cases concerning bloggers this year alone. # ⚓ Meduza ☛ Russia_arrests_U.S.-Russian_dual_national,_charges him_with_‘rehabilitating_Nazism’_over_social_media_posts⠀⇛ According to the Telegram channel SOTAvision, Yuri Malev is a graduate of St. Petersburg State University’s law department and has been living in the U.S. since 1991. The Telegram channel Baza reported that Malev went to Russia at the end of November. # ⚓ RFERL ☛ Russian_Opposition_Leader_Navalny_Missing_For_Three Days,_Life_'At_Risk,'_Supporters_Say⠀⇛ She said his allies had not received any letters from him for more than a week, which she said was unusual. o § Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press⠀➾ # ⚓ The Dissenter ☛ TUNE_IN:_Second_Belmarsh_Tribunal_For Assange_In_DC⠀⇛ o § Civil Rights/Policing⠀➾ # ⚓ Kansas Reflector ☛ Norman_Lear’s_’70s_TV_comedies confronted_issues_in_a_way_Gen_Z_would_appreciate⠀⇛ Norman Lear’s legacy offers storytellers a road map for meeting the needs of Americans coming of age today. I believe that we need more storytellers who, like Lear, hold up a mirror to our world, showcasing its complexity and imperfections – both the good and the bad. # ⚓ CNBC ☛ Musk's_Scandinavian_woes_deepen_as_Tesla_loses Swedish_court_case,_Finnish_union_joins_port_blockade⠀⇛ Finnish transport workers' union AKT on Thursday confirmed that a blockade on Tesla vehicles earmarked for Sweden would also come into force across all Finnish ports from Dec. 20. One of Denmark's largest pension funds on Wednesday announced that it would sell its holdings of Tesla stock over the U.S. giant's refusal to enter into agreements with labor unions. # ⚓ VOA News ☛ Taliban_Criticize_New_US_Human_Rights_Curbs Against_Two_Leaders⠀⇛ The Taliban ban girls from receiving an education beyond the sixth grade in Afghanistan and women from most workplaces. The Islamist group reclaimed power from an American-backed government two years ago, declaring its male-only administration as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, or IEA. o § Internet Policy/Net Neutrality⠀➾ # ⚓ Postsen, Sweden ☛ Is_the_[Internet]_we_built_really_for everyone?⠀⇛ The directive contains many taken-for-granted obviousness for the vast majority. Therefore, common standards are welcome, mainly because they help companies to see shortcomings and gaps – the company’s own bias, or partiality. An examination was recently made of Sweden’s 20 largest e-commerce stores and how they performed today, a little more than a year before the introduction of the accessibility directive, based on 12 parameters. The result shows that not even half meet the requirements, which will soon be regulated in the law. § Monopolies/Monopsonies⠀➾ o ⚓ Cloudbooklet ☛ Apple_Cracks_Down_on_Beeper_Mini:_No_More_iMessage for_Android_Users⠀⇛ Beeper Mini, an app that enabled Android users to use iMessage, faced an outage possibly caused by Apple. Learn what this means for cross-platform encrypted messaging. o § Patents⠀➾ # ⚓ CBC ☛ U.S._'beginning'_internal_discussions_about_renewing North_American_trade_pact⠀⇛ For anyone with lingering night terrors from the last renegotiation of NAFTA, the notion of reopening the pact might evoke the trailer for a classic horror movie sequel: It's baaaaa-aaaack. But this time is different, says the U.S. envoy to Canada. In an interview with CBC News, Ambassador David Cohen said officials in his country have begun informal talks to prepare for new negotiations as required by the pact. # ⚓ [Old] Global Affairs Canada ☛ Canada-United_States-Mexico Agreement_(CUSMA)_/_United_States-Mexico-Canada_Agreement_ (USMCA)⠀⇛ The Canada, United States, Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) / The United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a new, high standard 21st century regional agreement between the Government of Canada, the Government of the United Mexican States and the Government of the United States of America to support mutually beneficial trade leading to freer, fairer markets, and to robust economic growth in the region. # ⚓ [Old] Foreign Affairs ☛ The_New_American_Way_of_Trade:_How the_USMCA_Does_What_NAFTA_Couldn’t⠀⇛ o § Copyrights⠀➾ # ⚓ Futurism ☛ Oops!_Elon_Musk's_Grok_AI_Caught_Plagiarizing OpenAI's_ChatGPT⠀⇛ "We plagiarized your plagiarism so we could put plagiarism in your plagiarism," quipped NBC News reporter Ben Collins. =============================================================================== * Gemini_(Primer) links can be opened using Gemini_software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter. ╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛ ¶ Lines in total: 2703 ➮ Generation completed at 02:49, i.e. 1 seconds to (re)generate ⟲