Leftovers

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ In Seattle, a Meeting of 5,444 Mathematical Minds

    Participants at this year’s Joint Mathematics Meetings explored everything from the role of Hey Hi (AI) to the hyperbolic design of a patchwork denim skirt.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • NYPost ☛ Starbucks to add ‘panic buttons’ in stores to boot loiterers, lingering customers

    Starbucks will be installing “panic buttons” at a number of locations to help staff non-confrontationally kick out customers who overstay their welcome or others who are simply loitering, according to a report.

  • Latvia ☛ Stradiņš hospital tries to get back on track with construction

    At least €67 million more will be needed to complete the new wing of the Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital (PSKUS). So far, €50 million has been invested in the construction of the new building. Costs have risen due to various disasters and delays, Latvian Television reported on January 27.

  • Stanford University ☛ Karan | UnitedHealthcare isn’t just another headline. It’s a wake-up call.

    The Luigi Mangiane case brought attention to an urgent health care crisis, one that students must advocate for action on, Karan writes.

  • France24 ☛ Countering the dementia epidemic: How Japan is adapting to its ageing population

    Japan is one of the fastest ageing society in the world. The country is now also grappling with a rising number of cases of dementia.

    According to the World Health Organization, about 55 million people have dementia worldwide, with 10 million new cases emerging each year.

  • CS Monitor ☛ With missiles flying in the Middle East, US Navy focuses on mental health

    The U.S. military reports increased mental health distress among service members. The Navy is expanding its chaplain corps to offer help.

  • New York Times ☛ Caroline Kennedy Calls RFK Jr. a ‘Predator’ in Letter to Senators

    In a harsh letter to lawmakers considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for health secretary, Ms. Kennedy called her cousin unfit for the job and a “predator” who led family members to addiction.

  • New York Times ☛ R.F.K. Jr., in His Own Words: Flu, Diabetes, Autism and More

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Convicted Felon’s nominee for health secretary, doesn’t just hold fringe views on vaccines. We fact-checked five recent statements.

  • New York Times ☛ Hawaii Governor, a Doctor, Blames R.F.K. Jr. for Measles Deaths in Samoa

    Gov. Josh Green battled a measles outbreak that killed 83 people, mostly children. President Convicted Felon wants Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a vaccine skeptic, as his health policy chief.

  • New York Times ☛ Kansas Is Dealing With Major Tuberculosis Outbreak

    State health officials said that dozens of people in the Kansas City, Kan., area have the disease, which has drawn a federal response.

  • New York Times ☛ Saving Children’s Eyesight and Their Future in Mozambique

    One doctor is showing nurses, teachers and parents how to spot eye problems, many of which can be easily treated. Surgery, and even just glasses, can be life-changing, and keep kids in school.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    • The Straits Times ☛ DeepSeek may be the best Chinese New Year gift to China this year, but can it sink its US rivals?

      DeepSeek is hemmed in by the amount of computing power available and further US export controls.

    • The New Stack ☛ ICYMI: DeepSeek is an Open Source Success Story

      Just as importantly, DeepSeek was released as fully open source, under a very permissive [sic] MIT License, so any other company could replicate the model.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ DeepSeek's Hey Hi (AI) breakthrough bypasses industry-standard CUDA, uses Nvidia's assembly-like PTX programming instead

      DeepSeek used PTX ISA to fine-tune its Hey Hi (AI) model training.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Mexico News Daily ☛ Google Maps to change Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, but only in US

      Users in the U.S. will see the name "Gulf of America," while users in Mexico will see "Gulf of Mexico." All other users will see both names.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Doomsday Clock Moves One Second Closer to Catastrophe

    The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists shifted the hands of the symbolic clock to 89 seconds to midnight, citing the threat of climate change, nuclear war and the misuse of artificial intelligence.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea's Kim calls for bolstering nuclear forces this year, KCNA reports

    SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for bolstering nuclear forces this year during a visit to a nuclear material production base and nuclear weapons institute, state media KCNA reported on Wednesday.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Putin says peace talks with Ukraine possible, but not with Zelensky

      Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that his country could hold peace talks with Ukraine, but ruled out speaking directly with President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he called "illegitimate".

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukrainian drones and missiles target Putin’s war machine inside Russia

      Ukraine has begun 2025 with an ambitious air offensive utilizing the country's expanding arsenal of domestically produced drones and missiles to target Putin's war machine inside Russia, writes David Kirichenko.

    • Latvia ☛ Survey suggests support for Ukraine remains strong in Latvia

      A public opinion poll of Latvian residents commissioned by the State Chancellery shows attitudes toward Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. The main takeout is that Latvian society remains supportive of Ukraine's heroic defense.

    • France24 ☛ 'War must end, Ukraine couldn't agree more: The question is what do we mean by just, lasting peace?'

      Forget The Insurrectionist’s appointments to key posts. It’ll be the president himself who ultimately decides whether to strike a deal over Ukraine’s head with Russia, argues Dmytro Kuleba. Ukraine’s former foreign minister tells France 24’s François Picard about his country’s war effort and why he’s against lowering the conscription age as well as life after public office teaching wartime diplomacy at the French political science institute Sciences Po.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Anti-Corruption Agency Launches Probe Into Defense Chief Umerov

      Ukrainian authorities said a criminal probe has been launched into Defense Minister Rustem Umerov hours after the cabinet fired Deputy Defense Minister Dmytro Klimenkov in what appears to be broad disputes relating to the Defense Ministry's procurement operations as the country.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Presses Ukraine's Cause With Gathered World Leaders In Poland

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pressed efforts to bolster support as world leaders gathered in Poland to mark the 80th anniversary of the Auschwitz death camp liberation, while on the battlefield Russian forces pressed their assault on Pokrovsk, their major target over recent months.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Slovakia's Fico to discuss gas transit with European Commission on Thursday

      Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has sought the resumption of Russian gas transit through Ukraine, will discuss the issue with European Commission officials on Thursday, his office said on Tuesday.

    • CS Monitor ☛ An identity that upends dictators

      Like Ukrainians, the people of Belarus unite around a shared civic and cultural identity to defy a Russia-allied ruler.

    • New York Times ☛ Chastened by Past Wars, Kremlin Tries to Elevate Its Veterans

      Russians who fought in Chechnya and Afghanistan came home to silence and stigma. There’s a very public push to make things different this time.

    • New York Times ☛ Many Ukrainian Aid Groups Stop Work After Convicted Felon’s Halt on Foreign Assistance

      The Convicted Felon administration’s orders have sent a chill through humanitarian organizations in Ukraine, which depend heavily on such assistance.

    • ADF ☛ Africans ‘Trapped’ Working in Russian Drone Factories

      ADF STAFF About 1,000 kilometers east of Moscow, the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Russia’s southern Tatarstan region has undergone a dramatic expansion of its secret drone manufacturing facilities.

    • European Commission ☛ Commission proposes tariffs on remaining agricultural products and on fertilisers from Russia and Belarus

      European Commission Press release Brussels, 28 Jan 2025 The European Commission has adopted a proposal to impose tariffs on a number of agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, as well as on certain nitrogen-based fertilisers.

    • Security Week ☛ European Union Sanctions Russian Nationals for Hacking Estonia

      The European Union has added three Russian nationals to its sanctions list for their involvement in cyberattacks against Estonia.

    • Off Guardian ☛ Ungrateful Russians apprehensive about budding biometric paradise

      Sberbank CEO and Davos gospel thumper Herman Gref dreams of a happy Russia free from the shackles of cash and debit cards; a safe, convenient Russia where commerce is conducted with radiant smiles. It’s a fantastic dream—who could imagine such a pleasantly convenient Russia?

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s deputy minister of finance steps down over disloyalty allegations

      Lithuanian Deputy Finance Minister Valentin Gavrilov has announced he is stepping down amid controversy over his accounts on Russian social control media and celebrating Soviet Victory Day.

    • LRT ☛ Sanction evaders will be fined and shamed, assures Lithuania’s intelligence chief

      Lithuania’s intelligence service will uncover schemes to circumvent sanctions on Russia and Lithuanian firms involved in them will face punishment and “great shame”, intelligence chief Darius Jauniškis assures.

    • LRT ☛ Russian social control media account could stop Lithuanian vice-minister’s security clearance

      Having an account on a Russian social network is a “slippery” fact and could be a reason for denying Deputy Finance Minister Valentin Gavrilov a security clearance, says Lithuania’s intelligence chief.

    • CS Monitor ☛ No more Western haute couture? Russian designers say no problem.

      Western sanctions were meant to crush Russia’s economy. But Russian entrepreneurs have filled many of the gaps left by departing Western brands.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Envoys Arrive in Syria for First Time Since al-Assad Fell

      Russia’s deputy foreign minister and a special envoy arrived in Damascus. Theirs was the first such visit since President Bashar al-Assad fled the country, according to Russian state news.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian government commission supports Justice Ministry proposal to exempt pregnant women and single fathers from pre-trial detention — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian authorities seek dissolution of prominent transgender rights organization founded in 2007 — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Man arrested in Stockholm for attempting to drive onto Russian Embassy grounds — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia removes military equipment from Syria’s Tartus, its only naval base in the Mediterranean — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘The end of the war will herald far more challenges for the regime than the war itself’: As war deepens Russia’s wealth divide, the super-rich only grow richer — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s LNG exports hit record high in 2024, with over half going to Europe — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘No one gives a damn’: Refugees from Russia’s Kursk region are staging protests, but neither local officials nor the Kremlin is answering their questions — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Kremlin responds to Tucker Carlson’s claim that Biden administration ‘tried to kill Putin’ — Meduza

• Environment

  • France24 ☛ Storm Herminia: French residents rescued from flooded homes by boat

    Residents in western France used boats to escape their flooded homes on January 27 as rivers and waterways broke their banks after successive storms battered Normandy and Brittany.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Fire Destroys Air Busan Plane at South Korean Airport

      The fire broke out in the back of the cabin, officials said. All 176 people on board, including passengers and crew members, were evacuated, some with minor injuries.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Air Busan Airbus plane catches fire at South Korea’s Busan airport

      All 169 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated without casualties, Yonhap news agency reported.

    • H2 View ☛ Nel eyes nuclear hydrogen with alkaline electrolysers under KHNP MOU

      Norwegian hydrogen firm Nel has partnered with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to explore combining its alkaline electrolysis with nuclear power.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Digital Music News ☛ Kendrick Lamar, NFL Going Full-Steam Ahead with ‘Not Like Us’ Despite Billion-Dollar Defamation Threats

    Despite pressure not to perform his hit “Not Like Us” at the Super Bowl, Kendrick Lamar (and the NFL) goes ahead with a preview featuring the track. Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show is less than a week away, and a new teaser reveals his Drake diss track “Not Like Us” is on the setlist.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Another win for Astellas as Dutch court upholds Xtandi patent

    At present, the Dutch courts are busy churning out decisions in patent monopoly disputes, especially in pharma cases. Last week, the judges bench at the District Court The Hague, comprised of M. Visser, Hans van Walderveen, and Cornelis Schüller, upheld EP 3 725 778 owned by Astellas Pharma and Medivation Prostate Therapeutics.

  • JUVE ☛ Hoyng ROKH expands patent monopoly attorney practice with König Szynka partner [Ed: How is one person merely changing a job (same job, different employer) considered news unless this is marketing spam from JUVE, as usual?]

    Claudia Hertzsch will not be moving to Hoffmann Eitle with the Düsseldorf office of König Szynka Tilmann von Renesse. Instead, the pharmaceutical and biotech expert is joining the Düsseldorf office of Hoyng ROKH Monegier. As a salary partner at König Szynka, Hertzsch has worked on numerous high-profile cases in the life sciences sector.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ USPTO’s Remote Work Program Faces Potential Rapid Dismantling Under New Federal Guidelines

    Last week, I wrote about the twin challenges facing the USPTO: a return-to-office mandate and a hiring freeze that could significantly impact patent monopoly operations. Today’s joint memorandum from OMB and OPM provides a rapid timeline for implementing these changes, with agencies required to submit detailed implementation plans by February 7th, 2025. [OMB OPM Come Home Memo].

    The USPTO must develop a comprehensive plan addressing not just space and staffing, but also the “risks, barriers, and resource constraints” that could prevent expeditious return to in-person work. While patent monopoly examiners await official word from agency leadership about their specific situations, the clock is ticking on what could be the most significant operational change at the USPTO in decades.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ VDPP video stitching patent monopoly challenge instituted

      On January 24, 2025, six weeks after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on all challenged claims of U.S. Patent 10,021,380, owned and asserted by VDPP LLC, an NPE. The specification of ‘380 patent monopoly discloses video methods for creating the optical illusion of perpetual motion, which the applicant deemed “Eternalism,” and to special glasses (called “3Deeps”) that can be used for creating three-dimensional effects from two-dimensional videos.

• Copyrights

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Discovery, Injury, and Diligence: Reconciling Subjective and Objective Copyright Limitations Standards Post-Warner Chappell

    The Supreme Court is being asked to decide a case that could have a major impact on copyright monopoly law. The case involves photographs taken by Michael Grecco in 2017, but the lawsuit was not filed until 2021. The key question is whether the Copyright Act's three-year statute of limitations runs from when copyright monopoly infringement occurs or from when the copyright monopoly holder discovers it. The circuits are currently split on this issue, and the Supreme Court may finally settle the issue that has been brewing for years. (Note that the split overwhelmingly favors the discovery rule but there are differences in how it is applied). 

  • Digital Music News ☛ Playboi Carti Faces ‘Kelly K’ Copyright Infringement Lawsuit from Alleged Contributor Blakk Soul

    Playboi Carti (real name Jordan Carter) is facing a copyright monopoly infringement lawsuit from an individual who says he’s owed payment for contributing to the vocals on “Kelly K.”