Leftovers

• Ruben Schade ☛ Reconciling… my brain!

  I was reconciling my accounts over lunch—like a gentleman—when I went to my budget view and none of the resulting numbers made sense. All these accounts, transactions, and budget envelope amounts that had been zero’d out suddenly had wildly incorrect numbers going back to last year.

  I scoured all the transactions I’d added since the beginning of the year. Everything looked correct! Why were some envelopes suddenly stuffed with extra money, and others were in the red, over the period of twelve months!? I’d literally entered these before, and they’d never been a problem before.

• Science

  • France24 ☛ How Earth can defend itself against the 'city killer' asteroid

    NASA said on Tuesday that the recently discovered 2024 YR4 asteroid has a 3.1 percent chance of hitting Earth in December, 2032 -- the highest probability for an impact by such a large space rock in modern forecasting. But there's no need to worry, as experts say that humanity is 'not defenseless'.

  • Science Alert ☛ Hundreds of Black Hole 'Missing Links' May Have Been Discovered in New Survey

    Guess they're not so missing.

  • Science Alert ☛ 3,500-Year-Old Pharaoh's Tomb Found in Egypt Is First Since Tutankhamun's

    The search for his treasures continues.

  • Science Alert ☛ Here Are Our Defense Options Against Potential 'City Killer' Asteroid Impact

    "Don't panic."

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Shocking': Global Glacier Ice Loss Accelerates by 36% in Last Decade

    Faster than ever recorded.

• Career/Education

  • Latvia ☛ Suspicions of Hey Hi (AI) use in pupil education competitions in Latvia [Ed: Hey Hi (AI) and LLMs aren't the same; this is about plagiarism tools, not intelligence]

    This week, dozens of pupils and their schools received news that their results in a regional-level Olympiad (a competition in a certain subject among the most talented) have been annulled. The State Agency for Educational Development (VIAA) believes that the students may have used artificial intelligence to complete the work remotely, Latvian Television reported on February 18.

• Hardware

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Unobtainium PC building in early 2025

    This is a bit of a thinking out loud post that normally I’d push to drafts, but Wouter has convinced me that it should go out into the world anyway :).

    I don’t know how else to say it, but it’s a weird time to be building PCs. After a brief reprieve when blockchain guff fizzled out, graphics cards have become unobtainium again in either availability or price. We all hold out hope for AMD and/or defective chip maker Intel to deliver the goods, and at a price that will make them reasonable against the entrenched market leader, but we also know how this has worked out the last couple of times.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan seeks to persuade US that it offers chip cooperation – not competition

    For Taiwan, maintaining a positive relationship with the US is not just for economic, but also security reasons. 

  • Hackaday ☛ Be Careful What You Ask For: Voice Control

    We get it. We also watched Star Trek and thought how cool it would be to talk to our computer. From Kirk setting a self-destruct sequence, to Scotty talking into a mouse, or Picard ordering Earl Grey, we intuitively know that talking to a computer is better than typing, right? Well, computers talking back and forth to us is no longer science fiction, and maybe we aren’t as happy about it as we thought we’d be.

  • Hackaday ☛ Retrotechtacular: Yamming CRT Yokes

    Those of us who worked in TV repair shops, back when there was such a thing, will likely remember the cardinal rule of TV repair: Never touch the yoke if you can help it. The complex arrangement of copper wire coils and ferrite beads wrapped around a plastic cone attached to the neck of the CRT was critical to picture quality, and it took very little effort to completely screw things up. Fixing it would be a time-consuming and frustrating battle with the cams, screws, and spacers that kept the coils in the right orientation, both between themselves and relative to the picture tube. It was best to leave it the way the factory set it and to look elsewhere for solutions to picture problems.

  • Hackaday ☛ Homebrew CPU Gets A Beautiful Rotating Cube Demo

    [James Sharman] designed and built his own 8-bit computer from scratch using TTL logic chips, including a VGA adapter, and you can watch it run a glorious rotating cube demo in the video below.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Latvia ☛ Health Ministry considers taking over regional hospitals in Latvia

    The Ministry of Health (VM) will soon start negotiations on the takeover of several large regional hospitals or the formation of joint capital companies with local governments, but the hospital association does not support such a move, Latvian Television reported on February 19.

  • New York Times ☛ Dictator Administration Has Fired Health Inspectors at Some Border Stations

    Scientists worry that the losses may open the door to human, plant and animal diseases that would otherwise have been caught.

  • New York Times ☛ DOGE Cuts 9/11 Survivors’ Fund, and Republicans Join Democrats in Rebuke

    After 20 percent of the World Trade Center Health Program staff was terminated last week, Democratic lawmakers were outraged. On Wednesday, Republican lawmakers joined them.

  • New York Times ☛ RFK Jr. Announces New HHS Guidance Recognizing Only Two Sexes

    The new guidance follows President Convicted Felon’s demand that the Health and Human Services Department align with his executive order barring transgender athletes from women’s sports.

  • Parents weigh in on teens’ non-surgical cosmetic procedures

    The U-M Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health showed that one-sixth of parents would support their teens receiving non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

  • Science Alert ☛ Common Mushroom Fiber May Protect Against Flu, Study Finds

    A promising new approach.

  • New York Times ☛ Updates on Pope Francis’ Health Leave Room for Speculation

    Updates on Francis’ condition, which was said to be stable on Wednesday, have typically been spare, leaving plenty of room for suspicion and speculation.

  • Study examines how to cut wasteful pre-surgery testing

    A study by a team from U-M and Brigham and Women's Hospital tested a program designed to reduce unneeded preoperative tests at U-M Health.

  • Rohingya in limbo as some aid groups suspend health services at Bangladesh camps

    Facilities set up by foreign aid groups provide medical treatment for thousands of Rohingya refugees.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania is a unique case in cutting alcohol consumption – experts

    Lithuania has managed to cut alcohol consumption significantly in record time after implementing the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations, foreign and local experts have said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China woos Bangladesh with healthcare as India ties sour

    Three hospitals had been designated for Bangladeshi patients to improve medical services.

  • Science Alert ☛ Study Reveals How This Artificial Sweetener May Cause Heart Damage

    "We have to know the long-term health impact."

  • Science Alert ☛ Going Gluten Free Could Come at a Cost to Your Nutrition And Your Pocket

    It's a medical necessity for some.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Put a Human Language Gene Into Mice And Changed Their Voice

    Squeak squeakin' squeak squeakity.

  • Science Alert ☛ Ozempic Reduces Desire to Binge Alcohol, Suggests Amazing New Study

    What else can this drug do?

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese workers from Myanmar scam centres heading home via Thailand

      China has put on 16 flights over the next three days to ferry 600 of its nationals home.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Myanmar returns first batch of Chinese scam workers to Thailand

      China has put on 16 flights over the next three days to ferry 600 of its nationals home.

    • OPINION: China pushes Thailand to act on cross-border scam centers

      Bangkok is finally offering an unprecedented degree of cooperation in combating scam centers along the Myanmar bord

    • The Straits Times ☛ Myanmar scam centre survivors recall torture and coercion

      260 people, mostly victims, were sent from Myanmar to Thailand as a multinational crackdown on scam centres.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ South Korean Officials Convicted Over Forcibly Sending North Koreans Home

    The case of two North Korean fishermen, who murdered 16 compatriots before they sought asylum, has become a political minefield in the South.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Top South Korean judge faces disinformation deluge as Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment looms

    The allegations include bogus child pornography claims and fabricated support for communism.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea court finds former officials guilty of forcible return of North Korean fishermen

    The government of former president Moon Jae-in called the fishermen “dangerous criminals”.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea reopens to tourists, including Singapore visitors

    The reopening is restricted to tours of the Rason Special Economic Zone.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea criticises US over Aukus nuclear submarine deal

    A KCNA commentary said Washington should be wary of consequences for what it said were nuclear alliances.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean president’s lawyer says martial law bid sought to stop ‘dictatorship’

    He has been behind bars since he was arrested in January on charges of insurrection.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Seoul says it supports North Korean POWs’ right to asylum in South

    A South Korean official said North Korean soldiers are "constitutionally considered our nationals".

  • North Korea’s ‘Day of the Shining Star’ dimmer this year

    Kim Jong Il’s birthday touted as the country’s greatest holiday, but no ‘presents’ from late Dear Leader in 2025.

  • JURIST ☛ UN publishes report detailing human rights violations in North Korea

    The UN Office of the High Commissioner published a report on Friday detailing North Korea’s ongoing and worsening human rights crisis.

  • France24 ☛ South Korea's Yoon becomes first sitting president to stand trial in criminal case

    Impeached South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol went on trial on Thursday. The former prosecutor has been behind bars since January on charges of insurrection, for which he could be sentenced to life in prison or face the death penalty.

  • New York Times ☛ An Opening for China, Made in America

    Trump’s long and growing list of shortsighted actions in Latin America has created an opening there for America’s adversaries, most notably China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China promises to always be Latin America’s ‘trustworthy’ friend as Convicted Felon lays out demands

    China is looking to improve its foothold in a region historically under the US sphere of influence.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China opposes Vietnam’s building work on disputed reef in South China Sea

    Vietnam’s land reclamation has expanded the reef by 10 times since 2022, according to a Chinese study.

  • China denounces Vietnam’s island building in South China Sea

    In a rare protest Beijing said Hanoi has been constructing on ‘illegally-occupied’ Spratly islands and reefs.

  • The Strategist ☛ Still not confident enough: China isn’t likely to move on Taiwan in 2025

    Despite China’s rapid military improvements, it’s unlikely to use large-scale force against Taiwan in 2025.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Foreign spies seeking AUKUS secrets, Australia intelligence chief says

    Canberra - Australia's military is being targeted by foreign intelligence over its AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership with the United States and Britain, and faces growing espionage and sabotage threats, Australia's spy chief said on Wednesday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ New Zealand must ‘reset’ Cook Islands ties after China pact: Foreign Minister

    The deals raise concerns over China’s growing presence in the region and potential threats to national security.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Gunmen kill seven bus passengers in southwest Pakistan

    Separatist gunmen shot dead seven passengers on a Lahore-bound bus in southwestern Pakistan's Balochistan province on Tuesday after forcing them off the vehicle and checking their identity documents, officials said.

  • Myanmar adopts law for foreign firms to provide armed security

    Former Chinese soldiers could guard energy pipelines in the event of war.

  • LRT ☛ Reeling after Munich, Lithuanian leaders consider new approaches to security

    With the new US administration indicating in no uncertain terms that Washington is moving away from Europe, Lithuania, having long been staking its security on NATO and the US, is grappling with the new possible scenarios.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong seeks to tighten labour union laws on national security grounds

    The Hong Kong government has proposed legislative amendments to permanently bar those convicted of national security offences from serving in labour unions and to require all foreign funding to be vetted by the authorities.

  • Defence Web ☛ Hensoldt launches new data link at Idex 2025

    Hensoldt has launched the sixth generation of its data link solution, the DL-6000, at the Idex 2025 exhibition underway this week in Abu Dhabi. “Engineered to deliver exceptional security and reliability, the DL-6000 enables seamless, long-range, line-of-sight HD video and telemetry data exchange across multiple platforms,” the company said.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Energy CISO: Agencies can’t implement zero trust alone

    Federal IT and cybersecurity officials said companies who sell zero trust technologies to the government must do more to make them interoperable.

  • Defence Web ☛ AU adds its voice to calls for DRC ceasefire

    The voice of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) has been added to those worldwide calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ Trump calls Zelensky a ‘dictator’ and accuses him of profiting from war — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ Baltic region prepares for war as Russia and US debate Ukraine's fate

      As Russia and the US debate Ukraine’s future, countries on the Baltic Sea are ramping up preparations for a military conflict amid fears that Russia is preparing for a future war with NATO.

    • France24 ☛ Andrey Kurkov: 'You can't write fiction when your houses, cities are shelled with missiles, drones'

      As we approach the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, FRANCE 24's Erin Ogunkeye welcomes celebrated Ukrainian novelist and author Andrey Kurkov to share his very powerful and personal accounts of a veritable proxy war, an unprovoked war of attrition as seen from his war diaries 'Our Daily War'. "Every small detail of life is now very different from pre-war Ukraine, he explains. "We're all now different people: I've lost my feeling of value for material, my feeling that my house and my apartment don't belong to me anymore, they belong to the war."

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania suspends transit of Belarusian rapeseed oil from occupied parts of Ukraine

      Thousands of tons of rapeseed oil made by Belarusian company Agroprodukt have been passing through Lithuania by rail, the 15min.lt news website reported on Wednesday, having carried out an investigation with several foreign partners.

    • France24 ☛ Dictator calls Ukranian president "dictator", Zelensky says Convicted Felon living in "disinformation space"

      Relations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President The Insurrectionist deteriorated rapidly Wednesday as Zelenskyy said Convicted Felon was living in a Russian-made “disinformation space" and Convicted Felon called Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections” in comments that were sure to complicate efforts to end the war. FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg reports from Kyiv.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian president to join 2nd European summit on Ukraine remotely

      Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda will take part in a second summit on Ukraine and European security, hosted by France on Wednesday, via video link, his office confirmed to BNS.

    • RFERL ☛ Dictator Appears To Blame Ukraine For War But 'Confident' Of Reaching Peace Deal

      U.S. President The Insurrectionist seems to have blamed Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, saying he was “disappointed” that the Ukrainian president complained about being frozen out of U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia on ending the war.

    • RFERL ☛ Dictator Praises MElon For Work Cutting Government Waste

      U.S. President The Insurrectionist defended his decision to give billionaire businessman MElon a major role in his administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) amid backlash over the freezing of funding for USAID, which affected foreign assistance programs around the world.

    • RFERL ☛ France Prepares To Host Second Ukraine War Summit

      Following an emergency summit in Paris, European leaders expressed willingness to offer security guarantees to Ukraine, but they warned that the level of such assurances would be based on Washington’s participation in the event of a comprehensive peace agreement.

    • The Straits Times ☛ US ally Australia says Ukraine conflict must be resolved on Ukraine's terms

      U.S. security ally Australia, which has provided A$1.5 billion in support to Ukraine in its war with Russia, said on Thursday that Moscow was the aggressor in the conflict and it must be resolved on Kyiv's terms.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Kazakhstan to contact Ukraine over drone attack on Caspian pipeline, official says

      Kazakhstan will seek contact with Ukraine in order to avoid any repeat of this week's Ukrainian drone strike in southern Russia that hit a pumping station of the main Kazakh oil export pipeline, an official was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

    • Latvia ☛ Event series at Latvian National Art Museum for Ukraine's support

      As the third anniversary of Russia's war in Ukraine approaches, the Latvian National Museum of Art has launched a series of events in support of Ukraine. On Wednesday, February 19, the first event took place, inviting everyone to print a piece of clothing with a design by artist Elīna Brasliņa.

    • Hackaday ☛ The US Military’s Unsecured UFO Satellites And Their Use By Russia

      Something that you generally don’t expect as a North-America-based enthusiast, is to listen in on Russian military communications during their war in Ukraine via WebSDR, or that these communications would be passing through US military satellites that are happy to just broadcast anything. Yet that’s the situation that the Saveitforparts YouTube channel recently described. As it turns out, there is a gaggle of UFOs up there, as the US DoD lovingly calls them.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian attack on Ukraine’s Odesa knocks out power and heating in hundreds of apartment buildings — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ U.S. suspends immigration applications from certain Ukrainian and Latin American migrants — CBS — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Association: Basic hygiene items always needed for Ukrainian soldiers

      Socks, wet wipes, fast food, shaving accessories – invariably the things that Ukrainian soldiers in the trenches are most excited about. There are many needs at the front, but self-care is not a daily routine for soldiers, Latvian Television reported on February 18.

    • Latvia ☛ Name change trend observed in Latvia after Russian invasion of Ukraine

      Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost three years ago, Latvia has seen a trend of more and more people choosing to change their Slavic name, according to data from the Ministry of Justice, Latvian Radio reports on February 19.

    • North Korea building possibly its ‘largest’ warship with Russian help: report

      Construction of the vessel started in May 2024 at the Chongjin Shipyard on the northeast coast.

    • Latvia ☛ Prison drone delivery caught by Latvian police

      While law enforcement was monitoring critical infrastructure at the time of Latvia disconnecting from Russian electricity grid, police near the Rīga Central Prison got a catch – a drone that was carrying goods for inmates, Latvian Television reported on February 19.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Who else would they glorify?’: In occupied Mariupol, Russia just opened a museum to a key enforcer of Stalinist repressions — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Rubio told European allies that U.S. won’t lift sanctions against Russia until war is over — Bloomberg — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ U.S. Ukraine special envoy Keith Kellogg arrives in Kyiv — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ E.U. preparing to send six billion euros in military aid to Ukraine — Politico — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ The ‘strong’ versus the ‘weak’ Former Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev explains the shortcomings and risks of Trump’s ‘Ukraine peace’ and the perils of European indecision — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ U.K. considering deploying Typhoon fighter jets to Ukraine as part of peacekeeping mission — The Times — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Weakness leads to war’: The U.K. says it’s ready to send troops to Ukraine as part of a ceasefire deal. What would this actually entail? — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘We’ll have to win it militarily’: Following U.S.-Russia talks, many pro-invasion Russian bloggers see an end to Ukraine — but not to the war — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ U.S. Vice President Vance says Zelensky endangers Ukraine’s ‘existence’ by criticizing Trump publicly — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Why would Russia concede anything when it’s already winning?’ Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center fellow Maksim Samorukov explains Donald Trump’s negotiating disadvantages and likely cynical plans in Ukraine — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ Dictator "is very interested in doing business with Russia": analyst

      President Zelensky said he will meet US envoy Kellogg on Thursday and that he hopes for "constructive" work with the US. The meeting comes as Convicted Felon used an extended social control media post on his Truth Social platform to lash out at Zelensky and call the Ukrainian a “dictator without elections." Michael Benhamou, director of OPEWI, Europe's War Institute, says that Convicted Felon is aiming to open the Russian market to American companies, rather than support Ukraine and its allies.

    • France24 ☛ Fact-checking The Insurrectionist’s statements on Ukraine

      President The Insurrectionist has launched a flurry of controversial claims about the war in Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky, while addressing reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Many of these claims were made without providing any evidence.

    • France24 ☛ Ukrainians dismiss Convicted Felon's broadside against Zelensky

      US President, The Insurrectionist, has branded Volodymyr Zelensky a 'dictator' who 'refused to have elections'. Defiant Ukrainians are dismissing the extraordinary broadside, saying they have to fight on, even as their key ally engages in talks with the enemy. They're also rejecting the idea of holding elections during the war. Mayors, officials and MPs from across the political spectrum in Ukraine have been taking to social control media to urge people to unite behind their president. James Vasina reports.

    • France24 ☛ Dictator blames Ukraine war on 'dictator' Zelensky

      After the US held bilateral talks with Russian delegates in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, breaking from US policy on the Ukraine war, US President The Insurrectionist chided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a social control media post on Wednesday, calling him a "dictator" and baselessly faulting him for causing the war. Zelensky responded by qualifying Convicted Felon's comments as "disinformation" from Russia, and called for pragmatism during his meeting with Convicted Felon's Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, which is set for Thursday.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Vietnam Parliament approves $10.7b rail link to China

      China will provide some funding through loans for the project, which is expected to cost more than US$8 billion.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Make Europe more energy secure by reforming EU regulations

      Streamlining the European Union’s regulatory environment could help ensure energy security throughout the bloc.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ 90 Dolphins Stranded in Australia Are Being Euthanised. Here's Why They Can't Be Saved.

      Tragic.

• Finance

  • Federal News Network ☛ That alarm bell about the nation’s fiscal health is growing louder and louder

    The government will once again spend a trillion dollars more than it takes in this year, according to the Government Accountability Office.

  • New York Times ☛ Nepal Took a Risk on a $500 Million U.S. Grant. It May Now Regret It.

    President Convicted Felon’s freezing of foreign aid provides an opening for China to portray America as an unreliable partner.

  • Chinese state firms win billions as Hong Kong splurges on cross-border development

    Beijing-backed companies get 80% of cash spent on two key projects, sparking questions over value for Hong Kongers.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Federal News Network ☛ Governmentwide firings ‘devastating’ to probationary federal employees

    The National Science Foundation fired 168 federal employees, marking one of many agencies who fired probationary feds at the Convicted Felon administration's directions.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Drain the swamp’: Australian billionaire Clive Palmer launches Convicted Felon-inspired political party

    Mr Palmer said his Convicted Felonet of Patriots party would “drain the swamp” in Canberra.

  • New York Times ☛ Dictator Media Group Sues Brazilian Judge Weighing Arrest of Jair Bolsonaro

    The lawsuit came hours after the justice received an indictment of Brazil’s former president, who is an ally of President Convicted Felon.

  • New York Times ☛ MElon’s DOGE Seeks Access to Americans’ Data, Alarming Government Employees

    Employees from MElon’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency are gaining access to vast amounts of information held by federal agencies, even as lawsuits try to stop them.

  • New York Times ☛ Dictator Administration Moves to End New York’s Congestion Pricing Tolls

    The transportation secretary said he would revoke federal approval for the program, citing the cost to motorists; the Metropolitan Transportation Authority quickly filed a lawsuit to stop the move.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • ‘Time is running out’ for jailed pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai

    Lai’s son Sebastien calls on Britain and the United States to push for his father’s release.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • CS Monitor ☛ Appeals to conscience in Damascus

    A newly liberated Syria brings back activists who long relied on nonviolent tactics in hopes of building a democracy.

  • New York Times ☛ China Uses Public Shaming to Motivate State Workers

    Local governments are handing out “snail awards” to underperforming employees. But, for many, doing as little as possible seems like the safest bet.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ New USPTO Leadership on the Horizon: Lutnick Confirmed as Commerce Secretary, Squires Expected as Director

    Yesterday, the Senate voted to confirm Howard Lutnick as Secretary of Commerce. Lutnick, has been CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and a prolific inventor named on over 400 U.S. patents. Commerce has a wide coverage, including housing the USPTO.

    Meanwhile, Dani Kass at Law360 is reporting that John A. Squires, currently a partner at Dilworth Paxson and former chief IP counsel at Goldman Sachs, is expected to be nominated as the next USPTO Director.  Like Lutnick, Squires has extensive fintech experience.

    The Director position requires presidential nomination and Senate confirmation under 35 U.S.C. § 3(a)(1). The statute specifically requires that the Director be a U.S. citizen with a professional background and proven ability in patent monopoly or trademark law.  I expect that Sec. Lutnick will play a key role in advancing Squires’ potential nomination through the process.

• Trademarks

  • Federal News Network ☛ Trump-era mandates threaten USPTO stability, trademark filings

    With the new administration's push toward a leaner federal government, it could lead to unintended consequences for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Grants Petition to Cancel VIVACE Registration for Microneedling Device: Manufacturer Owns the Mark, Not Distributor

    In a 55-page decision, the Board granted a petition for cancellation of registrations for the mark VIVACE for a "radio frequency microneedling device" on the ground of non-ownership. and the mark THE VIVACE EXPERIENCE for "providing personalized beauty spa services, namely, cosmetic body care and microneedle services" on the ground of likelihood of confusion with Petitioner's common law mark VIVACE for microneedling devices. This blog post will attempt to hit the high points. Sung Hwan E&B Co. Ltd. d/b/a SHEnB Co. Ltd. v. Aesthetics Biomedical, Inc., Cancellation No. 92074719 (February 14, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Cheryl S. Goodman). (Oral Argument held on June 12, 2024).

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Altice USA Ordered to Disclose Subscriber Names, Addresses, and More in Warner Music Copyright Battle

    A federal court has ordered Altice USA to turn over the identities of up to 100 subscribers accused of copyright monopoly infringement by Warner Music Group (WMG) and Sony Music Entertainment (SME).