Leftovers

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ Appeals Court Upholds Prohibition on Convicted Felon’s Medical Research Cuts

    The ruling on Monday upheld a lower court’s judgment in April that the Convicted Felon administration could not drastically slash funding from the National Institutes of Health.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ RFK Jr. Scales Back the Number of Vaccines Recommended for Children

    Federal health officials now recommend that children be routinely inoculated against 11 diseases, not 17, citing standards in other wealthy nations.

  • France24 ☛ US scraps universal child vaccine guidance, drawing expert concern

    On Monday, the US government rolled back decades of childhood vaccination guidance, a move that comes amid broader efforts by the Convicted Felon administration’s Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reshape immunisation policy. Public health experts warn the change could leave children vulnerable to preventable diseases and hospitalisations.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan sits on $35M fund to improve nursing homes. It’s largely unused

    A $35 million fund could help pay for activities and services in nursing homes, but some say red tape makes the dollars not worth the time to apply.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Choosing a nursing home can be tough; these tips can help

    Too often, the choice of a nursing home isn’t really a choice; it’s about the first available bed after an unexpected health crisis. But for consumers who have time, there are tips for finding one with the best odds for quality care and a high quality of life.

  • Federal News Network ☛ The mineral deficiency in America’s economic health

    We are exceedingly reliant on foreign suppliers for critical minerals; this dependency puts America on its back foot.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Abuse, neglect common in Michigan nursing homes — and no one is coming to help

    A Bridge investigation finds 5,900 cases of abuse, neglect or care woes at state nursing homes, including nearly three dozen deaths. Advocates say change is needed, but no reform is pending in Lansing.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan doctors criticize changes to US childhood vaccination schedule

    The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reducing the number of shots it recommends for American kids. Michigan public health experts say the decision is ‘not based on science.’

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean leader Lee snaps Pooh-tin selfie with Chinese ‘backdoor’ phone

      The Chinese leader joked at their last meeting that the device might be capable of spying.

  • Confidentiality

    • Wladimir Palant ☛ Analysis of PPPP “encryption”

      My first article on the PPPP protocol already said everything there was to say about PPPP “encryption”: [...]

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Maduro Pleads Not Guilty

    Also, health officials scaled back the number of vaccines recommended for children. Here’s the latest at the end of Monday.

  • New Yorker ☛ Special Episode: After Maduro’s Ouster, What Are Convicted Felon’s Plans for Venezuela?

    The President says the United States will “run” Venezuela. What that entails—and how far Convicted Felon will go in the country and in the broader region—remains unclear.

  • New York Times ☛ For Many Jan. 6 Rioters, a Pardon From Convicted Felon Wasn’t Enough

    Some pardoned rioters have been rearrested. Others returned to poverty and mental health challenges. And many became consumed by resentment and demands for payback.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ 'Coalition of the willing' to gather in Paris to revive Ukraine peace talks

      European and US leaders will meet in Paris on Tuesday in a renewed push to end the war in Ukraine, with discussions focused on security guarantees and a near-finalised peace plan even as Russian strikes overnight killed civilians on Monday and underscored the urgency of diplomacy.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian, German ministers say regime change in Venezuela may lead to ‘positive change’

      Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys insisted Monday that US actions in Venezuela, including military strikes in Caracas and the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro, cannot be compared to Russia’s crimes against Ukraine. His German counterpart Johann Wadephul said this could lead to “a positive change” in the South American country.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian FM calls Maduro illegitimate, rejects comparisons between US and Russia

      Following the US military operation in Caracas and the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said his country does not recognise Maduro as legitimate president.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ The US capture of Maduro reveals Russia’s weakness

      The Kremlin’s muted response to the Venezuelan strongman’s ouster reveals a Russia limited in its capabilities and constrained in its diplomatic leverage.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan sees Convicted Felon’s arrest of Maduro as helpful in deterring Xi

      Some say the strike signals a tougher US stance towards countries with close ties to China and Russia.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s Foray Into Venezuela Could Embolden Russia’s and China’s Own Aggression

      While both countries were allied with Nicolás Maduro, the U.S. attack could give them justification to use force in other spheres, analysts said.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Once Offered U.S. Control of Venezuela for Free Rein in Ukraine

      The exchange offer was recounted at the time in congressional testimony by Fiona Hill, who ran Russian and European affairs on the National Security Council during the first Convicted Felon administration.

    • RFERL ☛ Western Leaders To Meet Zelenskyy In Paris To Discuss Ukraine's Future Amid Peace Push

      Officials from the more than 30 Western countries of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” that support Kyiv in its battle with Russia will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on January 6 to fine tune a peace proposal aimed at ending Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Prepares For Crucial European Talks Amid Deadly Russian Attacks

      After months of uncertain progress, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his government will this week focus on European allies in two meetings in hopes of "hastening the end" of Russia's war on his country.

    • New York Times ☛ Zelensky Taps High-Profile Canadian Politician as Economic Adviser

      Ukraine’s president appointed Chrystia Freeland, a former deputy prime minister of Canada, to a role in which she would advise on postwar reconstruction, if peace talks are successful.

    • Latvia ☛ Russia moans because Latvia didn't let its 'neutral' luge team in

      A World Cup event in luge sport took place at the track in Sigulda, Latvia over the weekend, but without the participation of Russian sliders, although a recent decision of the International Luge Federation (FIL) would theoretically have allowed them to compete as so-called 'neutral' athletes.

    • LRT ☛ Former intel official: Baltic Sea cable damage ‘result of coinciding factors’, not Russia

      The former deputy director of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, Andres Vosman, who spent the last five years analyzing intelligence on Russia, told Eesti Ekspress that recent Baltic cable damage is not hybrid warfare but a coincidence.

    • LRT ☛ Why are so many leaders warning of war with Russia?

      The polite applause faded and NATO chief Mark Rutte arranged his papers neatly on the rostrum. It took him 62 seconds to get to the point.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Russia sees opportunity in thawing Arctic. But it’s looking for partners, too.

      Russia is ramping up efforts to take advantage of the opening Arctic, both through military and economic means, and through international cooperation.

    • New York Times ☛ Global Ripples From Venezuela

      It’s only been days since the U.S. raid, but it already feels like the world is living in a new reality. China and Russia are watching.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Maybe it’s time we started hiring American generals?’ Russia’s pro-war bloggers on the U.S. operation in Venezuela — Meduza

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim inspects memorial for soldiers who died in Russia mission

      North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described the dead soldiers as “heroes".

    • The Straits Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man warns of higher tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases

      Dihydroxyacetone Man is escalating pressure on India as trade talks remain inconclusive.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese, South Korean companies sign nine cooperation agreements

    The deals were inked amid a second meeting between the South Korean and Chinese leaders in just two months.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • PostgreSQL ☛ Welcoming three new members to the PostgreSQL Community Code of Conduct Committee

    The PostgreSQL Community Code of Conduct Committee welcomes three new members:

    Semab Tariq, Senior PostgreSQL Consultant at Stormatics, bringing over 8 years of experience in DevOps, software packaging, and machine learning. He began his career as a DevOps Engineer, focusing on the packaging of numerous PostgreSQL-related tools. His contributions include building and releasing PostgreSQL community installers for Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as PgAdmin installers during his tenure at 2ndQuadrant and later at EnterpriseDB. Semab is an active member of the PostgreSQL community. He frequently speaks at international PostgreSQL conferences, writes technical blogs, and conducts webinars to share his expertise.

  • ACLU ☛ How to Give the Government New Power to “Un-Person” Someone, in Three Easy Steps

    The big push for state digital driver's licenses that we’ve been warning about is effectively a movement to increase the power of big companies and government to control individuals. One feature of the licenses most states are adopting that may prove to be particularly dangerous is revocation — how and when people’s IDs can be canceled.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • ACLU ☛ How a COVID-era Law Banning ‘Fake News’ in Puerto Rico Targets the Press

    In the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Puerto Rico passed a law attempting to ban “fake news,” two journalists feared the ban would open them to prosecutions against their reporting that was critical of the government, its officials, or their emergency response measures. Under the law, anyone accused could face up to three years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • Zimbabwe ☛ eSIM in Zim: How to Get It, Limits, What Happens If You Lose Your Phone

      At the moment, eSIMs are issued in-store.

      For both Econet and NetOne, you need to visit one of their shops to get an eSIM. This is similar to registering or replacing the normal physical SIM card you’re used to.

      You’ll need ID to confirm you are who you say you are, after which you will get a QR code to scan on your phone to activate the eSIM.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • USPTO Forms Working Group to Bolster SEP Owner Rights [sic]

    On December 29, the US Patent and Trademark Office (US{TO) announced the formation of what it described as a “Standard-Essential Patent Working Group to renew American leadership in technology standards.”

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Quarterly Index: October - December 2025