Leftovers

• Standards/Consortia

  • Yury Molodtsov ☛ IMAX is a Superbrand

    IMAX is a cinema format that combines specialized cameras, a specific post-production pipeline and purpose-built cinemas to deliver a superior viewing experience.

    The standard film format was 35mm. In addition to doubling it and using 70mm, IMAX also changed the orientation. Instead of feeding the film vertically like in standard projectors, IMAX runs the film sideways (horizontally) and makes each frame much taller.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ NASA Reveals The Closest Images Ever Taken of The Sun

    An incredible, record-breaking moment.

  • Science Alert ☛ Brain Abnormality in Modern Humans Linked to Ancient Neanderthal DNA

    An ancient legacy lives on.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Blobs Deep Inside Earth May Fuel Deadly Volcanic Eruptions

    Did this wipe out the dinosaurs?

  • Science Alert ☛ Adorable Cat Helps Scientists Discover New Virus (For Second Time)

    A new kind of sleuth!

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious New Structure Discovered Hiding Inside Human Cells

    We didn't know this existed.

  • Science Alert ☛ NASA Rover Breaks Record For Longest Road Trip on Another Planet

    Life is a highway.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Is What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking Alcohol

    "Every day without alcohol is a win for your health."

  • Science Alert ☛ Study Reveals How Long We Need to Walk to Prevent Chronic Back Pain

    Grab a friend.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Science Alert ☛ Emergency Vaccines Reduce Disease Outbreak Deaths by Almost 60%

    "This study demonstrates clearly the power of vaccines."

  • NYPost ☛ Bread sold at Walmart, Kroger recalled due to undeclared potentially life-threatening allergen

    Loaves of bread sold at Walmart and Kroger stores are being recalled due to potentially containing "undeclared hazelnuts," the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced.

  • New Yorker ☛ Sick Children Will Be Among the Victims of Convicted Felon’s Big Bill

    Cuts to federal health-care spending make it harder for doctors to make the oldest promise in medicine: that we will do no harm.

  • New Yorker ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Flunks the Kitchen Test

    The President’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, got hit with the lowest health-inspection score in its county. How does it compare to a local Ecuadorian joint with a similar rating?

  • Federal News Network ☛ VA, DoD expand shared health care efforts but struggle to measure their impact

    “One key area where this would be important is in cost avoidance. We are all interested in saving taxpayer dollars,” Alyssa Hundrup said.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Ruben Schade ☛ Ask Ruben: do you use LLMs to write posts?

      I’ve had feedback from a few people regarding large language models, the more accurate term for what marketing people are dubbing “AI”. My regular readers (are lovely) know what my answers are already, but I thought I’d address them here so there isn’t any ambiguity.

    • Public Knowledge ☛ The Fatal Failures of the Copyright Office’s Report on AI [Ed: They fail to disclose a Microsoft mole in their ranks]

      At long last, the Copyright Office released its third report on fair use and Hey Hi (AI) — but their analysis contained serious missteps.

• Defence/Aggression

  • European Commission ☛ Remarks by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on the protection of minors online

    European Commission Speech Brussels, 14 Jul 2025 Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

  • European Commission ☛ Speech by Commissioner Marta Kos in the European Parliament on EU–NATO Cooperation

    You may wonder, why is the Commissioner for EU Enlargement speaking at an EU-NATO event?

  • Cambodia to begin conscripting civilians amid border row with Thailand

    The move will mandate military service beginning next year under a law on the books since 2006.

  • New York Times ☛ Clashes Between Bedouin and Druse in Syria Kill More Than 50, Health Official and Rights Group Say

    The violence underscores the government’s challenge to assert nationwide control as ethnic and religious tensions simmer after the end of the civil war.

  • University of Michigan ☛ War with Iran is still a mistake

    On June 22, President The Insurrectionist ordered military strikes against Iran. The attacks targeted three nuclear sites, including the notoriously fortified Fordow uranium enrichment facility. Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lead, the United States carried out the attacks with minimal collateral damage and no American casualties. Still, they were a mistake. 

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan PM to meet Bessent on Friday, Yomiuri says

    Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is arranging to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Tokyo on Friday, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Tuesday, ahead of an August 1 deadline to strike a trade deal with the United States.

  • JURIST ☛ US appeals court throws out 9/11 Guantánamo plea deals, clears path for death penalty cases

    The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit on Friday threw out plea agreements for three Guantánamo detainees accused of conspiring in the September 11 attacks, clearing the way for the government to pursue the death penalty more than two decades after the tragedy that claimed nearly 3,000 lives.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ Trump threatens 100-percent tariffs on Russian goods if no peace deal reached in 50 days — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ U.S. Senate delays Russia sanctions bill after Trump signals readiness to act alone — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Euroclear calls E.U. plan to invest frozen Russian assets in risky securities “expropriation” — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Satellite images show major Russian nuclear build-up, including near Lithuania – media

      New satellite imagery suggests Russia is carrying out extensive construction at several secret nuclear facilities, according to Business Insider. One such base is located in Asipovichy, Belarus, just 72 kilometres from Minsk.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ The next generation: Russia’s future rulers

      The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series explores the rising generation in the Kremlin-connected elite and what this shift means for Russia’s future.

    • NYPost ☛ NATO chief warns Russia’s trading partners after Convicted Felon’s 100% tariff threat: ‘You might want to call Vladimir’

      “You might want to call Vladimir and say, ‘Hey, friend, we are still buying stuff from you, but you have got to get serious when it comes to these negotiations on the cease-fire or a peace deal."

    • Meduza ☛ No births, no deaths, no data Russia is pulling demographic stats from public view. What’s the Kremlin trying to hide? — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Real treatment’ IV drip clinics boom in Russia as ordinary people seek quick fixes for fatigue, stress, and more — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia opens felony case against Meduza journalist Dmitry Kuznets — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian agents who gunned down Ukrainian Security Service officer in Kyiv killed during arrest, says SBU — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Kim Jong Un says North Korea will continue to ‘unconditionally support’ Russia’s efforts to ‘resolve the situation’ in Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky names Yulia Svyrydenko as Ukraine’s new prime minister — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ What it would take to save Ukraine Donald Trump is pledging more weapons to Kyiv, but U.S. stockpile drawdowns are falling short in a war of attrition — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Drone debris from Ukrainian strike injures 16 in Russian city of Voronezh — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Zelensky Announces Plan for Major Government Shake-Up in Ukraine

      An announcement by the Ukrainian president that he will seek to replace the prime minister with a loyalist came as the country faces battlefield setbacks and a souring mood.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Is Expected to Announce New Weapons Pipeline for Ukraine

      Under the plan, other NATO countries would buy U.S.-made arms, then give them to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia. NATO’s secretary general was set to meet Mr. Convicted Felon on Monday.

    • New York Times ☛ Supreme Court Allowed Convicted Felon to Slash the Education Dept.

      Also, Convicted Felon promised to help secure weapons for Ukraine. Here’s the latest at the end of Monday.

    • New York Times ☛ Marjorie Taylor Greene Criticizes Convicted Felon’s Plan to Speed Weapons to Ukraine

      The right-wing congresswoman from Georgia suggested that the president’s new proposal to help speed weapons to Ukraine betrays the promise to voters to end U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Reluctantly Comes Around to Backing Ukraine. Will He Stick With It?

      Hell Toupée is formalizing a new plan to sell American weapons to European allies, who would pass them onto Kyiv. But he made it clear this wasn’t his war.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Facing waves of Russian drones, Ukraine’s defenders fight frustration

      With Ukraine’s air defense systems overwhelmed by a surge of Russian attacks, mobile antidrone teams have emerged as an indispensable – if insufficient – defensive line against the onslaught.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russian and Chinese foreign ministers discuss Ukraine war and US ties

      They talked about strengthening close coordination between the two countries in the international arena.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China hails ‘strategically valuable’ Russia ties in Lavrov visit

      Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hailed Beijing’s “strategically valuable” relations with Moscow as he met his Russian counterpart against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and turbulent ties with the United States.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine: The Insurrectionist signals shift on supplying weapons

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy held talks with a U.S. envoy on Monday on increasing weapons production and arms purchases after President The Insurrectionist said he would send Patriot air defence missiles to Kyiv. In a sharp departure from his earlier stance, Convicted Felon is also possibly expected to announce a new plan to arm Ukraine with offensive weapons. Analysis by Angela Diffley, FRANCE 24 international affairs editor.

    • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man threatens 'very severe' tariffs on Russia if no Ukraine peace deal in 50 days

    • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man threatens Russia with tariffs if war on Ukraine isn’t resolved

      President The Insurrectionist said Monday he would punish Russia with “biting” tariffs if there isn’t a deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days. He made the announcement during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Convicted Felon also said NATO members will purchase “billions and billions” of dollars in U.S. weaponry including Patriot missiles and transfer the munitions to Ukraine under a new deal to support Kyiv in defending itself against Russia. Analysis by FRANCE 24 correspondent in Washington, Fraser Jackson and Angela Diffley, FRANCE 24 international affairs editor.

    • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man threatens Russia with tariffs and boosts US weapons for Ukraine

      President The Insurrectionist on Monday threatened Russia with steep tariffs and said NATO members will purchase “billions and billions” of dollars in U.S. weaponry including Patriot missiles and transfer the munitions to Ukraine under a new deal. FRANCE 24's Emmanuelle Chaze reports from Kyiv.

    • France24 ☛ EU top diplomat says Convicted Felon's 50 day Russia ultimatum 'a very long time'

      EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday welcomed US President The Insurrectionist's tougher line on Russia, but said a 50-day ultimatum on punishing Moscow was "very long". FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks to Alexandre Vautravers, Editor in Chief of the Revue Militaire Suisse, and Scientific Director of CHPM, about the increase in military budget announced by French President Emmanuel Macron and the war in Ukraine.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ A Western-funded drone surge could end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

      Ukraine has the technology, talent, and industrial potential to prevail in the war with Russia, but currently lacks the funding to scale drone production to the necessary levels, writes Mark Boris Andrijanič.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Russia’s bombing campaign is killing record numbers of Ukrainian civilians

      As Russia's bombing campaign continues to escalate, June 2025 saw the highest monthly casualties among the Ukrainian civilian population in more than three years, according to new data from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ To help bring lasting peace to Ukraine, Turkey should enhance its cooperation on Black Sea security

      Thinking beyond mediation, Turkey can help bring lasting peace to Ukraine and ensure stability in the Black Sea region.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Taussig interviewed in BillBC Newshour on Ukraine’s patriot announcement

      On July 14, Transatlantic Security Initiative director and senior fellow Torrey Taussig was interviewed by BillBC Newshour on what we can expect from Hell Toupée regarding Russia and American military support for Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ How Convicted Felon Changed His Tone on Putin and the Russia-Ukraine War

      After years of lavishing praise on the Russian leader, Hell Toupée abruptly changed his posture amid mounting frustration with the lack of progress on a cease-fire.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Threatens Russia With Sanctions and Vows U.S. Weapon Support for Ukraine

      The president also warned Russia that he would impose a new round of punishing sanctions if it did not agree to a peace deal within 50 days.

    • New York Times ☛ Behind Convicted Felon’s Tough Talk on Russia and Putin, Doubts and Missing Details

      Pentagon officials said details were still being worked out, and experts doubted Mr. Convicted Felon’s threat of huge tariffs for Russian trading partners.

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Threatens Russia With 'Severe' Tariffs, Vows Massive New Arms Supplies For Ukraine

      US President The Insurrectionist has threatened Russia with "very severe" tariffs if there is no cease-fire agreement between Kyiv and Moscow within 50 days and he vowed to supply Ukraine with “billions of dollars” worth of new military hardware in the upcoming days.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Hails Convicted Felon Move To Boost Arms Supplies To Ukraine Amid Frustration With Putin

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked US President The Insurrectionist for his “willingness to support” Kyiv and help “stop the killings” hours after the US leader vowed to provide a major influx of new weapons to Ukraine and threatened Russia with “severe” new financial measures.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine U-Turn? Convicted Felon blasts Putin, approves 'massive' arms sales for Kyiv

      The Nobel Peace Prize can wait. The same The Insurrectionist whose administration just weeks ago paused munitions and air defense supplies for Ukraine now turning on Vladimir Putin with threats of asset seizures and ramped up weapons sales for Kyiv. Why the about-face? How committed to Ukraine is Convicted Felon going forward? How committed to Nato? Allies know that the days are numbered for the United States providing the bulk of Europe's defense umbrella.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Will Convicted Felon’s pivot on Putin change the war?

      Our experts unpack the US president’s turn toward providing military aid for Ukraine and applying economic pressure on Russia.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Ruben Schade ☛ A strange home lighting site

      Clara and I love diffused lighting, especially those paper lamps that temper light and fill a room room with a warm glow in winter.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia foils attempt to smuggle more than 1,200 endangered birds

      Some 140 of the 1,260 Javan white-eye birds being transported in eight cages were found dead.

• Finance

  • Rlang ☛ Nested Forecasting: Analyzing the Relationship Between the Dollar and Stock Market Trends

    The prevailing opinion is that because countries are exporting more goods to the US than it exports to them, resulting in a trade deficit. In return for their exports, these countries receive US dollars, which they often use to purchase US government bonds and stocks.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Pro Publica ☛ Why Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Won’t Release His Elon Musk Emails

    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doesn’t want to reveal months of communications with Elon Musk or representatives from the tech mogul’s companies, arguing in part that they are of a private nature, not of public interest and potentially embarrassing.

    Musk had an eventful legislative session in Texas this year. In addition to his lobbyists successfully advocating for several new laws, Abbott cited the Tesla and SpaceX CEO as the inspiration for the state creating its own efficiency office and has praised him for moving the headquarters for many of his businesses to the state in recent years.

  • Daniel Pocock ☛ Conviction overturned: helped but not harbored by Catholic priest Fr Sean O'Connell

    It looks like the prisoners had a lot of respect for the former jailmaster. People threw copies of the newspaper over the walls for prisoners to read the interview. Three weeks later, dreams came true when somebody threw a rope over the wall and three prisoners escaped.

    According to reports, one of the escapees, James Richard Loughnan, broke both of his legs and hid behind the church beside the prison while his fellow escapees, Allan Martin and Peter Dawson, made their getaway.

    The reports don't tell us if the prisoners were wearing uniforms or if the sirens were activated to warn the community about an escape. Therefore, Fr O'Connell may not have had any hints that an escape had transpired or that the man he was about to meet was one of the suspects.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan's ruling coalition seen losing upper house majority, Asahi reports

    TOKYO - Japan's ruling coalition will likely lose its majority in the upper house election on July 20, the Asahi newspaper said on Tuesday, heightening the risk of political instability at a time the country struggles to strike a trade deal with the U.S.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indian rebel group says India’s army killed its leaders in Myanmar strikes

    Some rebel groups in north-eastern India have ties with minorities across the border in Myanmar and keep a presence there.

  • The Straits Times ☛ EU, Indonesia strike political agreement to advance free trade deal

    The trade deal will create more opportunities in key industries like agriculture and the automotive sector.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Project Censored ☛ Bill Moyers’ Legacy, Censored News, & Civil Liberties at Risk

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ BBC wrong to use child narrator for Gaza documentary, review finds

    Boy's father worked in Gazan civil government but did not influence film, BillBC finds.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • JURIST ☛ UN calls for increased Indigenous participation in international organizations

    UN Human Rights Council President Jürg Lauber highlighted the importance of facilitating more meaningful participation from Indigenous peoples within UN institutions in a speech published Monday, evoking obligations to uphold the rights outlined in the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

  • France24 ☛ 'It's simply horrific that a family would risk their life to find food and water for their beloved'

    FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to the IFRC spokesperson Tommaso Della Longa about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid continued Israeli strikes. He stresses that there is no safe place for civilians or humanitarian workers today in Gaza and that plans to force Gazans to move to a planned 'humanitarian city' in Rafah are 'simply unacceptable'.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Latvia ☛ More seniors accessing internet on their mobiles

    Mobile internet usage on seniors’ phones has increased by 40% in the previous year, according to data from communications company Tele2 cited by Labs of Latvia.

  • APNIC ☛ Event Wrap: 4th Next Generation DNS Summit

    Makito Lay delivered a presentation in Mandarin on 'IPv6 Deployment and Best Practices" at the 4th Next Generation DNS Summit held in Beijing, China on 26 June 2025.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ CAFC Affirms TTAB: YUCATAN SHRIMP is Merely Descriptive of Prepared Shrimp Dish

    The CAFC upheld the Board's decision [here] affirming the USPTO's Section 2(e)(1) refusal to register the proposed mark YUCATAN SHRIMP for "prepared food, namely, shrimp, not live." The court ruled that substantial evidence supported the Board's finding that YUCATAN SHRIMP is recognized as a dish using shrimp and particular ingredients associated with Mexican cuisine. In re Randy Wayne White, 2025 USPQ2d 929 (Fed. Cir. July 10, 2025) [not precedential].

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ It’s Not Just Verizon: Surveillance Giant Google Also Moves to Pause Infringement Litigation Amid Supreme Court Review of Cox v. Sony

    Google requests a stay in a case against Cengage, Macmillan, and other textbook publishers pending the Supreme Court’s decision in Cox v. Sony Music Entertainment. A lawsuit filed against Surveillance Giant Google by several textbook publishers in 2024 accuses the tech giant of not doing enough to prevent piracy, and, in fact, profiting from it.