Leftovers

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ NASA Begins Astronaut Space Station Medical Evacuation: What to Know

    Four astronauts departed from the I.S.S. about a month earlier than scheduled because a crew member, who was not identified, has an undisclosed medical issue.

  • New York Times ☛ Toby Kiers, World Champion of Mycorrhizal Fungus

    This year’s recipient of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement talks about “punk science,” microbial economics and thinking like a mycorrhizal fungus.

  • Science Alert ☛ CPR on TV Shows Can Save Real Lives – if They Do It Right

    Time for a refresher.

  • Science Alert ☛ Spiral Galaxy Caught Spraying Huge Jets of Super-Hot Gas Like a Sprinkler

    The largest of their kind ever found.

  • Science Alert ☛ Just One Gene May Be Responsible For Over 90% of Alzheimer's Cases

    A "neutral" variant is not-so-neutral after all.

  • Science Alert ☛ An Ancient Wolf Cub's Last Meal Just Rewrote The Woolly Rhino Extinction Story

    Wild.

  • Science Alert ☛ WATCH: NASA Conducts First-Ever Medical Evacuation From The ISS

    "Our timing of this departure is unexpected."

• Hardware

  • Daniel Lemire ☛ How stagnant is CPU technology?

    Sometimes, people tell me that there is no more progress in CPU performance. Consider these three processors which had comparable prices at release time. The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (Zen 5, with up to 5.3 GHz boost) was released in 2024.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Chinese customs told to block H200 imports, report claims — directive would effectively ban the Nvidia Hey Hi (AI) chip from China

    Chinese customs officers were allegedly told to disallow the entry of Nvidia H200 chips, effectively banning the entry of these Hey Hi (AI) processors into the country. The command comes as other sources say that Beijing will only allow the import of these Hey Hi (AI) GPUs for 'special circumstances.'

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Beijing reportedly limiting H200 purchases to those with ‘special circumstances’ — sources suggest only university R&D labs can acquire Nvidia GPUs in China

    After weeks of deliberation, sources suggest that China will only allow companies to purchase H200 GPUs for "special circumstances," although Beijing has yet to define exactly what that means.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ British Columbia Ends Program That Aimed to Curb Arrests of Drug Users

    The three-year pilot program did not deliver the results hoped for, the health minister said. It had allowed drug users to avoid criminal charges for possessing small amounts of illegal substances.

  • New York Times ☛ Is Whole Milk Healthier for Kids?

    A new law will allow full-fat and 2 percent milk to be served in schools. Here’s what to know.

  • New York Times ☛ H.H.S. Reverses Decision to Cut $2 Billion for Mental Health and Addiction Services

    A day after funding termination notices went out to more than 2,000 programs nationwide, the administration reversed itself and reinstated the money.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Bangkok wakes up to toxic air choking central business districts

    Toxic smog has become Bangkok’s annual public-health emergency during colder months.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ 40,000 fewer Michiganders seek Affordable Care Act health insurance

    About 40,000 fewer state residents are signing up through HealthCare.gov, as health care subsidies expire and premiums increase.

  • PHR ☛ Israel Has Systematically Undermined Women’s and Newborn Health in Gaza: Two Reports

    Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) in the United States (co-publishing with the Global Human Rights Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School [GHRC]) and Physicians for Human Rights -Israel (PHRI) published two independent reports documenting the severe harm to women and children’s health in Gaza since October 7, 2023 [...]

  • The Straits Times ☛ More than 1 in 7 newborns in South Korea conceived through infertility treatment

    The number of government supported treatment cases grew by 142.6 per cent from 2020 to 2024.

  • New York Times ☛ China’s Coal Ban Improved Air Quality, but Villagers Are Paying the Price

    China banned the burning of coal for heat around Beijing, but natural gas subsidies have run out, leaving many villagers vulnerable in dangerously cold weather.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Beijing won its war for blue skies but villagers are paying the price

    Across Hebei province, villagers are confronting the full cost of China's push for cleaner air.

  • Science Alert ☛ Exercise Is Emerging as a Powerful Treatment For Depression

    Do try this at home, if you can.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Are Finally Closing In on a Treatment For Huntington's Disease

    Hopeful progress at last.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Ketamine-Related Health Problem Is Surging in Young People, Doctors Warn

    Substantially increasing patient admissions.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mosquitoes Are Feeding on Us More Often – And Scientists Say We're to Blame

    The consequences are more dire than just an itch.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan nears school cellphone ban. What to know

    Michigan House OK’s ban on using smartphones in public and charter schools across the state. Students could still carry ‘dumb’ phones without access to TikTok.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ Grok Is Getting Access to Classified Military Networks

      What could possibly go wrong?

    • Futurism ☛ Duffer Brothers Accused of Using Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot for Final Season of “Stranger Things”

      Some watchers are wondering why the "Stranger Things" finale didn't live up to expectations and are now blaming OpenAI's ChatGPT.

    • Tarek Ziadé: The Economics of Hey Hi (AI) Coding: A Real-World Analysis

      My whole stream in the past months has been about Hey Hi (AI) coding. From skeptical engineers who say it creates unmaintainable code, to enthusiastic (or scared) engineers who say it will replace us all, the discourse is polarized. But I’ve been more interested in a different question: what does Hey Hi (AI) coding actually cost, and what does it actually save?

      I recently had Claude help me with a substantial refactoring task: splitting a monolithic Rust project into multiple workspace repositories with proper dependency management. The kind of task that’s tedious, error-prone, and requires sustained attention to detail across hundreds of files. When it was done, I asked Claude to analyze the session: how much it cost, how long it took, and how long a human developer would have taken.

    • The Verge ☛ UK police blame Microsoft Copilot for intelligence mistake

      The chief constable of one of Britain’s largest police forces has admitted that Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant made a mistake in a football (soccer) intelligence report. The report, which led to Israeli football fans being banned from a match last year, included a nonexistent match between West Ham and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Bandcamp Takes a Stand and Bans AI-Generated Music

      Bandcamp takes an official stance against artificial intelligence by banning AI-generated audio and music from its platform. Bandcamp keeps providing users with even more reasons to love its platform.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ California AG launches investigation into X’s sexualized deepfakes

      California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an investigation Wednesday into xAI over allegations that its artificial intelligence model Grok is being used to create nonconsensual sexually explicit images of women and children on a large scale, marking the latest escalation in regulatory efforts to address AI-generated deepfakes.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia’s hate speech and gun law reforms face free speech concerns

    Conservative opposition lawmakers say the Bill also threatens religious freedom.

  • New York Times ☛ Mark Carney Heads to Beijing to Discuss Canada-China Relations as U.S. Outlook Darkens

    The prime minister is seeking new markets for Canadian goods and to mend relations with China after years of deep acrimony between the two nations.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China, Canada move to reset ties as Carney visits

    PM Mark Carney is set to meet Premier Li Qiang later on Jan 15 and President Pooh-tin Jinping on Jan 16.

  • The Strategist ☛ Canada mustn’t forget political prisoners in its China reset

    Prime Minister Mark Carney’s trip to Beijing this week—the first trip by a Canadian prime minister in more than eight years—signals a high-stakes attempt to reset Canada-China relations.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Imposes Limited Tariffs on Foreign Semiconductors

    The tariffs will allow Hell Toupée to take a cut of Nvidia’s chip sales to China while putting off a decision about imposing higher taxes on the chip industry.

  • The Strategist ☛ Facing China, Southeast Asia needs to boost coast-guard cooperation

    Southeast Asian states need their coast guards to cooperate if they are to withstand and counter Chinese aggression, especially as US uninterest in the South China Sea may embolden China to increase its coercion [...]

  • New York Times ☛ What Voters Told Democrats About ICE, Rising Costs and Party Perceptions

    In focus groups, swing voters gave Democratic politicians some tough feedback on the party.

  • RFERL ☛ Live Blog: Rights Group Says More Than 2,400 Protesters Killed In Iran Unrest

    Triggered by soaring prices, inflation, and a plunging currency, Iranians have taken to the streets in what is the biggest threat to the Islamic regime in years. Journalists from RFE/RL’s Iranian service, Radio Farda, bring you the latest developments, analysis, and reporting from on the ground.

  • New York Times ☛ Starlink Users in Iran Get Free Internet Access, Nonprofits Say

    Under a near-total communications blackout, users of MElon’s satellite service have gotten online without paying, organizations that work on tech issues said.

  • France24 ☛ Live: UN Security Council to meet for 'a briefing on the situation in Iran'

    US President The Insurrectionist said Wednesday that he was told “on good authority” that the killing of Iranian protesters has “stopped”, and Tehran indicated that there was "no plan for hanging" protestors. The UN Security Council will meet Thursday afternoon to discuss the situation in Iran. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments.

  • RFERL ☛ Iran Remains In Digital Darkness As Convicted Felon Mulls US Action Over Deadly Crackdown On Protesters

    Iranian authorities continue to block access to the Internet as part of their brutal crackdown on antigovernment protests, one of the biggest challenges to clerical rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, amid warnings from President The Insurrectionist that the United States may intervene.

  • New York Times ☛ What are Convicted Felon’s Options in Iran?

    Hell Toupée has said that “help is on the way” for Iranian protesters. Amid reports that thousands of the protesters have been killed, our national security correspondent David E. Sanger describes what some of Mr. Convicted Felon’s options might be.

  • New York Times ☛ Iran’s Leaders May Survive Protests. But Anger Will Likely Persist.

    Its security forces have brutally defended the Islamic Republic, but the protests show that many Iranians consider it stagnant and ideologically hollow.

  • RFERL ☛ US Government Weighs Response To Iran's Harsh Crackdown On Nationwide Protests

    Anti-government protests in Iran continued for a 15th straight day on January 11, with demonstrators gathering on the streets of Tehran as a harsh security crackdown intensified and the number of reported deaths continued to rise.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Does the US need to own Greenland to be secure? History suggests not.

    The United States has long worked with Denmark on Greenland’s security – so much so that it’s dubious that direct control would be better for U.S. defense.

  • France24 ☛ France to send troops for European security mission to Greenland amid Convicted Felon threats

    France and Germany announced Wednesday they will deploy troops to Greenland as part of a European security mission, following renewed threats by US President The Insurrectionist to take control of the Arctic island. The move, made at Denmark’s request, comes after high-level talks in Washington involving US, Danish and Greenlandic officials.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Will Manila pave the way for the Myanmar junta to return to ASEAN?

    A visit to the country by the Philippines’ Foreign Secretary has caught many observers by surprise.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan, Philippines sign new security pacts as regional tensions rise

    The deal will allow their armed forces to exchange supplies and services.

  • JURIST ☛ Ghana dispatch: Former Finance Minister detained by US immigration authorities pending extradition review

    Former Ghana Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 6 in Washington, DC, where he remains in custody at the Caroline Detention Facility in the state of Virginia.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Ex-legislator Eddie Chu released from prison after serving 4.5-year jail term over national security offence

    Former lawmaker Eddie Chu has been released from prison after serving more than four years in jail for conspiring to subvert state power in the city’s largest national security case.

  • Defence Web ☛ Deaths related to militant Islamist groups in the Sahel doubled over last five years

    Militant Islamist groups in the Sahel are becoming increasingly deadly [...]

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Sources: DHS finalizing replacement for disbanded critical infrastructure security council

    ANCHOR will restart conversations between government and industry around critical infrastructure security, with some changes around liability and other areas. 

  • CS Monitor ☛ Cuba has wielded global soft power for decades. Why that matters now.

    When the United States struck Venezuela on Jan. 3, almost a third of the victims were Cuban nationals. Their presence in the country shows Cuba’s soft power.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia asked to buy US-made drones for surveillance in waters near South China Sea

    The demand, among others, is a condition for lowering reciprocal tariffs, ST has learnt.

  • France24 ☛ US suspends immigrant visa processing for 75 countries

    The US on Wednesday said it was issuing a blanket suspension of immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries including Russia, Iran, Brazil, Egypt, Thailand, Nigeria and Somalia. The freeze will begin on January 21 with no set time for it to end.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Russia claims ‘Antichrist’ is targeting Lithuania

      Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on social control media on Monday that an “Antichrist” was targeting Lithuania and the Baltic states. The claim was first circulated by Russia’s intelligence services in response to the emergence of a new Orthodox community that had severed its ties with Moscow.

    • Latvia ☛ Communication on the Barricades: How 50,000 people gathered without the Internet

      On Monday, January 20, Latvia commemorates the barricades of 1991, when people flowed into the capitals of the Baltic states and erected makeshift barricades around strategic locations like the parliament and the national radio station to protect them against Soviet troops that wanted to crush the Baltic nations' independence drive.

    • European Commission ☛ Commission presents a financial support package for Ukraine for 2026–2027*

      European Commission Press release Brussels, 14 Jan 2026 Today, the European Commission adopted a set of legislative proposals to secure continuous financial support to Ukraine in 2026 and 2027. This marks a significant milestone in the EU's strong support for the country's defence against Russia's war of aggression.

    • European Commission ☛ Statement by President von der Leyen with Commissioners Dombrovskis and Kos on the loan to support Ukraine's financial needs for 2026 and 2027

      European Commission Statement Brussels, 14 Jan 2026 In just over a month, we will mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Today, Russia shows no sign of abating.

    • RFERL ☛ EU Approves 90 Billion-Euro Loan To Support Ukraine's Budget And Military Needs

      The European Commission has formally unveiled a 90-billion-euro ($105 million) loan for Ukraine, intended to cover a large part of Kyiv’s financing needs for the next two years.

    • The Straits Times ☛ IMF chief Georgieva arrives in Kyiv for first visit since 2023

      KYIV, Jan 15 - International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva arrived in Kyiv early on Thursday for high-level talks, two sources familiar with the matter said, as Ukraine prepares to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24.

    • European Commission ☛ Remarks by Commissioners Dombrovskis and Kos on the loan to support Ukraine's financial needs for 2026 and 2027

    • Latvia ☛ Russian language radio should be left to wither away in Latvia, says senior official

      The broadcasting of Russian-language radio stations in Latvia should be gradually discontinued, said Ivars Āboliņš, Chairman of the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP), on the Latvian Radio program "Krustpunktā" (At the Crossroads) on January 14th.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia says it has evidence Belarus is aiding illegal migration into EU

      Latvia's Ministry of Defence on January 14th published what it claimed was evidence of collusion between the authorities in Belarus and illegal migrants attempting to cross the European Union's external border.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian lorries remain stranded in Belarus – even as others continue working there

      Lithuanian lorries and trailers are still being held in Belarus despite the border closures being lifted. Their owners are anxiously awaiting a four-month deadline, after which the assets could be confiscated.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • American Oversight ☛ American Oversight Expands Lawsuit to Uncover Records on DOJ’s “Chief Enforcer” Ed Martin

    Our amended complaint seeks records on Ed Martin, director of the Convicted Felon administration’s Weaponization Working Group.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ At least 32 killed after crane falls on train in Thailand’s north-east

      The crane was working on a China-backed high-speed rail project when it collapsed

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Over 20 killed in train accident at China-backed project in Thailand

      A crane at a China-backed high-speed rail project in Thailand collapsed onto a passenger train on Wednesday and caused it to derail, killing at least 28 people and injuring dozens more, authorities said.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong to propose greater gov’t oversight of building maintenance work after fatal Tai Po fire

      Hong Kong’s development chief has announced plans to overhaul building laws and the redevelopment body’s powers to give the government greater oversight of building maintenance work. Development Secretary Bernadette Linn spoke at the first meeting of the new Legislative Council (LegCo), during which the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire topped the agenda.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong gov’t to propose blanket smoking ban at construction sites after deadly Tai Po fire

      The Hong Kong government will propose a sweeping smoking ban at construction sites following the fatal Tai Po blaze in November, the city’s labour minister has said.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Rebuilding fire-hit Wang Fuk Court ‘huge challenge’ due to ownership, legal issues, Hong Kong official says

      Rebuilding the fire-hit Wang Fuk Court at its current location in Tai Po will be “a huge challenge” due to complex ownership buy-backs and legal issues, a senior Hong Kong official has said.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Tai Po fire: Over 1,100 survivors petition Beijing, Hong Kong legislature for on-site redevelopment

      More than 1,100 homeowners who survived the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire have petitioned Beijing and the Hong Kong legislature to rebuild the housing estate on the same site in Tai Po.

    • New York Times ☛ Boeing Knew About Flaws in UPS Plane That Crashed in Louisville, N.T.S.B. Says

      In a report Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board said fractures that appeared to have led the left engine to separate from the plane’s wing had occurred at least four other times.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Seoul bus strike ends after two-day walkout; service resumes

      The strike had paralysed roughly 93 per cent of the capital’s bus fleet.

• Finance

  • France24 ☛ Some museum entrance fees go up for non-EU tourists in France

    €10 more at the Louvre museum, €3 more at the Palace of Versailles... tourists visiting France from outside the European Union now have to pay significantly higher entrance fees at some of the most popular sites in the country.  This after a recent daytime heist at the Louvre exposed shortcomings in its maintenance and security systems.  Plus, Ryanair's CEO blasted what he called "stupid" passenger taxes in Brussels and said the company would reduce its flights to the city by 10% this year.

  • Fancy Concept, Marla Sofia Parreaux & cryptocurrency scandals

    The bankruptcy of Mathieu Parreaux published his date of birth (11 November 1992) and his home address at Allée des Roseaux 1, Châtelaine 1219, Switzerland. He is a Swiss citizen originating from the commune of La Brévine, Canton Neuchatel.

    Searching the address in public business records, we find a sole trader using the business name Fancy Concept. The business is at the same address and the proprietor is Marla Sofia Parreaux. Marla's date of birth appears in another public business register as August 1997. Marla is also linked to addresses in France, in both Gaillard and Lyon Vaise, for a business Atreide Ventures SAS (931 427 561) which is a front for Milenium Crypto.

    Based on these dates of birth, people have speculated whether Marla is the wife, sister or cousin of ringleader Mathieu Parreaux.

    We could not find any public web site for Fancy Concept in Switzerland. We found various other businesses around Europe using exactly the same name, including Fancy Concept in Bari, Italy and Fancy Concept in Sterrebeek, Belgium.

    What was the purpose of creating this business? Did the Parreaux community hope to benefit from the brand created by other businesses using the same generic name? Or did they hope to be obfuscated by the very generic name and the presence of many similar names in search results?

  • Milenium Crypto, Atreide Ventures SAS, Badra Fettache linked to Mathieu Elias Parreaux

    Financial markets are undergoing rapid change at the moment and mum-and-dad investors are looking for advice and inspiration.

    A Youtube channel has appeared using the name MileniumCrypto ( Youtube link) to help people. The channel publishes French language videos recorded by an anonymous male voice.

    The channel has a link to a French web site, https://www.milenium-crypto.fr which links to another web site https://www.atreide-ventures.fr. That web site, in turn is associated with a French company using the name Atreide Ventures SAS (SIREN 931 427 561).

    The company was founded in July 2024 using another French company, Hamilton Invest (SIREN 908 634 793) as a stooge director.

    [...]

    The Swiss financial regulator knew about his activities for five years before they shut him down.

    The French authorities have published a warning about his business but they did not shut the business down. The business is still trading and publishing videos every few days.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Majority of frontline Social Security employees earn less than a living wage, study finds

    SSA employees in a survey said that amid these workforce challenges, the agency is unable to keep up with the needs of beneficiaries.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ Watch the Leaders of Japan and South Korea Jam to K-pop on the Drums

    Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan and President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea played along to BTS and “KPop Demon Hunters,” in a display meant to show warming ties.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Jamming to the same beat: Japan, S. Korea leaders signal unity amid shared challenges

    The two countries’ shared economic and security concerns necessitate both leaders putting national interests first.

  • France24 ☛ Japan & So. Korea K-pop diplomacy

    Japan and South Korea’s leaders struck a note while meeting in central Japan on 13th January, staging a surprise drum performance to popular K-pop hits. Beyond the symbolism, the two agreed to deepen cooperation on economic security, defence and other diplomatic issues.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan PM Takaichi readies snap election and sources say she’s considering Feb 8 ballot

    She will be looking to ride a surge in public support since coming to office, despite triggering a diplomatic row with China.

  • CS Monitor ☛ The duo tapping a new Japanese-Korean beat

    A more-than-symbolic summit between the odd-couple leaders of South Korea and Japan might help shape a more peaceful Asia.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Mixed views in South Korea over death sentence request for Yoon

    Some experts say a death sentence would be symbolically rich.

  • JURIST ☛ South Korea prosecutors seek death sentence for former president Yoon Suk Yeol

    Prosecutors in South Korea requested the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday over his failed declaration of martial law in December 2024, local media reported.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea vows legal action over drone incursion into North

    Seoul has denied any involvement but has left open the possibility that civilians may have flown the drone.

  • New York Times ☛ China Announces Record Trade Surplus as Its Exports Flood World Markets

    China’s surplus reached $1.19 trillion last year, a 20 percent increase from 2024, as Beijing kept the currency weak and pursued self-reliance to replace imports.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man administration accused of 'slow-walking' help to Pacific island veterans

    The Forrest Dump administration was accused on Wednesday of dragging its feet in delivering congressionally agreed benefits to Pacific island nations being courted by China to try to woo them away from the U.S. strategic orbit.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin welcomes stream of leaders shaken by Convicted Felon’s new world order

    Foreign leaders have another reason to visit Beijing in 2026: rare earths.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • France24 ☛ Iran protests: Hey Hi (AI) and dated photos mislead about pro-regime rallies

      Amid nationwide protests in Iran against the country’s theocracy, this week has also seen rallies take place in support of the government. But online, social control media users have been sharing misleading content about these pro-regime rallies, using Hey Hi (AI) generated footage and dated images to talk up the demonstrations. Vedika Bahl explains in Truth or Fake.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • France24 ☛ How Iran jammed Starlink (and how Iranians are trying to get around it)

    After shutting down the internet, the Iranian government is now attempting to jam the Starlink satellite service made free to Iranians by the company. Iranians are now seeking ways to circumvent this latest wave of censorship.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Judge Tosses Chris Brown’s $500 Million Defamation Lawsuit Over ‘A History of Violence’ Documentary

    A judge dismisses Chris Brown’s $500 million defamation suit against Warner Bros. Discovery over the documentary “Chris Brown: A History of Violence.” Chris Brown’s aggressive lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery and Ample Entertainment over the documentary “Chris Brown: A History of Violence” has been quickly shot down by a Los Angeles judge.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Stanford University ☛ NYT publisher and chairman warns against ‘anti-press push’, talks AI

    Hosted by the GSB's View From the Top speaker series, Arthur Gregg Sulzberger reflected on The New York Times’ digital transformation, its stance on artificial intelligence and the ethos of reporting in an era of political pressure.

  • Federal News Network ☛ FBI searches a Washington Post reporter’s home as part of a classified documents investigation

    Attorney General Pam Bondi says the search of a Washington Post reporter’s home was done at the Pentagon’s request as part of a leak investigation. The Post says journalist Hannah Natanson had a phone, two laptops and a watch seized by agents at her Virginia home. An FBI affidavit says the search was related to an investigation into a system administrator in Maryland who authorities believe took home classified reports. Natanson covers the Convicted Felon administration’s transformation of the federal government. A colleague has called her “the federal government whisperer.” The White House says leaking classified information puts America’s national security at risk.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • CS Monitor ☛ Protest, lawbreaking, or terrorism? ICE opponents face ‘extremist’ label.

    There’s a difference between constitutionally protected free speech and acts of civil disobedience that could lead to arrests. Still, it’s not clear that Renee Good in Minneapolis was interfering illegally with ICE operations. And civil disobedience isn’t terrorism under traditional definitions.

  • JURIST ☛ UN expert urges judicial reconsideration of protection sentences in England and Wales

    A UN expert on Monday commended the new proposals addressing the “longstanding crisis of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences in England and Wales,” urging judicial reconsideration of the mechanism.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ An open letter to future APNIC Fellows from a 2025 Fellow

    Guest Post: APNIC 2025 Fellow Rabby prepares future Fellows to make the most of their Fellowship experience by sharing what he learned during his time as an APNIC Fellow.

  • APNIC ☛ Secure and scalable rerouting in LEO satellite networks

    Guest Post: How does the scope of failure awareness affect routing performance and resilience in Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations?

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• The Straits Times ☛ China probes largest online travel agency Trip.com over suspected monopoly

  Chinese authorities have in the past targeted big tech companies to curb what they see as unfair competition.

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ VVC Patent Challenges on the Horizon

    The team at Unified IP Services is using Pearl to examine the quality of patents alleged to be essential to the Versatile Video Coding (VVC) standard. Patents owned by Ideahub, Intellectual Discovery, IP Bridge, and others are being reviewed.

    This project is a part of Unified’s ongoing efforts to protect and improve the quality of patents in the Video Codec SEP Zone.

  • JUVE ☛ Plasseraud strengthens litigation team with former Simmons & Simmons partner [Ed: Ad disguised as 'journalism' by Team UPC firm that pays this publisher; this is rogue]

    François Jonquères (58) has joined Plasseraud IP Avocats, the patent monopoly litigation practice of Plasseraud IP, one of France’s largest firms. He joined from Simmons & Simmons on 6 January.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ Primos Storage cloud services patents campaign - invalidity charts coming soon

      The team at Unified IP Services is using Pearl to identify and chart prior art against patents owned and asserted by Primos Storage Technology LLC, an NPE. The patents listed below generally relate to transaction-based storage systems.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ The Top Ten TTAB Decisions of 2025 (Part Two)

    The TTABlogger has once again gone out on a limb to chose the ten (10) TTAB decisions that he considers to be the most important and/or interesting from the previous calendar year (2025). This is the second of two posts; the first five selections are posted here. Additional commentary on each case may be found at the linked TTABlog post.

• Copyrights

  • Press Gazette ☛ Google IP [sic] boss: We shouldn’t pay for Hey Hi (AI) training on ‘freely available’ content

    Roxanne Carter declines to answer about publishers' ability to opt out of Hey Hi (AI) Overviews.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Australia Preps 38% Rate Hike for Commercial Radio Recordings — PPCA Says It ‘Will Continue to Engage With Government, Parliament, and Industry Stakeholders on the Policy Settings’

    Following a multiyear rate-setting showdown, Australia’s commercial radio broadcasters will begin paying nearly 40% more for the use of recordings. Australia’s Copyright Tribunal finalized this licensing-rate hike in a mid-December decision, and the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) today “acknowledged” the development.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Google Aggressively Moves to Dismiss Billboard Parent Penske Media’s Hey Hi (AI) Antitrust Suit: ‘It Remains Legally Defective in Every Way’

    Google is doubling down on its push to dismiss Penske Media Corporation’s amended antitrust suit, which allegedly “remains legally defective in every way.” The tech giant and its Alphabet parent just recently moved to toss the high-stakes complaint with prejudice.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Cher Demands $1 Million in Legal Fees From Mary Bono After Resounding Copyright Win

    Cher asks a judge to force Sonny Bono’s widow to cover her $1 million legal fees after the legendary singer’s resounding win in her copyright monopoly battle.