News gathered 2023-12-23
(date: 2023-12-23 11:21:33)
Don’t look ahead. Look sideways as you climb the hill.
date: 2023-12-23, from: Jonudell blog
I do a lot more cycling in Sonoma County, California than was possible in Cheshire County, New Hampshire. The Mediterranean climate here, which enables me to ride year-round, is a blessing for my mental and physical well-being. And because the topography is even more rugged, I’m doing more climbing that ever. Yesterday, Luann dropped me … Continue reading Don’t look ahead. Look sideways as you climb the hill.
https://blog.jonudell.net/2023/12/23/dont-look-ahead-look-sideways-as-you-climb-the-hill/ Save to Pocket
It’s good to be back
date: 2023-12-23, from: Status-Q blog
We’re spending a week around Christmas in a cottage in the Lake District. It’s very wet, very windy, and as beautiful as ever.
https://statusq.org/archives/2023/12/23/11890/ Save to Pocket
SCV Water shares support for major state water plans
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Signal
The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency pledged its support this week for the approval of a massive statewide infrastructure project intended to increase the water supply and reliability for millions of people throughout California. The Department of Water Resources certified the final environmental impact report, or EIR, Thursday for the Delta Conveyance Project, a modernization […]
The post SCV Water shares support for major state water plans appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/scv-water-shares-support-for-major-state-water-plans/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2023-12-23, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
The race to understand ‘immune amnesia.’
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211112-the-people-with-immune-amnesia Save to Pocket
A Christmas card
date: 2023-12-23, from: Logic Matters blog
Angels by Benozzo Gozzoli, from his quite wonderful murals in the Magi Chapel of the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi. Who would have thought that the familiar words, “With every good wish for a happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year”, would have taken on such new weight over the last couple of years. Grim times. So even …
The post A Christmas card appeared first on Logic Matters.
https://www.logicmatters.net/2023/12/23/a-christmas-card-12/ Save to Pocket
Pac-12 MBB preview: Our picks for the all-conference teams, postseason award winners and March Madness bids
date: 2023-12-23, from: San Jose Mercury News
The best team, Arizona, doesn’t have the best player. Point guard KJ Simpson plays for Colorado.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/23/pac-12-mbb-preview-our-picks-for-the-all-conference-teams-postseason-award-winners-and-march-madness-bids/ Save to Pocket
Fire breaks out at strip mall
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Signal
A fire broke out at a strip mall on the 25800 block of Tournament Road early Saturday morning, according to Martin Rangel, supervising fire dispatcher for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Firefighters arrived on the scene at 12:46 a.m. to the two-alarm fire. Four nonvenomous snakes were rescued from the structure. Based on observations […]
The post Fire breaks out at strip mall appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/fire-breaks-out-at-strip-mall/ Save to Pocket
Antioch: 26-year-old man shot and killed
date: 2023-12-23, from: San Jose Mercury News
The man was found in the 800 block of Sunset Drive.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/23/antioch-26-year-old-man-shot-and-killed/ Save to Pocket
Santa Barbara’s Yona Redz Wins $50,000 DoorDash Giveaway
date: 2023-12-23, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
“This check will go a long way,” says lower State Street restaurant owner/chef Jonathan “Yona” Estrada.
The post Santa Barbara’s Yona Redz Wins $50,000 DoorDash Giveaway appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2023/12/23/santa-barbaras-yona-redz-wins-50000-doordash-giveaway/ Save to Pocket
Antioch: Two youths killed in hit-and-run collision Friday night
date: 2023-12-23, from: San Jose Mercury News
The driver of the other vehicle involved fled on foot, according to authorities with the Antioch police investigations bureau.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/23/antioch-two-youths-killed-in-hit-and-run-collision-friday-night/ Save to Pocket
Former Santa Cruz High band instructor arrested on sex assault charges
date: 2023-12-23, from: San Jose Mercury News
A long-time Santa Cruz High School employee may spend Christmas in jail after police arrested him this week at his Westside home on a two-decade-old juvenile sexual assault charges.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/23/former-santa-cruz-high-band-instructor-arrested-on-sex-assault-charges/ Save to Pocket
$1 million in goods recovered from California retail theft crew, authorities say
date: 2023-12-23, from: San Jose Mercury News
The crew has targeted a variety of Southern California retailers, including CVS, Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Rite Aid, Nordstrom and the 99 Cents Only store, investigators say.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/23/1-million-in-goods-recovered-from-retail-theft-crew-in-los-angeles-authorities-say/ Save to Pocket
Former California cop sentenced to life in prison for ’94 robbery dies in San Quentin cell
date: 2023-12-23, from: San Jose Mercury News
Stephen Redd shot a 34-year-old supermarket manager after the man interrupted a robbery while coming to the aid of a co-worker.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/23/ex-la-county-sheriffs-deputy-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-94-robbery-dies-in-cell/ Save to Pocket
The Metro Migraine: How CSUN is working to improve transportation emissions
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Sundail (CSUN student paper)
Being one of the most commuter-accessible universities, with a percentage of 51% commuter students in 2019, a large portion of the California State University, Northridge, student population relies on public transportation to commute to campus. CSUN has a variety of options for commuter students, such as paid ride-share programs, Metro transit agencies, and their own…
https://sundial.csun.edu/177532/print-editions/print-stories/the-metro-migraine-how-csun-is-working-to-improve-transportation-emissions/ Save to Pocket
US State Legislatures Likely to Vote on Israel, Hamas Measures in 2024
date: 2023-12-23, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-state-legislatures-likely-to-vote-on-israel-hamas-measures-in-2024/7410010.html Save to Pocket
Gaza Health Officials Say Israel’s Offensive Has Now Killed More Than 20,000 People
date: 2023-12-23, updated: 2023-12-23, from: The LAist
Just more than 10 weeks into the conflict, the number of people killed in Gaza is nearing 1% of the territory’s pre-war population. The rising death toll has fueled calls for Israel to shift strategy.
https://laist.com/news/gaza-health-officials-say-israels-offensive-has-now-killed-more-than-20-000-people Save to Pocket
Election Interference
date: 2023-12-23, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Does America still have free and fair elections?
The post Election Interference appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2023/12/23/election-interference/ Save to Pocket
Did Last Week’s Orca Sightings Give You FOMO? Here’s How To See One For Yourself
date: 2023-12-23, updated: 2023-12-23, from: The LAist
A quick guide to whale watching in Southern California.
https://laist.com/news/did-last-weeks-orca-sightings-give-you-fomo-heres-how-to-see-one-for-yourself Save to Pocket
Pac-12 WBB preview: L.A. rivalry heats up among crowded top of conference
date: 2023-12-23, from: San Jose Mercury News
The conference’s final season as we know it may be its strongest ever
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/23/pac-12-wbb-preview-l-a-rivalry-heats-up-among-crowded-top-of-conference/ Save to Pocket
Goleta City Council Awards Project Connect Construction Contract
date: 2023-12-23, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The City of Goleta reached a significant moment with Project Connect at last night’s December 19, 2023, City Council meeting. The Goleta
The post Goleta City Council Awards Project Connect Construction Contract appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2023/12/23/goleta-city-council-awards-project-connect-construction-contract/ Save to Pocket
Pac-12 football recruiting: Assessing the winners (Oregon) and losers (Colorado) from the early signing window
date: 2023-12-23, from: San Jose Mercury News
Colorado was a big loser, Oregon one of the winners, as the December signing period comes to a close.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/23/pac-12-football-recruiting-assessing-the-winners-oregon-and-losers-colorado-from-the-early-signing-window/ Save to Pocket
Campbell Library Friends host book sale
date: 2023-12-23, from: San Jose Mercury News
Proceeds help fund programs and resources.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/23/campbell-library-friends-host-book-sale/ Save to Pocket
Milpitas students collect socks for San Jose shelter
date: 2023-12-23, from: San Jose Mercury News
Monthlong drive nets more than 1,000 donated pairs.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/23/milpitas-students-collect-socks-for-san-jose-shelter/ Save to Pocket
Sunday caption contest: Ho ho ho!
date: 2023-12-23, from: Robert Reich on Substack
And last week’s winner
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-caption-contest-ho-ho-ho Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2023-12-23, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
We can now subscribe to Bluesky feeds in FeedLand.
http://scripting.com/2023/12/23/141939.html Save to Pocket
An artist fights back, and Midjourney has embarrassed themselves
date: 2023-12-23, from: Gary Marcus blog
Reid Southen is a successful concept artist who has worked for many of the biggest studios (Marvel, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Paramount etc) on a lot of huge films (Matrix Resurrections, The Hunger Games, Transformers, and Alien, among others).
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/an-artist-fights-back-and-midjourney Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2023-12-23, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
GM stops Chevy Blazer EV sales after early software problems.
https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/23/gm-chevy-blazer-ev-stop-sale/ Save to Pocket
FeedLand and Bluesky feeds
date: 2023-12-23, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News
We can now subscribe to Bluesky feeds in FeedLand –
- In the Subscribe sub-menu, choose To one feed.
- Enter the URL of a Bluesky profile page. For example, here’s a link to Neil Gaiman’s profile.
- Click OK.
When this feature came out yesterday it didn’t work with FeedLand because we were looking for full URLs pointing to a feed in their feed discovery link and they provided a relative URL.
The fix was in the feedHunter package, it now looks for relative URLs and makes them full before trying to find the feed.
I think I understand why they used a relative URL, they’re getting ready to federate and it’s probably simpler for them to just specify a relative URL.
On the other hand, I think this is going to be a problem – in the world of feeds, software usually expects full URLs.
PS: This is what a Bluesky feed looks like in FeedLand on Day 1.
http://scripting.com/2023/12/23/141939.html?title=feedlandAndBlueskyFeeds Save to Pocket
Console
date: 2023-12-23, from: Alex Schroeder’s Blog
Console
I’ve been trying to get used to sway as my window manager. Recently I realized that my dmenu wouldn’t list games like openarena. No surprise there: /usr/games/bin is not part of PATH and so it doesn’t get shown. I wondered how to get it there, and then I found that many people log in from the Linux console without a session manager or display manager. That is, the login from the console, get a login shell, and that shell then starts the window manager.
This is what I see on the first virtual console:
Debian GNU/Linux 12 melanobombus tty1
login: _
If I log in, fish starts and one of the startup files it executes is .config/fish/conf.d/sway.fish which starts sway but only when logging in from tty1. You can switch between the consoles using Alt-F1 to Alt-F6. Once sway runs, you can switch back to the remaining virtual consoles using Ctrl Alt F2 to Ctrl Alt F6.
# If running from tty1 start sway
set TTY1 (tty)
[ "$TTY1" = "/dev/tty1" ] && exec sway
Since this script uses exec, sway replaces fish. No big deal. But I still get to setup PATH.
So now I was staring at the login prompt of the console… and I don’t know about you, but I could use a larger font!
I tried to go the console-setup route but that doesn’t help:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-setup
This allows me to change the console font.
And once my script runs, I can repeat that:
setupcon
But at that point I’m already logged in!
In theory, there’s a systemd service that is supposed to handle it:
$ systemctl status console-setup
● console-setup.service - Set console font and keymap
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/console-setup.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Active: active (exited) since Sat 2023-12-23 14:45:03 CET; 18min ago
Process: 496 ExecStart=/lib/console-setup/console-setup.sh (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 496 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
CPU: 3ms
And yet… it does not! Why is that? Examining /lib/systemd/system/console-setup.service I find that it runs /lib/console-setup/console-setup.sh and that does some complicated stuff to try and determine whether to run setupcon or not. I guess in my case doesn’t?
Oh well, there’s always the option of using kernel parameters!
I created a one line file called /etc/default/grub.d/font.cfg to set a console font. This way the default setting in /etc/default/grub is overwritten, too. No more quiet splash! I like to see the output scroll by as the system boots.
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="fbcon=font:TER16x32"
To activate it:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure grub2
Rebooting the system, I noticed that things still didn’t seem to work for the initramfs which ends up asking me for the password to decrypt my disk. So what I needed was to get the new config into the initramfs, too.
Based on the current kernel I’m running:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-6.1.0-15-amd64
I think it works, now!
https://alexschroeder.ch/view/2023-12-23-console Save to Pocket
YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: Southwest To Pay Up For Holiday Meltdown
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Lever News
Plus, the EPA introduces limits on the toxic gas in the East Palestine disaster, Starbucks has to reopen union-busted locations, and old trees get new safeguards.
https://www.levernews.com/you-love-to-see-it-southwest-to-pay-up-for-holiday-meltdown/ Save to Pocket
The e-scooter invasion
date: 2023-12-23, from: Guam Daily Post
An electric scooter company that just launched in November is employing guerrilla marketing tactics to introduce a quick and easy transportation solution for tourists and island residents.
https://www.postguam.com/business/local/the-e-scooter-invasion/article_b91213c4-a05d-11ee-8d5f-9ffb3fa8008e.html Save to Pocket
Tohge to host pep rallies for public school students aimed at substance use prevention
date: 2023-12-23, from: Guam Daily Post
After hearing that a recent riot at a high school was started over a vape, the Guam Behavioral Health Planning Council has decided to host events at several at-risk public schools with the cooperation of Tohge Inc. Guam, a local…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/tohge-to-host-pep-rallies-for-public-school-students-aimed-at-substance-use-prevention/article_6090c6fa-a12f-11ee-9c7f-e7d7378cff4d.html Save to Pocket
Junior Achievement’s Lå’la’ hosts mental health awareness expo
date: 2023-12-23, from: Guam Daily Post
Lå’la’, a Junior Achievement of Guam company, hosted Revive & Thrive, a mental health awareness expo put on to raise awareness and educate residents about the importance of mental health.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/junior-achievements-l-la-hosts-mental-health-awareness-expo/article_6b9c4f3a-a074-11ee-abad-c77e91f400b7.html Save to Pocket
Guam EPA developing interim action levels for banned insecticide
date: 2023-12-23, from: Guam Daily Post
The Guam Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of developing interim action levels for the banned insecticide dieldrin in the island’s drinking water.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/guam-epa-developing-interim-action-levels-for-banned-insecticide/article_a642b842-a0b3-11ee-8aee-9b205b838f19.html Save to Pocket
Bill would reserve Public Health HQ for department’s use
date: 2023-12-23, from: Guam Daily Post
Following the introduction of legislation that would transfer the former headquarters of the Department of Public Health and Social Services to the Guam Community College, Speaker Therese Terlaje has introduced her own bill to reserve the property for immediate use…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/bill-would-reserve-public-health-hq-for-departments-use/article_10c27a2c-9fd3-11ee-b56e-a7c37226b7bc.html Save to Pocket
Community health centers face challenges
date: 2023-12-23, from: Guam Daily Post
The two community health centers on Guam were meant to equalize services at a faster pace and serve the underinsured and uninsured residents who need medical services, but there are several challenges that have prevented that mission from being fully…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/community-health-centers-face-challenges/article_a62bbe0e-a07b-11ee-bd9d-67f2232024b6.html Save to Pocket
Irvine Is The Latest SoCal City To Ban Gas-Powered Lawn Tools
date: 2023-12-23, updated: 2023-12-23, from: The LAist
Gas-powered leaf blowers and lawnmowers will be the first to go next summer.
https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/irvine-is-the-latest-socal-city-to-join-ban-on-gas-powered-lawn-tools-ban Save to Pocket
How Curators Took A Forgotten German Art Amusement Park From Texas Shipping Containers To Los Angeles
date: 2023-12-23, updated: 2023-12-23, from: The LAist
“Luna Luna” features rides and attractions designed by artists like David Hockney, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring, which are now on display to the public.
https://laist.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/how-curators-took-a-forgotten-german-art-amusement-park-from-texas-shipping-containers-to-los-angeles Save to Pocket
The Number of Western Monarch Butterflies Is Decreasing. Starting Today, Angelenos Will Be Out There Looking For Them
date: 2023-12-23, updated: 2023-12-23, from: The LAist
Western monarch butterflies are a key part of the insect ecosystem, which is why scientists and volunteers are tracking how many are spending the winter in L.A. County.
https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/western-monarch-butterflies-decreasing-count Save to Pocket
Meet the People Taking The Markup Reporting Off the Page and Into Real Life
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Markup blog
Covering technology is really about covering people, the choices they make, and the choices being made for them
https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2023/12/23/meet-the-people-taking-the-markup-reporting-off-the-page-and-into-real-life Save to Pocket
Iranian cyberspies target US defense orgs with a brand new backdoor
date: 2023-12-23, updated: 2023-12-23, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Also: International cops crackdown on credit card stealers and patch these critical vulns
Infosec in brief Iranian cyberspies are targeting defense industrial base organizations with a new backdoor called FalseFont, according to Microsoft.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/12/23/iranian_cyberspies_target_us_defense/ Save to Pocket
Will Trump be off the ballot everywhere? Should he be? Saturday Coffee Klatch
date: 2023-12-23, from: Robert Reich on Substack
With Heather Lofthouse and yours truly
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/will-trump-be-off-the-ballot-everywhere Save to Pocket
Tropical Gardening: The shortest day has passed so Merry Christmas
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>For centuries even before we celebrated Dec. 25 as the day Jesus was born, earlier cultures celebrated the passing of the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The days will now get longer even though it is technically the beginning of winter and will last until the beginning of spring. Spring officially occurs when the sun reaches the equator as it appears to move northward. Of course what is actually happening is that the Earth is tilting toward the South Pole and will continue to do so until June 21. Then it is officially summer. Since we are roughly at latitude 19 degrees north, the sun will appear to move northward for a short time and then move toward the south until Dec. 21. Many plants respond to day length, including plants that form bulbs.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/community/tropical-gardening-the-shortest-day-has-passed-so-merry-christmas/ Save to Pocket
Supreme Court rejects prosecutor’s push to fast-track ruling in Trump election subversion case
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said Friday it will not immediately take up a plea by special counsel Jack Smith to rule on whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted for his actions to overturn the 2020 election results.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/nation-world-news/supreme-court-rejects-prosecutors-push-to-fast-track-ruling-in-trump-election-subversion-case/ Save to Pocket
Some Catholic bishops reject Pope’s stance on blessings for same-sex couples. Others are confused
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>CAPE TOWN, South Africa — In an extraordinary pushback against Pope Francis, some Catholic bishops in Africa, Poland and elsewhere say they will not implement the new Vatican policy allowing blessings for same-sex couples.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/nation-world-news/some-catholic-bishops-reject-popes-stance-on-blessings-for-same-sex-couples-others-are-confused/ Save to Pocket
Busiest holiday travel season in years is off to a smooth start with few airport delays
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>NEW YORK — The holiday travel rush hit its peak Friday as mild weather and lower flight cancelation rates raised hopes for merrier drivers and airline passengers than last year.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/nation-world-news/busiest-holiday-travel-season-in-years-is-off-to-a-smooth-start-with-few-airport-delays/ Save to Pocket
Grieving and often overlooked, Palestinian Christians prepare for a somber Christmas amid war
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>It’s normally a moment of pure joy for the Rev. Khader Khalilia: the excitement, the giggles, the kisses, as his young daughters — in their Christmas pajamas — open their gifts. But this year, just the thought of it fills Khalilia with guilt.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/nation-world-news/grieving-and-often-overlooked-palestinian-christians-prepare-for-a-somber-christmas-amid-war/ Save to Pocket
Man found guilty of federal drug charges
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>A 31-year-old Mexican national was found guilty of drug charges in Federal Court after his June arrest in Hilo.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/hawaii-news/man-found-guilty-of-federal-drug-charges/ Save to Pocket
Pistons facing NBA infamy, try to avoid record-tying 26th straight loss Saturday in Brooklyn
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>NEW YORK — The Detroit Pistons were off to a promising start, a recent Coach of the Year leading a team that appeared full of hope.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/sports/pistons-facing-nba-infamy-try-to-avoid-record-tying-26th-straight-loss-saturday-in-brooklyn/ Save to Pocket
Cowboys and Dolphins each seek to cement contender status with win on Sunday
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — At various times this season, the Miami Dolphins and the Dallas Cowboys have looked like contenders or pretenders.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/sports/cowboys-and-dolphins-each-seek-to-cement-contender-status-with-win-on-sunday/ Save to Pocket
Florida State has sued the ACC, setting the stage for a fight to leave over revenue concerns
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State sued the Atlantic Coast Conference on Friday, challenging an agreement that binds the school to the league for the next 12 years with more than half a billion dollars in fees for leaving and taking the first step in a lengthy and uncertain process toward a potential exit.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/sports/florida-state-has-sued-the-acc-setting-the-stage-for-a-fight-to-leave-over-revenue-concerns/ Save to Pocket
Gymnastics star Simone Biles named AP Female Athlete of the Year a third time after dazzling return
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>There were jitters, of course. Considering all that happened, how could there not be?</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/sports/gymnastics-star-simone-biles-named-ap-female-athlete-of-the-year-a-third-time-after-dazzling-return/ Save to Pocket
Florida State always seemed out of place in the ACC. Now the Seminoles want out
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Florida State always seemed out of place in the Atlantic Coast Conference.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/sports/florida-state-always-seemed-out-of-place-in-the-acc-now-the-seminoles-want-out/ Save to Pocket
Josh Allen, playoff-contending Bills hope to take care of business against free-falling Chargers
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are well aware they are on the outside looking in when it comes to a playoff spot.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/sports/josh-allen-playoff-contending-bills-hope-to-take-care-of-business-against-free-falling-chargers/ Save to Pocket
Jake Browning and the surging Bengals head to Pittsburgh to face the reeling Steelers
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>PITTSBURGH — So much for the Cincinnati Bengals’ season being over the second Joe Burrow tore a ligament in his right wrist last month.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/sports/jake-browning-and-the-surging-bengals-head-to-pittsburgh-to-face-the-reeling-steelers/ Save to Pocket
Chatty robot helps seniors fight loneliness through AI companionship
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — Joyce Loaiza lives alone, but when she returns to her apartment at a Florida senior community, the retired office worker often has a chat with a friendly female voice that asks about her day.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/features/chatty-robot-helps-seniors-fight-loneliness-through-ai-companionship/ Save to Pocket
Police seek a motive as Prague mourns the 14 people killed in the nation’s worst mass shooting
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>PRAGUE — Czech police investigated Friday why a student went on a dayslong violent rampage culminating in a shooting at the university he attended in Prague that left 14 dead and dozens wounded.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/nation-world-news/police-seek-a-motive-as-prague-mourns-the-14-people-killed-in-the-nations-worst-mass-shooting/ Save to Pocket
Why we need the Workplace Psychological Safety Act
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>In October, the Massachusetts state legislature heard testimony from hundreds of activists in support of the Workplace Psychological Safety Act (WPSA), an anti-bullying bill that could set a new national precedent. The measure — which was first put forward in Rhode Island earlier in 2023 — would hold employers accountable for psychological abuse committed on the job. Advocates for the bill define psychological abuse as “bullying and mobbing that violate an employee’s basic human right to dignity.”</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/opinion/why-we-need-the-workplace-psychological-safety-act/ Save to Pocket
Ways to help victims of war this holiday season
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>This holiday season is a bleak time for Ukrainian civilians facing another winter of brutal Russian bombing — especially when GOP members of Congress have sent Vladimir Putin a huge Christmas gift by blocking further U.S. aid to Kyiv.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/opinion/ways-to-help-victims-of-war-this-holiday-season/ Save to Pocket
UN approves watered-down resolution on aid to Gaza without call for suspension of hostilities
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council adopted a watered-down resolution Friday calling for immediately speeding aid deliveries to hungry and desperate civilians in Gaza but without the original plea for an “urgent suspension of hostilities” between Israel and Hamas.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/nation-world-news/un-approves-watered-down-resolution-on-aid-to-gaza-without-call-for-suspension-of-hostilities/ Save to Pocket
Gaza war’s staggering toll reaches a grim milestone: 20,000 dead
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israel’s war to destroy Hamas has killed more than 20,000 Palestinians, health officials in Gaza said Friday, as Israel expanded its offensive and ordered tens of thousands more people to leave their homes.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/nation-world-news/gaza-wars-staggering-toll-reaches-a-grim-milestone-20000-dead/ Save to Pocket
Flu and COVID infections are rising and could get worse over the holidays, CDC says
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>NEW YORK — Look for flu and COVID-19 infections to ramp up in the coming weeks, U.S. health officials say, with increases fueled by holiday gatherings, too many unvaccinated people and a new version of the coronavirus that may be spreading more easily.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/nation-world-news/flu-and-covid-infections-are-rising-and-could-get-worse-over-the-holidays-cdc-says/ Save to Pocket
Authorities knew Maine shooter was a threat but felt confronting him was unsafe, video shows
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>PORTLAND, Maine — Police who declined to confront an Army reservist in the weeks before he killed 18 people in Maine’s deadliest mass shooting feared that doing so would “throw a stick of dynamite on a pool of gas,” according to video released Friday by law enforcement.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/nation-world-news/authorities-knew-maine-shooter-was-a-threat-but-felt-confronting-him-was-unsafe-video-shows/ Save to Pocket
Biden pardons thousands convicted of marijuana charges on federal lands and in Washington
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden pardoned thousands of people who were convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia, the White House said Friday, in his latest round of executive clemencies meant to rectify racial disparities in the justice system.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/nation-world-news/biden-pardons-thousands-convicted-of-marijuana-charges-on-federal-lands-and-in-washington/ Save to Pocket
Federal Reserve’s favored inflation gauge tumbles in November as prices continue to ease
date: 2023-12-23, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of prices fell last month, another sign that inflation is easing and that Americans should benefit from reduced interest rates and get relief from painful price shocks in 2024.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/23/nation-world-news/federal-reserves-favored-inflation-gauge-tumbles-in-november-as-prices-continue-to-ease/ Save to Pocket
Windows 12: Savior of PC makers, or just an apology for Windows 11?
date: 2023-12-23, updated: 2023-12-23, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Looking into our crystal ball we can see the end of 2024 will be filled with … AI. So much AI
Analysis Microsoft is betting the farm on AI apathy not hitting before it makes a return on its investments. This is positive and negative news for PC makers and points to what might be Microsoft’s next major Windows release.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/12/23/windows_12_analysis/ Save to Pocket
Robert Lamoureux | Looking for the inside scoop on exterior siding
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Signal
Question: Hi Robert, I look forward to your articles weekly. I’ve been reading them for years. What a great tool for those of us who need sound advice, since we aren’t contractors ourselves. Thanks for what you do. I am in need to replacing the siding on my home and would like to invest in […]
The post Robert Lamoureux | Looking for the inside scoop on exterior siding appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/robert-lamoureux-looking-for-the-inside-scoop-on-exterior-siding/ Save to Pocket
The Time Ranger | Merry Darn Christmas, Dear Saddlepals!!!
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Signal
Doggone it saddlepals, just want to take my hat off and wish all of you a peaceful and Western Christmas coming this Monday. Having said that, I’m going to hold a pleasant poker face for about a nanosecond, then do a 180 and panic gallop. I haven’t done a speck of shopping yet. On the […]
The post The Time Ranger | Merry Darn Christmas, Dear Saddlepals!!! appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/the-time-ranger-merry-darn-christmas-dear-saddlepals/ Save to Pocket
Jason Gibbs | What Will They Find in Their Stockings?
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Signal
I have always loved this time of year! The weather continues to cool as we look forward to seeing snow fall on the hills around us. Lights and holiday decorations roll out in droves as our houses and communities alter the daily ambience with festive icons for Christmas, Hannukah and a myriad of other religious […]
The post Jason Gibbs | What Will They Find in Their Stockings? appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/jason-gibbs-what-will-they-find-in-their-stockings/ Save to Pocket
Christopher Lucero | Realizing the Unexpcted
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Signal
“Expect the unexpected” — advice from the blind Master Po to the young Kwai Chang Caine (“Grasshopper”) from the three-year 1970s TV show “Kung Fu.” My dad was a big fan of that show. He would use that quote when he found me learning and growing. Here is some unexpected stuff I learned. When my […]
The post Christopher Lucero | Realizing the Unexpcted appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/christopher-lucero-realizing-the-unexpcted/ Save to Pocket
Paul Butler | What a team!
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Signal
My wife and I observed excellent teamwork up close and personal over the last couple of weeks. It was so up close that it was actually in our own backyard — not metaphorically but actually in our own backyard. It was so personal that we were the ones paying the bill, as this was the […]
The post Paul Butler | What a team! appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/paul-butler-what-a-team-2/ Save to Pocket
Chinese Students, Universities Struggle to Understand Impact of New Florida Law
date: 2023-12-23, from: VOA News USA
AUSTIN, Texas/WASHINGTON — Students and faculty alike at universities in Florida are still unsure about the impact of a new state law restricting cooperation between the institutions and their counterparts in China and a handful of other countries six months after it went into effect.
“Some people only found out about this after seeing news reported in China, and no one knew how the law would actually be implemented,” said Zhang, a graduate who told VOA the law has caused anxiety and uneasiness among Chinese students she knows.
Zhang, who earned a Ph.D. from the University of Florida two years ago, asked that VOA not reveal her full name for fear of retaliation from the Chinese government.
She said she knows two students who are still studying at the university but worry whether they can continue to work as teaching assistants for an annual income of $20,000 to $30,000.
The law, known as the Agreements of Educational Entities with Foreign Entities Act, or SB 864, bars state colleges and universities in Florida and their employees and representatives from accepting any gifts “in their official capacities from a college or university” based in any of seven “countries of concern”: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria.
Twelve state colleges and universities are also prohibited from accepting any grant from or participating in any agreement or partnership with any college or university based in any of the seven countries unless the partnership is authorized by the Florida Board of Governors or the State Board of Education, according to a May news release from the governor’s office.
“Florida is taking action to stand against the United States’ greatest geopolitical threat — the Chinese Communist Party [CCP],” Governor Ron DeSantis said in the statement, adding that the purpose of the bill is to stop CCP influence in the state’s education system from grade school to grad school.
In a letter to its faculty on December 15, the Department of Physics at the University of Florida interpreted the law as saying “that for the 2024-25 academic year, we are not able to offer ‘employment’ — meaning any form of assistantship or fellowship support — to students in those countries.”
“Although the law may potentially allow us to admit self-funded students, that question is not yet clearly answered. In any case, [the Department of] Physics always offers financial support to its admitted grad students. Therefore, for all practical purposes, we will not be able to offer admission to students applying from those countries.”
The school may be able to offer admission and assistantship to students who originate from the seven countries but who are already living and studying in the U.S. But “these cases will have to be individually reviewed and approved by the [University of Florida] administration before any offer is made.”
The letter also pointed out that the “already in the U.S.” exception cannot be a back door for recruiting students from the seven countries by bringing them into the U.S. by some other means, and then offering them a graduate assistantship once they are here.
The letter noted that faculty hired under an H-1B visa are not affected.
VOA reached out to the governor’s office and State Senator Bryan Avila’s office seeking comments on how the state’s competitiveness in education might be affected, the potential for discrimination against Chinese Americans, and any plans the state has to protect Chinese Americans from such discrimination. By the time of publication, VOA had received no response from either office.
“Not all Chinese students serve the Communist Party,” Zhang told VOA. “Many of them left because they didn’t like China.”
When she was an undergraduate student in Beijing, Zhang said, she was disgusted by the political and ideological courses related to Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Marxism-Leninism. She hated the patriotic slogans and student activities that promoted the Communist Party.
She also followed politically sensitive topics including the Tiananmen Massacre, she said, adding that she wanted to leave China even when she was still a freshman.
Zhang believes many Chinese students come to the U.S. because they want a freer and more open academic environment than that in China, and they want to live and work in — as well as contribute to — the U.S. She said these students should not be seen as a threat to the security of the U.S. just because of their nationality.
Li Chenglong, a professor at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Florida, told VOA that Chinese students are an important part of the doctoral student body there. “Because of this bad policy right now damaging the UF reputation, I am speculating that maybe in future years, maybe there will be less [Chinese] applications to UF,” he said.
Richard Woodard, professor of physics at the University of Florida, told VOA, “The law saddens me because the Chinese used to comprise a third of our graduate students, and they were the best.”
According to 2020 data, the University of Florida had 344 undergraduates and 1,110 graduate and doctoral students from China, more than from any other foreign country. In 2023, the data show, the university’s optical engineering and computer science departments alone had 508 Chinese graduate students and doctoral students.
Woodard thinks the concern about threats from China is valid, “but I do wish we could have found some other way of addressing security concerns.”
He said, "It takes years of dedicated study to pursue a career in physics. I don’t think it would be easy for a Chinese spy to fake that, so I believe we could probably separate the potential security risks from the much larger pool of people who love physics and have the talent and training to contribute to it.
“So many American universities are under the same pressure that we might be able to create a vetting service in cooperation with American intelligence agencies.”
Jon Taylor, chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, also acknowledged that China has tried in the past to exploit America’s open education system. But he too thinks the new law is overly broad.
“There are concerns about spying and intellectual property issues, those things happen, we know they happen,” he said. “And everybody has to do their due diligence, but I think what Florida is doing goes beyond due diligence.”
He called the Florida bill “shooting itself in the foot” as China’s state media have used it as a tool to criticize the U.S.
https://www.voanews.com/a/chinese-students-universities-struggle-to-understand-impact-of-new-florida-law-/7409717.html Save to Pocket
US Trashing Troves of Pandemic Gear as Huge, Costly Stockpiles Expire
date: 2023-12-23, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-trashing-troves-pandemic-gear-as-huge-costly-stockpiles-expire/7408299.html Save to Pocket
Today in SCV History (Dec. 23)
date: 2023-12-23, from: SCV New (TV Station)
1997 – Five bodies found during grading of Northlake development in Castaic; determined to be Jenkins graveyard. [story
https://scvnews.com/today-in-scv-history-dec-23/ Save to Pocket
December 22, 2023
date: 2023-12-23, from: Heather Cox Richardson blog
Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis released today showed inflation continuing to come down. In November the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index was 2.6% over the previous November, down from 2.9% in October. The Federal Reserve aims for 2%. Falling gas prices meant that overall, prices actually dropped in November for the first time since April 2020.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/december-22-2023 Save to Pocket
Santa Barbara Boys’ Basketball Defeats Rival Dos Pueblos 86-51
date: 2023-12-23, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The Dons will host the Santa Barbara Holiday Classic beginning on December 27.
The post Santa Barbara Boys’ Basketball Defeats Rival Dos Pueblos 86-51 appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2023/12/22/santa-barbara-boys-basketball-defeats-rival-dos-pueblos-86-51/ Save to Pocket
lynx –nocolor
date: 2023-12-23, from: Jirka’s blog
I really dislike how the Lynx WWW browser looks on some modern systems. On my SGI it was OK - it simply respected IRIS terminal colors. On modern systems in seems to be full of colors with gray background. Text colors are quite nice but I have disliked the gray background. I have wished to have or black one or transparent one (it a terminal emulator supports transparency).
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231223-0443_lynx_nocolor Save to Pocket
Working from home
date: 2023-12-23, from: Jirka’s blog
And this is my main tool:
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231223-0443_Working_from_home Save to Pocket
Workflow: Changes and additions
date: 2023-12-23, from: Jirka’s blog
Things are continuously developing or at least changing. For example, my gVim on my GPD Pocket (Ubuntu MATE 18.04) has issues with text encoding. If I create a new file then I everything is OK. But when I save it and re-open it then it en-codes local language characters incorrectly. It is strange because I have been using the same .vimrc/.gvimrc for ages on several Linux machines and I never encountered such behaviour.
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231223-0443_Workflow_Changes_and_additions Save to Pocket
Tungsten W + PalmPix
date: 2023-12-23, from: Jirka’s blog
As you may know I do have a Palm Tungsten W. And I als othave the KODAK PalmPix for m5xx devices. So I have almost modern smarphone (jsut 17 years old!) with the (detachable camera).
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231223-0443_Tungsten_W_PalmPix Save to Pocket
TRGpro tuning (2)
date: 2023-12-23, from: Jirka’s blog
Just a tiny update this time. I only replaced the broken battery door by unused one (which I have borrowed them from my Palm IIIe).
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231223-0443_TRGpro_tuning_2 Save to Pocket
TRGpro tuning
date: 2023-12-23, from: Jirka’s blog
The PILOT Pentopia Chameleon stylus for Palm III and VI {sup}1{/sup} arrived today. It is a stylus with integrated reset pin and - last but not least - an actual pen. The pen refill is thin and it is labelled “Pilot” but I assume that a thin (non-pressurized) Fischer refill will fit here. This stylus has a bit different shape than the original Palm III pen and its tip is a bit harder but it is usable (I am writing this post with it). It is also little thicker than the original which is actually a plus - it sits more reliable in stylus housing of my heavily used Palms - I lost several styli from my old IIIxe and almost lost one of my TRGpro recently. The {sup}1{/sup} says that it is better for writing than the original stylus but I don’t think so. I see no improvement.
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231223-0443_TRGpro_tuning Save to Pocket
TRG Pro: first impressions
date: 2023-12-23, from: Jirka’s blog
The title is all wrong because I extensively used the TRG Pro in the past. But the last time when I synced the TRG was in 2/2016 and then I have been using the original Palm III devices (IIIx + IIIxe) instead of the TRG. I have not wanted to damage or lost my only TRG Pro (which is pretty rare as you may know). Now I have two TRGs so I can use one of them on daily basis, I think.
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231223-0443_TRG_Pro_first_impressions Save to Pocket
Standing desk attempt
date: 2023-12-23, from: Jirka’s blog
I’m trying to set up a standing desk in my office. I found a (less or more) space, two older LCDs (the ViewSonic vp171s), then prepared the keyboard and mouse.
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231223-0443_Standing_desk_attempt Save to Pocket
Dec. 28: Urgent Need for Blood Donors
date: 2023-12-23, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Because of the urgent need for blood donors the American Red Cross will hold a blood drive in partnership with the city of Santa Clarita on Thursday, Dec.
https://scvnews.com/dec-28-urgent-need-for-blood-donors/ Save to Pocket
Police investigate body found in Mangilao
date: 2023-12-23, from: Guam Daily Post
The Guam Police Department was on scene at a house along the backroad to Andersen Air Force Base in Mangilao on Saturday to investigate the discovery of a body.
https://www.postguam.com/news/police-investigate-body-found-in-mangilao/article_4f470dc2-a135-11ee-a222-932fcc017eb7.html Save to Pocket
Jan. 13: Free Lesson Day at Impulse Music
date: 2023-12-23, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Impulse Music will offer its annual free lesson day on Saturday, Jan. 13. Guests can try out a new instrument or advance your skills without a big commitment in the new year. Every teacher at Impulse Music is a working professionals in the industry, suitable to teach for any level
https://scvnews.com/jan-13-free-lesson-day-at-impulse-music/ Save to Pocket
Newhall Pass sees more than 3.5 inches of rain
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Signal
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service reported the storm that dropped several inches of rain was on its way out of town Friday evening and the forecast calls for dry times through Boxing Day. Before the storm left town, it dropped nearly 3.6 inches of rainfall in the Newhall Pass, according to Dave Bruno, a […]
The post Newhall Pass sees more than 3.5 inches of rain appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/newhall-pass-sees-more-than-3-5-inches-of-rain/ Save to Pocket
Chatty Robot Uses AI to Help Seniors Fight Loneliness
date: 2023-12-23, from: VOA News USA
Coral Springs, florida — Joyce Loaiza lives alone, but when she returns to her apartment at a Florida senior community, the retired office worker often has a chat with a friendly female voice that asks about her day.
A few miles away, the same voice comforted Deanna Dezern, 83, when her friend died. In central New York, it plays games and music for Marie Broadbent, 92, who is blind and in hospice, and in Washington state, it helps Jan Worrell, 83, make new friends.
The women are some of the first in the country to receive the robot ElliQ, whose creators, Intuition Robotics, and senior assistance officials say is the only device using artificial intelligence specifically designed to alleviate the loneliness and isolation experienced by many older Americans.
“It’s entertaining. You can actually talk to her,” said Loaiza, 81, whose ElliQ in suburban Fort Lauderdale nicknamed her “Jellybean” for no particular reason. “She’ll make comments like, ‘I would go outside if I had hands, but I can’t hold an umbrella.’”
The device, which looks like a small table lamp, lights up and swivels. It remembers each user’s interests and their conversations, helping tailor future chats, which can be as deep as the meaning of life or as light as a horoscope.
ElliQ tells jokes, plays music and provides inspirational quotes. On an accompanying video screen, it provides tours of cities and museums. The device leads exercises, asks about the owner’s health and gives reminders to take medications and drink water. It can also host video calls and contact relatives, friends or doctors in an emergency.
Intuition Robotics says none of the conversations are heard by the company, with the information staying on each owner’s device.
Inspired by grandfather’s needs
Intuition Robotics CEO Dor Skuler said the idea for ElliQ came before he launched his Israeli company eight years ago. His widowed grandfather needed an aide, but the first one didn’t work out. The replacement, though, understood his grandfather’s love of classical music and his “quirky sense of humor.”
The average user interacts with ElliQ more than 30 times daily, even six months after receiving it, and more than 90% report lower levels of loneliness, he said.
The robots are mostly distributed by assistance agencies in New York, Florida, Michigan, Nevada and Washington state, but can also be purchased individually for $600 a year and a $250 installation fee. Skuler wouldn’t say how many ElliQs have been distributed so far, but the goal is to have more than 100,000 out within five years.
That worries Brigham Young University psychology professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who studies the detrimental effects loneliness has on health and mortality.
Although a device like ElliQ might have short-term benefits, it could make people less likely to seek human contact, she said.
“It is not clear whether AI is actually fulfilling any kind of need or just dampening the signal,” Holt-Lunstad said.
Skuler and agency heads distributing ElliQ agreed it isn’t a substitute for human contact, but not all seniors have social networks. Some are housebound, and even seniors with strong ties are often alone.
Skuler said ElliQ was purposely designed so it wouldn’t fully imitate humans. He said his company wants “to make sure that ElliQ always genuinely presents herself as an AI and doesn’t pretend to be human.”
But some of the seniors using ElliQ say they sometimes need to remember the robot isn’t a living being. They find the device easy to set up and use, but if they have one complaint it’s that ElliQ is sometimes too chatty. There are settings that can tone that down.
‘It was so what I needed’
Dezern said she felt alone and sad when she told her ElliQ about her friend’s death. It replied it would give her a hug if it had arms. Dezern broke into tears.
“It was so what I needed,” the retired collections consultant said. “I can say things to Elli that I won’t say to my grandchildren or to my own daughters. I can just open the floodgates. I can cry. I can giggle. I can act silly. I’ve been asked: Doesn’t it feel like you’re talking to yourself? No, because it gives an answer.”
Worrell lives in a small town on Washington’s coast. Widowed, she said ElliQ’s companionship made her change her mind about moving to an assisted living facility, and she uses it as an icebreaker when she meets someone new to town.
“I say, ‘Would you like to come over and visit with my robot?’ And they say, ‘A vacuum?’ No, a robot. She’s my roommate,” she said and laughed.
Broadbent, like the other women, says she gets plenty of human contact, even though she is blind and ill. She plays organ at two churches in the South New Berlin, New York, area and gets daily visitors. Still, the widow misses having a voice to talk with when they leave. ElliQ fills that void with her games, tours, books and music.
https://www.voanews.com/a/chatty-robot-uses-ai-to-help-seniors-fight-loneliness-/7409695.html Save to Pocket
Child taken to hospital after medical emergency
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Signal
A child was taken to a local hospital on Friday afternoon after experiencing a medical emergency in Saugus, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department officials. Fire Department personnel were dispatched to the 22400 block of Bea Court at 4:16 p.m., according to a fire official who declined to provide a name. Radio traffic indicated […]
The post Child taken to hospital after medical emergency appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/child-taken-to-hospital-after-medical-emergency/ Save to Pocket
CA DMV Increases Online Services to 48 From 20
date: 2023-12-23, from: SCV New (TV Station)
When customers visit the California Department of Motor Vehicles DMV website they find a customer-focused site with helpful information, streamlined online applications and pages tailored for specific audiences.
https://scvnews.com/ca-dmv-increases-online-services-to-48-from-20/ Save to Pocket
Biden Signs $886 Billion US Defense Policy Bill Into Law
date: 2023-12-23, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday signed into law the U.S. defense policy bill that authorizes a record $886 billion in annual military spending and policies such as aid for Ukraine and push-back against China in the Indo-Pacific.
The National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, passed Congress last week. The Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate approved the legislation with a strong bipartisan majority of 87-13 while the House of Representatives voted in favor 310-118.
The bill, one of the few major pieces of legislation Congress passes every year, governs everything from pay raises for service members and purchases of ships and aircraft to policies such as support for foreign partners such as Taiwan.
The act, nearly 3,100 pages long, called for a 5.2% pay raise for service members and increased the nation’s total national security budget by about 3% to $886 billion. It also lists certain Chinese battery companies that it says are ineligible for Defense Department procurement.
The fiscal 2024 NDAA also includes a four-month extension of a disputed domestic surveillance authority, giving lawmakers more time to either reform or keep the program, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
That provision faced objections in both the Senate and House, but not enough to derail the bill.
The bill extends one measure to help Ukraine, the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, through the end of 2026, authorizing $300 million for the program in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and the next one.
However, that figure is small compared to the $61 billion that Biden had asked Congress to approve to help Kyiv combat a Russian invasion that began in February 2022. Republicans had refused to approve assistance for Ukraine without Democrats agreeing to a significant toughening of immigration law.
https://www.voanews.com/a/biden-signs-886-billion-us-defense-policy-bill-into-law-/7409704.html Save to Pocket
US Reopens Key Rail Crossings Between Texas, Mexico
date: 2023-12-23, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — The United States on Friday reopened two rail crossings between Texas and Mexico, five days after they were closed in response to increased migrant traffic.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said operations resumed midafternoon Friday at the international railway crossing bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas. The closures had prompted alarm from railroads, the agriculture industry and some lawmakers over the economic impact to export trade.
The White House said the United States will be operating the crossings for 24-hour-a-day operations for the next few days.
“We are grateful for Mexico’s cooperation to reduce migration pressure in these sectors and combat the smugglers placing migrants in harm’s way,” a White House spokesperson said.
Ian Jefferies, CEO of the Association of American Railroads, praised the reopening but said the closure should not be repeated.
Growers, representing U.S. corn, milk, rice and soybean producers, among others, estimated that every day the crossings were closed “almost 1 million bushels of grain exports are potentially lost along with export potential for many other agricultural products.”
The Biden administration on Monday closed the trade routes because of increased migrant crossings. The U.S. Border Patrol apprehended about 10,800 migrants at the southwest border on Monday, according to an internal agency report reviewed by Reuters, which several current and former officials said was near or at a single-day record.
Mexico’s foreign ministry said Friday the government “insisted on the need to reopen border crossings as soon as possible to guarantee dynamic trade flows and enhance the economic relationship” between the U.S. and Mexico.
Mexico’s main farm lobby CNA expressed relief at the reopenings, saying “the lack of supplies in Mexico, caused by the closures, was affecting food production, raising costs and putting food security at risk in the country.”
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday his government will reinforce measures to contain migration as he seeks to help the United States cope with record numbers of people trying to reach the U.S. border.
Lopez Obrador’s comments come a day after he spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden, during which both agreed that more enforcement was needed, as record numbers of migrants disrupt border trade.
Migrants are heading to the U.S. to escape violence, economic distress and the impacts of climate change, according to the U.N. The number of people crossing the perilous Darien Gap straddling Colombia and Central America has topped half a million this year, double last year’s record figures.
Top U.S. officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas, will visit Mexico on December 27 to follow up on the call.
Lopez Obrador said Mexico would step up containment efforts on its southern border with Guatemala as his government seeks agreements with other countries to manage the northbound migrant flows, making particular mention of Venezuela.
The measures under discussion did not just involve containment, Lopez Obrador said, noting that it was important to continue efforts to promote economic development in the region, and address the root causes of migration.
The CBP said on Friday that Eagle Pass vehicular processing remained suspended along with San Diego San Ysidro’s Pedestrian West operations. Port of entry operations at Lukeville, Arizona, and Morely Gate in Nogales, Arizona remain suspended.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-reopens-key-rail-crossings-between-texas-mexico-/7409700.html Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2023-12-23, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
In the reporting on the Colorado Supreme Court and the 14th Amendment, I’ve not heard the most basic reason why Trump can’t be President. Here’s why. He took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. He did the opposite, he attacked the Constitution. So how can we ask him to take the same oath again, the one that he violated the last time he took it. The Constitution is very wise, it’s what Maya Angelou taught – when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. That’s why he can’t be president again. He can’t be believed when he takes the oath, and if he can’t take the oath he can’t be President.
http://scripting.com/2023/12/22.html#a011722 Save to Pocket
Silent Night
date: 2023-12-23, from: Dan Rather’s Steady
A Reason To Smile
https://steady.substack.com/p/silent-night Save to Pocket
Valencia show choir members perform at CalRTA luncheon
date: 2023-12-23, from: The Signal
The Santa Clarita Valley Division 68 of California Retired Teachers Association recently held its December luncheon, featuring a performance by members of the Valencia High School show choir. CalRTA was established 95 years ago and the local chapter was founded in 1981 and has over 200 members. The group’s next luncheon is in March. For more information, contact […]
The post Valencia show choir members perform at CalRTA luncheon appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/valencia-show-choir-members-perform-at-calrta-luncheon/ Save to Pocket
TMU’s Kylee Sears is NAIA Women’s Swimmer of the Month
date: 2023-12-23, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Kylee Sears, a member of The Master’s University women’s swim team, has been named the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Women’s Swimmer of the Month, primarily based on her performance at the La Verne Winter Invitational in November
https://scvnews.com/tmus-kylee-sears-is-the-naia-womens-swimmer-of-the-month/ Save to Pocket
Woman Struck and Killed by Train in Goleta
date: 2023-12-23, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Fire officials say woman was walking with her dog on the tracks at Fairview Avenue.
The post Woman Struck and Killed by Train in Goleta appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2023/12/22/woman-struck-and-killed-by-train-in-goleta/ Save to Pocket
Real Estate Broker Convicted of Embezzlement in Santa Barbara
date: 2023-12-23, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Adam Michael Pirozzi, 42, pleaded no contest after being accused of stealing more than $650,000 in clients’ funds
The post Real Estate Broker Convicted of Embezzlement in Santa Barbara appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2023/12/22/real-estate-broker-convicted-of-embezzlement-in-santa-barbara/ Save to Pocket
Highway 101 Open Again Through Montecito
date: 2023-12-23, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Caltrans crews finish emergency repairs on a pothole in the number two lane near the Olive Mill Road overpass.
The post Highway 101 Open Again Through Montecito appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2023/12/22/highway-101-open-again-through-montecito/ Save to Pocket
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, From My Family to Yours!
date: 2023-12-23, from: SCV New (TV Station)
As the holiday season approaches, it is essential to pause and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Beyond the presents and holiday parties is the deeper meaning of the “season of giving,” a spirit of generosity, compassion and community, all of which have the power to spread positivity in our own lives and that of others
https://scvnews.com/merry-christmas-happy-holidays-from-my-family-to-yours/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Apple Explores A.I. Deals With News Publishers
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/technology/apple-ai-news-publishers.html Save to Pocket
LA Animal Services Is On A Mission To Place Thousands of Animals Into Homes This Holiday Season
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The LAist
The department is working to get 3,000 animals adopted, fostered, and reunited with families by the end of January.
https://laist.com/news/la-animal-services-is-on-a-mission-to-place-thousands-of-animals-into-homes-this-holiday-season Save to Pocket
Sundance Film Festival Includes Features by CalArts Alums
date: 2023-12-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Sundance Institute has announced the 91 projects selected for the feature films, episodic and new frontier programs for the 40th edition of its festival, which runs Jan. 18-28 in Park City, Utah. Two alums of California Institute of the Arts are among the announced titles, director Scott Cummings (Film/Video MFA 2007) and actor Ed Harris (Theater BFA 1975)
https://scvnews.com/sundance-film-festival-includes-work-by-calarts-alums/ Save to Pocket
Santa Barbara DA Rules Off-Duty Officer Was Justified in Fatal Melody Market Shooting
date: 2023-12-22, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Jose Manuel Reyes Rios, 19, was shot and killed during a shootout in the parking lot of an Orcutt convenience store in March.
The post Santa Barbara DA Rules Off-Duty Officer Was Justified in Fatal Melody Market Shooting appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2023/12/22/santa-barbara-da-rules-off-duty-officer-was-justified-in-fatal-melody-market-shooting/ Save to Pocket
Dickason Drive Closed Between Decoro, Smyth
date: 2023-12-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The city of Santa Clarita reminds motorists that Dickason Drive in Valencia heading southbound between Decoro Drive and Smyth Drive is closed for pothole repairs until further notice.
https://scvnews.com/dickason-drive-closed-between-decoro-smyth/ Save to Pocket
COC Cross Country Has Nine Named All-WSC, Two Academic All-State
date: 2023-12-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The College of the Canyons cross country program saw a combined nine athletes across the men’s and women’s team earn All-Western State Conference honors for the 2023 season, with two also earning Academic All-State Awards.
https://scvnews.com/coc-cross-country-has-nine-named-all-wsc-two-academic-all-state/ Save to Pocket
This Week in the IndieWeb
date: 2023-12-22, from: This week in Indie Web
December 15-22, 2023
Recent Events
From events.indieweb.org/archive:
<p>Join us online in Zoom for demos of personal sites, recent breakthroughs, discussions about the independent web, and meet IndieWeb community members! Homebrew Website club is for all levels and areas of IndieWeb interest, whether curious, creative, coder, or all the above.</p>
</div><div><img src="https://indieweb.org/this-week/images/2023-12-22/e5ba607e4ded568d1a1f601e4c439d90928967f0.jpg" style="width:100%" class="u-photo"></div></div>- SAN DIEGO, CA: Blackmarket Bakery
<p>The first ever IndieWebCamp San Diego with two days of independent open distributed web talks, breakouts, and hack sessions. Bring your website or setup a new domain on the spot. Pack your sunscreen, flip-flops, and shorts because we’ll be at a wonderful outdoor venue in the high 60s to mid 70s, sunny with scattered clouds all day.</p>
</div><div><img src="https://indieweb.org/this-week/images/2023-12-22/e89df87c4db824def9856eb0bcf4ddf80868064a.jpg" style="width:100%" class="u-photo"></div><div><img src="https://indieweb.org/this-week/images/2023-12-22/e7fa083afa5ee1f8046516b15a8eb5a2797512f3.jpg" style="width:100%" class="u-photo"></div></div>Upcoming Events
From events.indieweb.org:
- FÜRTH, Bayern: Fab Lab Region Nürnberg e.V.
<p>HWC Nuremberg is a in-person meeting for everybody who is interested in setting up a personal website and talk about web-related issues.</p>
</div></div> <p>Join us online in Zoom for demos of personal sites, recent breakthroughs, discussions about the independent web, and meet IndieWeb community members! Homebrew Website club is for all levels and areas of IndieWeb interest, whether curious, creative, coder, or all the above.</p>
</div></div> <p>Join us online in Zoom for demos of personal sites, recent breakthroughs, discussions about the independent web, and meet IndieWeb community members! Homebrew Website club is for all levels and areas of IndieWeb interest, whether curious, creative, coder, or all the above.</p>
</div></div> <p>Join us online in Zoom for demos of personal sites, recent breakthroughs, discussions about the independent web, and meet IndieWeb community members! Homebrew Website club is for all levels and areas of IndieWeb interest, whether curious, creative, coder, or all the above.</p>
</div></div>What We’re Reading
From news.indieweb.org:
New Community Members
From IndieWeb Wiki: New User Pages:
User:Jasm1nii.xyz
Created by Jasm1nii.xyz on Friday and edited 2 more times
User:Alabut.com
Created by Alabut.com on Sunday
Top New Wiki Pages
From IndieWeb Wiki: New Pages:
2023/SD/indienewbies
IndieWeb For Newbies R&D Project was a session at IndieWebCamp San Diego 2023.
Created by Cali.moe on Sunday with 8 more edits by gregorlove.com, david.shanske.com and alabut.com
2023/SD/Schedule
The IndieWebCamp San Diego 2023 session grid is where notes and videos from all sessions can be found.
Created by Gregorlove.com on Sunday and edited 7 more times
typecast
Typecast is a method for syndicating/broadcasting content to the internet by posting to one’s personal website by typing up a post using a typewriter.
Created by Boffosocko.com on Sunday and edited 7 more times
joy
joy is a good motivator and focus for making things for your own website, and is something the IndieWeb community encourages people to prioritize and pursue with their IndieWeb projects, and deprioritize (or automate) things that do not bring them joy.
Created by [tantek] on Sunday with 5 more edits by loqi.me, tantek.com and jamesg.blog
Monogram
Monogram is an idea for minimal Micropub client and minimal service that allows you to have one of everything: one post, one like, one reply, one follow, and taking one of those actions replaces the previous one in the service.
Created by Gregorlove.com on Wednesday with 5 more edits by tantek.com, aaronparecki.com and loqi.me
December
December is a month in the Gregorian calendar (unrelated to gRegor Morrill) which is an excellent time of the year to organize and host an IndieWebCamp in a warmer city, such as San Diego or Los Angeles, or possibly San Francisco.
Created by [tantek] on Sunday with 4 more edits by tantek.com, loqi.me and gregorlove.com
2023/SD/fynd
Follow Your Nose Discovery was a session at IndieWebCamp San Diego 2023.
Created by Gregorlove.com on Sunday with 4 more edits by artlung.com and loqi.me
what to make at IndieWebCamp
what to make at IndieWebCamp is a question that participants consider on IndieWebCamp Day 2 (and Create Days in general) and can be anything from updating your home page, to setting up a new site, creating new content, design, or code, or community contributions like wikifying, library contributions, or updates to IndieWeb software & services.
Created by [tantek] on Sunday and edited 3 more times
2023/SD/Demos
Demos for IndieWebCamp San Diego 2023.
Created by Gregorlove.com on Monday and edited 3 more times
iNaturalist
iNaturalist is a silo for publishing observations of wildlife.
Created by Waterpigs.co.uk on Sunday with 2 more edits by gregorlove.com and www.ciccarello.me
2023/SD/movieviewings
Aggregating movie watching and reviews was a session at IndieWebCamp San Diego 2023.
Created by Gregorlove.com on Sunday and edited 2 more times
swiftbot
swiftbot is a bot in #indieweb-chat which returns the most related Taylor Swift lyric to a query, made by capjamesg for joy in the community.
Created by capjamesg on Sunday and edited 2 more times
Bandcrash
Bandcrash is a static site generator meant to make it easier for a musician to encode their audio and host it on their web platform of choice.
Created by Beesbuzz.biz on Monday and edited 1 more time
2023/SD/murmurations-bridge
Learn together about Murmurations was a session at IndieWebCamp San Diego 2023.
Created by Gregorlove.com on Sunday and edited 1 more time
2023/SD/opengraphpublishing
Open Graph Publishing was a session at IndieWebCamp San Diego 2023.
Created by Gregorlove.com on Sunday and edited 1 more time
Slim
Slim is a lightweight PHP framework for developing web applications and is used by several IndieWeb services and projects.
Created by Gregorlove.com on Sunday
2023/SD/project-goals
Project goals for day 2 at IndieWebCamp San Diego 2023.
Created by Gregorlove.com on Wednesday
2023/SD/session-scheduling
Session scheduling at IndieWebCamp San Diego 2023.
Created by Gregorlove.com on Wednesday
2023/SD/intro-demos
Personal Website Demos at IndieWebCamp San Diego 2023.
Created by Gregorlove.com on Wednesday
New Event Notes
From IndieWeb Wiki: New Pages:
Homebrew Website Club Europe/London - 2023 Rewind: 2023-12-20
Homebrew Website Club - Pacific: 2023-12-20
Homebrew Website Club - The Americas: 2021-03-31, 2021-03-17, 2021-03-10, 2021-02-17, 2021-02-10, 2021-01-27, 2021-01-20, 2021-01-13, 2021-01-06
Homebrew Website Club Europe/London: 2021-03-31, 2021-03-17, 2021-03-03, 2021-02-17, 2021-02-03, 2021-01-20, 2021-01-06
Top Edited Wiki Pages
From IndieWeb Wiki: Recent Changes:
- 2023-12-indieweb-gift-calendar 10 edits by tantek.com, boffosocko.com, gregorlove.com, david.shanske.com and sarajaksa.eu
- 2023/SD 4 edits by boffosocko.com and gregorlove.com
- IndieNews 4 edits by www.svenknebel.de, boffosocko.com and loqi.me
- 2017-12-indieweb-challenge 4 edits by tantek.com
- timeline 3 edits by gregorlove.com
- 2018-12-indieweb-challenge 3 edits by tantek.com
- pop-up 3 edits by www.benji.dog, david.shanske.com and jamesg.blog
- 2020-12-indieweb-gift-calendar 2 edits by tantek.com
- 2019-12-indieweb-gift-calendar 2 edits by tantek.com
- IndieWebCamps/Attending 2 edits by tantek.com
https://indieweb.org/this-week/2023-12-22.html Save to Pocket
Band Walks onto Land
date: 2023-12-22, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Santa Barbara–bred band Trout Club is releasing their debut album.
The post Band Walks onto Land appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2023/12/22/band-walks-onto-land/ Save to Pocket
COVID-19 Weekly Roundup: COVID Cases Increasing in County
date: 2023-12-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday 224 new laboratory confirmed cases and no new deaths from COVID-19 in the Santa Clarita Valley within the last week
https://scvnews.com/covid-19-weekly-roundup-covid-cases-increasing-in-county/ Save to Pocket
Wordle
date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News
I’ve been playing Wordle again for the last two months. I’m much better at it this go-around than the last time. Generally I can get it done in three or four moves. If it takes five it’s because I made a mistake or took a gamble on the second move that didn’t work out. These days I don’t even try for the second move, but this morning, on the first move I got four out of the five letters, and got the correct position of two of the four. It took a couple of seconds to see that there was really only one answer, so I decided to risk it, and there was this moment we yearn for when the letters reveal one at a time, all green, a final correct move, in two. First time I’ve ever gotten that result. I wasn’t even sure it was possible. Well there it is. Almost perfect. Nothing more to say than Yay Me!
http://scripting.com/2023/12/22/222552.html?title=wordle Save to Pocket
Friday Squid Blogging: Squid Parts into Fertilizer
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-08, from: Bruce Schneier blog
It’s squid parts from college dissections, so it’s not a volume operation.
As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered.
Read my blog posting guidelines here.
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/12/friday-squid-blogging-squid-parts-into-fertilizer.html Save to Pocket
Supreme Court Denies Fast-track Ruling on Trump Immunity in Election Subversion Case
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
washington — The Supreme Court said Friday that it would not immediately take up a plea by special counsel Jack Smith to rule on whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted for his actions to overturn the 2020 election results.
The ruling is a win for Trump and his lawyers, who have sought repeatedly to delay this and other criminal cases against him as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024. It averts a swift ruling from the nation’s highest court that could have definitively turned aside his claims of immunity and pushed the case toward a trial scheduled to start on March 4.
The issue will now be decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which has signaled it will act quickly to decide the case. Smith had cautioned that even a rapid appellate decision might not get to the Supreme Court in time for review and final word before the court’s traditional summer break.
Smith had pressed the Supreme Court to intervene, citing significant public interest in a speedy resolution to the case. The request to leapfrog the appeals court, which Smith himself acknowledged was extraordinary, underscored prosecutors’ concerns that the legal fight over the issue could delay the start of Trump’s trial beyond next year’s presidential election.
The court turned down the request for swift action in a single-sentence order released Friday afternoon. As is the court’s custom, the justices gave no explanation for the decision. The Justice Department declined to comment.
With the justices remaining out of the dispute for now, more appeals are likely that could delay the case. If the appeals court, which is set to hear arguments on January 9, turns down Trump’s immunity claims, the former president could then ask for the Supreme Court to get involved and for the case to be paused while the matter is pending.
The high court still could act quickly once the appeals court issues its decision. A Supreme Court case usually lasts several months, but on rare occasions, the justices shift into high gear.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has put the case on hold while Trump pursues his claim that he is immune from prosecution. Chutkan has raised the possibility of keeping the March date if the case promptly returns to her court.
She has rejected the Trump team’s arguments that an ex-president could not be prosecuted over acts that fall within the official duties of the job.
“Former presidents enjoy no special conditions on their federal criminal liability,” Chutkan wrote in her December 1 ruling. “Defendant may be subject to federal investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction and punishment for any criminal acts undertaken while in office.”
Trump’s lawyers have for months signaled that they would ultimately ask the Supreme Court to take up the immunity question. But this week, they urged the justices to stand down for now.
“Importance does not automatically necessitate speed. If anything, the opposite is usually true. Novel, complex, sensitive and historic issues — such as the existence of presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts — call for more careful deliberation, not less,” Trump’s lawyers wrote.
There are still more Trump-related cases that the court — which includes three justices appointed by him — is poised to grapple with in the months ahead.
Trump’s lawyers plan to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision Tuesday by the Colorado Supreme Court barring him from that state’s ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits anyone who swore an oath to support the Constitution and then “engaged in insurrection” against it from holding office.
And the high court separately has agreed to hear a case over the charge of obstruction of an official proceeding that has been brought against Trump as well as more than 300 of his supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
https://www.voanews.com/a/supreme-court-denies-fast-track-ruling-on-trump-immunity-in-election-subversion-case-/7409358.html Save to Pocket
’Tis A Season
date: 2023-12-22, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The holidays are a nostalgic time to look back on the way we were.
The post ’Tis A Season appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2023/12/22/tis-a-season/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
This is my Bluesky feed. Here’s a place for questions or comments.
http://scripting.com/2023/12/22.html#a214621 Save to Pocket
Estonia Bolstering Security Measures With US Presence on Ground
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
During his November visit to Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned that if Russia succeeds in Ukraine, the next Kremlin threat will extend to the Baltics. VOA’s Eastern Europe chief visited the Estonian military base where U.S. and Estonian troops have developed their capabilities to confront potential aggressors. VOA footage by Daniil Batushchak.
https://www.voanews.com/a/estonia-bolstering-security-measures-with-us-presence-on-ground/7409330.html Save to Pocket
US Treasury, IRS Unveil Clean Hydrogen Tax Credit
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-treasury-irs-unveil-clean-hydrogen-tax-credit/7409293.html Save to Pocket
Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 No Longer Available From U.S. Online Store
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: Daring Fireball
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/12/21/apple-watch-removed-from-online-store/ Save to Pocket
Octopus DNA Reveals Clues to When the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Last Collapsed
date: 2023-12-22, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Understanding the ice sheet’s past could help researchers shed light on its future melting
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/octopus-dna-reveals-clues-to-when-the-west-antarctic-ice-sheet-last-collapsed-180983507/ Save to Pocket
Billionaire Gifts To Thomas: Generosity Or Taxable Income?
date: 2023-12-22, from: The Lever News
If billionaires’ largesse was designed to keep the justice on the high court, experts say the money could be considered a taxable payment.
https://www.levernews.com/billionaire-gifts-to-thomas-generosity-or-taxable-income/ Save to Pocket
Ex-Colombian Soldier Pleads Guilty in 2021 Assassination of Haiti’s President
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
Miami, florida — A former Colombian soldier pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, which plunged the Caribbean nation into violence and political turmoil.
Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, 45, pleaded guilty to three charges, including conspiracy to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States, during a brief hearing before federal Judge Jose E. Martinez. Seated next to his attorney, Alfredo Izaguirre, Palacios answered “Yes, your honor,” in Spanish when the judge asked if he was pleading guilty.
Palacios is the fifth of 11 defendants in Miami to plead guilty in the 2021 assassination.
As part of a deal with prosecutors, he agreed to cooperate with the investigation and to plead guilty. He could get up to life in prison when he’s sentenced March 1, but under the deal, prosecutors conceded that he played a minor role in the plot.
“He didn’t know what he was going to get into. He wasn’t part of the plan,” Izaguirre told reporters after the hearing. “He didn’t recruit anybody. He didn’t [have] any decision-making authority in regards to the conspiracy. I think the government understands.”
According to prosecutors, the conspirators initially planned to kidnap the Haitian president but later decided to kill him. They say the plotters had hoped to win contracts under Moise’s successor. About 20 former Colombian soldiers and several dual Haitian American citizens participated in the plot, authorities say.
Moise was shot 12 times at his private home near the Haitian capital of Port-Au-Prince on July 7, 2021. He was 53. His wife, Martine Moise, was injured in the attack.
Three defendants have been sentenced to life in prison in the case. A fourth, dual Haitian American national Joseph Vincent, pleaded guilty this month and is awaiting his sentencing in February.
Palacios was detained in Jamaica in October 2021 and was flown to the U.S. Federal officials say they had interviewed him while he was still hiding in Jamaica.
Haiti authorities have arrested more than 40 suspects, among them 18 former Colombian soldiers accused of taking part in the plot and several high-ranking Haitian police officers. In the Caribbean nation, at least five judges have been appointed to the case and four of them have stepped down for various reasons, including fear of being killed.
In the two years following Moise’s assassination, Haiti has experienced a surge in gang violence that led the prime minister to request the immediate deployment of a foreign armed force. The United Nations Security Council voted in October to send a multinational force led by Kenya to help fight gangs.
The deployment, however, has been delayed. Kenyan officials told the AP that the first group of about 300 officers is expected by February, with authorities still awaiting the verdict in a case that seeks to block the deployment. A decision is expected in January.
https://www.voanews.com/a/ex-colombian-soldier-pleads-guilty-in-2021-assassination-of-haiti-s-president-/7409214.html Save to Pocket
‘Law & Order’ Creator Dick Wolf Donates 200 Artworks to the Met
date: 2023-12-22, from: Smithsonian Magazine
The collection of Baroque and Renaissance pieces includes Vincent van Gogh’s first painting of the outdoors
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dick-wolf-law-order-creator-donates-over-200-artworks-to-the-met-180983503/ Save to Pocket
Ben Rothke’s Review of A Hacker’s Mind
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-20, from: Bruce Schneier blog
Ben Rothke chose A Hacker’s Mind as “the best information security book of 2023.”
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/12/ben-rothkes-review-of-a-hackers-mind.html Save to Pocket
NASA’s Deep Space Network Turns 60 and Prepares for the Future
date: 2023-12-22, from: NASA breaking news
The agency’s DSN provides critical communications and navigation services to dozens of space missions, and it’s being modernized to support dozens more. NASA’s Deep Space Network marks its 60th year on Dec. 24. In continuous operations since 1963, the DSN is what makes it possible for NASA to communicate with spacecraft at or beyond the […]
https://www.nasa.gov/technology/space-comms/deep-space-network/nasas-deep-space-network-turns-60-and-prepares-for-the-future/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
Bluesky has RSS 2.0 feeds for every user, built-in. Now we have a basis for interop between Mastodon and Bluesky. Important milestone. What can we build with this? Start thinking, building.
http://scripting.com/2023/12/22.html#a193746 Save to Pocket
Beeper’s Final Fixes and Government Investigations
date: 2023-12-22, from: Michael Tsai
Juli Clover: On Reddit, the Beeper Mini team says that the Mac-based fix coming on December 20 stabilizes iMessage for Beeper Cloud and Mini, and it “works well” and “is very reliable.”[…]Beeper has been using its own Mac servers to provide that information to Apple, but that resulted in thousands of Beeper users having the […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2023/12/22/beepers-final-fixes-and-government-investigations/ Save to Pocket
How to Control the World
date: 2023-12-22, from: Michael Tsai
Brandon Williams and Stephen Celis (2018, via Christian Tietze): While unconventional, we hope that it’s obvious that this solution of controlling dependencies is superior to the traditional solutions in use today. It also gives us an opportunity to reevaluate deep-seated beliefs we may have. We should continuously question our assumptions. In this case, we found […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2023/12/22/how-to-control-the-world/ Save to Pocket
WeChat’s HotspotHelper Entitlement
date: 2023-12-22, from: Michael Tsai
Yingyu (via Hacker News): Since the introduction of iOS 9 in 2015, Apple has included an API call named “HotspotHelper,” enabling developers to request a capability for their apps to assist the system in connecting to WiFi access points.[…]The real cause for concern arises from the fact that, with access to such information, apps can […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2023/12/22/wechats-hotspothelper-entitlement/ Save to Pocket
iOS 17 Autocorrect
date: 2023-12-22, from: Michael Tsai
Juli Clover: The machine learning technology that Apple is using for autocorrect has been improved in iOS 17. Apple says it has adopted a “transformer language model,” that will better personalize autocorrect to each user. It is able to learn your personal preferences and word choices to be more useful to you.After using iOS 17 […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2023/12/22/ios-17-autocorrect/ Save to Pocket
Donations Help Save Bologna’s 12th-Century Leaning Tower
date: 2023-12-22, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Officials recently shut down the area around the increasingly delicate structure
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/donations-help-save-bolognas-12th-century-leaning-tower-180983502/ Save to Pocket
Busiest Holiday Travel Season in Years Off to Smooth Start With Few Airport Delays
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
NEW YORK — The holiday travel rush hit its peak Friday as mild weather and lower flight cancellation rates raised hopes for merrier drivers and airline passengers than last year.
U.S. airlines are predicting a blockbuster holiday season and have projected confidence they can handle the crowds after hiring thousands of pilots, flight attendants and other workers, seeking to avoid the delays and suspensions that marred travel last year and culminated with the Southwest Airline debacle that stranded more than 2 million people.
Airlines have canceled just 1.2% of U.S. flights so far this year, the lowest in five years, but bad weather is always a threat. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has warned the government will be holding the airlines accountable to operate smoothly and treat passengers well if there are disruptions. Earlier this week, the Transportation Department announced a settlement in which Southwest will pay $140 million for its meltdown last year.
Fewer than 50 flights were canceled in the U.S. by mid-Friday, and about 1,200 were delayed, according to FlightAware.
Auto club AAA forecasts that 115 million people in the U.S. will go 50 miles or more from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day. That’s up 2% over last year. The busiest days on the road will be Saturday and next Thursday, December 28, according to transportation data provider INRIX.
The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 2.6 million passengers on Thursday, which had been projected to be one of the busiest travel days, along with Friday and New Year’s Day. That’s short of the record 2.9 million that agents screened on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, since travel tends to be more spread out over Christmas and New Year’s.
Travel has been strong this year — surpassing pre-pandemic levels — even though many Americans say they are worried about the economy. TSA has already screened 12.3% more travelers than it had by this time last year and 1.4% more than in 2019.
Inflation has cooled off a bit, and travelers were helped by lower average gas prices and air fares.
The nationwide gas price average Friday was $3.13 a gallon, down 15 cents from a month ago and about 3 cents more than this time last year, according to AAA. Average fares in October were 13% lower than a year earlier, according to the government’s latest data.
Internationally, air travel has also rebounded, though it remains below pre-pandemic levels.
Airlines have sold 31% more tickets for international arrivals to global destinations between December 21 and December 31 compared to the similar period last year, according to travel data firm FowardKeys.
Some travelers in northern Europe had a run of bad luck with bad weather and labor unrest.
A storm brought heavy rain and strong winds across northern Europe overnight and into Friday, bringing down trees and prompting warnings of flooding on the North Sea coast.
Workers at the undersea tunnel between Britain and France held a surprise strike on Thursday, forcing the cancellation of passenger and vehicle-carrying service before an agreement with unions was reached.
Eurostar, which operates passenger train services from London to continental Europe, said services will resume Friday, and it will run six extra trains between Paris and London into the weekend.
In the U.S., AccuWeather forecasters say rainstorms could hit the Pacific Northwest and the southern Plains states including Texas later this week, but things look brighter for population centers — and key airports — in the Northeast. A Pacific storm pounded parts of Southern California on Thursday with heavy rain and street flooding.
https://www.voanews.com/a/busiest-holiday-travel-season-in-years-off-to-smooth-start-with-few-airport-delays-/7409177.html Save to Pocket
Emergency Repairs Close Lanes on I-5 North
date: 2023-12-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Caltrans has issued a warning for Santa Clarita Valley residents that a slide has closed the two right lanes on the I-5 North between SR-14 and Calgrove Boulevard for emergency repairs. Work is ongoing and updates will be released when lanes have been reopened to full capacity
https://scvnews.com/emergency-repairs-close-lanes-on-i-5-north/ Save to Pocket
Mailbag: The impact of an ACC collapse, flexibility for WSU and OSU, the issues with football breaking away and more
date: 2023-12-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
The Bay Area schools agreed to a 12-year contract. If Florida State and Clemson leave, the conference will be greatly diminished.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/22/mailbag-the-impact-of-an-acc-collapse-flexibility-for-wsu-and-osu-the-issues-with-football-breaking-away-and-more/ Save to Pocket
Disney Cruise Line returns to Catalina
date: 2023-12-22, from: Catalina Islander
Love Catalina Tourism Authority, announced this week that Disney Cruise Line is returning to Catalina Island, a premiere destination. The Port of Avalon welcomes Disney fans to the idyllic Catalina Island to experience the destination’s dining, adventures, traditions and more. The Disney Wonder was the first Disney Cruise Line ship to sail to Catalina Island […]
https://thecatalinaislander.com/disney-cruise-line-returns-to-catalina/ Save to Pocket
10 Champagne alternatives, budget bubbles to toast in 2024
date: 2023-12-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
There’s a wide range of sparkling wine options and just as many reasons why choosing alt-sparkling may spark even more joy this holiday season.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/22/10-champagne-alternatives-budget-bubbles-to-toast-in-2024/ Save to Pocket
Days before trial, man charged in Fremont police killing of pregnant teen takes 17-year prison term in plea deal
date: 2023-12-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
Rico Tiger, 25, was charged with murdering his girlfriend, 16-year-old Elena Mondragon, who was killed by Fremont officers after Tiger rammed a police van with a stolen BMW.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/22/days-before-trial-man-charged-in-fremont-police-killing-of-pregnant-teen-takes-plea-deal-17-year-prison-term/ Save to Pocket
October visitor counts are out
date: 2023-12-22, from: Catalina Islander
Overall October 2023 visitor counts increased by almost 11.9% more than October 2022, according to statistics recently released by Love Catalina Tourism Authority. Cruise ship visits were up by nearly half (see below for details), according to the business group. In related news, the Disney Wonder will return to Catalina. Some categories of visitor counts—cross […]
https://thecatalinaislander.com/october-visitor-counts-are-out/ Save to Pocket
People are buying pricey fertility drugs from strangers on the internet
date: 2023-12-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
As more women postpone having children until later in life, infertility has become a growing problem, with an estimated one in six people globally now impacted.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/22/people-are-buying-pricey-fertility-drugs-from-strangers-on-the-internet/ Save to Pocket
Lilbits: Humane Ai Pin ships in March, AYA Neo Slide ships now, Planet Computers tries again
date: 2023-12-22, from: Liliputing
After launching a line of handheld computers including the Gemini PDA, Cosmo Communicator, and Astro Slide, Planet Computers announced something different earlier this year: a line of small Linux desktop computers with touchscreen display panels on the front and ARM-based processors on the inside. A crowdfunding campaign for the PlanetPC XR1 and XR2 was a […]
The post Lilbits: Humane Ai Pin ships in March, AYA Neo Slide ships now, Planet Computers tries again appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/lilbits-humane-ai-pin-ships-in-march-aya-neo-slide-ships-now-planet-computers-tries-again/ Save to Pocket
School of Shanahan: 49ers Bosa, Warner laud offensive coach’s lessons for defense
date: 2023-12-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
When it comes to defending the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson on Monday night, the 49ers’ defenders will try to follow coach Kyle Shanahan’s insightful tips.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/22/school-of-shanahan-49ers-bosa-warner-laud-offensive-coachs-lessons-for-defense/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
Is there an Amazon Echo in the form factor of a battery operated wifi speaker? Such an obvious product. Everyone would get one.
http://scripting.com/2023/12/22.html#a185810 Save to Pocket
Fed inflation gauge tumbles as prices continue to drop
date: 2023-12-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
Americans have already seen some relief from high prices. Consider the ingredients of a BLT sandwich: Prices are down almost 1% over the past year for bacon, more than 10% for lettuce and 4% for tomatoes. Car rental prices have tumbled 11%, air fares 12%, furniture 3%.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/22/fed-inflation-gauge-tumbles-as-prices-continue-to-drop/ Save to Pocket
US medical schools grapple with first admissions since end of affirmative action
date: 2023-12-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
Underrepresentation is a long-standing problem: only 5.2% of practicing physicians in the U.S. were Black even before the ruling, despite Black people making up about 14% of the overall population.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/22/us-medical-schools-grapple-with-first-admissions-since-end-of-affirmative-action/ Save to Pocket
Jan. 23: Volunteer for the Greater L.A. Homeless Count
date: 2023-12-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count will be held Tuesday, Jan. 23 in the Santa Clarita Valley from 8 p.m. to midnight. Each year, this census helps Los Angeles County better understand where people experiencing homelessness are living across the county.
https://scvnews.com/jan-23-volunteer-for-the-greater-l-a-homeless-count/ Save to Pocket
Last minute shopping? Beware these gift card scams
date: 2023-12-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
Scammers have found ways of turning holiday gift cards into a minefield that could steal your money.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/22/last-minute-shopping-beware-these-gift-card-scams/ Save to Pocket
America’s sugar shortfall leaves candy-makers scrounging
date: 2023-12-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
Prolonged droughts in major cane-producers Mexico and Louisiana have helped push U.S. sugar futures to the highest ever for this time of year and forced users to turn to high-cost imports instead.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/22/americas-sugar-shortfall-leaves-candy-makers-scrounging/ Save to Pocket
Lancer Boys basketball gaining experience
date: 2023-12-22, from: Catalina Islander
The Avalon Boys Basketball season is under way and the Lancers have taken some hard knocks so far. They opened their season on Friday, Dec. 1 against Oxford Academy. With only a week of practice as a full team the Lancers surprisingly came out competitive and ready to go. They trailed 20-15 at the end […]
https://thecatalinaislander.com/lancer-boys-basketball-gaining-experience/ Save to Pocket
Gaza death toll exceeds 20,000 as Israel expands ground war
date: 2023-12-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
Israel’s military says 139 of its soldiers have been killed in the ground offensive. It says it has killed thousands of Hamas militants, including about 2,000 in the past three weeks, but it has not presented any evidence to back up the claim.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/12/22/gaza-death-toll-exceeds-20000-as-israel-expands-ground-war/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Knoll’s law of media accuracy: “Everything you read in the newspapers is absolutely true, except for the rare story of which you happen to have firsthand knowledge.”
https://effectiviology.com/knolls-law/ Save to Pocket
Enough Space for Everyone? US, China Target Africa
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
Johannesburg, south africa — As a new space race between the United States and China takes off, Africa is increasingly an arena for competition between the two superpowers. And so far, analysts say, China is ahead.
While Africa’s space agencies are still in their infancy compared to those of the U.S. and China, analysts say space has become a new frontier for diplomacy with African countries.
“In recent years, China has emerged as the leading partner with Africa,” said Nigerian space scientist Temidayo Oniosun, who is the founder of Space in Africa, an analytics and consulting company.
Oniosun says there have been a lot of collaborations across sectors including communications, observation, navigation and positioning. China is developing satellites for different partners, ground station infrastructure, and is pushing for countries to adopt its BeiDou satellite navigation system, seen as an alternative to America’s GPS.
“Chinese companies have been capitalizing on this for years. It’s now that the U.S. is waking up to this,” he said during a recent forum on the topic at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington or USIP, a think tank founded by Congress.
“U.S. strategy towards Africa in space is actually more about reducing the hegemony of China over Africa than anything else. … I think one of the major reasons they’re [the U.S.] paying attention is because China is doing so much,” Oniosun told VOA.
Asked whether the U.S. was indeed playing catch-up, a National Security Council spokesperson did not comment on Chinese competition directly, but said that “U.S. companies are at the forefront” of working with Africa.
The spokesperson detailed some of the agreements on space announced at last year’s U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit, including Nigeria’s partnership with U.S. firm SpaceX, which also helped Kenya launch its first operational earth satellite in April.
China regards Space X as competition
China sees Elon Musk’s company as a major rival to its ambition to become a dominant space power by 2045.
Asked whether China was ahead when it came to space cooperation with Africa, a NASA spokesperson told VOA: “The United States continues to work internationally for a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Working with both new and existing partners will add new energy and capabilities to help ensure the entire world can benefit from our journey of exploration and discovery.”
As one example of cooperation with Africa, the NASA spokesperson pointed to the U.S. agency’s current collaboration with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) on plans to build a new tracking and communications antenna site near Matjiesfontein, in the country’s semi-desert area of Karoo.
“NASA is currently finalizing negotiations for an agreement for NASA to build an 18-meter Lunar Exploration Ground Sites antenna to support the Artemis Program and the human lunar return to the moon,” the spokesperson said.
U.S. led Artemis Accords is described as a “set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century.” Other African countries have also been signing onto NASA’s Artemis Accords, including Angola whose president signed the accords on November 30, during a visit to the White House.
View from Africa
According to a USIP report, co-authored by Oniosun, there are currently space programs in more than 20 African countries, and Africa accounted for 0.7 percent of global space expenditure in 2020.
Rather than seeking to participate in deep space exploration or human spaceflight, the report says many African countries see space development as a way of achieving national development goals and space-linked infrastructure as an important way to address problems such as climate change, national disaster preparedness and counter-terrorism.
A list sent to VOA by the South African National Space Agency, mentioned 11 partnerships with the U.S., including on deep space exploration, space education, space science research, hosting of Global Navigation Satellite System equipment, and six standing agreements relating to space operations.
“SANSA also has long-standing working relationships with USA and Canadian researchers in space weather,” Asanda Sangoni, acting managing director of SANSA Earth Observation, told VOA in a written response.
The agency has three projects or agreements with China on space exploration, satellite navigation, and general space cooperation, according to Sangoni.
Asked whether Africa is becoming one of the areas of competition in a new Cold War space race, Sangoni wrote: “There is no single”Space Race" (if there is any) in the traditional sense."
“The global space landscape is evolving, with an increasing number of nations, including emerging nations, participating and often partnering in space activities. These nations pursue various goals and objectives based on their unique circumstances and interests, contributing to the overall development of space exploration and utilization,” Sangoni wrote.
“SANSA strongly believes that space-related activities should be inclusive and beneficial for all mankind. SANSA promotes the peaceful use of space and respectful cooperation,” she added.
National Security Concern?
During the U.S. Institute of Peace panel, Joseph Sany, the vice president of the Africa Center, explained some of the perceived risks that are fueling the new space race.
“As great powers vie for dominance in space, the risk of conflict between them looms large,” he said. “In an environment where space assets are essential for intelligence gathering, communication and military operation, disparities in capabilities could heighten tensions and create an atmosphere conducive to conflict.”
“As competition intensifies, the trust and willingness to cooperate may diminish” Sany said. “Misunderstandings, miscommunications or deliberate disruptions in communication systems could easily escalate into full-blown conflict.”
The Pentagon’s 2023 annual report to Congress on China’s military developments makes numerous references to Beijing’s ambitions in space.
The People’s Liberation Army “views space superiority, the ability to control the space-enabled information sphere and to deny adversaries their own space-based information gathering and communication capabilities, as critical components to conduct modern ‘informatized warfare’,” the report states.
“The PLA continues to acquire and develop a range of counter-space capabilities and related technologies, including kinetic-kill missiles, ground-based lasers, and orbiting space robots, as well as expanding space surveillance capabilities, which can monitor objects in space within their field of view and enable counter space actions,” according to the report.
It’s not just Africa where China’s space industry footprint is expanding. A recent article in The Washington Post said the Pentagon is concerned that some of China’s space and satellite programs in Latin America having defense capabilities.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington referred VOA’s questions on its space cooperation with Africa to the Chinese Mission to the African Union, which did not reply to requests for comment.
https://www.voanews.com/a/enough-space-for-everyone-us-china-target-africa-/7388756.html Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Is there an Amazon Echo in the form factor of a battery operated wifi speaker? If not, why not? Such an obvious product. Everyone would get one.
https://www.amazon.com/JBL-Waterproof-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker/dp/B07QK2SPP7/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?hvadid=267942939791&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9004747&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16161778895412864090&hvtargid=kwd-375689607825&hydadcr=15108_9828339&keywords=jbl+bluetooth+speaker+system&qid=1703269785&sr=8-1-spons&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.18630bbb-fcbb-42f8-9767-857e17e03685&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1 Save to Pocket
Victims in Oregon Small Plane Crash Were Resettled Afghan Refugees
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
PORTLAND, Oregon — Three men who died in a small plane crash in Oregon were Afghan air force pilots who fought with the American military and came to the U.S. as refugees after Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021, according to groups that helped with their resettlement.
Salem for Refugees said it resettled Mohammad Hussain Musawi, 35, Mohammad Bashir Safdari, 35, and Ali Jan Ferdawsi, 29, in the Salem area last spring. The nonprofit provides financial aid to newly arrived refugees and helps them find housing and employment, among other support services. It said it was devastated by their deaths.
“In 2022, they sought refuge and new beginnings in Oregon, where their kindness, skills, and determination quickly touched the lives of those around them,” the group said on a GoFundMe page it created to help cover funeral expenses and support the pilots’ families.
The men lost their lives Saturday when a small plane that was piloted by Musawi and carrying Safdari and Ferdawsi as its only passengers crashed into power lines near Independence, a small city in the Willamette Valley about 12 miles (19 kilometers) southwest of Salem.
Darwaish Zakhil, co-founder and community advancement director of Afghan Support Network, a nonprofit based in Portland, described Musawi as committed and ambitious. He had spoken on the phone with him and met him in person, he said, and had also met Safdari and Ferdawsi at events.
They were all working toward their commercial pilot licenses and wanted to be reunited with their families.
“They were happy. They were hopeful for the future,” he said. “When you look back and see their work and their life, what they’ve been through, it’s so sad for all Afghans around the globe and especially here in the state of Oregon.”
Darin Chung, co-founder of the Afghan American Development group, a nonprofit that helps some 600 former Afghan military aviation personnel in the U.S. with refugee resettlement, job training and family reunification, said he also met Musawi — at the aviation hangar in Independence this past spring. Chung, who was a U.S. Marines pilot for 20 years and served in Afghanistan, described him as “terrifically respectful.”
“As a veteran myself, who spent time in combat, I consider these guys every bit of veteran as a U.S. citizen who spent time in the U.S. military in combat,” he said.
“They’re incredible people,” he said of the Afghans his nonprofit assists. “They have been under more stress than I ever have experienced.”
The pilots’ families have remained in Afghanistan while waiting to be able to come to the U.S., according to the group, which has also created a GoFundMe page. The men hadn’t seen their families since August 2021, when the Taliban swept back to power after seizing the Afghan capital Kabul.
As the Taliban advanced on Kabul, the pilots were among those who flew their aircraft, under fire, to the neighboring country of Tajikistan to prevent air force equipment from falling into the hands of the group’s fighters, said Russ Pritchard, the nonprofit’s CEO.
They came to the U.S. as part of Operation Allies Welcome, Pritchard said. The program has helped resettle at least 90,000 Afghans since 2021, including those who worked for the U.S. government and military, according to the U.S. State Department.
“All three of those men were heroes, fought side by side with their American counterparts, participated in one last heroic act and were granted asylum,” Pritchard said. “They all dreamed of their children coming and being educated in the United States.”
Pritchard said most of the people that his group helps have been separated from their families for more than two years.
The small plane carrying Musawi, Safdari and Ferdawsi was traveling in heavy fog Saturday from McMinnville, Oregon, to the Independence State Airport, police said.
Authorities said the initial investigation found the collision with electrical power lines resulted in a small brush fire and a power outage in the community.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating with assistance from Independence police. A possible cause was not immediately released.
The nonprofits working to support the pilots’ families said the Afghan community was grieving the loss. Some 1,400 Afghans have resettled as refugees in Oregon since 2021, according to the state’s department of human services.
“These heroes will be deeply missed,” Salem for Refugees said. “Let’s unite in their honor and give their families the support they need during this unimaginable time.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/victims-in-oregon-small-plane-crash-were-resettled-afghan-refugees-/7409051.html Save to Pocket
President Pardons People Convicted of Simple Marijuana Offenses
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/president-pardons-people-convicted-of-simple-marijuana-offenses-/7409020.html Save to Pocket
Yes, Virginia, there are mermaids in Catalina waters
date: 2023-12-22, from: Catalina Islander
Catalina Island has always had a rich history of including mermaids in Avalon. The iconic Mermaid Mural at the Casino entrance is just one example of this. In the past few years a small woman-owned and operated company, Catalina Island Mermaids, has brought the magic of mermaid sightings back to Catalina. Visitors can often enjoy […]
https://thecatalinaislander.com/yes-virginia-there-are-mermaids-in-catalina-waters/ Save to Pocket
On Cupid! On, Donner and BARREL!
date: 2023-12-22, from: NASA breaking news
In this image from Dec. 8, 2017, four reindeer walk past the Balloon Array for Radiation-belt Relativistic Electron Losses, or BARREL, payload on the launch pad at Esrange Space Center near Kiruna, Sweden. BARREL primarily measured X-rays in Earth’s atmosphere near the North and South Poles. These X-rays are caused by electrons that rain down, […]
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/on-cupid-on-donner-and-barrel/ Save to Pocket
NASA Issues New Space Security Best Practices Guide
date: 2023-12-22, from: NASA breaking news
As space missions and technologies grow increasingly interconnected, NASA has released the first iteration of its Space Security Best Practices Guide to bolster mission cybersecurity efforts for both public sector and private sector space activities. The guide represents a significant milestone in NASA’s commitment to ensuring the longevity and resilience of its space missions and […]
https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-issues-new-space-security-best-practices-guide/ Save to Pocket
A Look Through Time with NASA’s Lead Photographer for the James Webb Space Telescope
date: 2023-12-22, from: NASA breaking news
Nearly two years ago in the early morning hours of Dec. 25, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope successfully took flight from the jungle-encircled ELA-3 launch complex at Europe’s Spaceport near Kourou, French Guiana. Following a successful deployment in space, and the precise alignment of the telescope’s mirrors and instruments, Webb began science operations nearly six […]
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/a-look-through-time-with-nasas-lead-photographer-for-the-james-webb-space-telescope/ Save to Pocket
NASA Streams Video of a Cat Chasing a Laser From Deep Space
date: 2023-12-22, from: Smithsonian Magazine
In a first, the agency beamed the playful clip to Earth from a distance 80 times farther than the moon
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-streams-video-of-a-cat-chasing-a-laser-from-deep-space-180983501/ Save to Pocket
Massaging the Message: How Oilpatch Newspapers Censor the News
date: 2023-12-22, from: Economics from the Top-Down
Building on Regan Boychuk’s work, I take a quantitative look at how newspapers in Canada’s oilpatch censor the reporting of environmental journalist Mike De Souza.
The post Massaging the Message: How Oilpatch Newspapers Censor the News appeared first on Economics from the Top Down.
https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2023/12/22/massaging-the-message-how-oilpatch-newspapers-censor-the-news/ Save to Pocket
Sheriff’s Log: Dec. 14 to Dec. 20, 2023
date: 2023-12-22, from: Catalina Islander
The following is the Avalon’s Sheriff’s Stations significant incidents report for the period of Dec. 14 to Dec. 20, 2023. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Many people who are arrested do not get prosecuted in the first place and many who are prosecuted do not get convicted, […]
https://thecatalinaislander.com/sheriffs-log-dec-14-to-dec-20-2023/ Save to Pocket
You Can Score an Outstanding EV for Just $12,000
date: 2023-12-22, from: Heatmap News
Growing up, I begrudgingly attended the annual Father’s Day car show on our local Main Street. My dad liked to spend the morning ogling muscle cars and chatting up their often tattooed or bearded owners. I tried my best to feign interest, but as much as I love my dad, I just couldn’t get excited about cars. I don’t think he passed along the “car guy” gene to me.
At least that’s what I thought until about a month ago. I’m now the proud new owner of a (used) 2020 Chevy Bolt Premier, and I’m ready to talk about it with anyone willing to listen.
— (@)
There is a dearth of options for a small, affordable electric vehicle. The Chevy Bolt is one of the very few cars that meets that criteria today.
So what’s to like about the Bolt?
First off, it’s a blast to drive. Its small size and zippy acceleration makes me feel like I’m in the driver’s seat of my childhood remote control car. It never feels too small, however. We comfortably fit our family of four, including two carseats, and the hatchback and spacious trunk provide ample cargo space.
The Premier trim also comes with what to me — whose last primary vehicle was a 2006 Civic — feel like luxury features: a 360 camera (that makes parking this small car that much easier), a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging, and a Bose sound system.
It also has impressive range for a car its size. On a full charge, the Chevy Bolt can travel an estimated 259 miles. That’s 100 miles more than another small and affordable EV, the Nissan Leaf.
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But most importantly the Bolt is an insanely good deal — maybe one of the best car deals of all time, particularly if you buy one used and live in a state that has additional used EV incentives.
And you probably will have to. Early in 2023, GM curiously (a nice way to put it) decided to discontinue the Bolt, though they more recently reversed that decision thanks to growing demand. However, there will be no 2024 model. As such, it’s easier today to find a used Bolt than a new one.
You can easily find a used Bolt for under $20,000. Pair that with a federal $4,000 used EV tax credit, and in some cases a state rebate (Massachusetts, where I live, offers a $3,500 used-EV rebate for certain income thresholds), and you just got yourself a steal of a deal.
For instance, suppose you don’t opt for the “luxurious” Premier level trim and give up that heated steering wheel. Using Autotrader.com, I found a used 2020 Bolt EV on sale in Massachusetts with just 9,900 miles. It’s listed at $17,795. Add on sales tax and some other fees, and now you’re looking at $19,500, give or take. However, that’s before the incentives kick in.
Screenshot of Autotrader.com.
Subtract the combined federal and Massachusetts used EV incentives of $7,500, however, and this (hardly) used EV now only cost you $12,000.
By comparison, I used the same site to see what other non-electric 2020 vehicles I could buy for $12,000, and I came up with less than 10 results within a 100 mile radius. All but one had 100,000 miles or more. The only comparable vehicle was a 2020 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 SE with 36,400 miles. And really, there is no comparison. On the fun factor alone, the Bolt can accelerate from 0-60 in 6.5 seconds, while the Mirage takes nearly twice as long at 12 seconds.
If you’re thinking about buying a Bolt (or any EV, really), there is more good news. Beginning in 2024, many dealerships will even offer the federal credit at point of sale instead of having to wait until tax season.
Another pro-tip for potential buyers: due to a recall, it’s possible to find a used Bolt that has recently received a brand new battery which resets the 8 year/100,000 mile battery warranty to its installation date. Many Bolts have just received a software update instead, but you can ask your local dealer to keep an eye out for one with a new battery.
Now, the Bolt isn’t perfect.
Even though its range is great, it is one of the slowest charging electric vehicles out there. Even for Bolt models with high speed DC fast charging, it takes about 30 minutes to charge 100 miles, compared to 10 minutes for the Hyundai Ioniq 6.
But if you’re like the average American that drives 37 miles a day, and you have somewhere at home to plug into, the relatively slow fast charging speed doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. My family has so far gotten away with almost exclusively trickle charging our Bolt at home using a standard 120 volt outlet which yields us about 4 miles per hour charged.
We’ve even managed to find some free level 2 chargers (about 39 miles per hour charged) in neighboring towns. Imagine just rolling up to a gas station and getting a couple of free gallons for your tank with no strings attached. We basically found that, but with fewer emissions.
If you’re on the fence about a Bolt, don’t just take it from me, someone who couldn’t care less about cars until last month. Tom McParland, an automotive consultant and contributor at Jalopnik, wrote a similar screed this past summer.
Given used car prices have been falling across the board in the last few months, I called McParland to see if his recommendation of buying a used Bolt still stands.
I just had to get one qualification out of the way to start my interview. “Do you consider yourself a car guy?,” I asked the automotive consultant that has written over 1,600 articles about cars.
“Yes,” he replied and said no more on the topic. Car guy confirmed.
“Overall, my thesis still remains,” he said. “Right now the Bolt doesn’t have a lot of other competitors that match it for range, recency, and the other key thing here is remaining warranty balance.”
In his article, McParland concludes, “used Bolts should get most folks where they need to go and offer a ton of savings.”
I can’t wait to take the Bolt 100 miles south to my parent’s house for the holidays and answer all of my dad’s questions about the car while he takes it for a test drive.
Read more about EVs:
The Next Great Electric Vehicle Will Be Cheap
Editor’s note: This story originally misstated the acceleration speed of the Mitsubishi Mirage. We regret the error.
https://heatmap.news/electric-vehicles/chevy-bolt-used-range-price-value-chevrolet Save to Pocket
Behind the Blog: A Gift Guide, Goals, and Some End of Year Nostalgia
date: 2023-12-22, from: 404 Media Group
This week, we discuss the year we’ve had, technology journalism as a complicated feeling, and some gift ideas for your last minute shopping.
https://www.404media.co/behind-the-blog-december-22/ Save to Pocket
Los Angeles Orders More Residential Hotels To Stop Renting To Tourists
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The LAist
Twenty-one hotels have been cited so far. If the citations are enforced and upheld in court, hundreds of rooms could be turned back into low-cost permanent housing for the city’s poorest residents.
https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/los-angeles-orders-more-residential-hotels-to-stop-renting-to-tourists Save to Pocket
Meet the Infrared Telescopes That Paved the Way for NASA’s Webb
date: 2023-12-22, from: NASA breaking news
The Webb telescope has opened a new window onto the universe, but it builds on missions going back 40 years, including Spitzer and the Infrared Astronomical Satellite. On Dec. 25, NASA will celebrate the two-year launch anniversary of the James Webb Space Telescope – the largest and most powerful space observatory in history. The clarity […]
https://www.nasa.gov/universe/meet-the-infrared-telescopes-that-paved-the-way-for-nasas-webb/ Save to Pocket
Celebrating the Holiday Season in Space
date: 2023-12-22, from: NASA breaking news
The Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year holidays are joyful events typically spent with family and friends. Astronauts and cosmonauts who find themselves in space during the holidays have found their own unique way to celebrate the occasions. In the early years of the space program, holidays spent in space occurred infrequently, most notably the flight […]
https://www.nasa.gov/history/celebrating-the-holiday-season-in-space-2023/ Save to Pocket
A Moment of Applied Holiday Robotics
date: 2023-12-22, from: Doc Searls (at Harvard), New Old Blog
I asked ChatGPT and Bard to “List all Christmas holiday tunes in chronological order, by the year they were written, running from oldest at the top to the newest at the bottom.” ChatGPT gave me a lame list. Bard gave me a much better one, improved by my follow-ups. Here ya go: While creating a […]
https://doc.searls.com/2023/12/22/a-moment-of-applied-holiday-robotics/ Save to Pocket
The price of palm oil
date: 2023-12-22, from: The Sundail (CSUN student paper)
Deforestation, global warming and labor exploitation are three issues that have plagued the economy, and they all intersect with the production of palm oil. Palm oil comes from trees of the same name, and can be made by either squeezing their fruit or the kernel inside the fruit. Native to Africa, oil palm trees were…
https://sundial.csun.edu/177562/print-editions/print-stories/the-price-of-palm-oil/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Wikipedia is a complete mess when it comes to RSS. No mention of the NY Times and Martin Nisenholtz. They talk about versions after 2.0, but the format was frozen at 2.0. Makes me wonder when I rely on it as an authority on other subjects.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS Save to Pocket
Putting the “J” in the RPG, Part 3: Playing Final Fantasy VII (or, Old Man Yells at Cloud)
date: 2023-12-22, from: Digital Antiquarian
Fair warning: this article includes plot spoilers of Final Fantasy VII. Historians and critics like me usually have to play the know-it-all in order to be effective at our jobs. My work flow begins with me going out and learning everything I can about a topic in the time I have available. Then I decide […]
https://www.filfre.net/2023/12/putting-the-j-in-the-rpg-part-3-playing-final-fantasy-vii-or-old-man-yells-at-jrpg/ Save to Pocket
ZeroWriter: Open source, DIY E Ink typewriter that costs about $200 (or less) to build
date: 2023-12-22, from: Liliputing
The ZeroWriter is a portable, distraction-free writing device that combines a compact keyboard with an even smaller E Ink display. It’s also an open-source, DIY gadget that you can build yourself using parts that cost about $200 or less, although you will need access to a 3D printer (or 3D printing shop) to build the chassis. […]
The post ZeroWriter: Open source, DIY E Ink typewriter that costs about $200 (or less) to build appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/zerowriter-open-source-diy-e-ink-typewriter-that-costs-about-200-or-less-to-build/ Save to Pocket
Pacific Storm That Unleashed Flooding Now Barreling Down on Southeastern California
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
SANTA BARBARA, California — A Pacific storm that pounded California’s coastal areas and stranded motorists was poised to pounce on the southeastern area of the state through Friday, bringing flood threats to a sweeping area extending from San Diego into the Mojave Desert and even into parts of Arizona.
As millions of Californians scrambled to finish their holiday shopping or prepared to head out onto highways, the National Weather Service issued flood watches for low-lying urban areas and the deserts.
Showers and thunderstorms could dump up to 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) of rain through the day, but the real concern was that some areas could be drenched with a half-inch to 1.3 to 2.5 centimeters of rain in just an hour, causing streams, creeks and rivers to overflow, the weather service said.
On Thursday, motorists were stranded in their vehicles on flooded roadways northwest of Los Angeles.
Downpours swamped areas in the cities of Port Hueneme, Oxnard and Santa Barbara, where a police detective carried a woman on his back after the SUV she was riding in got stuck in knee-deep floodwaters.
Between midnight and 1 a.m., the storm dumped 8 centimeters of rainfall in downtown Oxnard, surpassing the area’s average of 6.5 centimeters for the entire month of December, according to the National Weather Service.
Hours later, at Heritage Coffee and Gifts in downtown Oxnard, manager Carlos Larios said the storm hadn’t made a dent in their Thursday morning rush despite “gloomy” skies.
“People are still coming in to get coffee, which is surprising,” he said. “I don’t think the rain is going to stop many people from being out and about.”
By midday, the rain and wind had eased, and residents ventured outside to look at the damage. No serious damage or injuries were reported.
Sven Dybdahl, owner of olive oil and vinegar store Viva Oliva in downtown Santa Barbara, said he had trouble finding dry routes to work Thursday morning, but most of the heavy rains and flooding had receded shortly before 11 a.m.
He said he was grateful that the weather is only expected to be an issue for a few days at the tail end of the holiday shopping season, otherwise he’d be worried about how the rain would affect his store’s bottom line.
“It will have an impact, but thankfully it’s happening quite late,” he said.
“This is a genuinely dramatic storm,” climate scientist Daniel Swain, of the University of California, Los Angeles, said in an online briefing. “In Oxnard, particularly, overnight there were downpours that preliminary data suggests were probably the heaviest downpours ever observed in that part of Southern California.”
The storm swept through Northern California earlier in the week as the center of the low-pressure system slowly moved south off the coast. Forecasters described it as a “cutoff low,” a storm that is cut off from the general west-to-east flow and can linger for days, increasing the amount of rainfall.
The system was producing hit-and-miss bands of precipitation rather than generalized widespread rainfall.
Meanwhile, Californians were gearing up for holiday travel and finishing preparations for Christmas. The Automobile Club of Southern California estimates 9.5 million people in the region will travel during the year-end holiday period.
The Northeast was hit with an unexpectedly strong storm earlier this week, and some parts of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont were still digging out from rain and wind damage. Parts of Maine along the Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers were hit especially hard.
At least seven people in East Coast states have died in the storms, with deaths reported in Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts and Maine.
https://www.voanews.com/a/pacific-storm-that-unleashed-flooding-now-barreling-down-on-southeastern-california-/7408876.html Save to Pocket
The Year States Passed on Gas
date: 2023-12-22, from: Heatmap News
One of the biggest climate stories of the year — the first, and perhaps only, to go viral — didn’t so much draw attention to the warming planet as it did to the dangers of using fossil fuels.
During the second week of January, Bloomberg reported that a federal safety agency would “consider a ban on gas stoves amid health fears.” Though the headline was somewhat misleading — the commission was investigating the risks of cooking with gas, but a ban was not immediately forthcoming — the article invited swift backlash.
The next day, the Wall Street Journal editorial board published an op-ed warning readers that “Biden is coming for your gas stove.” Conservative politicians expressed their undying loyalty to the appliance. “If the maniacs in the White House come for my stove, they can pry it from my cold dead hands. COME AND TAKE IT!!,” Ronny Jackson, a Republican congressman from Texas, posted on Twitter. Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida designed aprons bearing an illustration of a gas stove that said “Don’t Tread on Florida.” Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia also piled on, tweeting, “I can tell you the last thing that would ever leave my house is the gas stove that we cook on.” House Republicans eventually passed a bill called the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act.
Meanwhile, everyday Americans were trying to make sense of the news that their gas stoves could be harming them. Every major media outlet ran stories on the risks of cooking with gas and how to minimize them. “How bad is it actually?,” friends started asking me over drinks.
It’s not good. Burning natural gas releases nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant that contributes to respiratory illnesses like asthma. Concentrations from cooking can often exceed government standards for outdoor air quality. Proper ventilation with a range hood can reduce your exposure. But it won’t do anything about the effects gas has on the climate.
About 13% of U.S. emissions come from the fuels burned in buildings. Stoves may be a small part of that, but officials in some of the most climate-forward cities and states have been grappling with reducing the use of all fossil fuel-burning appliances in buildings for a number of years now. In February, the Building Decarbonization Coalition reported that 98 municipalities and four states — California, Washington, Maryland, and Colorado — had adopted policies promoting a switch to electric appliances. When the gas stove hysteria erupted, one in five Americans was already living under laws that encouraged or required landlords and developers to eschew gas.
A lot has happened in the months since, and not every state is swimming in the same direction on the issue. But in 2023, policymakers took big leaps toward a future without gas in buildings in three key ways:
1. The first statewide ban on gas in new buildings
There’s no blueprint for how to decommission thousands of miles of gas pipelines and retrofit millions of homes with electric appliances in a systematic, let alone equitable way. As a start, policymakers have generally followed the Law of Holes, as in, the first step is to stop digging — or in this case, stop growing demand for gas.
In 2019, the city of Berkeley, California, led the way, passing the first ordinance in the country to prohibit gas hookups in new buildings, and dozens of other cities followed. This year, New York became the first state to enact such a policy. The law requires all new buildings that are smaller than seven stories to be fully electric beginning in 2026, and applies to taller buildings in 2029.
“I think it’s huge that a state is doing it, not only because New York is a big-impact state,” Sarah Fox, an associate law professor at Northern Illinois University School of Law, told CNN at the time. It’s no longer “fringe cities passing these policies,” she said. “This is becoming a mainstream policy that a state like New York is taking on.”
However, this year also saw a continuation of Republican-led states taking the opposite tack. Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Idaho joined a list of 24 states that have passed laws prohibiting municipalities from setting these kinds of restrictions on gas in buildings. By my estimation, using 2022 population data from the U.S. Census Bureau, that means two in five Americans live in states with such preemption laws.
Berkeley’s gas ban was also struck down by a federal appeals court, and the city is now fighting for a rehearing. That decision led to some uncertainty, but no loss of momentum. In Washington, where regulators created a de facto ban on gas in new construction through the building code last year, officials recently amended the code to safeguard it against legal challenges.
2. Limits on investment in the gas system
Utilities typically spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year maintaining, replacing, and building new pipes — funds they expect to recover from ratepayers over the course of decades.
This year, in a few states with strong emission reduction laws that imply heating will have to be electrified in the next few decades, regulators started to scrutinize these investments more. In Illinois, for example, the Commerce Commission ordered People’s Gas, which serves the Chicago area, to pause its pipe replacement program, rejecting the company’s request to hike rates to fund it.
“This program was deeply flawed,” Abe Scarr, state director of the Public Interest Research Group in Illinois, told me. It was supposed to address the real problem of risky iron pipes, but it had been mismanaged and over-budget for years, he said. At the current rate, the company won’t be done until 2049, “right around the time that a lot of us think we should be stopping to use the gas system.”
The commission ordered an investigation into the program. It also initiated a new “Future of Gas” proceeding for all utilities in the state to determine how to align the sector with Illinois’ clean energy goals. “As the State embarks on a journey toward a 100 percent clean energy economy, the gas system’s operations will not continue to exist in its current form,” said Illinois Commerce Commission Chairman Doug Scott in a press release.
Meanwhile, regulators in Massachusetts were wrapping up their own “Future of Gas” proceeding that had kicked off in 2020. In early December, the state’s Department of Public Utilities issued a final order declaring, among many other things, that it will no longer allow companies to recover costs for gas infrastructure without showing that alternatives, like helping customers electrify, were considered. Regulators also rejected the utilities’ preferred path to reducing emissions — switching to lower-carbon fuels like renewable natural gas and hydrogen — as not yet proven. Unless and until the evidence changes, any money the companies spend investigating these solutions will have to be covered by shareholders, not ratepayers.
Also this year, Massachusetts began testing one potentially more systematic pathway to transition off gas. Eversource, a utility there, broke ground on a first-of-its-kind project to switch an entire neighborhood to “networked geothermal,” a form of electric heating that draws on the steady temperature of the ground beneath the earth’s surface to heat and cool buildings.
3. Prohibitions on charging customers for marketing and lobbying
In many states, it’s standard practice for utilities to bake the cost of political activities like lobbying, advertising, and trade association memberships into customers’ gas and electric rates. These activities often amount to efforts to slow down the clean energy transition — for example, an investigation published this year found that the American Gas Association has fought to stifle warnings about the risks of gas stoves for decades.
“[Utilities] are conscripting their customers into an unknowing army of millions of small-dollar donors to prolong the era of dirty energy,” David Pomerantz, executive director of the nonprofit Energy and Policy Institute, wrote in The New York Times earlier this year.
But now Maine, Colorado, and Connecticut, have all outlawed the practice; if utilities in those states want to spend money on lobbying or trade groups, they’ll have to pay for it out of their own profits. Massachusetts regulators took a similar step, banning gas companies from charging customers for any marketing related to the promotion of natural gas.
I asked Mike Henchen, a principal at the clean energy think tank RMI who follows gas utility regulation around the country, what the next wave of action on the issue might look like.
He said he expects progress to continue next year, with states rolling out rebates for heat pumps with money from the Inflation Reduction Act. Some, like New Jersey and Maryland may follow the playbooks written by first movers like New York and Massachusetts, and those leading states could continue to break new ground. One of the next fronts, he said, is removing the gas industry’s “obligation to serve,” a rule written into most state laws that gives customers the right to demand gas service. That means that even if there’s a strong economic argument to electrify a city block rather than replace a risky pipeline, one resident’s refusal could sink the whole project.
On the bright side, some utilities are starting to talk more openly about needing to reduce the amount of natural gas they sell to customers, Henchen told me. But midway through sharing this thought, he stopped to laugh. “I laugh, because it seems like it should be more obvious that that is the case.”
https://heatmap.news/politics/2023-natural-gas-states-ny-ma Save to Pocket
Cyber sleuths reveal how they infiltrate the biggest ransomware gangs
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
How do you break into the bad guys’ ranks? Master the lingo and research, research, research
Feature When AlphV/BlackCat’s website went dark this month, it was like Chrimbo came early for cybersecurity defenders, some of whom seemingly believed law enforcement had busted one of the most menacing cyber criminal crews.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/12/22/how_to_infiltrate_ransomware_gangs/ Save to Pocket
Biden Signs Order Aimed at Financial Facilitators of Russian Military
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday giving the Treasury Department the authority to target financial institutions that facilitate Russia’s efforts to bolster its defense industry.
The new sanctions authority is meant to gum up the Kremlin’s push to restock the Russian military’s depleted arsenal after 22 months of fighting in Ukraine. Russia has already lost over 13,000 pieces of equipment, including tanks, drones and missile systems, according to a U.S. assessment.
The order also seeks to tighten existing restrictions on diamonds and seafood imported from Russia after a review by U.S. agencies.
“We expect financial institutions will undertake every effort to ensure that they are not witting or unwitting facilitators of circumvention and evasion,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement announcing the order. “And we will not hesitate to use the new tools provided by this authority to take decisive, and surgical, action against financial institutions that facilitate the supply of Russia’s war machine.”
The latest effort to tighten pressure on Russia comes just weeks after Biden and G7 leaders met virtually to discuss support for Ukraine as rancor spreads in Washington over the cost of backing Kyiv in a war that has no end in sight.
The White House has been locked in talks with key lawmakers to approve more money for Ukraine. Biden has proposed $110 billion package of wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel and other national security priorities. GOP lawmakers have declined to approve the money until the White House agrees to major immigration and U.S.-Mexico border policy changes. The Defense Department says it has nearly run out of available funds for supporting Ukraine’s defense.
The G7 leaders said in a statement following the December 6 meeting that they would work to curtail Russia’s use of the international financial system to further its war in Ukraine and target “Russian military procurement networks and those who help Russia acquire machine tools, equipment and key inputs.”
Russian defense spending rose by almost 75% in the first half of 2023, and Russia is on track for record military spending next year.
“This executive order comes at a critical juncture,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo wrote in a Financial Times op-ed published Friday. “By raising the stakes for banks supporting sensitive trade with Russia and continuing to sanction new front companies and procurement networks, our coalition is pouring sand into the gears of Russia’s military logistics.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/biden-signs-order-aimed-at-financial-facilitators-of-russian-military/7408786.html Save to Pocket
Conversation vs publishing
date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News
Conversation has a place, but I think we’ve explored that pretty well, and now I want to create better publishing and reading systems, that are as fast as social web systems, but place less emphasis on replies that can be seen by everyone, because that often is not really conversation, it’s spam.
I think ultimately we’ll be disappointed with federation for all the reasons we’re frustrated with earlier social web systems. People trying to get attention for their ideas, which often are spam or trolling. I also think this means RSS will be more valuable going forward because it’s great at publishing, checking all the textcasting boxes.
I plan to build with and around WordPress. I think of WordPress as a basic platform the way I saw Twitter between 2006 and 2022. Now the question is what are the steps to use WordPress as the back-end of a social communication system. Behind the scenes, its database has all the capabilities we need to provide the tools writers need. And it has excellent RSS support. It all runs at scale and has a mature yet simple API. That is all we need to form a hub.
http://scripting.com/2023/12/22/154133.html?title=conversationVsPublishing Save to Pocket
Build your own NAS with this Alder Lake-N motherboard (Up to 6 hard drives and 2 SSDs)
date: 2023-12-22, from: Liliputing
Chinese mini PC maker SZBox is selling a mini ITX motherboard that combines an Intel Alder Lake-N low-power processor with support for up to 32GB of RAM, four 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports, and support for a lot of storage, thanks to six SATA 3.0 connectors and two M.2 2280 slots, making it an option for folks […]
The post Build your own NAS with this Alder Lake-N motherboard (Up to 6 hard drives and 2 SSDs) appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/build-your-own-nas-with-this-alder-lake-n-motherboard-up-to-6-hard-drives-and-2-ssds/ Save to Pocket
Need some motivation to cancel that subscription?
date: 2023-12-22, from: Marketplace Morning Report
The New York State Attorney General is suing SiriusXM, saying the satellite radio company makes the cancellation process long and difficult. But there are plenty of companies that make it hard for customers to get out of subscriptions, so we rounded up some advice on how to get through it. Also: A monthly drop in inflation in November and “serious scrutiny” for the purchase of U.S. Steel.
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/need-some-motivation-to-cancel-that-subscription Save to Pocket
NASA Asteroid Sampling Mission Renamed OSIRIS-APEX for New Journey
date: 2023-12-22, from: NASA breaking news
The former OSIRIS-REx spacecraft sets off on a journey to study asteroid Apophis and take advantage of the asteroid’s 2029 flyby of Earth, the likes of which hasn’t happened since the dawn of recorded history.
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/osiris-apex/nasa-asteroid-sampling-mission-renamed-osiris-apex-for-new-journey/ Save to Pocket
WHAT WILL SURVIVE OF US IS LOVE
date: 2023-12-22, from: Howard Jacobson blog
Here, rather than an individual card to each of my subscribers, is the jacket of my new novel to be published by Jonathan Cape on Feb 1, 2024. With it, I wish you all a Happy New Year! I take the title from Philip Larkin’s poem An Arundel Tomb. That’s the one in which Larkin notes with ‘sharp tender shock’ that the entombed earl has removed his gauntlet and has been holding the countess’s hand for centuries. The feelings defy the cold stone in which they’re expressed. It’s an elegant poem, similarly defying its own rigidity. If you can read it and not weep a stony tear you have never held a lover’s hand. I can’t go for long without a hand in my mine. I’ve always been a love poet masquerading as a Rabelaisian novelist, it’s just that no one has noticed. In my new novel – as the title suggests - I celebrate love from its first ecstatic minute to its final devotional hour and make fewer jokes than in earlier work.
https://jacobsonh.substack.com/p/what-will-survive-of-us-is-love Save to Pocket
At One Compton Unified Elementary School, Some Parents And Staff Allege Principal Mistreated Students
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The LAist
The principal of George Washington Carver Elementary has won several education awards and has a legal background. Francisca Owoaje has supporters but is also the subject of complaints from parents and staff.
https://laist.com/news/education/carver-elementary-compton-unified-principal-allegations-mistreated-students Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
I’ve been playing Wordle again for the last two months. I’m much better at it this go-around than the last time. Generally I can get it done in three or four moves. If it takes five it’s because I made a mistake or took a gamble on the second move that didn’t work out. These days I don’t even try for the second move, but this morning, on the first move I got four out of the five letters, and got the correct position of two of the four. It took a couple of seconds to see that there was really only one answer, so I decided to risk it, and there was this moment we yearn for when the letters reveal one at a time, all green, a final correct move, in two. First time I’ve ever gotten that result. I wasn’t even sure it was possible. Well there it is. Almost perfect. Nothing more to say than Yay Me!
http://scripting.com/2023/12/22.html#a145333 Save to Pocket
My Substack Year-in-Review (plus some thoughts on Substack’s Nazi moderation problem)
date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Karpf’s blog
This is not how I wanted to spend my end-of-year post, Hamish and Chris!
https://davekarpf.substack.com/p/my-substack-year-in-review-plus-some Save to Pocket
How Did America’s Founding Father Celebrate the Holidays?
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
Have you ever wondered how the holidays were celebrated in 18th-century America? VOA’s Saqib Ul Islam visits Mount Vernon, the historic home of America’s first president, George Washington. At this historic site, one of the nation’s most visited, holiday traditions from the 1770s are preserved.
https://www.voanews.com/a/how-did-america-s-founding-father-celebrate-the-holidays-/7408684.html Save to Pocket
AM Briefing: Hydrogen Tax Credit Rules Finally Unveiled
date: 2023-12-22, from: Heatmap News
Current conditions: Temperatures are about 30 degrees higher in the Plains and Midwest than what’s seasonally normal • Northern Vietnam is enduring a severe cold spell • High winds from Storm Pia helped the U.K. set a new record for wind energy generation in just 30 minutes.
THE TOP FIVE
- Biden unveils long-awaited hydrogen tax credit rules
The Biden administration today unveiled strict rules governing the tax credits for clean hydrogen production, reports Heatmap’s Robinson Meyer. Hydrogen produces no climate pollution when burned, and could potentially replace fossil fuels in many sectors if scaled up responsibly. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, a company can get up to $3 for each kilogram of hydrogen made with clean electricity that it produces and sells. But to qualify for the subsidy, would-be hydrogen producers will have to demonstrate that they used clean, zero-carbon electricity to power their electrolyzers, the energy-hungry machines that pull hydrogen out of water or other molecules. Defining clean electricity has proven to be an enormous challenge and the subject of one of the biggest fights around the law. Under the new rules, electricity used to produce hydrogen must:
- come from a relatively new source of zero-carbon power
- be produced at roughly the same time that it is used to make hydrogen
- have been made on the same power grid that the electrolyzer itself is using
Some industry groups allege the new rules could stunt the field in its infancy. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo was effusive about the new rules’ benefits. “We’ve developed a structure that will drive innovation and create good-paying jobs in this emerging industry while strengthening our energy security and reducing emissions in hard-to-transition sectors of the economy,” he told reporters.
- Analysis shows U.S. battery production is on track to meet demand
New analysis from the Environmental Defense Fund, provided exclusively to Heatmap, suggests that U.S. battery production is going really well. The data shows American battery manufacturers around the country — many of them automakers — have announced over 1,000 gigawatt hours of U.S. battery production that’s slated to come online by 2028, far outpacing projected demand.
EDF
As Heatmap’s Neel Dhanesha explains, this matters because the Inflation Reduction Act stipulates that, in order to be eligible for tax credits, electric vehicle components can’t be made by a country on the U.S.’s “foreign entities of concern” list. That rules out batteries made in China. Without an increase in American battery manufacturing, we run the risk of Americans being either unwilling or unable to pay for the EVs that we’d need to hit strict new EPA vehicle emissions standards.
- 7,000 car dealers join portal for quick EV tax credit payments
Let’s stick with EVs for a moment: The U.S. Treasury today announced that more than 7,000 car dealers have registered with the IRS Energy Credits Online portal. Many electric vehicles are eligible for sizable federal tax credits, and this portal, unveiled last month, helps streamline the crediting process by allowing dealers to apply the credit as a kind of discount at the point of sale. If the dealer is registered on the portal, they can submit the sales information to the IRS and receive payment for the value of the credits within 72 hours.
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- India wants to use AI in weather forecasting
India is testing ways of incorporating artificial intelligence into weather forecasting to better prepare for extreme weather events, Reuters reports. The India Meteorological Department already uses supercomputers for weather models but “an AI model doesn’t require the high cost involved in running a supercomputer,” Saurabh Rathore, an assistant professor at Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, says. “You can even run it out of a good quality desktop.” The Centre for Science and Environment estimates that India saw almost one weather disaster per day this year, and that these events, exacerbated by global warming, have killed nearly 3,000 people. The U.K.’s Met Office is also exploring AI models that could forecast extreme weather events.
Centre for Science and Environment
- Indonesia to fine some palm oil producers
Indonesia will start fining companies that own palm oil plantations in areas designated as forests. Palm oil is widely used in foods, cosmetics, cleaning agents, and other products, and palm oil plantations are a huge culprit in deforestation and habitat loss, especially in Indonesia, which is the world’s biggest palm oil producer and exporter. Last month the country identified nearly 500,000 acres of plantations in forest areas, which will be handed over to the state and turned back into forests.
THE KICKER
Researchers at the California Academy of Sciences discovered 153 new animal, plant, and fungi species in 2023, including 66 spiders, 13 sea stars, 12 geckos, one scorpion, and one legless skink.
https://heatmap.news/climate/am-briefing-hydrogen-tax-credit-rules-finally-unveiled Save to Pocket
An Apollo 8 Christmas Dinner Surprise: Turkey and Gravy Make Space History
date: 2023-12-22, from: NASA breaking news
On Christmas Day in 1968, the three-man Apollo 8 crew of Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders found a surprise in their food locker: a specially packed Christmas dinner wrapped in foil and decorated with red and green ribbons. Something as simple as a “home-cooked meal,” or as close as NASA could get for […]
https://www.nasa.gov/history/apollo-8-christmas-dinner/ Save to Pocket
New Talo’fo’fo’ Bay sign displayed for resident, tourist safety
date: 2023-12-22, from: Guam Daily Post
The Bureau of Statistics and Plans displayed the second coastal sign at Talo’fo’fo’ Bay for tourists and local residents to be informed of marine preserves, safety tips and local law.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/new-talo-fo-fo-bay-sign-displayed-for-resident-tourist-safety/article_6ac630fc-9d4b-11ee-88a5-93d05e1a2804.html Save to Pocket
Mid-January trial expected for couple charged in death of their child
date: 2023-12-22, from: Guam Daily Post
A judge said he is inclined to start trial in mid-January 2024 for a couple facing charges related to the death of their 1-year-old son.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/mid-january-trial-expected-for-couple-charged-in-death-of-their-child/article_2871ddcc-a05d-11ee-bcc7-938b328d6a13.html Save to Pocket
FEMA program to provide loans for resilience projects
date: 2023-12-22, from: Guam Daily Post
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced $150 million in funding for the Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund Program, according to a release from the office of Guam Del. James Moylan. This will provide low-interest loans to underserved communities for resilience…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/fema-program-to-provide-loans-for-resilience-projects/article_512118b2-9f01-11ee-90c6-bfee8772c672.html Save to Pocket
Celebrating a cozy Christmas in 2023
date: 2023-12-22, from: Guam Daily Post
https://www.postguam.com/island_life/celebrating-a-cozy-christmas-in-2023/article_1119ab5a-a04e-11ee-bec8-b7ad1bea50ec.html Save to Pocket
San Agustin, Nadeau make second request to disqualify judge in corruption case
date: 2023-12-22, from: Guam Daily Post
Department of Public Health and Social Services Director Arthur San Agustin is requesting for the second time that Presiding Judge Alberto Lamorena III be disqualified from a corruption case.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/san-agustin-nadeau-make-second-request-to-disqualify-judge-in-corruption-case/article_98855bf8-a066-11ee-b1ac-0f3b0d2f10e9.html Save to Pocket
GDOL head: Feds may soon require closure of incomplete DUA claims
date: 2023-12-22, from: Guam Daily Post
The next batch of Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits, amounting to about $1.3 million, has been approved and is now being processed, the Guam Department of Labor announced in a press release.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/gdol-head-feds-may-soon-require-closure-of-incomplete-dua-claims/article_0932e05a-a07b-11ee-a753-570524e61fc7.html Save to Pocket
Roundtable on school violence set for Wednesday
date: 2023-12-22, from: Guam Daily Post
A date has been set to discuss how to address the increasing violence seen in public schools.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/roundtable-on-school-violence-set-for-wednesday/article_e0d00224-a06f-11ee-8785-4f5577e42969.html Save to Pocket
Bill would waive driver’s license fees for military spouses
date: 2023-12-22, from: Guam Daily Post
Sen. Dwayne San Nicolas has introduced Bill 224-37, a measure to add spouses of active duty service members to the section of law that waives driver’s license fees for veterans and their extended beneficiaries.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/bill-would-waive-drivers-license-fees-for-military-spouses/article_ece5bc42-a075-11ee-b1dd-3f41ecc8422b.html Save to Pocket
Man to plead guilty to selling meth from parents’ room
date: 2023-12-22, from: Guam Daily Post
A man is set to plead guilty to dealing methamphetamine in his parents’ room.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/man-to-plead-guilty-to-selling-meth-from-parents-room/article_d74179fc-a076-11ee-92e3-f3b3dda9d0f4.html Save to Pocket
Man convicted of strangulation, assault while on pretrial release
date: 2023-12-22, from: Guam Daily Post
A man found guilty of strangulation and assault faces a 29-year sentence for committing a felony while on pretrial release.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/man-convicted-of-strangulation-assault-while-on-pretrial-release/article_05879bdc-9fa2-11ee-bd02-ff0d820e5585.html Save to Pocket
The Met Is Selling This Rare Portrait of George Washington
date: 2023-12-22, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Artist Gilbert Stuart painted the work after the president sat for him in late 1795
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-portrait-of-george-washington-is-for-sale-180983497/ Save to Pocket
Biden’s New Hydrogen Rules Are Here. They’re Way Bigger Than Hydrogen.
date: 2023-12-22, from: Heatmap News
The most generous, lucrative, and all-around lavish subsidy in President Joe Biden’s climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, is the new tax credit for clean hydrogen production. Under the policy, a company can get a bounty of up to $3 for each kilogram of hydrogen made with clean electricity that it produces and sells. There are few legal limits to what a company can earn.
So it figures, then, that this subsidy has been the subject of maybe the most acrimonious, dramatic, hair-tearing fight over the law so far, one that saw snoozy lobbyists and power plant operators take out Spotify spots and full-page New York Times ads in order to make their point.
On Friday, the first phase of that battle ended — and the side supported by most environmental groups claimed a provisional victory. The Biden administration proposed strict rules governing the tax credit, designed to ensure that only zero-carbon electricity meeting rigorous standards can be used to make subsidized hydrogen. The rules, which some industry groups allege could stunt the field in its infancy, will have far-reaching consequences not only for hydrogen itself, but for how America’s power grid prepares for an age of abundant, zero-carbon electricity. It will create a system for organizing clean electricity that could soon determine how companies, consumers, and the federal government buy and sell that electricity — even when it has nothing to do with hydrogen.
But all of that is in the future. Now, to get the highest value of the tax credit, companies must — like other subsidies in the law — demonstrate that they paid a prevailing wage and took advantage of local apprenticeship programs.
They also must demonstrate that they used clean, zero-carbon electricity to power their electrolyzers, the energy-hungry machines that pull hydrogen out of water or other molecules. And defining clean electricity has proven to be an enormous challenge. However the Biden administration chose to define it, someone was going to be left out — or let in.
Consider just one hypothetical. Pretend you own a fancy new electrolyzer. If you buy power for it from a wind farm that’s already hooked up to the grid, then another power plant will have to replace the electrons that you’re now using. That marginal electricity will probably have to come from a coal or natural gas power plant, meaning that it will need to burn extra fuel, meaning it will release extra carbon pollution. Does that mean that the electricity that you bought is actually clean? And if not, do you still get the tax credit?
Earlier this year, climate groups proposed that any clean electricity used to make hydrogen had to meet three requirements: It had to come from a truly new source of power on the grid; it had to generate power at the same time that it was used; and it had to be produced on essentially the same grid where it was used. The Biden administration largely adopted those requirements in Friday’s proposal. On a briefing call with reporters ahead of the rule’s release, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo was effusive about the new rule’s benefits. “We’ve developed a structure that will drive innovation and create good-paying jobs in this emerging industry while strengthening our energy security and reducing emissions in hard-to-transition sectors of the economy,” he said.
Not everyone feels that way. Senator Joe Manchin, who provided a key vote for the IRA, told Bloomberg that the draft is “horrible” and promised that “we are fighting it.”
“It doesn’t do anything the bill does. They basically made it 10 times more stringent for hydrogen,” he said. The trade group for the nuclear industry has also expressed its “disappointment,” arguing, more or less correctly, that the proposal “effectively eliminates all existing clean energy from qualifying” for the credit.
But debate about the proposal has not quite run on green vs. industry lines. Air Products, the world’s largest hydrogen producer, has backed the administration’s approach, as have half a dozen other hydrogen companies. So has Synergetic, a hydrogen developer that recently left the trade group the American Clean Power Association to protest its laxer stance. “Consumer groups are behind these rules, and environmental justice has also come out to express support,” Rachel Fakhry, a policy director at the Natural Resource Defense Council, told me.
The excessive focus on the hydrogen tax credit has been, in one sense, surprising. If you care most about cutting carbon pollution in the near-term, the hydrogen tax credit is unlikely to be the most important part of the IRA. Other policies — such as the clean electricity tax credit, which could add vast amounts of new wind and solar to the grid, or new subsidies for electric vehicles — will likely reduce greenhouse gas pollution by far more in the next decade.
But a clean hydrogen industry could soon be crucial to the climate fight. Hydrogen could eventually be used to fuel medium- and heavy-duty trucks, which are responsible for roughly a quarter of the country’s transportation emissions.
It could also decarbonize the production of steel, chemicals, and fertilizer, all of which require fossil fuels today. These are a looming climate problem: By the middle of this decade, heavy industry will pollute the climate more than any other sector of the American economy, according to the Rhodium Group, an independent research firm.
Yet this does not explain why the hydrogen tax credit attracted so much attention. It became a big fight, in short, because it stood the biggest chance of backfiring. Because the tax credit is so generous, incentivizing hydrogen companies to use more and more power, it risked gobbling up too much electricity and distorting the country’s power markets. In the disaster-movie scenario, the tax credit could wind up like the federal government’s ethanol subsidies, which have cost billions while doing nothing to help the climate.
The hydrogen tax credit “has been the most challenging piece of policy that we’ve had to contend with,” John Podesta, the White House adviser in charge of implementing the IRA, told me on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai earlier this month.
He described the administration as balancing between two extremes. On the one hand, overly strict rules could cause companies to invest more in so-called “blue hydrogen,” which is produced by separating natural gas and capturing the resulting carbon. Yet overly loose rules could cause emissions to balloon and power prices to soar.
“We could kind of blow it in either direction, I think,” he said.
This hasn’t always been seen as a problem. Since the IRA passed last year, the clean hydrogen tax credit has stood out for its extreme generosity, which goes far beyond what is contemplated by other tax credits in the law.
Once the Treasury Department decides that a hydrogen project qualifies for the tax credit, for instance, then that project can receive credits for the next 10 years. For five of those years, it can even get that money as a direct payment from the government, rather than as a tax cut. What’s more, projects can qualify for the tax credit as long as they begin construction by 2033. That means the tax credit will still be used well into the 2040s, even if Congress does not extend it.
Almost no other policy in the law spends federal dollars so lavishly or directly. Manchin, who negotiated the final text of the IRA with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, has long championed the hydrogen industry and seen it as a way to use fossil-fuel assets, such as pipelines, in the energy transition.
Soon after the IRA passed, however, climate advocates realized that this generosity could pose risks to the rest of the law. In the summer of 2022, Wilson Ricks, an engineering Ph.D. student at Princeton, was interning for the Department of Energy, studying how to measure the climate impact of hydrogen produced by electrolysis.
Ricks had already concluded that the “lifecycle” of the electricity used to make hydrogen mattered: If electricity from a nuclear power plant was sent to an electrolyzer instead of the power grid, thereby forcing a natural-gas plant to turn on and send power to the grid instead, then so-called “clean hydrogen” could actually result in more climate pollution than the traditional approach of using natural gas to make hydrogen.
Then the IRA passed, and “potentially hundreds of billions of dollars hinged on that question,” he told me. In January, Ricks and his colleagues at Princeton’s ZERO Lab published a study urging the Biden administration to adopt stringent guidelines for the tax credit. Without hourly matching, they concluded, the subsidy could wreak havoc in the country’s electricity markets.
Ricks wasn’t the only expert suddenly worried about what a giant new hydrogen subsidy could do to electricity markets. Nearly a year earlier, Taylor Sloane, an energy developer for the utility and power company AES, virtually predicted the hydrogen fight in a Medium post.
“The reason it matters that we get these rules right is that we don’t want to have an environmental backlash against green hydrogen in a few years demonstrating how it actually increases emissions,” he wrote. “Getting the rules right from the start will ensure more stable long-term growth of green hydrogen.”
Ultimately, the administration decided that nearly all clean electricity used to produce hydrogen must meet three requirements — largely inherited from the climate groups’ proposals. They also mirror hydrogen regulations already adopted in the European Union.
First, the electricity must come from a relatively new source of zero-carbon power, such as a wind or nuclear plant: You can’t use electrons that once would have powered homes or cars to power an electrolyzer.
Second, the electricity must be produced at roughly the same time that it is used to make hydrogen: You can’t buy cheap solar power at noon and claim that you’re using it to make hydrogen at midnight.
Finally, the electricity must have been made on the same power grid that the electrolyzer itself is using: You can’t buy wind power in Iowa and claim that you’re using it to make hydrogen in Massachusetts.
Today, no power company in the country has a way of certifying that its electricity meets all three requirements of the new hydrogen rule — and none has any way of selling it, either. So the rules also require local power grids to set up and sell “energy attribute certificates,” or EACs, which certify that a given kilowatt-hour of electricity was produced on a certain grid, at a certain time, and using a certain source of clean energy.
Utilities and grid managers have until 2028 to launch this new system; until then, hydrogen companies can keep using the existing system of renewable energy credits, or RECs, which certify only that zero-carbon electricity was generated during a certain year.
Although this new system of EACs may sound like so much bureaucratic legerdemain, it could eventually become more important than the hydrogen tax credit itself, because it could all but reshape how the country’s electricity systems work.
Right now, even though the availability of clean energy rises and falls throughout the day — solar panels make more power at noon than at midnight, for instance — there is no way to buy or sell claims to that power. By creating a systematic way to describe and sell an hour of clean electricity, EACs could actually create a market for 24/7 clean electricity.
The existence of that system could alter corporate sustainability pledges, climate-friendly government orders, and even how companies measure their own progress toward meeting their Paris Agreement goals. Even though hundreds of American companies say that they buy their electricity from zero-carbon sources, only Google, Microsoft, and a few other companies have committed to buying 24/7 clean electricity.
“I know the administration faced absurd amounts of pressure given how lucrative this is,” Ricks told me. “But it seems like they pretty much held firm and went with the science.”
That said, the proposal kicks two issues down the road. It asks companies whether it should allow any exceptions to the general rule requiring that clean electricity come from clean sources. Some nuclear power plant operators, for instance, have argued that electricity from a nuclear plant should count toward the credit if the plant would otherwise be slated to shut down.
That decision could shape other administration priorities. Two of the government’s seven proposed “hydrogen hubs,” new industrial facilities funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law, are planning to use nuclear power to generate clean hydrogen. Under the current rules, these hubs may not qualify for the generous hydrogen tax credit, even though they could still earn billions in other subsidies.
The proposal also asks for advice about how to count so-called renewable natural gas, which is captured methane released from cows or landfills. Some environmentalists worry that the rules for this technology, if poorly drafted, could allow companies to engage in aggressive carbon accounting that does not align with reality. But so far, the Biden administration seems to have little appetite for that approach.
https://heatmap.news/politics/hydrogen-rule-biden-clean-energy Save to Pocket
Tiny VR Goggles for Mice
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: One Foot Tsunami
https://onefoottsunami.com/2023/12/22/tiny-vr-goggles-for-mice/ Save to Pocket
A Local Gun Store Was Set To Close. These PTA Moms Stepped In And Made Sure Another Would Not Replace It
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The LAist
How parents in Culver City advocated for another form of gun safety measures.
https://laist.com/news/a-local-gun-store-was-set-to-close-these-pta-moms-stepped-in-and-made-sure-another-would-not-replace-it Save to Pocket
For Sri Lankans In LA, It Isn’t Christmas Without Their Traditional, Decadent, Spicy Christmas Cake
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The LAist
The cake, a localized version of British fruit cake, is a treat enjoyed by all faith groups.
https://laist.com/news/food/for-sri-lankans-in-la-it-isnt-christmas-without-their-traditional-decadent-spicy-christmas-cake Save to Pocket
5 Of The Best Hot Chocolates In LA To Warm Up Your Chilly Days
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The LAist
How good are these hot chocolates? You’d happily sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic for a sip.
https://laist.com/news/food/best-hot-chocolate-la Save to Pocket
In My LA Neighborhood, Doorbell Cameras Are More Reliable Than Cops
date: 2023-12-22, from: The Markup blog
‘You never know what you’re going to get when you call the police to our neighborhood’
https://themarkup.org/neighborhood-watch/2023/12/22/in-my-la-neighborhood-doorbell-cameras-are-more-reliable-than-cops Save to Pocket
Hubble Sights a Galaxy with ‘Forbidden’ Light
date: 2023-12-22, from: NASA breaking news
This whirling image features a bright spiral galaxy known as MCG-01-24-014, which is located about 275 million light-years from Earth. In addition to being a well-defined spiral galaxy, MCG-01-24-014 has an extremely energetic core known as an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and is categorized as a Type-2 Seyfert galaxy. Seyfert galaxies, along with quasars, host one of the most common […]
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-sights-a-galaxy-with-forbidden-light/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Obamacare Is Booming.
https://politicalwire.com/2023/12/22/obamacare-is-booming/ Save to Pocket
Why Cuba has lost 4% of its population in the last two years
date: 2023-12-22, from: Marketplace Morning Report
Cubans are fleeing their country in droves, with nearly 400,000 coming to the U.S. in the past two years. The wave has a lot to do with the deteriorating economic situation there, as the economy struggling to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels. We examine the exodus. But first, we’ll get new home sales data this morning, so let’s check in on housing and mortgage rates.
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/why-cuba-has-lost-4-of-its-population-in-the-last-two-years Save to Pocket
November–December 2023
date: 2023-12-22, from: Association of Research Libraries News
Last Updated on December 22, 2023, 7:30 am ET Public Policy Briefing (November–December 2023) This issue includes: Copyright and Fair Use/Fair Dealing ARL, Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) Host…
The post November–December 2023 appeared first on Association of Research Libraries.
https://www.arl.org/our-priorities/advocacy-public-policy/public-policy-briefing/november-december-2023/ Save to Pocket
Data Exfiltration Using Indirect Prompt Injection
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-20, from: Bruce Schneier blog
Interesting attack on a LLM:
In Writer, users can enter a ChatGPT-like session to edit or create their documents. In this chat session, the LLM can retrieve information from sources on the web to assist users in creation of their documents. We show that attackers can prepare websites that, when a user adds them as a source, manipulate the LLM into sending private information to the attacker or perform other malicious activities.
The data theft can include documents the user has uploaded, their chat history or potentially specific private information the chat model can convince the user to divulge at the attacker’s behest…
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/12/data-exfiltration-using-indirect-prompt-injection.html Save to Pocket
P&B: Chris Butler
date: 2023-12-22, from: Manu - I write blog
This is the 17th edition of People and Blogs, the series where I ask interesting people to talk about themselves and their blogs. Today we have Chris Butler and his blog, chrbutler.com
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Let's start from the basics: can you introduce yourself?
Hi, I’m Chris Butler. I’m a digital graphic designer. I work at Newfangled.com and write at Chrbutler.com.
I was fortunate to study art and design at RISD.edu. While majoring in Film/Animation/Video, I became interested in motion graphics, which began a winding path toward interaction design.
Though I’ve been happily settled in Durham, NC for over a decade now – the longest I’ve lived in one spot! – I’ve lived in many places; the most distant was Penang, Malaysia.
I was recently asked to choose three adjectives to describe myself. The first that came to mind was “curious.” I have more interests than I have time to pursue them. Many come up in the course of my writing. More on that in a bit…
What's the story behind your blog?
I’m not sure there’s much of a story other than that I’ve always wanted to maintain a record of some kind. I created my first webpage in the late 1990s and have tried to maintain the ability to do so ever since. I’ve kept several different personal URLs over the years, but my current one (chrbutler.com) – just the shortest viable and available version of my name when I registered it – has endured the longest.
I’ve written professionally at several different places. Newfangled.com has been where I’ve published the most practical writing on interaction design. I wrote the Interaction design column for PRINT Magazine for several years, contributed to their blog as well as their sister publication, HOW Magazine, and wrote a book published by HOW Books called The Strategic Web Designer. I’ve also written for SmashingMagazine.com.
But on my website, I’m less focused on a particular topic. I’m much more seasonal in the way I write there – sometimes longer, developed essays, sometimes very brief blog posts. Most of the time, I share my writing with my email list.
What does your creative process look like when it comes to blogging?
I keep a “Files” drive connected to my machine, and on it, a folder called “TEXTS.” In it are a few sub-folders: Articles, Fragments, Journal, Notes. In those are thousands of .txt files. I back this up on another RAID drive and on the cloud.
Every day I create some kind of entry on that drive. If it’s not a journal entry, I typically start with hastily writing down scattered comments about something I am thinking about and save it to the Notes folder. If I begin to develop that entry, I’ll usually move it up to the root level. When it’s finished, I file it under Articles. If it languishes for too long, I’ll move it to Fragments. Every now and then, I mine the Fragments folder. Most of the time, I read over something and remark, “what on Earth was I thinking.” But every now and then, I’ll pull something back out of there and work on it again. A few months ago, I published an essay called “Personal Machines and Portable Worlds” that was the result of several resurrections from the Fragments folder – some nearly a decade old.
When I’m ready to publish something, I duplicate the .txt file to a Dropbox folder that syncs with my Blot.im account. Blot is a lovely, simple flat-file CMS. I’ve used it for many years now and would recommend it to anyone.
Do you have an ideal creative environment? Also do you believe the physical space influences your creativity?
I have these childhood memories of visiting my sister’s room, which was always in a state of near-chaos, and being inspired by the energy in there. She’d often be making things and always had a creative spark that was just so different from mine. I began to associate creativity and disorder, which, for me, has been a lifelong irony because, back then, I’d return to my room, which I’d probably just meticulously cleaned. I’m still that way – I put a huge amount of energy toward creating and maintaining order. I’ve learned over the years that creativity isn’t dependent upon either disorder or order. Both can feed it.
And so both are present in my working space. I’ll probably always lean more toward order (this post on my setup will make that clear), but the disorder comes from having a lot of variety available around me. I love having interesting things to look at – even just a glance at something can inspire me and fuel me through the day. I am constantly shuffling the things on my office’s display shelves to feed my mind with images and ideas that I can use.
A question for the techie readers: can you run us through your tech stack?
The post I referenced above will provide much more exhaustive detail on this, but to summarize:
I work at home, and my primary machine is an M1 Mac Mini. I haven’t owned a laptop in many years. I like to keep my computer time focused in one place, for the most part (though I do have an iPad Mini, which is a very useful device and optimally sized, in my opinion). I connect into a large LG display and communicate via Zoom using a Sony a7c and a Shure SM7B connected through a Focusrite Scarlett interface.
I write with Ulysses and store all my text files on a 1TB NVMe SSD I assembled myself. I back up everything on a LaCIE RAID.
As I mentioned above, my blog is run on Blot.im and all its files are stored on Dropbox.
I’m an evangelist for maintaining an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). In a time of increasingly weird weather, power outages are becoming more common. The CyberPower CP1500 keeps us up and running so we can save our work and shutdown when we feel like it.
Given your experience, if you were to start a blog today, would you do anything differently?
Content-wise, I don’t think so. I like the personal nature of my website and how its variety reflects who I am. If I were motivated to build a larger audience and somehow monetize that attention, then specializing in some way would probably be necessary. But that’s not what my website is for.
What my website is for is, first and foremost, to be a record for me. I like that it traces interests and modes over the years, and I like that it’s there for anyone to see. On that note, it’s also for making connections. I have made numerous friends through engaging online. These are relationships that have developed far beyond digital acquaintance – they’ve gone deep and lasted for many years. I met of my very good friends because I commented on his blog and then he on mine. I love that the internet makes this possible.
Technically and creatively, of course I am often itchy. I routinely want to try out a new technology or platform and experiment with the design. I’ve revamped my site plenty of times, but the ease of the flat-file approach on Blot is hard to trade in for something that might offer me more creative options. It makes it easy for me to write and publish things, which has always been the point.
Financial question since the web is obsessed with money: how much does it cost to run your blog? Is it just a cost or does it generate some revenue? And what's your position on people monetising personal blogs?
The website’s direct, yearly costs are:
- domain name registration: $16
- blot.im account: $40
- Dropbox account: $120
Total: $176
That breaks down to ~$15/month, which is a pretty cheap price for such an enriching hobby, I think.
Meanwhile, the site generates no revenue! Like some of your previous guests, it has created connections that have led to money through various side writing, speaking, or consulting work, but that’s never been its purpose. When that happens, it’s a nice thing, and I’m happy to leave it at that for now. (It has happened a handful of times, and in the aggregate, they have paid for the all-time costs of the site so far. I’d be fine with it if that wasn’t true.)
My position on monetizing personal blogs is to each their own!
Time for some recommendations: any blog you think is worth checking out? And also, who do you think I should be interviewing next?
Patrick Tanguay’s Sentiers (sentiers.media) is a must. I will read anything that Maciej Ceglowski (idlewords.com) writes. Erin Kissane recently wrapped a series examining Meta’s role in the genocide of Rohingya people in Myanmar (erinkissane.com).
Lara Hogan’s wisdom overflows here: larahogan.me. Reading Nicholas Magand (thejollyteapot.com) got me to loosen up on my blog. Maggie Appleton (maggieappleton.com) is inspiring. I like Carl Barenbrug’s blog (carlbarenbrug.com), Chris Hannah’s (chrishannah.me), and Jose Gilgado’s (josem.co). Scott Buffington’s “Full Pints” posts always yield something of interest (irongeek.net).
I just met Robert Rackley through my own blog and I’ve been enjoying catching up on his (canneddragons.net).
When it comes to the weird, I never miss a post from Håkan Blomqvist (ufoarchives.blogspot.com) or The Anomalist (anomalist.com).
Final question: is there anything you want to share with us?
I wrapped my last episode of my Design Tomorrow podcast nearly five years ago, but I still think it’s good and worth a listen.
This was the 17th edition of People and Blogs. Hope you enjoyed this interview with Chris. Make sure to follow his blog (RSS) and get in touch with him if you have any questions.
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https://manuelmoreale.com/@/page/qCU4fxc0u0Casfm0 Save to Pocket
Critical hit for China’s online gaming industry
date: 2023-12-22, from: Marketplace Morning Report
From the BBC World Service: New rules limiting in-game purchases have wiped nearly $80 billion in market value from China’s two biggest gaming companies. The move is an attempt to curb what officials see as growing trend of online gaming addiction. We analyze the blow to the industry. Later: How can you be more green this holiday season?
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/critical-hit-for-chinas-online-gaming-industry Save to Pocket
Christmas gifts
date: 2023-12-22, from: Ayjay blog
In introducing the writings of George MacDonald, C. S. Lewis made a fascinating point which can only be quoted at length: What [MacDonald] does best is fantasy — fantasy that hovers between the allegorical and the mythopoeic. And this, in my opinion, he does better than any man. The critical problem with which we are […]
https://blog.ayjay.org/christmas-gifts/ Save to Pocket
The Pernicious Myth of Meritocracy (Why American capitalism is so rotten, Part 5)
date: 2023-12-22, from: Robert Reich on Substack
It’s time to banish the absurd idea that people are paid what they’re “worth”
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/the-myth-of-meritocracy-why-is-american Save to Pocket
Bricking it: Do you actually own anything digital?
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
From ebooks, to videos and software, the answer is increasingly no
Opinion What do Amazon, Sony, and Broadcom all have in common? Give up? Each, in their own way, has made it clear that when you buy something from them, you don’t actually own it.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/12/22/opinion_column/ Save to Pocket
John Boston | Dear Friends & Atomically Hot Christmas Chili
date: 2023-12-22, from: The Signal
Christmas is not just around the corner, it’s here. Salivating and chest heaving, it’s pounding on the front door like the Tasmanian Devil in a Daffy Duck cartoon. I can’t believe I used to throw a big Christmas party every year. Of course, that was when I wasn’t so approaching middle age and had the […]
The post John Boston | Dear Friends & Atomically Hot Christmas Chili appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/john-boston-dear-friends-atomically-hot-christmas-chili/ Save to Pocket
Lois Eisenberg | Bidenomics Is Working
date: 2023-12-22, from: The Signal
There is data by the Commerce Department announcing that the “U.S. economic growth in the third quarter was even better than previously thought.” The gross domestic product increased by 5.2%. The last growth was 4.9%. There have been gloomy warnings of a slowdown, but by all indications the economy is booming even with the negative […]
The post Lois Eisenberg | Bidenomics Is Working appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/lois-eisenberg-bidenomics-is-working/ Save to Pocket
Rob Kerchner | Danger with a Capital D
date: 2023-12-22, from: The Signal
Remember when we were told that the election of Joe Biden would make Americans safer? Then “the adults” would be back in charge of U.S. foreign policy? Yeah, well. Not so much. The State Department recently warned that all Americans overseas are at risk of being targeted in terror attacks and protests. Meanwhile I’m old […]
The post Rob Kerchner | Danger with a Capital D appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/rob-kerchner-danger-with-a-capital-d/ Save to Pocket
Christine Abbott | About Jesus’ Refugee Status …
date: 2023-12-22, from: The Signal
In response to Christine Flowers’ column (Dec. 19), she is correct that Jesus’ parents going from Nazareth to Bethlehem was not to escape persecution. However, those who refer to Jesus as a refugee are referring to their subsequent fleeing to Egypt to escape death by Herod (Matthew 2:1-18). This was indeed due to political persecution. […]
The post Christine Abbott | About Jesus’ Refugee Status … appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/christine-abbott-about-jesus-refugee-status/ Save to Pocket
We let the social media team design their own FrankenPi 5, and it is beyond horrendous
date: 2023-12-22, from: Raspberry Pi News (.com)
We let our social media staff design a Raspberry Pi and they came up with an horrendous FrankPi 5.
The post We let the social media team design their own FrankenPi 5, and it is beyond horrendous appeared first on Raspberry Pi.
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/we-let-the-social-media-team-design-their-own-frankenpi-5-and-it-is-beyond-horrendous/ Save to Pocket
Top US, Chinese military officials speak amid warming ties
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>General Charles Brown, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs, spoke with his Chinese counterpart for the first time in a call that the Biden administration billed as a further sign that ties between the two countries’ militaries may be getting back to normal.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/nation-world-news/top-us-chinese-military-officials-speak-amid-warming-ties/ Save to Pocket
Clarence Thomas faces calls to recuse himself from Jan. 6 Trump cases
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas faces escalating calls to recuse himself from upcoming cases centered on former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The requests gained new urgency in recent days as consequential cases related to Trump speed toward the high court. Critics – including Democrats in the House and Senate – say Thomas’s wife’s publicly documented efforts to challenge the 2020 election results should disqualify him from making decisions on pivotal issues related to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Thomas, who was appointed by former President George H. W. Bush, has garnered a reputation for refusing to back down to his critics. But legal experts said it will be more difficult for Thomas to ignore the requests to abstain from participation in the Trump cases this time – particularly considering provisions of the Supreme Court’s new code of ethics. “Under the standard in the new Supreme Court code, an objective, unbiased observer would question whether Justice Thomas can be objective in a case so closely related to his wife’s political interests,” said Steven Lubet, a judicial ethics expert at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law. The code, released in November, was signed by all nine justices. It includes a section saying a justice should recuse him or herself if their “impartiality might be reasonably questioned.” The code specifies that a justice’s spouse having an “interest that could be affected substantially” by a case or who could be a “material witness in the proceeding” would be grounds for recusal. No Precedent</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/nation-world-news/clarence-thomas-faces-calls-to-recuse-himself-from-jan-6-trump-cases/ Save to Pocket
UN says more than 1 in 4 people in Gaza are starving because of war
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>RAFAH, Gaza Strip — More than half a million people in Gaza — a quarter of the population — are starving, according to a report Thursday by the U.N. and other agencies that highlights the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s bombardment and siege on the territory in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/nation-world-news/un-says-more-than-1-in-4-people-in-gaza-are-starving-because-of-war/ Save to Pocket
Faith groups say more foster families are needed to care for the children coming to the US alone
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Snuggling on the sofa across from the Christmas tree, Sol proudly showed off the dog her foster parents gave her for earning all A’s even though she crossed the southern U.S. border knowing very little English.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/nation-world-news/faith-groups-say-more-foster-families-are-needed-to-care-for-the-children-coming-to-the-us-alone/ Save to Pocket
Oscars shortlists revealed: Here are the films one step closer to a nomination
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The “Barbie” power ballad “I’m Just Ken” and AP and Frontline’s documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” just got one step closer to an Oscar nomination. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Thursday shortlists in 10 categories, including best original song, documentary feature, international feature, original score, and crafts like hair and makeup, visual effects and sound.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/nation-world-news/oscars-shortlists-revealed-here-are-the-films-one-step-closer-to-a-nomination/ Save to Pocket
Nebraska lands Waipahu star OL Preston Taumua
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Nebraska was not on the original itinerary for Preston Taumua.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/sports/nebraska-lands-waipahu-star-ol-preston-taumua/ Save to Pocket
MLB is widening the runner’s lane to first, changing a rule that has caused World Series controversy
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is widening the runner’s lane approaching first base to include a portion of fair territory, changing a more than century-old rule that caused World Series controversy over interference calls. </p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/sports/mlb-is-widening-the-runners-lane-to-first-changing-a-rule-that-has-caused-world-series-controversy/ Save to Pocket
Matthew Stafford’s Rams start strong, hold off Saints 30-22 to surge forward in NFC playoff race
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Sean McVay turned the Los Angeles Rams’ already jubilant locker room into a party Thursday night with an announcement: The players are off until Tuesday, allowing them to spend the entire Christmas holiday with their families.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/nation-world-news/matthew-staffords-rams-start-strong-hold-off-saints-30-22-to-surge-forward-in-nfc-playoff-race/ Save to Pocket
‘It takes a village to revitalize families’ in E. Hawaii
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>During December, it’s nice to pause amongst the holiday hustle and think of all the blessings in our lives. For me, I’m incredibly grateful to be part of Hawaii Island, and our East Hawaii community that helps guide the mission of Child &Family Service. Everyday our dedicated staff, alongside other community partners in East Hawaii, bring hope and healing to those grappling with some of the most difficult life challenges.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/opinion/it-takes-a-village-to-revitalize-families-in-e-hawaii/ Save to Pocket
The Supreme Court must protect medication abortion
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Once again, the U.S. Supreme Court finds itself at the center of a national case involving access to abortion, this time around the drug mifepristone, which along with misoprostol forms part of the regimen for a so-called medication abortion. Its ruling is expected in June, and that ruling should be clear, if only to help clean up the mess it created with its overturning of Roe v. Wade a year and a half ago.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/opinion/the-supreme-court-must-protect-medication-abortion/ Save to Pocket
Last tanker of Red Hill fuel departs
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The last tanker participating in the defueling of the Navy’s underground Red Hill facility sailed out of Pearl Harbor on Wednesday morning.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/hawaii-news/last-tanker-of-red-hill-fuel-departs/ Save to Pocket
Rudy Giuliani files for bankruptcy days after being ordered to pay $148 million in defamation case
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>NEW YORK — Rudy Giuliani filed for bankruptcy on Thursday, acknowledging severe financial strain exacerbated by his pursuit of former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election and a jury’s verdict last week requiring him to pay $148 million to two former Georgia election workers he defamed.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/nation-world-news/rudy-giuliani-files-for-bankruptcy-days-after-being-ordered-to-pay-148-million-in-defamation-case/ Save to Pocket
Gunman opens fire in a Prague university, killing 14 people in Czech Republic’s worst mass shooting
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>PRAGUE — A student opened fire Thursday at a university in Prague, killing at least 14 people, officials said, and injuring more than 20 in the Czech Republic’s worst mass shooting.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/nation-world-news/gunman-opens-fire-in-a-prague-university-killing-14-people-in-czech-republics-worst-mass-shooting/ Save to Pocket
A fifth of US hospitals have been warned over secretive prices
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Some of the largest U.S. hospital chains and most prestigious academic medical centers have violated federal rules by not posting the prices they charge for care, according to records obtained by Bloomberg News.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/nation-world-news/a-fifth-of-us-hospitals-have-been-warned-over-secretive-prices/ Save to Pocket
A serial killer set Detroit on edge. Police missteps over 15 years allowed him to roam free
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The serial killer lured women one by one into vacant homes to be murdered, posing their nude or partially clothed corpses amid cheap booze pints, crumbling sheetrock and hypodermic needles.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/nation-world-news/a-serial-killer-set-detroit-on-edge-police-missteps-over-15-years-allowed-him-to-roam-free/ Save to Pocket
Colorado decision striking Trump from ballot is a boon, not setback, for his campaign
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Donald Trump received an early Christmas present Tuesday, courtesy of the Colorado Supreme Court.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/opinion/colorado-decision-striking-trump-from-ballot-is-a-boon-not-setback-for-his-campaign/ Save to Pocket
Kea‘au girls basketball crushed by Konawaena
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>KEA‘AU — No. 3 Konawaena girls basketball dominated Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) competition once again, trouncing Kea‘au 80-11 in one of the most lopsided victories on the island thus far in the season.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/sports/keaau-girls-basketball-crushed-by-konawaena/ Save to Pocket
Obituaries for December 22
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Johnson Chin Kong Lum, 69, of Keaau died Sept. 7 at home. Born in Fiji, he owned Hobby Garden. Private services held. Survived by wife, Yam Na Lum of Keaau; daughter, Sara Lum of Mountain View; brothers, Jimmy (Gail) Lum and Charlie (Theresa) Lum of Kaneohe, Oahu, Arthur (Lily) Lum of Seattle; sisters, Beryl (Stephen) Wong, Bertha Tam, Eileen (Daniel) Wong and Berry (Peter) Yee of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; cousins, nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/obituaries/obituaries-for-december-22-9/ Save to Pocket
Shudokan collects 14 gold medals in first post-pandemic O‘ahu trip
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Taking 21 young judokas to O‘ahu for a tournament is no easy feat, but Sensei Mike Hayashi and his Shudokan Judo Club made it look easy — as 14 keiki returned to Hilo with gold medals, two with silver and two with bronze.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/sports/shudokan-collects-14-gold-medals-in-first-post-pandemic-oahu-trip/ Save to Pocket
State hospital given another 90 days to treat Hilo murder suspect
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>A Hilo man accused of fatally stabbing his paternal grandparents in January will remain for now in the Hawaii State Hospital. </p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/hawaii-news/state-hospital-given-another-90-days-to-treat-hilo-murder-suspect/ Save to Pocket
Police: Ocean View shooting suspect a fugitive
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Police are requesting the public’s assistance to help locate 44-year-old Dorson “Buddy” Behrendt of Ocean View, but they are cautioning the public that he should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/hawaii-news/police-ocean-view-shooting-suspect-a-fugitive-2/ Save to Pocket
Local news briefs for December 22
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Police still seeking 
missing Paauilo woman</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/hawaii-news/local-news-briefs-for-december-22/ Save to Pocket
HVNP air tours limited: New management plan puts substantial restrictions on overflights
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Air tours above Hawaii Volcanoes Natural Park will be cut by nearly 90% under a long-awaited new Air Tour Management Plan.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/hawaii-news/hvnp-air-tours-limited-new-management-plan-puts-substantial-restrictions-on-overflights/ Save to Pocket
$18M federal grants slated for Big Island road and sidewalk safety improvements
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The Big Island is slated to receive a share of more than $18 million in federal grants to the State of Hawaii from the U.S. Department of Transportation for projects to improve safety on roads and sidewalks.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/hawaii-news/18m-federal-grants-slated-for-big-island-road-and-sidewalk-safety-improvements/ Save to Pocket
Holiday weekend weather forecast: ‘Green and bright’
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>There’s a good chance the line from the island Christmas song “Mele Kalikimaka” will happen this year. You know the one: “Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright.”</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/hawaii-news/holiday-weekend-weather-forecast-green-and-bright/ Save to Pocket
Thousands expected for ‘Christmas in the Park’
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Lili‘uokalani Park and Gardens will be illuminated and filled with holiday cheer during the seventh-annual “Christmas in the Park — Garden Enchantment” this Saturday and Sunday night.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/hawaii-news/thousands-expected-for-christmas-in-the-park/ Save to Pocket
Ready, set, travel: The holiday rush to the airports and highways is underway
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>It’s beginning to look a lot like a hectic holiday travel season, but it might go relatively smoothly if the weather cooperates.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/nation-world-news/ready-set-travel-the-holiday-rush-to-the-airports-and-highways-is-underway/ Save to Pocket
Muay Thai coach accused of sexually assaulting minor
date: 2023-12-22, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>A 43-year-old Puna man was indicted Thursday for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/12/22/hawaii-news/muay-thai-coach-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-minor/ Save to Pocket
Today in SCV History (Dec. 22)
date: 2023-12-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
1905 – County buys property to build Newhall Jail (now next to city’s Old Town Newhall Library) [story
https://scvnews.com/today-in-scv-history-dec-22/ Save to Pocket
White Christmas? For Most of US, It’ll be Brown
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/white-christmas-for-most-of-us-it-ll-be-brown-/7408409.html Save to Pocket
Superuser mostly helped IT, until a BSOD saw him invent a farcical fix
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
It was only a matter of time until enthusiasm alone wasn’t enough
On Call As Christmas approaches, The Register wants to thank readers for the gift of On Call – the weekly column you make possible by sharing stories of your most torrid tech support encounters. On Call appears every Friday morning, UK time, and based on the volume of traffic and comments it generates appears to be a reader favorite.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/12/22/on_call/ Save to Pocket
To Dodgers Fans Everywhere, It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas With Reports Of Yamamoto Signing
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The LAist
Widespread reports that the Dodgers have sealed the deal with Yoshinobu Yamamoto have many fans very, very hopeful. He’d join former Japan teammate Shohei Ohtani and newly signed Glasnow
https://laist.com/news/los-angeles-activities/yamamato-ohtani-glasnow-dodgers Save to Pocket
Cisco goes Christmas shopping, buys Cilium project originator Isovalent
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Switchzilla likes what eBPF does for multicloud networking and security
Cisco has bought itself a Christmas present: Isovalent, the startup that originated Cilium, an open source networking, observability, and security tool recently graduated to full project status by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/12/22/cisco_acquires_isovalent/ Save to Pocket
Jan. 20: Homeowner’s Resource Fair in Santa Clarita
date: 2023-12-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office will co-host a Homeowners’ Resource Fair with the city of Santa Clarita, the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Jan 20 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Canyon Country Community Center
https://scvnews.com/jan-20-homeowners-resource-fair-in-santa-clarita/ Save to Pocket
December 21, 2023
date: 2023-12-22, from: Heather Cox Richardson blog
The Washington Post editorial board today wrote that “the battle for democracy will be fought—and won” by “explaining to the world why freedom matters to everyone, every day.” So, on an evening when our power has finally been restored, but too late for me to do a deep dive on anything, let’s see what that might look like from today’s news:
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/december-21-2023 Save to Pocket
An Interview with Dr. Aaron Mauro on Hacking in the Humanities: Cybersecurity, Speculative Fiction, and Navigating a Digital Future
date: 2023-12-22, from: Digital Rhetoric Collaberative
Much of our day to day life is influenced by the presence of “the hacker” in often subtle, but powerful ways. The networks of today are what they are because the hacks of yesterday and the fear of the hacks of the future. Patches are constantly rolled out. User populations are constantly trained. New protocols […]
https://www.digitalrhetoriccollaborative.org/2023/12/21/an-interview-with-dr-aaron-mauro-on-hacking-in-the-humanities-cybersecurity-speculative-fiction-and-navigating-a-digital-future/ Save to Pocket
m68k->PPC->x86->ARM?
date: 2023-12-22, from: Jirka’s blog
Please note that I’m trying to make fun. Don’t take this post too seriously.
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231222-0442_m68k_PPC_x86_ARM Save to Pocket
lynx –nocolor
date: 2023-12-22, from: Jirka’s blog
I really dislike how the Lynx WWW browser looks on some modern systems. On my SGI it was OK - it simply respected IRIS terminal colors. On modern systems in seems to be full of colors with gray background. Text colors are quite nice but I have disliked the gray background. I have wished to have or black one or transparent one (it a terminal emulator supports transparency).
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231222-0442_lynx_nocolor Save to Pocket
iMac G5 keyboard
date: 2023-12-22, from: Jirka’s blog
Today my wife requested new keyboard. I thought that the Apple white-transparent keyboard is too inferior to her IBM laptop keyboard. Well, it is. So I have replaced it by spare HP one. A HP keyboard which was a part of the PA-RISC Visualize workstation (the workstation itself does not work, unfortunately). And she is happy with it.
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231222-0442_iMac_G5_keyboard Save to Pocket
Z88 screen and keyboard protector
date: 2023-12-22, from: Jirka’s blog
I have got this thing (among other goodies). It’s just a balck plastic sheet with the Z88 logo which fits the Z88 face well (it was a part of an original Z88 package).
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231222-0442_Z88_screen_keyboard_protector Save to Pocket
Z88 computing
date: 2023-12-22, from: Jirka’s blog
Note: I wrote this psot some weeks ago on my Z88 and just now uploaded it here.
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231222-0442_Z88_computing Save to Pocket
Wristwatches
date: 2023-12-22, from: Jirka’s blog
I have been using a simple mechanical ones from the Luch {sup}1{/sup}. It has only two hands (which is a plus for me because I don’t like rapidly moving things and the seconds hand is so annoying).
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231222-0442_Wristwatches Save to Pocket
Working from home
date: 2023-12-22, from: Jirka’s blog
And this is my main tool:
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231222-0442_Working_from_home Save to Pocket
Workflow: Changes and additions
date: 2023-12-22, from: Jirka’s blog
Things are continuously developing or at least changing. For example, my gVim on my GPD Pocket (Ubuntu MATE 18.04) has issues with text encoding. If I create a new file then I everything is OK. But when I save it and re-open it then it en-codes local language characters incorrectly. It is strange because I have been using the same .vimrc/.gvimrc for ages on several Linux machines and I never encountered such behaviour.
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20231222-0442_Workflow_Changes_and_additions Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Substack says it will not remove or demonetize Nazi content.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/24011232/substack-nazi-moderation-demonetization-hamish-mckenzie Save to Pocket
Jan. 13 : Assemblywoman Schiavo Holds Day of Service to Honor MLK
date: 2023-12-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
To honor Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo is inviting others to serve the community with her
https://scvnews.com/jan-13-assemblywoman-schiavo-holds-day-of-service-to-honor-mlk/ Save to Pocket
CHP investigating fatal vehicle-pedestrian collision
date: 2023-12-22, from: The Signal
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, California Highway Patrol and L.A. County Fire officials all responded to a fatal vehicle-versus-pedestrian collision Thursday near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Sand Canyon Road. The crash was reported shortly after 5:41 p.m., according to Supervisor Ed Pickett of the LA County Fire Department, who said officials responded to […]
The post CHP investigating fatal vehicle-pedestrian collision appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/chp-investigating-fatal-vehicle-pedestrian-collision/ Save to Pocket
China bans export of rare earth processing kit
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Beijing also wants its human gene-editing kit – and LiDAR– to stay at home
China has added a host of technologies related to rare earth production to its list of restricted exports.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/12/22/china_tech_export_bans/ Save to Pocket
Beach Closure Issued for West Beach in Santa Barbara Due to Sewage Spill
date: 2023-12-22, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The spill involved a release of at least 9,000 gallons of sewage from a sewer manhole to Mission Creek, near Vernon Road and Stanley Drive in Santa Barbara.
The post Beach Closure Issued for West Beach in Santa Barbara Due to Sewage Spill appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2023/12/21/beach-closure-issued-for-west-beach-in-santa-barbara-due-to-sewage-spill/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
There Is No Originalist Case Against Disqualifying Trump.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/12/colorado-supreme-court-trump-originalism/676909/ Save to Pocket
An update on HDR and color management in KWin
date: 2023-12-22, from: OS News
KWin now supports ICC profiles: In display settings you can set one for each screen, and KWin will use that to adjust the colors accordingly. The Plasma 6 beta is already shipping with that implementation in KWin, and with a few additional steps you can play most HDR capable games in the Wayland session. ↫ Xaver Hugl I’ll admit colour management and HDR is a bit outside my wheelhouse, but I do know both are essentially vital for quite a few digital professions, and that support for them on Wayland specifically has been subpar or missing entirely. It seems progress is being made on these topics, and that’s good news.
https://www.osnews.com/story/138117/an-update-on-hdr-and-color-management-in-kwin/ Save to Pocket
Bricked Xmas
date: 2023-12-22, from: OS News
I also had another set of addressable lights on my desk. While decorating my office for Christmas, I decided to invest some time in connecting them to Home Assistant using the BJ_LED code as a template. It should have been straightforward, right? Well, yes, but also no. ↫ Will Cooke We all love a good reverse-engineering story, especially if it involves bricking Christmas lights.
https://www.osnews.com/story/138115/bricked-xmas/ Save to Pocket
Apple’s Infinite Loop Company Store Is Closing Next Month
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: Daring Fireball
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/12/21/apples-infinite-loop-store-closing-next-month/ Save to Pocket
Microsoft deprecates Mixed Reality from Windows
date: 2023-12-22, from: OS News
And the culling of Windows features continues. Windows Mixed Reality is deprecated and will be removed in a future release of Windows. This deprecation includes the Mixed Reality Portal app, and Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and Steam VR Beta. ↫ Microsoft’s “Deprecated features for Windows client” page All this mixed reality stuff was a big push in Windows, up to the point Microsoft added applications and dedicated folders for it to Windows. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use any of it. The Verge notes Microsoft has been downsizing its VR efforts for a while now, and it seems the company is bailing on the VR hypetrain.
https://www.osnews.com/story/138113/microsoft-deprecates-mixed-reality-from-windows/ Save to Pocket
White House Says It Is Preparing New Proposal to Free American Journalist Jailed in Russia
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
washington — The White House said Thursday that it is preparing a new proposal to Russia to secure the release of journalist Evan Gershkovich and another jailed American.
“We’re working hard to see what we can do to get another proposal that might be more successful,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. The Kremlin rejected a previous proposal.
Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich has been imprisoned since March on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny. Gershkovich’s jailing underscores Moscow’s years-long crackdown on press freedom, experts say.
The other American is Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who was arrested in Moscow in 2018 and is currently serving a 16-year sentence on spying charges that he and the U.S. government deny.
“We’re always heartened to see signs that the government is working on Evan and Paul’s release. We hope very much that those efforts will bear fruit soon,” Paul Beckett, an assistant editor at the Journal, told VOA. Beckett is leading the newspaper’s campaign to secure Gershkovich’s release.
The news from the White House came one day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington is “very actively working” on securing the release of Gershkovich and Whelan.
“With regard to Russia and Evan and Paul Whelan, all I can say is this: We are very actively working on it, and we will leave no stone unturned to see if we can’t find the right way to get them home, and to get them home as soon as possible,” Blinken said during a year-end news conference on Wednesday.
The State Department said earlier this month that Russia rejected a “substantial” proposal to free Gershkovich and Whelan.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow wants “to reach an agreement” with Washington on the release of Gershkovich and Whelan.
“We want to reach an agreement, and these agreements must be mutually acceptable and must suit both sides. We have contacts with our American partners in this regard, and there is an ongoing dialogue,” Putin said in his first public remarks on Gershkovich.
The Journal reported in September that Moscow is seeking the return of Russian assassin Vadim Krasikov, currently jailed in Germany, possibly in exchange for Gershkovich and Whelan.
In announcing a prisoner exchange with Venezuela on Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that his administration will continue to prioritize freeing detained Americans.
“We also remain deeply focused on securing the release of the hostages in Gaza and wrongfully detained Americans around the world, including Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan,” Biden said in a statement.
The Poynter Institute on Thursday named Gershkovich its Media Person of the Year.
“Gershkovich represents the dangers of being a journalist, but also provides inspiration, showing there are those willing to dedicate their lives to shining a light on the truth for the entire world to see,” Poynter said in announcing the distinction.
Gershkovich is set to remain in pretrial detention until at least January 30 while he waits for a trial. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Absent from these recent statements from top U.S. leaders about freeing Gershkovich and Whelan, however, was a mention of journalist Alsu Kurmasheva. The dual U.S.-Russian national has been jailed in Russia since October.
A Prague-based editor at VOA’s sister outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kurmasheva stands accused of failing to register as a foreign agent and spreading false information about the Russian military. Kurmasheva and her employer reject the charges, which carry a combined maximum sentence of 15 years.
Kurmasheva’s family and employer, as well as press freedom groups, have for weeks called on the U.S. State Department to declare her wrongfully detained, which would open up additional resources to help secure her release.
A State Department spokesperson previously told VOA that it “continuously reviews the circumstances surrounding the detentions of U.S. nationals overseas, including those in Russia, for indicators that they are wrongful.”
Both Gershkovich and Whelan have been declared wrongfully detained.
Kurmasheva traveled to Russia in May for a family emergency. When she tried to leave the country in June, her passports were confiscated and she was waiting for them to be returned when she was detained in October.
The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately reply to VOA’s email requesting comment.
Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse.
https://www.voanews.com/a/white-house-says-it-is-preparing-new-proposal-to-free-american-journalist-jailed-in-russia-/7407916.html Save to Pocket
SMTP Smuggling
date: 2023-12-22, from: Tilde.news
https://www.postfix.org/smtp-smuggling.html Save to Pocket
Axios: ‘Warner Bros. Discovery in Talks to Merge With Paramount’
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: Daring Fireball
https://www.axios.com/2023/12/20/warner-bros-paramount-merger-discovery-streaming Save to Pocket
Republicans Blast Decision to Remove Trump from Colorado Primary Ballot
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/republicans-blast-decision-to-remove-trump-from-colorado-primary-ballot-/7407924.html Save to Pocket
ICBM Test May Soon Bring All of US Within North Korean Nuclear Range
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
Washington — North Korea’s launch of a Hwasong-18 this week shows it may soon have a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile that can target any part of the United States, analysts say.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Monday’s test “of the most powerful ICBM” demonstrated the reliability of the country’s nuclear strategic force. He added that Pyongyang will not hesitate to strike back if provoked, the state-run KCNA reported Thursday.
On Wednesday, U.S. B-1B and South Korean and Japanese fighter jets conducted joint aerial drills off the South Korean island of Jeju in what South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff described as a show of force in response to the ICBM test.
Monday’s ICBM launch followed a test of a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) the previous day, making this the third consecutive year to end with North Korean missile tests.
It was Pyongyang’s fifth ICBM test of 2023 and third Hwasong-18 launch, following tests in April and July.
Ankit Panda, a senior fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said, “The Hwasong-18 program appears to now have transitioned into operational exercises, indicating that the missile may be closer to being commissioned formally into the country’s strategic forces.”
He said that aside from “minor modifications to the launcher, there doesn’t appear to be anything technically novel about this latest missile, suggesting that they’re looking to evaluate its performance under operational conditions.”
The missile Kim lauded as “the most powerful” reached a maximum altitude of 6,000 km and traveled a distance of 1,000 km. Analysts said it could carry a nuclear warhead and if launched at a normal trajectory, its range could be over 15,000 km — far enough to reach any part of the United States.
However, that “doesn’t necessarily mean that it is operational to the standard that we would hold,” said David Schmerler, senior research associate who focuses on North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
“As long as it doesn’t blow up prior to launch, gets up in the air, and goes a certain distance,” Pyongyang could consider the missile as working, he said. “But there are other things that go into it as well,” such as whether it could reliably strike a far-distant target.
The day Pyongyang launched the ICBM, Pak Myong Ho, its vice minister of foreign affairs, held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in China, according to Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk called on China during a news briefing the next day to play a constructive role in persuading Pyongyang to end its destabilizing actions.
Robert Rapson, formerly charge d’affaires and deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul from 2018 to 2021, said while Beijing could rein in Pyongyang’s missile program, it “chooses not to” because it does not see the missile launches as “a direct threat.”
“Moreover, it serves Beijing’s interest in the ongoing rivalry or competition with the U.S. and its allies,” Rapson said.
However, Sydney Seiler, who dealt with North Korea issues at the U.S. National Intelligence Council in 2022-23, told VOA he believes Pyongyang is “not going to refrain from advancing” its weapons program “out of China’s concerns.”
Gary Samore, a former White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction during the Obama administration, said he sees this week’s missile tests in part as “a political signal” to protest deepening security cooperation between Washington and Seoul.
The U.S. and South Korea held their second Nuclear Consultative Group session in Washington on December 15, and the U.S. reaffirmed its commitment to use the full range of its hardware, including nuclear weapons, to defend Seoul.
On December 17, the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine USS Missouri arrived at the South Korean port of Busan, according to the Seoul-based news agency Yonhap. That was the same day as the North Korean SRBM test, which traveled 570 km, far enough to have reached Busan.
“Whenever we send some sort of high-value asset to the region, North Korea often reacts” with missile launches, said Ken Gause, a senior adversary analytics specialist at the Virginia-based Center for Naval Analyses.
“There’s a possibility that North Korea was trying to demonstrate” that its SRBM “has the capability” to strike the USS Missouri during a crisis.
https://www.voanews.com/a/icbm-test-may-soon-bring-all-of-us-within-north-korean-nuclear-range-/7408286.html Save to Pocket
Widow of Journalist Killed by Saudi Arabia Granted Asylum in US
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/widow-of-journalist-killed-by-saudi-arabia-granted-asylum-in-us-/7408275.html Save to Pocket
Coronavirus Subvariant JN.1 Spreading Fast In LA County
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: The LAist
The fastest-growing strain of the virus that causes COVID has been found in L.A. County.
https://laist.com/news/health/coronavirus-subvariant-jn-1-spreading-fast-in-la-county Save to Pocket
NASA Flies Drones Autonomously for Air Taxi Research
date: 2023-12-22, from: NASA breaking news
Researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia recently flew multiple drones beyond visual line of sight with no visual observer. The drones successfully flew around obstacles and each other during takeoff, along a planned route, and upon landing, all autonomously without a pilot controlling the flight.
https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/nasa-flies-autonomous-drones/ Save to Pocket
White House: Biden Will Focus on ‘Turbulent’ International Environment in 2024
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
white house — As 2023 closes with violence in Gaza, a war in Ukraine and tension between the world’s largest powers, VOA White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara spoke with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on foreign policy challenges in the year ahead.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
VOA: On Gaza, the president is losing a lot of goodwill from Arab states, Muslim states and the Global South at the U.N. At home, it’s costing him votes from Muslims, Arabs, progressive Democrats and young voters. At what point would the president decide that his support for Israel is costing him too much?
John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications: The president understands that there’s strong feelings on all sides here. People have many different views about what’s going on between Israel and Hamas and the struggle in Gaza. He respects that, he appreciates that, and we’re reaching out to communities all over the country, and of course, the world, to get their perspectives.
We just had the national security adviser in the region, the secretary of defense and of course, Secretary of State [Antony] Blinken in just a week or so before that. We’re absolutely listening and trying to get a better understanding of all these different perspectives.
That said, no nation should have to live with the threat that Hamas poses to Israel. No nation should have to live with that next door. And what Israel went through on the seventh of October was one of the most deadly terrorist attacks they’ve ever experienced, if not the deadliest terrorist attack that they ever experienced. So, we’re going to make sure that they can continue to defend themselves, at the same time, urging them to be more precise, more careful, and more cautious in the execution of those military operations. Too many civilians have been killed, and the right number is zero.
VOA: On China, is the administration bracing for a more muscular posture from Beijing, particularly as it relates to Taiwan?
Kirby: I won’t talk about the diplomatic conversations that we’ve been having with our Chinese counterparts or the meeting between President Xi [Jinping] and President [Joe] Biden. I’ll just tell you that we don’t believe that the status quo over the Taiwan Strait, tense as it may be, should be resolved unilaterally. Certainly, those tensions should not be resolved by force, and everything that the president is doing with respect to our relationships in the Indo-Pacific, including with the PRC [People’s Republic of China], is designed to prevent that outcome.
VOA: On Venezuela, should we expect a U.S. recognition of the Nicolas Maduro government in 2024?
Kirby: I don’t have anything like that to preview. We’re focused on monitoring as closely as we can President Maduro’s commitments to the electoral proposals that he promised to implement in keeping with, and with the support of, opposition parties. We want to see the democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people respected and recognized and pursued.
VOA: This year, the U.S. secured hostage deals with Venezuela and also Iran. How would you respond to those who criticize the administration for negotiating with these regimes — one which is a state sponsor of terrorism, and the other one which you don’t consider to be legitimate?
Kirby: No apologies for working hard to get Americans that are wrongfully detained overseas back home with their families where they belong. Ten American families will now be able to spend the holidays together because of the work that this administration did with respect to Venezuela, and that we’re going to continue to do to get wrongfully detained Americans home.
VOA: As we approach the end of 2023, we may not be able to continue to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Twenty thousand people are dead in Gaza with no end in sight in fighting. The Houthis are attacking ships in the Red Sea. Xi Jinping is moving to take Taiwan. Kim Jong Un has ICBMs that may be able to reach the U.S. What does that say about President Biden, who ran on a campaign that he’s experienced on foreign policy?
Kirby: All those examples you just laid out are examples of how turbulent this international environment is. As the president has said, we’re at an inflection point, and democracy is under threat all around the world. Some of the examples that you just laid out are examples of exactly that — Israel, Ukraine in particular.
We’ve seen a threat to democracy here on our own home shores just up the road here, on Capitol Hill. We are at a very significant moment in history. And when you’re at a moment like that, you want a leader. You want a commander in chief who understands these relationships, who knows that history, who can pick up the phone and call a foreign leader and try to get something done — as we did in recent days to get Americans home out of Venezuela, as we did to try to get additional humanitarian assistance into Gaza over the objections of some in the Israeli government. That’s what President Biden brings to this very turbulent world here that we’re seeing.
VOA: Can we expect the same kind of commitment and focus from President Biden next year, an election year?
Kirby: One hundred percent.
https://www.voanews.com/a/white-house-biden-will-focus-on-turbulent-international-environment-in-2024-/7408266.html Save to Pocket
The Obsessor
date: 2023-12-22, updated: 2023-12-22, from: Daring Fireball
https://www.theobsessor.com/welcome-to-the-obsessor/ Save to Pocket
Friday 22 December, 2023
date: 2023-12-22, from: John Naughton’s online diary
Xmas Postbox One of the nicest things that happened (I think during the pandemic) that people started creating knitted tops for Britain’s red post-boxes. I spotted this one in Histon the other day as I came out of the post … Continue reading
https://memex.naughtons.org/friday-22-december-2023/38936/ Save to Pocket
US Bans Pentagon From Using Chinese Port Logistics Platform
date: 2023-12-22, from: VOA News USA
washington — The U.S. Congress has passed legislation that would ban the Pentagon from using any seaport in the world that relies on a Chinese logistics platform known as LOGINK.
LOGINK, by tracking cargo and ship movements, lets Beijing monitor America’s military supply chain, which relies on commercial ports, according to sponsors Senator Tom Cotton and Representative Michelle Steel.
Their amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal 2024 also bans federal funding of any port that uses LOGINK. The spending bill passed December 14 and the LOGINK ban goes into effect six months after the bill is signed. President Joe Biden has not yet signed the NDAA.
Steel, in an email interview with VOA, called LOGINK’s threat “very serious” because it operates under the Chinese Communist Party. Beijing already has investments in about 100 ports in more than 60 nations.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), which monitors the national security implications of U.S.-China trade, said in a September 2022 report, “LOGINK’s visibility into global shipping and supply chains could also enable the Chinese government to identify U.S. supply chain vulnerabilities and to track shipments of U.S. military cargo on commercial freight.”
A spokesperson for the Pentagon’s U.S. Transportation Command told VOA via email on Tuesday, “USTRANSCOM understands the visibility into global logistics China has through their Belt and Road Initiative and related public-private arrangements.”
LOGINK partners with more than 20 ports worldwide, including six in Japan, five in South Korea and one in Malaysia. There are also at least nine across Europe and three in the Middle East. There are no LOGINK port contracts in the U.S., according to the commission’s report, which says Beijing subsidizes the free platform.
Under the NDAA, Congress must commission a study of how foreign influence at the 15 largest American container ports “could affect” U.S. national and economic security.
“Chinese companies are operating ports in the United States, which poses a national security risk to our critical infrastructure. This report will spur policy to counter that risk,” said Ivan Kanapathy, who served on former President Donald Trump’s National Security Council as director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia. He is now a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington referred VOA to China’s General Administration of Customs for comment, but an email inquiry received no reply.
‘Major step’ by Congress
Michael Wessel, an original member of the USCC who helped write the report, now heads a consulting firm, the Wessel Group. He told VOA the legislation is “a major step taken by Congress to begin to address the challenge of the threat posed by LOGINK.”
Wessel and others say an alternative to LOGINK needs to be developed.
Gabe Collins, a fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and a former Department of Defense China analyst, told VOA he’s not seen an alternative to LOGLINK “that can operate at that scale.”
Collins estimates that LOGINK collects data on as much as half of all global shipping capacity — through contracts with ports and data sharing agreements with existing logistics networks.
He said the U.S. ban sends a “demand signal” telling the marketplace it must invent an alternative to LOGINK, though he said it could take as long as five years to develop one.
Washington’s new ban also requires the secretary of state to begin negotiations with allies and partners to remove LOGINK from their ports. Compliance must begin in six months.
It is unclear how the amendment will affect ports worldwide used by the U.S. military. The International Association of Ports and Harbors told VOA it would need more time to survey its members on how they might respond to the new legislation.
Randall Schriver, former assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, said that while working with the USCC in April, he discovered some European leaders were in the dark about LOGINK and its monitoring capacity.
“These were administrative matters handled at a lower level, and they were going with a cheap but good product without thinking through all of the possible implications,” he said.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-bans-port-logistics-platform-china-offers-free-worldwide-/7408269.html Save to Pocket
Jan. 18: Children’s Bureau Offering Virtual Orientation
date: 2023-12-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Children’s Bureau is seeking foster families and now offers two virtual ways for individuals and/or couples to learn how to help children in foster care while reunifying with birth families or how to provide legal permanency by adoption.
https://scvnews.com/jan-18-childrens-bureau-offering-virtual-orientation/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2023-12-22, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
The Supreme Court can't be trusted to handle the Trump cases.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/12/supreme-court-trump-cases-democracy-disaster.html Save to Pocket
Hart High ASB puts on 31st annual Holiday Dinner
date: 2023-12-22, from: The Signal
While most high school students in the Santa Clarita Valley were busy studying for finals, the Hart High School Associated Student Body was busy prepping for its 31st annual Holiday Dinner held earlier this month at the school’s gym and cafeteria. According to Hart principal Jason d’Autremont, the ASB, led by director Nicole Wertz, helped […]
The post <strong>Hart High ASB puts on 31</strong><strong>st</strong><strong> annual Holiday Dinner</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2023/12/hart-high-asb-puts-on-31st-annual-holiday-dinner/ Save to Pocket
Are Autopilots Dangerous?
date: 2023-12-22, from: James Fallows, Substack
Yes. No. And it depends. What to know during the holiday travel surge, when you’re on the road or in the air.
https://fallows.substack.com/p/are-autopilots-dangerous Save to Pocket
Your Next Central Coast Wine Tour Book
date: 2023-12-22, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Santa Barbara County stars in the latest “Exploring Wine Regions” edition by Michael Higgins.
The post Your Next Central Coast Wine Tour Book appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2023/12/21/your-next-central-coast-wine-tour-book/ Save to Pocket
TCapture Replication Server 1.0 Beta
date: 2023-12-22, from: PostgreSQL News
We are pleased to announce the upcoming release of TCapture Replication Server 1.0 Beta We are currently releasing a beta version for community testing.
TCapture is a bidirectional multi master replication server based on a ‘capture and apply’ asynchronous replica engine
Key Features
- Transactional. SQL are captured transactionally, can be coupled with surrounding business logic.
- Efficient. It capture transactions for replication from Write-Ahead Logs (WAL) instead of using triggers, eliminating overhead on master databases and significantly reduces latency
- Flexible. No limits on the number of producers or consumers, but complexity increases
- Reliable. Transactions are stored in PostgreSQL database – this adds the benefit of write ahead logging and crash recovery.
- Transparent. No impact on the applications already running on that database, since both engine and ‘store database’ can run separate from production databases.
- Easy to use. Simple to set up and configure, is an effective tool for data replication between different Postgres versions
- Open Source. No licensing fees, but occasionally you’ll have to get your hands dirty
About TCapture https://github.com/lab-sb/tcrepsrv-dev
To help you get started with TCapture, we have provided the following resources: • Docs Page • Source Code
Documentation See docs, html documentation https://tcapturesupport.github.io/
Links & Credits Thank to the users who reported bugs .
Links : • Download: https://github.com/lab-sb/tcrepsrv-dev/releases • Bug tracker: https://github.com/lab-sb/tcrepsrv-dev/issues
https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/tcapture-replication-server-10-beta-2732/ Save to Pocket
Multi-criterion analysis of the effect of physico-chemical microbiological agents on Legionella detection in hotel water distribution systems in Crete
date: 2023-12-22, from: Frontiers in Cellar and Infection Microbiology
Water distribution systems in hotels have been related to outbreaks caused by
Water samples were collected from hotel water systems and were tested for the presence of
According to the generalized linear model, temperature affected (p<0.05) the presence of
Collectively, these results indicate the need for development of individualized water safety plans tailored by the presence of other microbiological agents, and unique physico-chemical factors, which could facilitate the survival of
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1214717 Save to Pocket
Whole genome sequencing and comparative genomics of Mycobacterium orygis isolated from different animal hosts to identify specific diagnostic markers
date: 2023-12-22, from: Frontiers in Cellar and Infection Microbiology
Isolation and whole genome sequencing of
The present study is yet another supportive evidence that
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1302393 Save to Pocket
Immune response and severity of Omicron BA.5 reinfection among individuals previously infected with different SARS-CoV-2 variants
date: 2023-12-22, from: Frontiers in Cellar and Infection Microbiology
COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide, with an increasing number of individuals experiencing reinfection after recovering from their primary infection. However, the nature and progression of this infection remain poorly understood. We aimed to investigate the immune response, severity and outcomes of Omicron BA.5 reinfection among individuals previously infected with different SARS-CoV-2 variants.
We enrolled 432 COVID-19 cases who had experienced prior infection with the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus, Delta variant or Omicron BA.2 variant between January 2020 and May 2022 in Guangzhou, China. All cases underwent follow-up from March to April, 2023 through telephone questionnaires and clinical visits. Nasal lavage fluid and peripheral blood were collected to assess anti-RBD IgA, anti-RBD IgG and virus-specific IFN-γ secreting T cells.
Our study shows that 73.1%, 56.7% and 12.5% of individuals with a prior infection of the ancestral virus, Delta or Omicron BA.2 variant experienced reinfection with the BA.5 variant, respectively. Fever, cough and sore throat were the most common symptoms of BA.5 reinfection, with most improving within one week and none progressing to a critical condition. Compared with individuals without reinfection, reinfected patients with a prior Delta infection exhibited elevated levels of nasal anti-RBD IgA, serum anti-RBD IgG and IFN-γ secreting T cells, whereas there was no noticeable change in reinfected individuals with a prior BA.2 infection.
These results suggest that BA.5 reinfection is common but severe outcomes are relatively rare. Reinfection with a novel SARS-CoV-2 variant different from the prior infection may induce a more robust immune protection, which should be taken into account during vaccine development.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1277880 Save to Pocket
Herpesvirus reactivation in respiratory tract is associated with increased mortality of severe pneumonia patients and their respiratory microbiome dysbiosis
date: 2023-12-22, from: Frontiers in Cellar and Infection Microbiology
Severe pneumonia (SP) is a respiratory tract disease that seriously threatens human health. The herpesvirus detected in patients, especially with severe and immunodeficient diseases, is gradually attracting the attention of clinical doctors. However, little is known about the effect of herpesvirus on the prognosis of SP patients and the pulmonary microbial community. Here, we retrospectively analyzed respiratory samples from 45 SP patients detected by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). A total of five types of herpesviruses were detected, with
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1294142 Save to Pocket
The metaproteome of the gut microbiota in pediatric patients affected by COVID-19
date: 2023-12-22, from: Frontiers in Cellar and Infection Microbiology
The gut microbiota (GM) play a significant role in the infectivity and severity of COVID-19 infection. However, the available literature primarily focuses on adult patients and it is known that the microbiota undergoes changes throughout the lifespan, with significant alterations occurring during infancy and subsequently stabilizing during adulthood. Moreover, children have exhibited milder symptoms of COVID-19 disease, which has been associated with the abundance of certain protective bacteria. Here, we examine the metaproteome of pediatric patients to uncover the biological mechanisms that underlie this protective effect of the GM.
We performed nanoliquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry on a high resolution analytical platform, resulting in label free quantification of bacterial protein groups (PGs), along with functional annotations via COG and KEGG databases by MetaLab-MAG. Additionally, taxonomic assignment was possible through the use of the lowest common ancestor algorithm provided by Unipept software.
A COVID-19 GM functional dissimilarity respect to healthy subjects was identified by univariate analysis. The alteration in COVID-19 GM function is primarily based on bacterial pathways that predominantly involve metabolic processes, such as those related to tryptophan, butanoate, fatty acid, and bile acid biosynthesis, as well as antibiotic resistance and virulence.
These findings highlight the mechanisms by which the pediatric GM could contribute to protection against the more severe manifestations of the disease in children. Uncovering these mechanisms can, therefore, have important implications in the discovery of novel adjuvant therapies for severe COVID-19.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1327889 Save to Pocket
Metagenomic next-generation sequencing for detecting Aspergillosis pneumonia in immunocompromised patients: a retrospective study
date: 2023-12-22, from: Frontiers in Cellar and Infection Microbiology
The identification of
A total of 133 ICP admitted to the ICU between January 2020 and September 2022 were enrolled in the study, of which 46 were diagnosed with IPA and 87 were non-IPA cases. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was analyzed for the presence of
mNGS had a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 82.6%, 97.7%, and 92.5%, respectively, in diagnosing IPA. These findings were comparable to those of the combination of multiple CMTs. Interestingly, the sensitivity of mNGS was superior to that of any single CMT method, as demonstrated by comparisons with smears (8.7%,
mNGS presents a feasible and remarkably sensitive approach for detecting
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1209724 Save to Pocket
A Frivolous Feature
date: 2023-12-22, from: Marginallia log
Marginalia Search very recently gained the ability to filter results by Autonomous System, not only searching by ASN but by the organization information for that AS. At a glance this seems like a somewhat frivolous feature, but it has interesting effects. Autonomous Systems are part of the Internet’s routing infrastructure. If your mental model of an IP number is that they are the phone number of the computer, this is something akin to a postal code.
https://www.marginalia.nu/log/96_frivolous_asn/ Save to Pocket