Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Giant Impacts Could Trigger Seismic Vibrations Lasting Millions of Years

    Effects could last as long as 18 million years.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Witness Lead Literally Turn Into Gold in The Large Hadron Collider

    Actual alchemy – with a catch.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvia receives EUR 293m from EU's Recovery Fund

    On Friday, May 9, the University of Latvia (LU) Science House hosted a ceremony to mark the payment of a third installment from the EU's Recovery Fund (RF) worth EUR 293 million into the state budget.

  • France24 ☛ Europe needs innovation like the air it breathes: EU Commission Executive VP Minzatu

    France and the EU Commission co-hosted a conference in Paris on May 5 entitled “Choose Europe for science”, with the stated goal of making the EU “a magnet for researchers”, according to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The EU is hoping to capitalise on the pressure that the Convicted Felon administration is putting on universities and some research facilities, to perhaps attract US scientists to Europe. But is this a pipe dream? And are there not too many barriers inside the EU to make it a truly global hub for innovation? We put those questions to our guest, Roxana Minzatu. She is one of the executive vice-presidents of the European Commission, and her wide portfolio includes social rights, skills, quality jobs, and preparedness.

  • New York Times ☛ What to Know About Kosmos-482, a Soviet Spacecraft Returning to Earth After 53 Years

    Kosmos-482, which was headed to Venus, is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere by the end of this weekend. Experts don’t yet know where it may come down.

  • Hackaday ☛ Inside A Selective Voltmeter

    [Martin Lorton] has a vintage Harmon 4200B selective voltmeter that needed repair. He picked it up on eBay, and he knew it wasn’t working, but it was in good condition, especially for the price. He’s posted four videos about what’s inside and how he’s fixing it. You can see the first installment below.

• Hardware

  • The Next Platform ☛ China Export Controls Whack AMD Datacenter GPU Business

    As far as we can tell, the export controls on crippled GPU compute engines announced by the US Department of Commerce back in April have had a disproportionately hard impact on AMD compared to Nvidia, as far as we can tell.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China's premier chipmaker SMIC faces chip yield woes as equipment maintenance and validation efforts stall

    SMIC has begun to feel the effects of U.S. export controls on chipmaking tools, as disruptions from issues with maintenance and equipment installation led to yield losses and output shortfalls that will reduce its Q2 revenue by up to 6%.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nvidia readies cut-down HGX H20 GPU for China to comply with export control rules

    Nvidia plans to launch a downgraded HGX H20 Hey Hi (AI) processor with reduced HBM memory capacity for China by July to comply with new U.S. export rules, if a new rumor is correct.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China cracks down on smuggling to enforce rare earth export controls

    It said that curbing the momentum of smuggling and effectively safeguarding national security.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Science Alert ☛ Menopause Symptoms May Be Early Warning Sign of Dementia, Study Shows

    They could be masking something worse.

  • Science Alert ☛ Psychedelics Could 'Rewire' The Brain to Reduce Alcohol Consumption

    A new kind of treatment?

  • Science Alert ☛ Caffeine in Your Blood Could Affect Body Fat And Diabetes Risk, Study Shows

    Something to think about.

  • Science Alert ☛ Does Cannabis Lower Sperm Quality? New Study Reveals a Surprise Result

    Not what we expected.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese-style breakfast food like soya milk and scallion pancakes get ‘new form of life’ in Taiwan

    There is a strong connection between what is deemed Taiwanese food and what it means to be Taiwanese.

  • Latvia ☛ Swine fever found in pig farm near Tukums, Latvia

    An outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) has been detected in a small farm with 36 pigs in Džūkste parish, Tukums municipality. This is the first case of ASF detected in domestic pig holdings in Latvia this year, the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) said.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Lawmakers look to secure collective bargaining rights for federal health care employees

    A new bill from Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) would allow nurses, clinicians and others at the VHA to negotiate with management over their workforce concerns.

  • Defence Web ☛ New Gqeberha military hospital passes Surgeon-General inspection

    An inspection by South Africa’s senior military medic – Surgeon-General Ntshavheni Peter Maphaha – scored positively for the operational readiness of the newly built Gqeberha military hospital.

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Stephen Miller’s War on Cancer Cures

    Stephen Miller is cutting your access to health care and cancer cures to pay to deport your nurse assistant and cancer researchers (and, given the unnecessary bump in DOD spending, to invade Canada to take their health care away too).

  • New York Times ☛ What to Know About the Hepatitis A Outbreak in L.A. County

    A highly contagious liver infection is surging among groups who are not typically at risk. At least seven people have died.

  • Hackaday ☛ Antique Mill Satisfies Food Cravings

    Everyone knows what its like to get a hankering for a specific food. In [Attoparsec]’s case, he wanted waffles. Not any waffles would do, though; he needed waffles in the form of a labyrinth. Those don’t exist, so he had to machine his own waffle maker.

• Proprietary

  • Qt ☛ Qt Creator 17 Beta released

    We are happy to announce the release of Qt Creator 17 Beta!

  • Qt ☛ Built to Last: Five Best Practices for Building Reliable HMI

    Your HMI architecture needs to stay reliable as technology evolves and user demands change. Short-term efficiency matters, but true success means designing for long-term adaptability. Here’s how to build HMIs that handle today's workloads and scale effortlessly into the future.

  • Ubuntu Handbook ☛ Visual Studio Code 1.100 Released! GPT-4.1 as Default & New NES Model [Ed: Why does this site promote and hype up proprietary spyware of Microsoft? Strange and foolish.]

  • Hackaday ☛ The Apple II MouseCard IRQ Is Synced To Vertical Blanking After All

    Recently [Colin Leroy-Mira] found himself slipping into a bit of a rabbit hole while investigating why only under Apple II MAME emulation there was a lot of flickering when using the (emulated) Apple II MouseCard. This issue could not be reproduced on real (PAL or NTSC) hardware. The answer all comes down to how the card synchronizes with the system’s vertical blanking (VBL) while drawing to the screen.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • New York Times ☛ Google Agrees to Pay $1.4 Billion to Settle 2 Privacy Lawsuits

      The Texas attorney general brought the cases in 2022 under state laws.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Hackaday ☛ The Nuclear War You Didn’t Notice

    We always enjoy [The History Guy], and we wish he’d do more history of science and technology. But when he does, he always delivers! His latest video, which you can see below, focuses on the Cold War pursuit of creating transfermium elements. That is, the discovery of elements that appear above fermium using advanced techniques like cyclotrons.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania developing offline card payment system in case of crisis

    Lithuania is developing a card payment system to be used in case of an internet outage during mobilisation, Simonas Krėpšta, a member of the Bank of Lithuania’s board, said on Friday.

  • New York Times ☛ El Salvador Put Convicted Felon Deportees Behind Bars. Now Their Families Are Suing.

    A lawsuit filed with the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights seeks the release of Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States and jailed in a notorious Salvadoran prison.

  • Defence Web ☛ Port Sudan under siege: Drone strikes disrupt key maritime hub

    In a significant escalation of Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict, the strategic Red Sea port city of Port Sudan has come under sustained drone attacks, marking a dramatic shift in the two-year war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

  • JURIST ☛ UN calls for urgent action to end Sudan conflict amid surge in drone strikes

    UN humanitarian personnel called for an end to the “brutal” conflict in Sudan on Wednesday as drone strikes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) increased. The UN urged an immediate cessation of hostilities and all measures to protect civilians and infrastructure in accordance with international humanitarian law.

  • Defence Web ☛ Red Sea ceasefire offers diplomatic hope — but maritime risk remains high

    A newly announced ceasefire in the Red Sea region marks a step forward in diplomacy, but shipping risk remains elevated, warns maritime intelligence firm Dryad Global. On 6 May, the US confirmed a halt to its Yemen airstrikes—operations that began in mid-March — following an Oman-brokered ceasefire proposal with Yemen’s Houthi movement.

  • New York Times ☛ Judge Orders Release of Rumeysa Ozturk, Tufts Student Detained by ICE

    The student, Rumeysa Ozturk, was being detained in Louisiana. A federal judge said her detention threatened to chill the speech of millions of noncitizens and ordered her release.

  • New York Times ☛ Teenager Fatally Shot During ‘Ding Dong Ditch’ Fentanylware (TikTok) Prank

    A Virginia man was charged with second degree murder after the shooting. The teenager’s friends told authorities they had been filming a video of the prank for TikTok.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin pledges to help Myanmar rebuild post-earthquake: Xinhua

    China's President Pooh-tin Jinping met Myanmar's junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, in Moscow and discussed several initiatives.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ General John Raymond on how China’s ‘space-enabled military’ threatens US and allied deterrence and warfighting

    "We have to have the ability to protect those forces," Raymond said at an Atlantic Council event.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US and China prepare for trade talks as Convicted Felon suggests potential tariff cut

    Senior US and Chinese officials are in Switzerland this weekend for talks aimed at de-escalating a burgeoning trade war sparked by President The Insurrectionist’s sweeping tariff rollout, and fueled by strong retaliatory measures from Beijing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China and the US to talk trade war ceasefire, not peace

    Both sides are heading into the talks without much clarity on what a win would look like for either side.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man says 80% tariff on Chinese goods ‘seems right’

    The weekend talks in Geneva have been described as a step towards de-escalating tensions with China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Inside China’s decision to come to the table on Convicted Felon tariffs

    Officials from both countries are due to begin trade talks in Geneva on May 10.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US imposes Iran-related sanctions on third China ‘teapot’ refinery, port terminal

    The Forrest Dump administration is stepping up efforts to cut off Iran's export revenue, to pressure Tehran into a nuclear deal.

  • CS Monitor ☛ US-China trade talks could temper tariff angst, but rivalry runs deep

    It’s unlikely the U.S. and China can erase the tension in their geopolitical rivalry. But they can manage it. The current talks provide a key avenue.

  • New York Times ☛ US and China Meet for First Time Since Convicted Felon Imposed Tariffs

    The outcome of the trade negotiations could determine the trajectory of the global economy.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Suggests Openness to Slashing China Tariffs Ahead of Trade Talks

    The president said reducing tariffs to 80 percent from the current 145 percent “sounds right,” as U.S. and Chinese negotiators prepare to meet in Switzerland.

  • France24 ☛ 'An atmosphere of fear' in the Indian Kashmir as tensions intensify with Pakistan

    "An atmosphere of fear" grips Indian-administered Kashmir as tensions with Pakistan escalate. Strikes have intensified along the border, prompting some residents to flee their homes in search of safety. Reporting from Jammu, our correspondent highlights the growing uncertainty in the region as both sides exchange fire.

  • New York Times ☛ Changing patterns in arms suppliers reveal shifting alignments.

  • France24 ☛ Border tensions: Can diplomacy defuse the India-Pakistan standoff?

    As the tit-for-tat continues between India and Pakistan following New Delhi’s response to April’s terror attack on civilians in Kashmir, we speak to Christopher Clary, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, to discuss whether diplomacy can help ease the tensions between the nuclear powers. We also find out how Islamabad has managed to sustain its influence on the global stage, as India inches closer to the West.

  • France24 ☛ Pakistan launches counterattacks against India after strikes on air bases

    Pakistan on Saturday launched what it said was retaliatory attacks against India after three of its air bases were struck by missiles. The tit-for-tat attacks between Islamabad and New Delhi have been carried out since Wednesday, and fears are growing that the conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours could spiral out of control.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia could face food shortage if India-Pakistan conflict worsens

    Traders worry there could be a disruption in the supply of food items and other essentials in Malaysia.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Majority of Malaysians against pardon for ex-PM Najib in 1MDB scandal, survey finds

    32.7% of respondents, mostly Barisan Nasional supporters, back Najib’s pardon due to his contributions to the nation.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Nearing 100, Malaysia’s ex-PM Mahathir blasts ‘old world’ Convicted Felon

    He is giving the US leader three months before his fellow Americans force him to rethink his tariff strategy.

  • JURIST ☛ UN expresses concerns over North Korea nuclear and ballistic missile testing

    A UN official raised concerns on Wednesday over North Korea’s “troubling pattern” of weapons testing, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and intermediate-range hypersonic missiles. UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari warned that the persistent pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs defies international law and “continue[s] to undermine the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.”

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea leader oversees missile tests simulating nuclear counterstrikes

    Trainings on “procedures and processes for rapidly switching over to the nuclear counterattack posture” took place, according to KCNA.

  • New York Times ☛ Shock and Fear Outside of a Gaza City Restaurant

    After the Blast

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ Ahead of Moscow’s Victory Day parade, Internet is cut, shops close, and services stall as authorities scramble to prevent drone attacks — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ Putin uses Victory Day to legitimize the war in Ukraine

      Around twenty heads of state, a massive parade on Red Square, and at the heart of the celebration, Vladimir Putin. The Russian president pulled out all the stops to mark the 80th anniversary of Europe’s victory over Nazi Germany, using the occasion to further legitimize the war his troops have been waging in Ukraine for over three years.

    • France24 ☛ Macron, Merz, Starmer and Tusk meet Zelensky in Kyiv in bid to pressure Russia into ceasefire

      France’s Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Keir Starmer, Poland’s Donald Tusk and Germany’s new leader Friedrich Merz are meeting Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Saturday in a bid to pressure Russia to commit to a "full and unconditional" 30-day ceasefire. It is the first time four European leaders jointly visit Ukraine, and comes a day after Russia celebrated Victory Day during which President Vladimir Putin hailed Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ Russian journalist flees from Moscow to Paris amid crackdown on dissent

      In this episode of our weekly media show Scoop, we meet Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash. She fled Moscow to Paris in a daring, dangerous escape spanning 2,800 kilometers. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) helped coordinate her exfiltration. We speak to Barabash and RSF's Louise Alluin Bichet about her ordeal and the Kremlin's crackdown on independent media.

    • European Commission ☛ Commission provides additional €3 billion for the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum and to host refugees from Ukraine

    • European Commission ☛ International coalition agrees on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine

      European Commission Press release Lviv, 09 May 2025 On Europe Day, the Commission, represented by Commissioner Michael McGrath, High Representative Kaja Kallas, the Council of Europe, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, and representatives of 38 other states gathered in Lviv today to formally endorse the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

    • Latvia ☛ Russian 'Mere' stores, sanctioned by Poland, thrive in Latvia

      The Polish Ministry of the Interior has sanctioned the owners of the Mere chain of budget stores for indirectly supporting Russian aggression in Ukraine. Mere stores are also operating in Latvia successfully and their owners are opening new stores, Latvian Radio reports on 9 May.

    • Latvia ☛ Charity Rīga film screening to help animals in Ukraine

      On Monday, May 12, at 19:00 the documentary film "We, Our Pets and War" by Ukrainian director Anton Ptushkin will have its Latvian premiere at the Splendid Palace cinema in a special charity screening. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to support animals in Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine and Hungary accuse each other of espionage, oust military and embassy 'spies'

      In a spiralling diplomatic row, Kyiv said Friday it was expelling two Hungarian diplomats in retaliation for Budapest’s expulsion of two Ukrainian diplomats. Ukraine’s security service had earlier detained two military personnel it accused of spying for Hungary.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine's EU Allies Endorse Creating Special Tribunal To Try Russian Leaders

      Ukraine's EU allies on May 9 endorsed the creation of a new international court to prosecute Russia's top leaders over Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ Brother Of Imprisoned RFE/RL Journalist Ihar Losik Also Jailed In Belarus

      The younger brother of imprisoned Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Ihar Losik was detained in April and remains in jail in his native Belarus on extremism charges related to Russia's war against Ukraine, according to a rights group and RFE/RL sources.

    • RFERL ☛ Budapest, Kyiv Expel Diplomats After Ukraine Says It Uncovered Hungarian Spy Network

      Ukraine's main security agency said it uncovered a Hungarian-run spy network that was seeking sensitive information about military defenses and public opinion in the western Zakarpattya region, which borders Hungary and has a substantial ethnic-Hungarian population.

    • The Straits Times ☛ N. Korean leader Kim Jong Un says participation in Russia-Ukraine war justified: KCNA

      He said it was an exercise of sovereign rights in defence of a “brother nation".

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim makes rare visit to Russian embassy as ties deepen

      North Korea's deployment of thousands of troops helped Russia push back a Ukrainian incursion.

    • New York Times ☛ How Macron Became a Close Zelensky Ally

      The French and Ukrainian presidents have a particular bond, built on a common goal of protecting Ukraine and deflecting Russia.

    • New York Times ☛ Four European Leaders Arrive in Ukraine in First Joint Visit

      On Saturday, the leaders of four major European powers — France, Germany, Britain and Poland — traveled to Kyiv in a display of European unity.

    • New York Times ☛ Drought in Military Aid to Ukraine Enters Uncharted Territory

      It has been 120 days since the last drawdown of weapons from Pentagon stockpiles was announced, outstripping Speaker Mike Johnson’s hold on Ukraine aid more than a year ago.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says U.S. Will Impose More Sanctions on Russia if It Does Not Agree to an Extended Truce

      Hell Toupée made his threat in a post on Truth Social that came after a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia’s Victory Day Parade Marks 80 Years Since Nazi Defeat: What to Know

      A huge parade in the Russian capital to celebrate the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, attended by leaders of more than 20 countries, comes amid faltering attempts to end the war in Ukraine.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘A crime against the memory of those who died’ Meduza’s Russian-language readers on what Victory Day means to them amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘The lifeblood and backbone’ Zelensky’s chief of staff says Ukrainians and Western aid were crucial to defeating Hitler, rails against ‘Russian myth’ of ‘solo Soviet victory’ — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian police chief: No major 9 May incidents so far

      On 9 May, when Latvia celebrates Europe Day and Russia celebrates the so-called Victory Day, the police have already detected some violations, but in general, there is nothing alarming, State Police Chief Armands Ruks said in an interview on Latvian Radio's "Good Morning" programme.

    • LRT ☛ Soviet Victory Day commemoration draws controversy in Vilnius

      As Russia marked Victory Day on Friday, dozens gathered at Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius to honour fallen Soviet soldiers. The holiday is celebrated by parts of Lithuania’s Russian-speaking community, although it is viewed negatively by most Lithuanians due to its embrace by the current Russian government.

    • LRT ☛ ‘No provocations’ in Lithuania as Russia marks Victory Day

      Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Friday that there had been no reports of provocations in Lithuania as Russia celebrates Victory Day.

    • The Strategist ☛ Taiwan’s polarised politics risks undermining its resilience and security

      Taiwan’s opposition parties—including the once-dominant Kuomintang (KMT)—now wield real power in the legislature for the first time since 2012.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan denounces Russia, China for distorting World War II history

      It was responding to comments by Russia to China that the war was won under the leadership of the Communist Party.

    • New York Times ☛ Indian Defense Firm Says It Did Not Resell U.K. Technology to Russia

      Hindustan Aeronautics, a major trading partner for a Russian arms agency, said that sensitive British technology stayed in India.

    • Latvia ☛ No criminal offenses recorded on 9 May this year in Latvia

      This year, no criminal proceedings have been initiated in Latvia in connection with 9 May, when Russia celebrates the so-called Victory Day, and the number of administrative offences is also slightly lower, said Andris Zellis, Deputy Chief of the State Police and Chief of the Main Police Directorate, in an interview with Latvian Radio on 10 May morning.

    • Latvia ☛ The lesser-known twists of WWII: the battalions of Latvia's ethnic Russians in the Third Reich

      During the Second World War, Nazi Germany violated the 1907 Hague Convention on the laws and customs of war, which bans belligerents from drafting the populations of the occupied lands into their armies, thus, approximately 110,000 residents of Latvia were enlisted – for the most part forcibly - in various units of the German Armed Forces.

    • Meduza ☛ U.K. targets 100 Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tankers with new sanctions — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Kremlin corroborates reports that Moscow and Washington are discussing ways to return Russian gas to Europe — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ 'The seven faces of femininity': Russia is preparing to roll out its reactionary 'family studies' curriculum to schools nationwide. Here's what's in it. — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania to deploy troops to Belarus border amid increase of migrants

      Lithuania will deploy additional military personnel to its border with Belarus in response to a rise in the number of irregular migrants attempting to cross from the neighbouring country.

    • Meduza ☛ Ukrainian military reports continued Russian attacks despite Putin’s declared ceasefire — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Beijing says that Putin and Xi discussed 'Ukrainian crisis' and that Moscow confirmed readiness to start peace talks — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Estonia's Narva hangs banner depicting Putin as Hitler on castle wall visible from across Russian border — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ Live: Macron and other European leaders arrive in Kyiv

      French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday arrived in Kyiv alongside Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz. They are set to be joined by Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and will meet with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky for talks on how to pressure Russia into a 30-day ceasefire. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments.

    • New York Times ☛ Putin Aims to Project Power at Military Parade Marking Victory Over Nazi Germany

      The Russian president is seeking to use the event to depict himself as a global leader despite Western efforts to isolate him and a failure to win the war in Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ Putin Enlists Russian Pride for War in Ukraine During Moscow Parade

      The military parade marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany was intended to impress allies and tap into Russia’s deep sense of national pride.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Xi shows solidarity with Putin at Russia’s Victory Day parade

      Both leaders need to maintain strategic unity in the face of a stronger adversary, the US

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian intel agency recommends denying security clearance to MP Bradauskas

      Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) has advised Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the parliament, to deny Nemunas Dawn party MP Dainoras Bradauskas clearance to access information classified as secret.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • American Oversight ☛ American Oversight Expands Lawsuit Against USAID for Unlawful Document Destruction

    USAID’s troubling directive to wipe the devices of departing staff is a clear attempt to erase history and obstruct accountability.

• Environment

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Environmental risk weighs heavily on the possible rewards of deep sea mining

    Despite growing political momentum to advance deep sea mining for critical minerals, the practice remains at odds with existing US and international environmental laws. Current proposals fail to meet legal standards, and the potential for irreversible damage to marine ecosystems raises serious concerns.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Brazil, China discuss railway from Peruvian port to Brazil territory

      Brazil is in talks with China to build a railway connecting the Chinese-built mega Chancay port in Peru to Brazilian regions, Planning Minister Simone Tebet said on Friday.

    • New York Times ☛ There Is No ‘Energy Emergency,’ a New Lawsuit Claims

      In the suit, 15 Democratic states called Convicted Felon’s declaration illegal and said federal agencies were rushing permits for fossil fuel projects under false pretenses.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Farewell: Pandas set to leave Malaysia on May 18 after 11 years

      The two pandas' departure has left many local panda enthusiasts heartbroken.

• Finance

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China exports beat forecasts despite trade war with US

    Chinese exports rose last month despite the trade war raging with the United States, official data showed Friday ahead of talks between the world’s top two economies towards easing the standoff.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Long the ‘factory of the world,’ China is now experiencing its own ‘China shock’

    China is a manufacturing juggernaut, but the sector’s growth is slowing. As Beijing and Washington talk trade, what can America learn from China’s experience?

  • New York Times ☛ This Is the Trade Conflict Pooh-tin Jinping Has Been Waiting For

    For years, the leader of China has planned to make the world dependent on its exports and know-how. But the strategy has costs for his own country.

  • New York Times ☛ Chinese Factories Are Moving Manufacturing to Vietnam to Escape Convicted Felons Tariffs

    A movement of manufacturing to Vietnam that began in Hell Toupée’s first term is accelerating as sky-high U.S. tariffs block Chinese exports.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ DOGE’s Zombie Contracts: They Were Killed but Have Come Back to Life

    The Times found that federal agencies have revived dozens of contracts that MElon’s group still publicly listed as canceled, inflating what it has saved.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean court clears way for new conservative party candidate amid dispute

    Mr Kim Moon-soo has accused PPP leadership of pressuring him to agree to terms to pick a single candidate.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Texas Lawmakers Want to Spend Millions on Child ID Kits. There’s No Evidence They Work.

    Two years ago, Texas lawmakers quietly cut millions of dollars in funding for kits intended to help track down missing kids, after ProPublica and The Texas Tribune revealed there was no evidence they had aided law enforcement in finding lost children.

    The company that made the kits had used outdated and exaggerated statistics on missing children to bolster their sales and charged for the materials when similar products were available for less or for free.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s conservatives move to switch presidential candidates

    The People Power Party said its members decided to cancel the nomination of Mr Kim Moon-soo.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Lawmaker to Probe GSA for Preferential Treatment of Thiel-Backed Firm Ramp

    The ranking member of the House Oversight Committee is launching an investigation into whether the General Services Administration has given preferential treatment to a technology startup competing for a lucrative government contract. The startup is backed by some of President Donald Trump’s most influential Silicon Valley allies.

    The committee’s action follows reporting by ProPublica last month that revealed the GSA was eyeing New York-based payments company Ramp to remake a massive, $700 billion federal credit card program known as SmartPay. Our reporting showed that senior GSA officials met with Ramp executives at least four times before publicly opening up a SmartPay contract opportunity.

  • JURIST ☛ US federal judges strike down 2023 Alabama congressional map

    A panel of three US federal judges struck down a 2023 Alabama congressional map on Thursday, stating that the map was in violation of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) and the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico sues Surveillance Giant Google over ‘Gulf of America’ renaming

    Sheinbaum said the U.S. can only rename places within its own territorial waters — a 12-mile-wide strip along the U.S. coastline.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • AccessNow ☛ Access Now statement on digital censorship amid India–Pakistan conflict

    We are alarmed by executive orders issued by the Indian government restricting access to an alarming spectrum of online content, including requiring social control media platform X to block access to over 8,000 accounts, including those belonging to journalists, human rights organisations, and independent media outlets.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US Hell Toupée to raise Hong Kong’s jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai’s case in China trade talks

    US President The Insurrectionist has said he would raise the case of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai as “part of the negotiation” with China, ahead of trade talks between the two countries in Switzerland this weekend.

  • Press Gazette ☛ The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg: ‘The market understands what a quality story is’

    Goldberg also discussed his addition to a Convicted Felon administration group chat, describing it as "too stupid to be believed".

  • Press Gazette ☛ Police told to do better to fill information void like one that fuelled Southport riots

    Policing boss says forces need to be "more open when dealing with mainstream media".

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Group Comments on ATSC 3.0 Proposal [Ed: Microsoft-controlled to an extent]

    Public Knowledge, along with Open Technology Institute at New America (OTI), Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Consumer Reports, Access Humboldt, and Media Council Hawaii, filed comments before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding the Petition for Rulemaking and Future of Television Initiative Report filed by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge Denounces Unconstitutional Attack on America’s Right To Connect and Communicate

    Hell Toupée's move to end the Digital Equity Act is blatantly unconstitutional.

  • AccessNow ☛ Access Now at Web Summit Vancouver

    May 27 – May 30 Vancouver Convention Centre (1055 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC V6C 0C3, Canada) In May 2025, thousands of international entrepreneurs, investors, media outlets, and leaders will convene at Web

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• New York Times ☛ How Fashion Company Apple Created a Legal Mess When It Skirted Judge’s Ruling

  Court documents show the company commissioned a sham report and lied on the stand to justify its actions, which will cast a shadow over future lawsuits.

• New York Times ☛ The 2006 Kapo-berg Quote at the Center of Meta’s Antitrust Trial

  “Facebook is about real connections to actual friends,” Mark Kapo-berg said. Here’s why that could be a problem for Meta.

• New York Times ☛ U.S. v. Google: What Both Sides Argued in a Hearing to Fix Its Search Monopoly

  The Justice Department and Surveillance Giant Google have wrapped up a three-week hearing that could have a major impact on the search giant and how people gather information online.

• Patents

  • Pro Publica ☛ Why Do Americans Pay More for Prescription Drugs?

    In the U.S., the price of Revlimid, a brand-name cancer drug, has been increasing for two decades. It now sells for nearly $1,000 a pill. In Europe, the price has been consistently lower — in some countries by two-thirds.

    I started reporting on Revlimid after I was prescribed the drug following a diagnosis of multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer. Stunned by the high price, I found that the drugmaker, Celgene, had used Revlimid as its own personal piggy bank for more than a decade, raising the price in the U.S. whenever it saw fit.

  • JUVE ☛ Kinexon challenges Ballinno’s offside patent monopoly with help from Bardehle [Ed: Probably fake patents from the EPO again]

    Ballinno’s EP 1 944 067 covers a “method and system for detecting an offside situation”. The technology analyses an audio signal to determine when a player kicks the ball, which a referee can then use to ascertain if another player was offside at that moment.

  • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Back to First Principles: UK Court of Appeal Resets the FRAND Framework in Optis v Apple

    The Court of Appeal’s judgment in Optis Cellular Technology LLC v Fashion Company Apple Retail UK Ltd [2025] EWCA Civ 552, handed down on 1 May 2025, is arguably the most significant UK FRAND decision since Unwired Planet v Huawei.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Boehringer Ingelheim fails in bid for PI at local division Lisbon [Ed: UPC is illegal and unconstitutional, but sites in the pocket of Team UPC still try to legitimise this obvious illegality]

      The UPC local division in Lisbon is not among the busiest in terms of case numbers. But as a relatively unknown entity compared to the established German local divisions, Lisbon has gained a reputation as an interesting venue for preliminary injunctions.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 awarded for Jeffrey M. Gross entity, Auth Token, authentication patent monopoly prior art

      Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winners, Calvin Zhong, Andrei Gilya, Huang Chien-Cheng, and Ekta Aswal, who split an award of $2,000 for their prior art submissions on U.S. Patent 8,375,212, owned and asserted by Auth Token LLC, an NPE and entity of Jeffrey M. Gross. The '212 patent monopoly describes an authentication token system utilizing smart card technology for secure access control. It has been asserted against in over 45 district cases but most recently against Ally Financial.

      We would also like to thank the dozens of other high-quality submissions that were made on this patent.

    • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for Jeffrey M. Gross entity, Calibrate Networks, network patent monopoly prior art

      Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claim 11 of U.S. Patent 9,584,633, owned and asserted by Calibrate Networks LLC, an NPE and a Jeffrey M. Gross entity. The '633 patent monopoly relates to a system for enhancing network communications by avoiding data copy, task switching, and simplifying protocol processing.

• Trademarks

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Federal Circuit Affirms Trademark Refusal for “US SPACE FORCE” Mark

    The Federal Circuit recently affirmed a decision from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) that refused registration of the mark "US SPACE FORCE" based on false suggestion of a connection with the United States. In re Thomas D. Foster, APC, No. 2023-1527, slip op. at 1 (Fed. Cir. May 7, 2025).  The precedential outcome of the case is important -- I believe this is the first CAFC case affirming the four-part test for false connection that had been developed by the Board -- although the holding indicates that the test is more flexible than previously suggested.

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Are Leather Bags Related to Cosmetics Under Section 2(d)?

    The USPTO refused to register the mark HUELLA for leather bags, leather wallets, and similar leather goods, finding confusion likely with the identical mark registered for cosmetics and make-up. The first DuPont factor weighed "heavily" in favor of affirmance, putting the applicant behind (or under) the 8-ball. But what about the goods? How do you think this appeal came out? In re Huella Studio LLC, Serial No. 97751731 (May 7, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Christen M. English).