Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ One of 2025's Best Meteor Showers Is Upon Us: Here's How to Watch

    The Perseids are about to peak.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Pro Publica ☛ New FDA Inspection Finds Breakdowns at a Factory Supplying U.S. Drugs

• Proprietary

  • The Gamer ☛ Microsoft Seemingly Cannot Take Its AI-Generated Foot Out Of Its AI-Generated Mouth

    I don’t like going onto LinkedIn. It’s possibly the worst social media platform, considering it’s evolved beyond its primary function of helping people find jobs to becoming a website where people post the most insufferable capitalist bootlicking brainrot that language can muster. It’s a place where people meticulously curate their personal brands for maximum career progression, and because corporate culture is insufferable, the people with the most reach are often also the most annoying.

  • Windows Central ☛ ZeniMax QA testers face whiplash and "rancid" work morale following Microsoft's gaming layoffs — but the union still fights

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • DEV Community ☛ The Economic Reality Behind Stallman's Four Freedoms: Why Open Source Became Corporate Exploitation

      Stallman's philosophy works beautifully for foundations and libraries - the building blocks that everyone needs. But for complete applications, freedoms 2-3 create an impossible economic situation where the people who want your source code are the least likely to pay for your service.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • SANS ☛ More Free File Sharing Services Abuse, (Wed, Jul 16th)

• Defence/Aggression

  • Pro Publica ☛ Did Idaho’s Coroner System Let a Man Get Away with Killing His Wife?

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Five questions (and expert answers) about Israel’s strikes against Syria

    Our Middle East experts explain the roots of the crisis and what it means for Syria, Israel, the Druze, and the broader region.

  • Defence Web ☛ US airstrikes in Somalia reach 51 this year in coordinated campaign

    As of Monday 14 July, US Africa Command (Africom) had carried out 51 airstrikes in Somalia since the beginning of this year. The strikes form part of a joint effort to dismantle the operational capabilities of ISIS-Somalia and al-Shabaab—two groups that Africom says pose direct threats to the US homeland, American forces, and citizens abroad.

  • France24 ☛ 'What Israel is doing is a clear signal to Damascus against consolidating power in the South'

    FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Nanar Hawach, senior analyst for Syria at the International Crisis Group, about the sectarian violence in Syria and the Israeli airstrikes on Damascus. He says that 'what Israel is doing is a clear signal to Syrian authorities against consolidating power in the south' and is a message to Syrian minority groups that 'their only leverage is the weapons they have'.

  • France24 ☛ Israel launches heavy airstrikes in Damascus, vowing to protect Druze

    Israel launched powerful airstrikes in Damascus on Wednesday, blowing up part of the defence ministry and hitting near the presidential palace as it vowed to destroy government forces attacking Druze in southern Syria and demanded they withdraw. FRANCE 24's Luke Shrago reports.

  • France24 ☛ Israeli air strikes on Damascus hit Syrian army headquarters and near presidential palace

    Israeli air strikes in Damascus on Wednesday hit the army headquarters and near the presidential palace, killing at least three people and injuring 34, Syrian officials said. Syrian troops began withdrawing from the city of Sweida, where more than 300 have been killed in days of clashes, following the announcement of a ceasefire with Druze leaders.

  • New York Times ☛ What to Know About Israel’s Strikes in Syria and the Druse Minority

    Israel has been bombing Syrian government forces who intervened in clashes in a region controlled by the Syrian Druse minority, which Israel pledged to protect.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Strikes Syria’s Capital, Sending Warning to Government

    Israel threatened to escalate attacks on Syrian government forces unless they withdrew from Sweida, a southern province dominated by the country’s Druse minority.

  • France24 ☛ Syria withdraws army from Sweida after Israel bombs Damascus

    Syria's army began withdrawing from violence-hit Sweida on Wednesday after Israeli strikes on Damascus and US calls for a pullback from the Druze-majority city, state media said. Washington, which seeks to mend ties with Syria, said a deal was reached to restore calm and urged all sides to uphold commitments.

  • New York Times ☛ Lightning Kills 1 and Injures 13 on Archery Range in New Jersey

    The victims range in age from 7 to 61, according to the authorities.

  • NYPost ☛ Instructor killed, 13 others — including children — injured in lightning strike at New Jersey archery club during scout lesson

    The tragedy marks the second lightning-caused death in New Jersey this week.

  • New York Times ☛ Norwegian Olympic Skier, Audun Groenvold, Dies After Lightning Strike

    Audun Groenvold, 49, won a bronze medal at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

  • JURIST ☛ Ghana dispatch: civil group condemns attacks during parliamentary re-run elections in Ablekuma

    The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) issued a statement Tuesday that strongly condemned the violence and vote-buying that marred the parliamentary re-run elections held in Ghana’s Ablekuma North constituency. The group criticized what they described as “acts of political thuggery, intimidation, and inducement of voters,” calling these developments a threat to Ghana’s democratic integrity.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Europol-coordinated operation takes down pro-Russian hacking group

      Europol and Eurojust coordinated an international operation that dismantled the pro-Russian cybercrime network NoName057(16) behind thousands of cyberattacks targeting Ukraine and its allies. Raids in 12 countries led to arrests and the disruption of the group's activities, including attacks on critical European infrastructure and government sites.

    • France24 ☛ Europol-coordinated global operation takes down pro-Russian cybercrime network

      EU anti-crime bodies Europol and Eurojust said Wednesday they had coordinated an international operation to dismantle a pro-Russian hacking group accused of launching thousands of online attacks against Ukraine and its allies. The network, known as NoName057(16), was disrupted following raids in 12 countries between July 14 and 17, they said. FRANCE 24's Nick Holdsworth reports from Berlin.

    • France24 ☛ EU proposes 100-bn-euro fund for Ukraine alongside 2028-2034 budget

      The European Commission on Wednesday proposed establishing a fund of up to 100 billion euros ($115 billion) to support war-torn Ukraine during the bloc's next 2028-2034 budget period. "This is a long-term commitment to Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction," budget chief Piotr Serafin said, adding the money would be "outside the ceiling" of the budget. FRANCE 24's Dave Keating reports from Brussels.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Digital occupation: Pro-Russian bot networks target Ukraine’s occupied territories on Telegram

      New analysis of 3,634 automated accounts spreading pro-Russian propaganda on Telegram channels used by Ukrainian populations in occupied territories shows Russia's attempts to extend its occupation into digital spaces.

    • Latvia ☛ Ogre mayor Helmanis injured in Ukraine

      Egils Helmanis (National Alliance), the chairman of the Ogre municipal council, was wounded in Ukraine as a result of Russian shelling, Patriks Grīva, a spokesman for the municipality, told LSM.lv.

    • JURIST ☛ Ukraine dispatch: war reaches new heights of intensity as Russia unleashes 741 aerial attacks on Ukraine

      On July 9, Russia launched 741 aerial weapons against Ukraine using 728 Shahed-type drones and decoys, seven Iskander cruise missiles, and six aeroballistic Kinzhal missiles. Each of these 741 weapons carries enough destructive power to level an average building.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian lawmakers propose fines for ‘searching for extremist materials’ online and advertising VPNs — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian MMA fighter Timur Khizriev shot by masked attackers in Dagestan — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘No real alternatives’: Trump’s tariff threat targets buyers of Russian oil. But reality could get in the way. — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian military intelligence develops new mercenary deployment scheme — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ 19-year-old Russian conscript dies four days into service term, prompting criminal negligence investigation — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ EU proposes 'most ambitious' two trillion euros budget, Germany rejects plan

      Ursula Von Der Leyen on Wednesday proposed the "most ambitious" €2 trillion ($2.3 trillion) 2028-2034 budget to counter overseas competition and Russian aggression, but Germany, the bloc's top economy, rejected it as unacceptable.

    • LRT ☛ ‘Rare cases’ of Russians fleeing to Lithuania occur – minister

      An internal review has found that Lithuanian officers responded properly and did not violate any procedures after a Russian citizen jumped off a transit train, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič said.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian troops test bunkers in simulation of Russian artillery strikes

      Lithuanian troops are conducting explosive tests on different types of bunkers at the General Silvestras Žukauskas military training area in Pabradė to determine which materials offer the best protection against artillery fire, the military said on Wednesday.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania part of international operation targeting pro-Russian hacker group

      Law enforcement agencies across Europe and North America have launched a sweeping operation targeting the pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16), known for widespread distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

    • JURIST ☛ Russia writer sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison

      Moscow’s Military Court sentenced a Russian writer to 14 years of imprisonment in absentia on Monday for failing to follow “foreign agent” regulations, facilitating terroristic activity, and justifying terrorism.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Pro-Russian DDoS group NoName057(16) disrupted by international law enforcement operation

      Over a dozen law enforcement agencies took action earlier this week, resulting in multiple arrests.

    • Security Week ☛ Europol-Coordinated Global Operation Takes Down Pro-Russian Cybercrime Network

      Codenamed Eastwood, the operation targeted the so-called NoName057(16) group, which was identified as being behind a series of DDoS attacks on municipalities and organizations linked to a NATO summit.

    • Latvia ☛ Court overturns decision to ban 'TV Rain' in Latvia

      The Administrative Regional Court has annulled the decision of the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) to cancel the licence of the Russian independent TV channel ‘Dozhdj’ or ‘TV Rain’ operating in exile, the LETA news agency reports on 16 July.

    • Meduza ☛ Trump says new Patriot missiles ‘already being shipped’ to Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ At least seven injured in Vinnytsia as Russia launches overnight strikes across Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Rare New York Times report from Russia’s Kursk region draws praise from Chechen special forces commander and fury from Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Neo-Nazi group with suspected Russian ties claims responsibility for assassination of Ukrainian intelligence officer — The Guardian — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Appears Unfazed by Convicted Felon’s Ukraine War Ultimatum

      Russian officials and commentators have shown little indication that Moscow is about to change course under new pressure.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Ukrainian hackers say they compromised a major Russian drone company, destroying data, backups, and systems

      Gaskar Group denies that the attack was successful, but Ukrainian intelligence is reportedly telling a different story.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Leadership Reshuffle Seen Strengthening Convicted Felon Administration Ties

      A reshuffling of Ukraine’s government and diplomatic corps could improve communication with the United States just as President The Insurrectionist appears to be pivoting toward the embattled country in its more than three-year war with Russia.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Prabowo and Convicted Felon have struck tariff deal – but at what cost to Indonesia?

    Experts raise questions over financing of purchase commitments, and the deal's impact on trade ties with other nations.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man erased from Chelsea's celebratory photos at FIFA Club World Cup?

      Following The Insurrectionist's attendance at the FIFA Club World Club, rumours have surfaced that winning team Chelsea erased Convicted Felon from their celebratory photos. But these claims are false, as Charlotte Hughes explains.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Chinese tech firm Tencent seeks removal of anti-censorship archive FreeWeChat, watchdog says

    Chinese tech giant Tencent is seeking the removal of FreeWeChat.com, an archive developed by GreatFire, according to a statement released by the anti-censorship group last week. The website specialises in surfacing deleted or blocked WeChat posts on politically sensitive topics.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Is GHOSTWRITTEN INC. Merely Descriptive of Publication of E-books and Blog Posts

    The USPTO refused to register the mark GHOSTWRITTEN INC. for various services, including publication of e-books, blogs, and on-line journals, on the ground that the mark is merely descriptive of the services. The Examining Attorney contended that "it is common for blog posts, website content, e-books and written information to be ghostwritten." How do you think this came out? In re Ghostwritten LLC, Serial No. 98199104 (July 11, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge David K. Heasley).

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Federal Court Stays Majors v. Altice Infringement Case Pending Supreme Court’s Cox Ruling

    With the marathon copyright monopoly dispute between the major labels and Cox Communications heading to the Supreme Court, a federal court has officially paused a separate showdown involving Altice USA.