Leftovers

• The Straits Times ☛ Legalisation of non-medical tattooing clears first hurdle in South Korean Parliament

  This could allow trained tattooists to work legally without medical licences, upending a 33-year-old barrier.

• Ruben Schade ☛ Post frequency recently

  More than a few of you have asked what’s happened over the last few weeks. I’ll admit I haven’t been in a great mental space again, which isn’t conducive to writing. But then, writing makes me feel better, so I should! I guess it’s the same thing as physical exercise: I always feel more energy afterwards, even if I expelled energy doing it.

• Ruben Schade ☛ Street Library book review № 1

  Sydney is dotted with Street Libraries. These little huts can be placed by anyone, and allow people in local communities to swap books and share stories. They’re a brilliant idea!

  These are some of the books I’ve enjoyed swapping this year:

  Bill Bryson, Notes from a Small Island (1995).

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ There's a Simple Trick to Unshrink Your Clothes, Thanks to Science

    Keep calm and try this!

  • Science Alert ☛ This Giant Pathogen Has The Longest Tail Ever Seen on a Virus

    It might help it make contact.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Deadly Velociraptor Cousin Brandished Giant Razors For Its Thumbs

    You don't want to play Thumb War with this guy.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Bizarre Headgear May Give These Bugs Electric Superpowers

    It's not just for show.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ How Intel’s 386 Protects Itself From ESD, Latch-up And Metastability

    To connect the miniature world of integrated circuits like a CPU with the outside world, a number of physical connections have to be made. Although this may seem straightforward, these I/O pads form a major risk to the chip’s functioning and integrity, in the form of electrostatic discharge (ESD), a type of short-circuit called a latch-up and metastability through factors like noise. Shielding the delicate ASIC from the cruel outside world is the task of the I/O circuitry, with [Ken Shirriff] recently taking an in-depth look at this circuity in Intel’s 386 CPU.

  • Hackaday ☛ This Pocket Multitool Weighs Less Than A Penny

    A multitool that weighs less than a penny? Yes, it exists. This video by [ToolTechGeek] shows his titanium flat-cut design tipping the scales at only 1.9 grams—lighter than the 2.5-gram copper penny jingling in your pocket. His reasoning: where most everyday carry (EDC) tools are bulky, overpriced, or simply too much, this hack flips the equation: reduce it to the absolute minimum, yet keep it useful.

  • Hackaday ☛ Replicating The World’s Oldest Stringed Instrument

    Posts on Hackaday sometimes trend a little bit retro, but rarely do we cover hacks that reach back into the Bronze Age. Still, when musician [Peter Pringle] put out a video detailing how he replicated an ancient Sumerian instrument, we couldn’t wait to dig in.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China Tells Tech Giants to Halt Nvidia H20 Orders After U.S. Official’s ‘Addiction’ Remark — Chinese leaders call Lutnick's comments 'insulting'

    Sec. Lutnick’s remarks drew the ire of Chinese leaders who could have potentially drawn on historical parallels.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Google switches from Samsung to TSMC — Pixel 10 and G5 use TSMC's N3P process

    Ahead of Apple, it seems.

  • CNX Software ☛ Intel N97/Core i3-N305 fanless mini PC exposes a GPIO header and two COM ports

    Maxtang SXC-ALN30 is a fanless, embedded mini PC powered by an defective chip maker Intel Processor N97 or Core i3-N305 Alder Lake-N processor and exposes a GPIO header and two RS232/RS485 COM ports for business applications requiring a scanner, a PoS (Point-of-Sale), a cash register, or even medical equipment.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New Yorker ☛ Will the MAHA Moms Turn on Convicted Felon?

    A leaked draft of a White House report on how to “Make Our Children Healthy Again” suggests that the Administration will do little to address food safety or nutrition.

  • Science Alert ☛ CT Scans Projected to Result in 100,000 New Cancers Across The US

    It's important to get the full story.

  • University of Michigan ☛ Virtual reproductive health provider, Hey Jane, expands to Michigan

    Hey Jane, a virtual reproductive and sexual health care provider, launched its services in Michigan this month — marking its 24th state.

  • Defence Web ☛ Motshekga admits to “gaps and delays” in military veterans’ healthcare

    Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga has it just short of 20 000 South African military veterans have “access” to healthcare. Replying to a Parliamentary question from Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) Member of Parliament Russel Cebekhulu she admitted there were “gaps and delays” in providing this service to veterans, particularly in rural areas.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico launches ‘Health Routes’ to address medication shortages

    Health authorities are already delivering medications and other supplies to thousands of health centers, and will scale up in coming days.

  • The Straits Times ☛ HK water scandal: How distrust over China bottled water sparked a probe into govt contract

    The couple behind the firm that won the water contract have been arrested on suspicion of fraud.

  • How Deeply Trump Has Cut Federal Health Agencies

    More than 20,500 workers have left or been pushed out of federal health agencies, a ProPublica analysis found. Staffers say the cuts will leave their agencies less equipped to conduct studies, perform inspections and combat deadly outbreaks.

  • Pro Publica ☛ How ProPublica Tracked Workforce Reductions at Federal Health Agencies

    The Trump administration has refused to reveal how many workers have left federal health agencies amid a massive purge. Without official figures, ProPublica turned to a federal employee directory to quantify the impact.

    Several news outlets — including ProPublica — have used this directory to show who is entering and leaving the federal government, spot political appointments and identify members of the Department of Government Efficiency. According to multiple former and current employees and health agency documents, the HHS employee directory helps workers locate and authenticate their colleagues. HHS did not respond to ProPublica’s questions about why it wouldn’t share data on workforce reductions.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japanese city to ask children to use smartphones for just 2 hours a day

    If enacted, the ordinance will come into effect on Oct 1.

  • LRT ☛ Passengers at Vilnius, Kaunas airports to keep liquids, electronic gadgets in hand luggage

    Passengers travelling through Vilnius and Kaunas airports will no longer be required to remove liquids or electronic devices from their hand luggage during security checks, starting Friday, August 22.

• Proprietary

  • Scoop News Group ☛ CrowdStrike warns of uptick in Silk Typhoon attacks this summer

    The China-affiliated espionage group, which CrowdStrike tracks as Murky Panda, has been linked to more than a dozen incident response cases since late spring.

  • Neowin ☛ Microsoft brings Ubuntu 24.04 and TLS 1.3 support to SQL Server 2025 Preview [Ed: Proprietary SQL Server does not even (really) support Linux]

    SQL Server 2025 preview now supports dev and test workloads in Ubuntu 24.04, along with the TLS 1.3 protocol.

  • InfoWorld ☛ Up and running with Azure Linux 3.0 [Ed: Microsoft media moles actively pushing Microsoft EEE against GNU/Linux]

  • Hackaday ☛ Linux Fu: Windows Virtualization The Hard(ware) Way

    As much as I love Linux, there are always one or two apps that I simply have to run under Windows for whatever reason. Sure, you can use wine, Crossover Office, or run Windows in a virtual machine, but it’s clunky, and I’m always fiddling with it to get it working right. But I recently came across something that — when used improperly — makes life pretty easy. Instead of virtualizing Windows or emulating it, I threw hardware at it, and it works surprisingly well.

  • Bryan Lunduke ☛ Microsoft “Worker Intifada” Escalates, 18 Arrested, More Violence Planned

    After two days of increasing levels of violence, with demands that Abusive Monopolist Microsoft cut all ties to Israel, the anti-Jewish “Worker Intifada” is now planning to siege a transit center.

  • New York Times ☛ Apple Fitness Chief Accused of Toxic Workplace Culture and Harassment

    Workers say the executive was volatile and retaliated when they cooperated with an investigation. Fashion Company Apple denies the claims.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ OpenAI's rocky GPT-5 launch is the beginning of an uphill battle for AI, as Meta announces another restructuring

      OpenAI might be a poster-child of the Hey Hi (AI) industry, but as the hype starts to cool and other major players slow their advances, questions arise about where profitability might be found in this new Hey Hi (AI) revolution.

    • NYPost ☛ ChatGPT users mourn their Hey Hi (AI) lovers after a big tech update destroys them: ‘My heart is broken into pieces’

      Love in the time of Hey Hi (AI) just got a brutal update.

    • Press Gazette ☛ Wired and Business Insider remove ‘AI-written’ freelance articles

      Index on Censorship believes article it published by 'Margaux Blanchard' was generated by AI.

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • Open Source Initiative ☛ New resource on Hey Hi (AI) & Open Source for U.S. policymakers [Ed: Openwashing of slop by Microsoft front group, OSI]

      The OSI has put together a new resource to educate policymakers (state and federal) in the United States about Open Source software as they consider various Hey Hi (AI) policies.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Addressing China’s military expansion in West Africa and beyond

    As China expands its military reach in West Africa, the United States risks losing strategic ground on the continent. The next National Defense Strategy must confront China’s ambitions beyond the Indo-Pacific, balancing defense diplomacy, bilateral military relationships, and counterterrorism.

  • The Strategist ☛ If China’s tactic is blockading Taiwan, the US Navy needs lots of frigates. It’s not getting them

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan’s 2026 defence budget to exceed 3% of GDP as US presses spending increase

    The budget includes funding for the coast guard, veterans and special projects.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea has built secret missile base near China, says think-tank

    A report said the base stores leader Kim Jong Un’s most advanced strategic weapons.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Tibet marks anniversary with songs, dances and reminders of Communist rule

    The festivities coincided with a rare visit by Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Pulled in kicking and screaming’: Why the Philippines can’t sit out a Taiwan conflict

    Analysts say geography, alliances and security interests mean neutrality over Taiwan is an illusion for Manila.

  • New York Times ☛ Joao Silva’s Journey Back to Afghanistan

    Fifteen years after a combat photographer lost his legs to a land mine, he returned to the place in Afghanistan where it happened.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ Tax hikes in Russia are ‘unavoidable,’ government source tells Reuters — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ As the Kremlin stalls on peace talks, Russia’s economy shows mounting strain — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Moscow’s fake war heroes Inside an elaborate conspiracy by Russian soldiers to stage combat wounds, claim state bonuses, and collect medals — Meduza

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim Jong Un decorates soldiers who fought for Russia, KCNA says

      Mr Kim laid a flower at a memorial wall for soldiers fallen overseas.

    • RFERL ☛ Prosecutors Fine Top Official At Yeltsin Presidential Library For Anti-War Post

      Russian prosecutors fined a top official at the Yeltsin Center, the library and cultural center dedicated to the late Russian president, after she re-posted an anti-war message on social control media.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania closes part of airspace near Belarus ahead of Zapad military drills

      Lithuania has closed part of its airspace along the border with Belarus ahead of the upcoming Zapad military exercises planned by Russia and its ally Belarus in September.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian media watchdog appeals against court overturning TV Rain license ban

      The National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) has filed a cassation appeal against the judgment of the Administrative Regional Court, by which it found illegal the decision of the NEPLP to cancel the licence of the independent Russian TV channel "Dozhdj" or "TV Rain", the court said on 21 August.

    • Meduza ☛ Russia strikes western Ukraine, killing one and injuring more than a dozen — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Europe wants U.S. fighter jets stationed in Romania as part of security guarantees for Ukraine — The Times — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Witkoff delivers Russia’s Order of Courage to CIA Deputy Director Juliane Gallina, whose son died in Ukraine fighting to advance Moscow’s invasion — CNN — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian attack on American-owned factory challenges Trump’s vow that U.S. investments shield Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ U.S. stops sharing intelligence on Russia–Ukraine talks with Five Eyes allies — CBS — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Works to Identify 6,000 Bodies Sent From Russia in Makeshift Rail Platform Lab

      The mass return of fallen soldiers is one of the few concrete results of U.S.-orchestrated truce negotiations.

    • New York Times ☛ Suspect Is Arrested in Sabotage of Pipelines Between Russia and Germany

      German authorities said a Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022 had been taken into custody by the Italian police.

    • New York Times ☛ Zelensky Projects More Confidence in Ukraine Peace Talks After Convicted Felon Meeting

      The Ukrainian leader returned with a U.S. commitment to participate in security guarantees for Kyiv in a postwar settlement.

    • New York Times ☛ Vance Recounts Telling Zelensky to ‘Behave’ in Convicted Felon Meeting

      It was not the first time that the vice president had addressed Ukraine’s leader with words more commonly spoken to toddlers than heads of state.

    • New York Times ☛ Analysis: What Progress Has Convicted Felon Really Made in Ukraine Peace Talks?

      Nearly a week after Hell Toupée’s Alaska summit, his suggestions of imminent breakthroughs have not come to pass.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea's Kim Jong Un decorates soldiers who fought for Russia, KCNA says

      North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lauded "heroic" North Korean troops who fought for Russia in the war against Ukraine, in a ceremony decorating soldiers of the army's overseas operation, state media KCNA said on Friday.

    • MIT Technology Review ☛ On the ground in Ukraine’s largest Starlink repair shop

      Oleh Kovalskyy thinks that Starlink terminals are built as if someone assembled them with their feet. Or perhaps with their hands behind their back.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Pushes Allies For Quick Security Plan Amid Massive Russian Strikes

      Russian forces launched a massive aerial attack overnight on Ukraine on August 21, deploying a combination of drones and missiles against multiple regions of the country, according to the Ukrainian authorities.

    • RFERL ☛ Hungarian President Deletes Word 'Russian' From Statement On Ukraine Strikes

      Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok has sparked controversy by removing the word "Russian" from his statement condemning a missile strike in Ukraine, fueling criticism over Hungary's stance on Moscow amid ongoing tensions in the region.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Arrested In Connection To 2022 Nord Stream Explosions

      A Ukrainian national has been arrested in Italy in connection with explosions, carried out in 2022, that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

    • LRT ☛ Moscow's latest strikes on Ukraine show Russia not ready for lasting peace – Lithuanian FM

      Lithuania's Foreign Ministry has delivered a formal note of protest to Russia over the latest wave of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine.

    • JURIST ☛ UN Secretary-General welcomes US-led peace talks on Ukraine

      UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced his support on Tuesday for recent American-led efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the Russo-Ukrainian War.

    • France24 ☛ NATO weighs Ukraine security guarantees amid peace talks

      NATO defence chiefs held talks on Ukraine’s future security guarantees, as Kyiv insists any peace deal must ensure a lasting ceasefire and protection against future Russian attacks. Moscow, however, has criticised these discussions for excluding its role.

    • France24 ☛ Italy arrests Ukrainian suspected of involvement in Nord Stream pipeline blasts

      Italian police said Thursday they had arrested a Ukrainian man suspected of being one of the coordinators of the 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which were built to carry gas from Russia to Germany. Prosecutors believe the suspect was one of a group of people who placed undersea explosives on the pipelines.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine: Largest Russian strikes in weeks as peace efforts drag on

      Russia carried out one of its largest aerial attacks of the year on Ukraine, firing 574 drones and 40 missiles overnight, mostly targeting western regions where Western military aid is stored, amid intense diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire. The strikes killed at least one person and injured 15, marking Russia’s third-largest drone attack and eighth-largest missile assault this year.

    • France24 ☛ Ukrainian man arrested over Nord Stream blasts in 2022

      A Ukrainian suspect has been arrested in Italy over the sabotage of the Nord Stream underwater gas pipelines from Russia to Europe in 2022, German prosecutors said Thursday. Jörg Taszman, journalist in Berlin, has more details.

    • France24 ☛ Ukrainian national arrested over 2022 Nord Stream pipeline blasts

      Italian authorities have arrested a Ukrainian national suspected of coordinating and taking part in the 2022 sabotage of Nord Stream gas pipelines. The suspect, identified only as Serhii K., was arrested overnight in Italy’s Rimini province, at the request of German federal prosecutors. FRANCE 24's Monte Francis reports.

    • Latvia ☛ Hunters encouraged to donate canned meat to Ukrainian soldiers

      During the Ukraine support campaign, Latvian Public Media and "Ziedot.lv" would like to draw attention to the various types of assistance and the supporters who continue to help the Ukrainian army. Among them are hunters, who over the years have donated weapons and other equipment to the Ukrainians, as well as canned game meat prepared in Latvia, Latvian Radio reports on 21 August

    • CS Monitor ☛ Why Convicted Felon hasn’t seemed to sway Putin on Ukraine peace

      After a week of summits around peace for Ukraine, Russia is holding firm to its demands. While the White House suggests that progress is being made on a deal, Russian observers say the Kremlin is content to wait Kyiv out.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Sorry, Convicted Felon, but Putin will not pursue peace until he is facing military defeat

      Following the recent Alaska and White House summits, it should now be abundantly clear that Russia will continue to reject Convicted Felon’s peace overtures until Putin faces significantly more pressure to end the war, write Elena Davlikanova and Yevhen Malik.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin is facing a fuel crisis as Ukraine escalates attacks on Russian refineries

      Historically, Russia’s sheer size has always been considered one of its main strengths. By launching waves of airstrikes across the country, Ukraine now intends to exploit this vastness and transform it into Russia’s greatest weakness, writes David Kirichenko.

    • Meduza ☛ A turning point Five years ago, the Russian FSB poisoned Alexey Navalny. Here’s what’s become of his doctors, allies, and would-be killers since. — Meduza

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-20 [Older] Germany's Wadephul urges China to help Ukraine peace push

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-20 [Older] Ukraine: NATO defense chiefs talk security guarantees

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-20 [Older] Which European countries might send troops to Ukraine?

    • HRW ☛ 2025-08-20 [Older] Ukraine’s Suffering Reflected in One Family’s Story

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-20 [Older] Erdogan Tells Putin Turkey Supports Ukraine Peace Effort

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] Ukraine: Zelenskyy 'ready' for talks with Putin

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] Ukraine security guarantees: What is Germany's role?

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] Ukraine updates: Allies consider future Zelenskyy-Putin talks

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] Ukraine: Zelenskyy 'ready' for talks with Putin

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] What did Europe achieve at the Washington summit on Ukraine?

    • The Age AU ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] Cheeto Mussolini-Zelensky meeting LIVE updates: US, Ukrainian presidents to meet at White House after Cheeto Mussolini’s meeting with Putin in Alaska

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] The Latest: Cheeto Mussolini Says No to US Troops in Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] EU's Costa Ukraine's Membership Process Must Go Forward

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] Cheeto Mussolini Says Putin May Not Want to Make a Deal on Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] How a Ukrainian Designer Helped Zelenskiy Dress for Cheeto Mussolini Diplomacy

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] NATO Military Leaders to Meet on Wednesday to Discuss Ukraine as Cheeto Mussolini Teases Air Support

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] Cheeto Mussolini Offers Assurances That US Troops Won't Be Sent to Help Defend Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] Ukrainians to Keep Propping up Poland's Labour Market, Fitch Says

    • Vox ☛ 2025-08-19 [Older] Why Ukraine won’t just give up its territory

    • Jacobin Magazine ☛ 2025-08-18 [Older] The Cheeto Mussolini–Putin Talks Blindsided European Leaders

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-18 [Older] Ukraine: Zelenskyy arrives at White House to meet Cheeto Mussolini

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-18 [Older] Ukraine Says U.S. Investment Fund Delegation Will Visit in September

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-18 [Older] Factbox-What Does Ukraine's Constitution Say About Territorial Changes?

    • NL Times ☛ 2025-08-17 [Older] Dutch woman from The Hague becomes first foreign deputy commander in Ukrainian military

    • NL Times ☛ 2025-08-17 [Older] Rutte, European leaders to join Zelensky in Washington talks with Cheeto Mussolini on Ukraine

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-17 [Older] Ukraine updates: Merz to join Zelenskyy at US peace talks

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-17 [Older] Ukraine: US envoy 'hopeful' ahead of Cheeto Mussolini-Zelenskyy talks

    • International Business Times ☛ 2025-08-17 [Older] Ukrainian, 21, Could Face Firing Squad in Bali After Being Caught Smuggling Designer Drugs

    • The Local DK ☛ 2025-08-17 [Older] Europeans try to stay on the board after Ukraine summit

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-17 [Older] European Leaders to Meet on Ukraine as Zelenskiy Prepares to Face Cheeto Mussolini

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-17 [Older] Global Markets Face Shaky Week Ahead as US Pressure Mounts on Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-17 [Older] NATO-Like Protection in Focus for Cheeto Mussolini Meeting With Ukraine, Europe

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] For Ukraine, the Alaska summit was a complete disappointment

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] Ukraine updates: European leaders react to Cheeto Mussolini-Putin summit

    • The Age AU ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] Cheeto Mussolini: 'I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine'

    • The Age AU ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] No deal between Putin and Cheeto Mussolini in Ukraine negotiations

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] Canada Praises US Stance on Ukraine Security Guarantees

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] European Leaders Reaffirm Support for Ukraine After Cheeto Mussolini-Putin Talks

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] In Letter to Putin, US First Lady Asks Him to Consider the Children in Push to End War in Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] Nordic-Baltic Leaders Say They Remain Steadfast in Support of Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] Outline Emerges of Putin's Offer to End His War in Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] Suffering Ukrainians Dismayed by Outcome and Optics of Cheeto Mussolini-Putin Summit

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] Cheeto Mussolini Greets Putin With a Red Carpet. Ukrainians Feel Betrayed.

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] US Ready to Be Part of Security Guarantees for Ukraine, Germany's Merz Says

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-16 [Older] World Leaders React to Cheeto Mussolini-Putin Summit Reaching No Deal on Ukraine

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-15 [Older] Cheeto Mussolini Says It Will Be up to Ukraine to Decide on Territorial Swaps

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-15 [Older] US Aid Cuts to Ukraine Raise Risk of Waste and Fraud, Say Watchdogs

    • Vox ☛ 2025-08-15 [Older] Cheeto Mussolini-Putin summit ends with no deal on Ukraine

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-14 [Older] Putin-Cheeto Mussolini talks: Could parts of Ukraine change hands?

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-14 [Older] Ukraine: Cheeto Mussolini says deal would come at trilateral summit

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2025-08-14 [Older] Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy, Starmer meet in London

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-14 [Older] Cheeto Mussolini's Nod to Europe on a Future Peace Force for Ukraine Vastly Improves Its Chances of Success

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-14 [Older] Ukraine's Trade Deficit Widens to $18.5 Billion in Jan-June, Statistics Show

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-14 [Older] Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Has Secured $1.5 Billion From European Allies for US Weapons

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2025-08-14 [Older] Putin Praises 'Sincere' U.S. as Ukraine Braces for Cheeto Mussolini-Putin Summit

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Autumn is near but South Korea still in sweltering heat

    The authorities said September temperatures are expected to remain above seasonal norms.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan ex-lawmaker's son jailed for North Korea fuel shipments in collusion with Singaporean man

      He collaborated with Singaporean businessman Kwek Kee Seng to supply nearly 3,000 tonnes of fuel oil.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Korean pet funeral home accused of illegally putting down over 90 animals, most not seriously ill

      The owners brought their pets to the facility after they were turned away by veterinary clinics – or just to save money.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian opposition MP proposes renaming Rafflesia flower to break free of colonial past

      He said the flower was named after a man "without morals or ethics".

    • Minister hails landmark arrests in rhino horn syndicate crackdown

      South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has hailed the arrest of six suspects linked to a major international rhino horn trafficking syndicate as a decisive victory in the fight against wildlife crime.

• Finance

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ CIBanco, Intercam sell off assets as US extends bank sanction deadline

    It's been an action-packed week for CIBanco and Intercam, with news on U.S. sanctions, a lawsuit and the acquistion of bank assets by outside parties.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea imposes curbs on foreigners buying homes in Seoul

    The measures are aimed at countering speculation in the housing market.

  • New York Times ☛ Powell Is on the Cusp of Taking a Big Gamble With the U.S. Economy

    Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, is managing a high-stakes balancing act as he grapples with a cooling labor market, rising inflation and White House pressure to cut interest rates.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s Pooh-tin Jinping pushes development, ethnic unity in rare visit to Tibet

    President Pooh-tin Jinping attended a grand ceremony in Lhasa on Thursday during a rare visit to Tibet, where he urged “ethnic unity and religious harmony” in a region where China is accused of rights abuses.

  • ACLU ☛ I’m Hearing About More Pushback Against Flock, Fueled by Concern Over Anti-Immigrant Uses

    The Forrest Dump Administration’s targeting of immigrants, combined with growing awareness that ICE is making use of local automated license plate reader (ALPR) systems in the Convicted Felon Administration’s mass deportation efforts, appears to be adding to growing opposition to such driver-surveillance programs around the country.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thailand’s ex-PM Thaksin faces verdict in royal insult case

    He faces up to 15 years in prison if a court finds him guilty of breaching Thailand’s strict lese-majeste laws.

  • France24 ☛ 'Power of the regulator: Holding platforms to account when they potentially violate national laws'

    French streamer Raphaël Graven, 46, known as Jean Pormanove on social control media, died in southern France during a broadcast on the Kick livestreaming platform that had been running for more than 298 hours. A government minister said he had been “humiliated and mistreated for months" on air. His death has prompted soul-searching and a judicial investigation. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Peter O'Brien welcomes Cécile Simmons, Researcher specialising in digital harms.

  • New York Times ☛ F.B.I. Plans to Lower Recruiting Standards, Alarming Agents

    The plan appears to be part of a broader effort to shift the agency’s focus from tracking national security threats to fighting crime.

  • France24 ☛ Texas redraws congressional map: Stakes high for 2026 midterms

    Texas state representatives have approved a new congressional map that could help Republicans gain five seats in the 2026 midterms. While redistricting itself isn’t unusual, FRANCE 24s Kethevane Gorjestani notes this year’s plan is controversial for its timing and because it was explicitly requested by President The Insurrectionist, making the process unusually political.

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Quantum Leaps: The So-Called Whistleblower That Got NSA’s Top Mathematician Fired

    The claims submitted by the "whistleblower" behind Tulsi Gabbard's conspiracy theories about the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment are based off rumor, a misreading, and a big chip on his shoulder. But that didn't prevent them from leading to the firing of two key intelligence officials.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • France24 ☛ Macrons' defamation suit designed to 'deter' Owens from engaging in 'socially reprehensible conduct'

    In a dramatic legal salvo, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte have filed a landmark defamation suit in Delaware against far-right US commentator Candace Owens, accusing her of spreading a "verifiably false and devastating" conspiracy that Brigitte was born male. Through her eight-part podcast Becoming Brigitte, Owens amplified a widely debunked narrative from far-right circles,, triggering a high-stakes fight for truth, dignity, honour and millions in damages. FRANCE 24's François Picard welcomes Eric Lisann, Legal Analyst and former US Federal Prosecutor, to delve in deeper into an unprecedented transatlantic court case with all the makings of a telenovela.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China's Great Firewall blocked all traffic to a common HTTPS port for over an hour, severing connection to the outside world — with no hint as to its intention

    Forged TCP RST+ACK packets disrupted port 443, but not common ports like 22, 80 or 8443

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • RFA wins two National Murrow awards for Myanmar coverage

    Recognition comes as military junta and China dominate Burmese information space

  • Press Gazette ☛ Mirror headline claiming ‘six out of seven UK kids live in poverty’ was misleading, IPSO rules

    Child poverty rate only reached above 73% in one UK electoral ward.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Jimmy Lai’s lawyer grilled about tycoon’s vow to ‘not back down’ after security law

    Three handpicked judges presiding over the trial of Jimmy Lai have grilled his defence lawyer about the tycoon’s pledge to “not back down,” despite the 2020 enactment of the Beijing-imposed national security law.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • EDRI ☛ EDRi Annual Report 2024: Reinforcing digital rights and justice in uncertain times

    Read about EDRi’s work in 2024 to build an inclusive and equitable digital world. Last year, we witnessed massive changes in the political realm after the European elections in June, and resisted growing attacks on important digital rights legislation while staying rooted in our long-term vision for digital futures.

  • EDRI ☛ 16 countries burned Poland’s bridges on the CSA Regulation: What now?

    Poland’s surprising compromise to ease the deadlock on the CSA Regulation – which has been stuck in the Council of EU Member States for the past three years – met with failure. This blog recaps the Polish compromise, the positions of the Member States on the proposal, and it could mean for the future of one of the most criticised EU laws of all time.

  • JURIST ☛ Nebraska announces opening of immigration detention center

    Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen on Tuesday announced the opening of a new immigration detention center in the southwest corner of the state. Major General Craig Strong said that the move is an integral step in supporting “the president’s initiatives for homeland security.”

  • JURIST ☛ Rights group criticizes use of Hey Hi (AI) detection tools in the US for targeting pro-Palestine protestors

    Amnesty International on Thursday condemned US authorities’ usage of Palantir and Babel Street Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered surveillance tools to monitor immigrants and conduct indiscriminate targeting of non-citizens at pro-Palestinian protests occurring throughout the country.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ FTC warns tech companies not to weaken encryption, free speech practices for foreign governments

    Chair Ferguson cited the E.U.’s Digital Service Act and the U.K.’s Online Safety Act as statutes that incentivize U.S. tech companies “to censor speech, including speech outside of Europe.”

  • Public Knowledge ☛ New Public Knowledge Paper Proposes Child Online Safety Framework Protecting Kids, Free Expression

    New paper outlines how to prioritize making the internet safer and privacy-protective for everyone.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Weighing in on the Age Verification Debate: Risk-Based Approaches To Minimizing Harm for Child Users

    The worst online harms to children stem not simply from exposure to indecent content, but from design features that facilitate harmful interactions or compulsive use.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Privileged Conversations | Sept. 2025

    Public Knowledge is pleased to invite you to our Career Breakfast Series, a monthly program dedicated to training and developing the next generation of tech policy experts and public interest advocates. We believe the future of this field should reflect the diversity of voices and experiences in our society.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Hackaday ☛ Bad To The Bluetooth: You Shouldn’t Use This Jammer

    Back in the day, an FM bug was a handy way to make someone’s annoying radio go away, particularly if it could be induced to feedback. But these days you’re far more likely to hear somebody’s Bluetooth device blasting than you are an unruly FM radio.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Digital Music News ☛ U.S. Music Streaming Market Shares Are Remaining Steady in 2025 — But Savings-Minded Customers Are Embracing Group Plans, DMN Pro Data Shows

    Stateside streaming market shares have remained relatively steady to this point in 2025 – with Spotify, Fashion Company Apple Music, and Amazon Music accounting for a combined total of over 90% of U.S. subscribers. These and other valuable insights come from DMN Pro’s Streaming Music Subscriber Market Share database.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ No Fault for USTA: Federal Circuit Protects Non-Party Defenses against Attempted Default Slam

  The Federal Circuit has affirmed a district court's refusal to hold the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in contempt of a temporary restraining order, emphasizing that non-parties retain their right to defend against infringement allegations even when bound by injunctions against defaulting defendants. In Group One Ltd. v. GTE GmbH, 2024-1273 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 21, 2025), the court also reversed the district court's denial of mandatory post-judgment interest while affirming strict limits on damages awards in default judgment cases.

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Obviousness-Type Double Patenting: Challenging the Allergan First-Issued Safe Harbor

    A new en banc petition challenges the Federal Circuit's odd approach to double-patenting and patent monopoly term adjustment issues stemming from In re Cellect, 81 F.4th 1216 (Fed. Cir. 2023) and Allergan USA, Inc. v. MSN Laboratories Private Ltd., 111 F.4th 1358 (Fed. Cir. 2024).  As I discuss below, the new case is Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., No. 2024-1401 (Fed. Cir. 2025) and the patentee is the current winner -- but the patent monopoly challenger (MSN) believes that the court's ruling is improper because it insulates a PTA-extended patent monopoly from ODP invalidity based upon the Allergan exception - thereby allowing two obvious patents to coexist with different expiration dates, without restrictions on divided ownership, and effectively prolonging exclusivity. [Acadia v. Aurobindo Petition]

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Dyson and DLA land PI over Dreame hair stylers in UPC territory and Spain [Ed: UPC is illegal and unconstitutional; JUVE knows this, but gets paid to play along with it]

      Since the Düsseldorf local division’s judgment in FujiFilm vs Kodak, the UPC’s so-called long-arm jurisdiction has become one of the most discussed topics among patent monopoly experts. Initially, at the beginning of 2025, the Düsseldorf local division only indicated jurisdiction for one country outside the UPC territory, namely the UK.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: How Did These Three Section 2(d) Appeals Turn Out?

    Section 2(d) affirmances continue to run at about 90% this year (as usual). Here are three recent appeals. No hints this time. How do you think they came out? [Answer in first comment].

    In re Little Mexico LLC, Serial No. 98111934 (August 14, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Cheryl S. Goodman). [Section 2(d) refusal of the mark LITTLE MEXICO for "Take-out restaurant services" [MEXICO disclaimed] in view of the registered mark shown below, for "Restaurant and bar services; Restaurant services" [MEXICO and ESTABLISHED 1955 disclaimed.]

• Copyrights

  • Creative Commons ☛ Creative Commons Becomes an Official UNESCO NGO Partner

    UNESCO © 2025 by Brigitte Vézina is licensed under CC BY 4.0 We are proud to announce that we are now established as an official NGO partner to UNESCO (consultative status).

• Gemini* and Gopher

  • Personal/Opinions

    • layer of sweetness

      the place my mind wanders to
      has a layer of sweetness
      not present
      in the here and now
      so I follow its path
      I let it wander
      

    • in praise of eating beans

      For a while I ate beans as an act of defiance. I ate beans of anger for our factory farms. I ate beans of grief for our lost wildlife. I ate beans of contempt for our sick and frenzied culture. Beans were my middle finger, my act of contrition, my turning away.

      I was put on the path of bean eating by the example of noble bean eaters. Diogenes was heckled for his life of voluntary poverty with the words, "If you'd only learn to flatter the king, you wouldn't have to live on lentils." But he replied, "If you'd only learn to live on lentils, you wouldn't have to flatter the king."

      Democracy and free markets can also tyrannize. They can demand just as much in tribute from our integrity. In Thoreau's time, many Americans cried out against the injustice of slavery and the wars of expansion that would spread it into the west. But it is hard to cut loose from the system that feeds and clothes you. And people are compelled to finance wars.

  • Technology and Free Software

    • Software Releases/Announcements

      • Lagrange 1.18.8 released

        This is a patch release with the following fixes:

        * Reject Gemini responses that don't use an SP character (ASCII 32) as a separator, as required by the specification.

        * Fixed scrollbar color contrast in light mode.

        * Fixed line-shaped quote indicator on empty/short quote lines.