News gathered 2024-01-16
(date: 2024-01-16 09:01:20)
49ers-Packers playoff history: Thrilling finishes highlight NFL-high 10 postseason matchups
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
All nine of the 49ers’ prior playoff matchups with the Packers have come in the last 30 years. Here’s a look at every game.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/49ers-packers-playoff-history-thrilling-finishes-highlight-nfl-high-10-postseason-matchups/ Save to Pocket
ECS LIVA X3A is a compact fanless PC with RK3588 processor and 4 HDMI ports
date: 2024-01-16, from: Liliputing
The ECS LIVA X3A is a small, fanless computer with two Gigabit Ethernet ports, WiFi 6 support, four HDMI ports, and a Rockchip RK3588 processor. While it’s pretty clearly designed for digital signage or other commercial applications, it also seems like a versatile little multi-purpose computer. At the heart of the system is Rockchip’s RK3588 processor […]
The post ECS LIVA X3A is a compact fanless PC with RK3588 processor and 4 HDMI ports appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/ecs-liva-x3a-is-a-compact-fanless-pc-with-rk3588-processor-and-4-hdmi-ports/ Save to Pocket
Janet Jackson and very special guest kick off tour with lengthy California run
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
Janet Jackson and Nelly are set to perform at Chase Center, Golden 1 Center, Kia Forum and the Honda Center.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/janet-jackson-and-very-special-guest-kick-off-tour-with-lengthy-california-run/ Save to Pocket
Sharks Are Being Killed at Rising Rates Despite Increased Regulations
date: 2024-01-16, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Global bans on finning have inadvertently opened up shark meat markets, prompting demand for threatened species, a new study reveals
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sharks-are-being-killed-at-rising-rates-despite-increased-regulations-180983593/ Save to Pocket
YouTube Commenters and the Grassroots Movement Pushed Google to Support Right to Repair
date: 2024-01-16, from: 404 Media Group
Google says its own customers drove it to ultimately support a strong version of right to repair.
https://www.404media.co/youtube-commenters-and-the-grassroots-movement-pushed-google-to-support-right-to-repair/ Save to Pocket
Brent Brennan set to leave San Jose State for Arizona’s head coaching job
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
Brennan was a graduate assistant under Dick Tomey at Arizona, and the Wildcats pursued him in 2020 before going with Jedd Fisch.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/brent-brennan-set-to-leave-san-jose-state-for-arizonas-head-coaching-job/ Save to Pocket
ONEXPLAYER X1 gaming tablet with detachable controllers and Intel Meteor Lake launches in China (global launch coming soon)
date: 2024-01-16, from: Liliputing
The ONEXPLAYER X1 is a 10.95 inch tablet with a 2560 x 1600 pixel, 120 Hz display, detachable game controllers that connect to the sides, and an Intel Meteor Lake processor. Designed both as One Netbook’s largest handheld gaming PC to date, and as a multi-purpose tablet that can be used with accessories like an optional keyboard, […]
The post ONEXPLAYER X1 gaming tablet with detachable controllers and Intel Meteor Lake launches in China (global launch coming soon) appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/onexplayer-x1-gaming-tablet-with-detachable-controllers-and-intel-meteor-lake-launches-in-china-global-launch-coming-soon/ Save to Pocket
From To
date: 2024-01-16, from: Chris Coyier blog
I live in the Awbrey Butte neighborhood of Bend, Oregon. Say I was going to move to Butte, Montana. I could plug those into this app and get neighborhood comparisons. Much like Awbrey Butte in Bend with its hillside views and upscale homes, Butte’s Uptown also features prominent landmarks and historic architecture. Butte’s Uptown is […]
https://chriscoyier.net/2024/01/16/from-to/ Save to Pocket
John Deere tractors get connectivity boost with Starlink deal
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
SpaceX gets chance to prove the FCC was wrong for rejecting its $885m rural broadband subsidy bid
Farm equipment maker John Deere has signed a deal with SpaceX to use its Starlink satellite internet service to keep combines and other farm equipment connected to the internet in underserved rural areas.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/john_deere_tractors_get_connectivity/ Save to Pocket
Supreme Court Rejects Petitions in Epic v. Apple Antitrust Case, Largely a Win for Apple
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: Daring Fireball
https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/16/24039983/supreme-court-epic-apple-antitrust-case-rejected Save to Pocket
Emma Stone applies to be on Jeopardy! every year — and not…
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/01/0043782-emma-stone-applies-to-be Save to Pocket
Why Trump ran away with Iowa
date: 2024-01-16, from: Robert Reich on Substack
Friends, The mainstream media still don’t get it. This morning’s New York Times tried to describe it and utterly failed: “Donald J. Trump’s decisive victory in Iowa revealed a new depth to the reservoir of devotion inside his party. For eight years, he has nurtured a relationship with his supporters with little precedent in politics. He validates them, he entertains them, he speaks for them and he uses them for his political and legal advantage.
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/why-trump-ran-away-with-iowa Save to Pocket
Windows 12 fan fiction shows how Microsoft might ladle AI into the OS
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Unlikely to be a stop-the-slurpage button, but look at the wallpaper
A visualization of what Windows 12 – or whatever Microsoft decides to call its upcoming OS – might look like has arrived, and it is expectedly heavy on AI integration.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/windows_12_speculation/ Save to Pocket
Tesla electric vehicle and sales service center may sprout in San Jose
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
A Tesla electric vehicle sales store could sprout on empty land in San Jose.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/san-jose-tesla-real-estate-electric-car-green-store-build-economy-tech/ Save to Pocket
Apple teases New Entertainment Experiences Launching With Vision Pro
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: Daring Fireball
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/01/apple-previews-new-entertainment-experiences-launching-with-apple-vision-pro/ Save to Pocket
US Military Seizes Iranian Missile Parts Bound for Houthi Rebels; 2 SEALS Still Missing
date: 2024-01-16, from: VOA News USA
JERUSALEM — U.S. Navy SEALS seized Iranian-made missile parts and other weaponry from a ship bound for Yemen’s Houthi rebels in a raid last week that saw two of its commandos go missing, the U.S. military said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a new ship came under suspected fire from the Houthis in the Red Sea and sustained some damage, though no one was wounded, officials said.
The raid marks the latest seizure by the U.S. Navy and its allies of weapon shipments bound for the rebels, who have launched a series of attacks now threatening global trade in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The seized missile components included types likely used in those attacks.
The attacks, U.S.-led retaliatory strikes and the raid all have raised tensions across the wider Middle East, which also saw Iran conduct ballistic missile strikes in both Iraq and Syria.
The SEAL raid happened last Thursday, with the commandos launching from the USS Lewis B. Puller backed by drones and helicopters, with the U.S. military’s Central Command saying it took place in the Arabian Sea.
The SEALs traveled in small special operations combat craft driven by naval special warfare crew to get to the boat. As they were boarding it in rough seas, around 8 p.m. local time, one SEAL got knocked off by high waves and a teammate went in after him. Both remain missing.
The SEALs found cruise and ballistic missile components, including propulsion and guidance devices, as well as warheads, Central Command said. It added that air defense parts also were found.
“Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea,” Central Command said in a statement.
Images released by the U.S. military analyzed by The Associated Press showed components resembling rocket motors and others previously seized. It also included what appeared to be an anti-ship cruise missile with a small turbojet engine — a type used by the Houthis and Iran.
Also included in the photos was a warhead similarly seen in the Iranian anti-ship missiles which are based off an earlier Chinese design, said Fabian Hinz, a missile expert and research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
“Looking at the size and the robustness of the thing, it looks a lot like an anti-ship warhead,” Hinz said.
Hinz also noted the warhead in the photo has a sticker reading “GHAD” on it. Iran has an anti-ship missile called the Ghadir.
The U.S. Navy ultimately sunk the ship carrying the weapons after deeming it unsafe, Central Command said. The ship’s 14 crew have been detained.
The Houthis have not acknowledged the seizure and Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A United Nations resolution bans arms transfers to Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Tehran has long denied arming the rebels, despite physical evidence, numerous seizures and experts tying the weapons back to Iran.
Meanwhile Tuesday, a missile struck the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Zografia in the Red Sea. The vessel had been heading north to the Suez Canal when it was attacked, the Greek Shipping and Island Policy Ministry said.
The ship — managed by a Greek firm— had no cargo on board and sustained only material damage, the ministry said. The crew included 20 Ukrainians, three Filipinos and one Georgian.
Satellite-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Zografia still moving after the attack.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors incidents in the Mideast’s waterways, earlier acknowledged an attack in the vicinity of the Zografia.
Since November, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.
U.S.-led airstrikes targeted Houthi positions on Friday and Saturday. In response, the Houthis launched a missile at a U.S.-owned bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden, further raising the risks in the conflict.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-military-seizes-iranian-missile-parts-bound-for-houthi-rebels-2-seals-still-missing/7442175.html Save to Pocket
How to Guarantee the Safety of Autonomous Vehicles
date: 2024-01-16, from: Quanta Magazine
As computer-driven cars and planes become more common, the key to preventing accidents, researchers show, is to know what you don’t know.The post How to Guarantee the Safety of Autonomous Vehicles first appeared on Quanta Magazine
https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-to-guarantee-the-safety-of-autonomous-vehicles-20240116/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-16, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
People choose to interop because it helps them find new users. If you have no users to offer, there won't be much interest in interop.
https://this.how/standards/#1497798790000 Save to Pocket
Challenges players face
date: 2024-01-16, from: Alex Schroeder’s Blog
Challenges players face
I’m running Arden Vul as an open table. Sessions are generally less than 2h long. There are maybe a dozen players, maybe half of them regulars. Arden Vul is a megadungeon. The PDF has about 1200 pages. There are many entrances, many levels, many factions, and so on. As it is a megadungeon, players can choose for themselves what difficulty level they want to go for. Conversely, if there’s a new player with a level 1 character, they can all agree to stick to lower level characters in order to make an adventure party that promises an entertaining evening for all.
Recently, I’ve started noticing that the setup introduces some player challenges that I hadn’t thought of.
If the party is powerful and the opposition is strong but clearly less powerful, then frontal assaults “work” but at the same time the session only lasts for a certain number of hours and endless fighting killing many dozens of goblins, skeletons or cultists turns out to be somewhat boring and sap away time. Even if the characters aren’t hurt, time is lost.
This is a challenge that attacks player entertainment somewhat like character death or long character creation, I feel.
You know how regular combat in the game attacks the player characters. Some elements of it also attack player resources. This is mostly related to character death. The result forces the player to do things they dislike: start with a new character that has fewer levels, fewer connections, less money, or incurs some other loss. Furthermore, if character creation takes a very long time, then the player has to spend the time thinking up a new build, a new concept.
In a way, an opposition that acts like a morass, wasting time unless the players find another way to circumvent the problem, is a similar attack upon the enjoyment of players. No amount of attack bonuses and initiatives won helps against waves of undead if you can’t turn them or hold them off some other way.
But there is more!
Since the megadungeon has a lot of doors and secrets that need keys, and artefacts that are required for certain goals or quests, it’s important to note who has what, and where it was found. I don’t want there to be a virtual pool of plot items in a bag of holding that is always with the group currently adventuring because even though everybody likes it now I dread the first total party kill where I announce that all the plot items are now lost. That’ll be the end of the campaign for sure.
I confess that I also hope on some level that knowing who has what plot-relevant item increases interactivity as people start to realize that for this or that to happen, they need to contact the player of the character who’s the owner of a particular item.
But yes, if players stop showing up, their characters don’t show up and the items they have, both magic items they found and plot items they hold, effectively disappear from the game.
So this is an additional player challenge of their organisational skills. Can they keep track of the items? Can they organise hand-overs?
Arden Vul is also a megadungeon where hints can be found in the hundreds of rumours, wall scribbles, frescos, mosaics, and so on. But if nobody collects and studies them, the information is effectively lost. If one player keeps notes on paper, or in their Google Docs, that information is effectively lost to the others.
I know that as a player in the Barrowmaze I’m also not a great organiser of rumours heard and information gathered. There is space for improvement!
So this is another player challenge: how to best share information. Can they build a knowledge repository somewhere, that helps them distribute information and collect hypothesises and conclusions?
The same is true about the ruins explored, entrances found, and perhaps more importantly, the places where no entrances were found but also they left before making absolutely sure. In a few sessions, players don’t remember where they’ve been and they don’t remember whether an area was fully explored. This duplicates effort and lost opportunities.
All in all, this is a sort of price to pay for the freedom players have in this kind of setup.
https://alexschroeder.ch/view/2024-01-13-challenging-players Save to Pocket
100 Layer Lasagna
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/01/100-layer-lasagna Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-01-16, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
I
think it’s fair to say that the new FeedLand, at
feedland.com, and running in
Automattic’s cloud, is stable, and performing nicely. So if you have an
account on feedland.org, the
original system, which is still running of course, you could now
reasonably move to feedland.com. To do so, just export your OPML
subscription list from .org, create a new account on .com, and import
the subscription list. It might take a while for all the new feeds to be
fully updated, but you’ll be rewarded by a higher performance user
experience. Thanks to Matt and company for
giving us access to this phenomenal resource. I still haven’t gotten
used to designing with the assumption that my system can scale as far as
it seems it can.
http://scripting.com/2024/01/16.html#a153348 Save to Pocket
Apple claims top spot in global smartphone market for first time
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Shipments grow in Q4 after near two years of declines, and Huawei making a comeback in China
Apple’s iPhone is the frontrunner in the global smartphone market for the first time after demand finally returned to a sector that has shrunk for almost two years.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/apple_tops_smartphone_market/ Save to Pocket
skyjake/lagrange - Release v1.17.6
date: 2024-01-16, from: Tilde.news
https://github.com/skyjake/lagrange/releases/tag/v1.17.6 Save to Pocket
Author Interview: Insights on Pinna nobilis genetic connectivity in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
date: 2024-01-16, from: PeerJ blog
https://peerj.com/blog/post/115284888781/author-interview-insights-on-pinna-nobilis-genetic-connectivity-in-the-eastern-mediterranean-sea/ Save to Pocket
Career Journey: Cooking Up a Job as a Space Food Scientist
date: 2024-01-16, from: NASA breaking news
As the Space Food Systems manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Xulei Wu works with a team to create tasty, shelf-stable meals for astronauts aboard the International Space Station and, soon, for crews flying to the Moon as part of the Artemis program. What does it take to become a space food scientist […]
https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/career-journey-space-food-scientist/ Save to Pocket
Pac-12 MBB power ratings: Oregon is No. 1, WSU jumps after toppling Arizona
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
The surprising Ducks are unbeaten in league play after three weeks.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/pac-12-mbb-power-ratings-oregon-is-no-1-wsu-jumps-after-toppling-arizona/ Save to Pocket
Ivanti zero-day exploits explode as bevy of attackers get in on the act
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Customers still patchless and mitigation only goes so far
There’s a “reasonable chance” that Ivanti Connect Secure (ICS) VPN users are already compromised if they didn’t apply the vulnerability mitigation released last week, experts say.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/ivanti_zeroday_exploits_explode_into/ Save to Pocket
‘Oldest ever dog,’ Bobi, has title suspended amid investigation
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
The world’s “oldest ever dog” Bobi, who died in October reportedly aged 31, has provisionally lost his title as Guinness World Records (GWR) investigates his age.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/oldest-ever-dog-bobi-has-title-suspended-amid-investigation/ Save to Pocket
US airlines cancel another 1200 flights Tuesday
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
Tuesday’s disruptions come on top of more than 3,300 flight cancelations on Monday, which was highest number of cancellations since the Southwest meltdown in 2022.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/us-airlines-cancel-another-1200-flights-tuesday/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-16, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
The new FeedLand docs site is deployed.
https://docs.feedland.com/ Save to Pocket
Blinken Assures Zelenskyy of ‘Strong Enduring Support for Ukraine’
date: 2024-01-16, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/blinken-assures-zelenskyy-of-strong-enduring-support-for-ukraine/7442098.html Save to Pocket
Rebecca Romijn ‘incredibly shocked’ by John Stamos’ memoir, his claims she cheated, treated him poorly
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
The Berkeley-reared actor and model also said she was ‘blindsided’ by things that ex-husband Stamos said in his book, which was published in October.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/rebecca-romijn-incredibly-shocked-by-john-stamos-memoir-his-claims-she-cheated-treated-him-poorly/ Save to Pocket
Tesla owners in deep freeze discover the cold, hard truth about EVs
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Not all batteries like subzero temperatures
This week’s frigid winter conditions in North America exposed the shortcomings of certain electric vehicles, particularly Teslas.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/tesla_owners_in_deep_freeze/ Save to Pocket
Fact-checking journalism is evolving, not stagnating
date: 2024-01-16, from: Nieman Journalism Lab
“Fake news” loves a crisis. It’s clear now that false information has played a role in recent events around the world from divisive elections to the COVID pandemic to the conflict roiling Israel and Gaza. It is important to counter false claims and false narratives. And research now shows a lot more clarity about how…
https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/01/fact-checking-journalism-is-evolving-not-stagnating/ Save to Pocket
How pizza can explain proposed bank capital regulation
date: 2024-01-16, from: Marketplace Morning Report
Today is the deadline for comments on a proposed rule to increase capital requirements for large banks. It can be useful to think of the money a bank uses to fund its business as a pizza — some slices are equity, others are debt, and others are unknowns. We’ll dish up that analogy. Sticking with the food theme: Mexican food is increasingly popular with young Americans, and one in 10 eateries serves it.
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/how-pizza-can-explain-proposed-bank-capital-regulation Save to Pocket
As abandoned boats pile up in Bay Area waters, who’s responsible for the environmental damage?
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
When owners get fed up with aging, costly vessels, they often dump their boats in the bay, sometimes filled to the brim with trash.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/as-abandoned-boats-pile-up-in-bay-area-waters-whos-responsible-for-the-environmental-damage/ Save to Pocket
San Jose wage theft proposal considered after Silvery Towers scandal
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
Rule would prohibit developers and contractors from moving ahead on San Jose projects if they have unpaid wage judgements
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/san-jose-wage-theft-proposal-considered-after-silvery-towers-scandal/ Save to Pocket
Audit: Oakland program that reduced gun violence to a historic low could be key to crime crisis
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
A new report says the city abandoned the core strategies that made Ceasefire a huge success in 2010s.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/audit-oakland-program-that-reduced-gun-violence-to-a-historic-low-could-be-key-to-crime-crisis/ Save to Pocket
Europe benched in high tech ‘Champions League’ says ASML
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Calls for stronger team play in the global economic tournament
The EU needs to get serious and act more decisively and collectively if it wants economic security, especially in advanced technology, as it is trailing global rivals such as Japan, China, and the US.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/eu_champions_league_asml/ Save to Pocket
Kurtenbach: The Warriors can’t answer basic questions, and that tells you everything
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
What is this Warriors team good at?
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/kurtenbach-the-warriors-cant-answer-basic-questions-and-that-tells-you-everything/ Save to Pocket
Is Archbishop Mitty making its case for best Bay Area girls basketball team ever?
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
Archbishop Mitty, led by Morgan Cheli and sophomore McKenna Woliczko, improves to 14-0 after routing Bishop O’Dowd on MLK Day
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/is-archbishop-mitty-making-its-case-for-bay-area-girls-basketball-team-ever/ Save to Pocket
Elon Musk demands another huge payday from Tesla
date: 2024-01-16, from: San Jose Mercury News
In a series of posts on X Monday night, Musk said that he would not want to grow Tesla to become a leader in artificial intelligence and robotics without a compensation plan that would give him ownership of around 25% of the company’s stock.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/16/elon-musk-demands-another-huge-payday-from-tesla/ Save to Pocket
FDA expands recall of Quaker Oats products
date: 2024-01-16, from: Guam Daily Post
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said Quaker Oats bars, cereals and snacks sold in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam and Saipan are at risk of potential salmonella contamination and has published an expanded recall of the products, the…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/fda-expands-recall-of-quaker-oats-products/article_3d9117fa-b425-11ee-a6de-b354226d37be.html Save to Pocket
Conversation on RECA expansion to ‘soon commence’
date: 2024-01-16, from: Guam Daily Post
Discussions on expanding the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to Guam and other jurisdictions will commence “soon enough,” according to Hannah D’Avanzo, spokesperson for Guam Del. James Moylan.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/conversation-on-reca-expansion-to-soon-commence/article_30985e84-b383-11ee-b8b0-170ef4d6eada.html Save to Pocket
Hardware store burglary suspect charged
date: 2024-01-16, from: Guam Daily Post
A man charged with burglarizing Guam Home Center in Dededo is suspected of being involved in nine other police reports from December 2023.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/hardware-store-burglary-suspect-charged/article_724cda8a-b41e-11ee-aa22-97e54bd33e28.html Save to Pocket
Another bill aims to use FY 2024 excess, but report shows only $5M unobligated
date: 2024-01-16, from: Guam Daily Post
Another measure has been added to the growing list of bills seeking to utilize fiscal year 2024 general fund excess revenues.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/another-bill-aims-to-use-fy-2024-excess-but-report-shows-only-5m-unobligated/article_b6d74d8c-b367-11ee-825a-b77774af130d.html Save to Pocket
Man allegedly punches woman after rear-ending her vehicle
date: 2024-01-16, from: Guam Daily Post
A man was charged with assaulting a woman known to him after hitting her car.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/man-allegedly-punches-woman-after-rear-ending-her-vehicle/article_2bf58eb4-b415-11ee-bac9-bf5f42224489.html Save to Pocket
Judge revokes Ricky Camp’s pretrial release
date: 2024-01-16, from: Guam Daily Post
A former mixed martial arts fighter’s pretrial release has been revoked in a case where he was accused of several acts of assault last year.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/judge-revokes-ricky-camps-pretrial-release/article_302d21b2-b411-11ee-8c28-2731d52aac2b.html Save to Pocket
GWA looking to further change sewer hookup loan fund amount
date: 2024-01-16, from: Guam Daily Post
The Guam Waterworks Authority is looking to further amend the rules and regulations for the utility’s Sewer Hookup Revolving Loan Fund to ensure that loan amounts realistically would assist applicants, according to discussions at Thursday’s work session between GWA and…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/gwa-looking-to-further-change-sewer-hookup-loan-fund-amount/article_83e4909c-b40c-11ee-8fec-d3b3449a504f.html Save to Pocket
Is Your Local Police Department Using Fusus AI-Enabled Cameras? Find Out Here
date: 2024-01-16, from: 404 Media Group
404 Media has obtained a new dataset which shows the spread of Fusus cameras across the country. Check the map to see if your local law enforcement agency has signed up.
https://www.404media.co/fusus-ai-cameras-map-local-police/ Save to Pocket
F−−, Would Not Be Harassed by Again
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: One Foot Tsunami
https://onefoottsunami.com/2024/01/16/f-would-not-be-harassed-by-again/ Save to Pocket
Climate Change Is Making CEOs Nervous
date: 2024-01-16, from: Heatmap News
Current conditions: New York City’s Central Park has officially broken its 701-day snow-free streak • Extreme flooding from Cyclone Belal submerged cars in the ocean island nation of Mauritius • It’s 24 degrees Fahrenheit and cloudy in Davos, where the 54th annual World Economic Forum gathering begins this week.
THE TOP FIVE
- Trump’s Iowa speeches offer preview of 2024 climate attack lines
Former President Donald Trump handily won the
Republican Iowa caucus on Monday night, and his speeches at the event
were sprinkled with anti-climate lines we’re likely to hear more of in
his 2024 presidential campaign,
writes
Heatmap’s Jeva Lange. In his victory speech, Trump made a
jab about electric vehicle range anxiety, and promised to do more
“drilling” if he gets the White House back. Earlier in the evening he
told would-be voters that “I stood up for ethanol like nobody has ever
stood up for it” – a dig at Biden’s climate agenda, which has aimed to
limit liquid fuel in vehicles, a sensitive issue for Iowa voters during
their primary season. On Sunday a group of young climate protesters
disrupted one of Trump’s rallies, calling him a “climate criminal.”
Trump told them to “go home to mommy.”
This was the coldest
caucus in Iowa’s history thanks to a weather system that dragged
temperatures below freezing for most of the country. As Lange notes:
“Scientists say the arctic blast is exactly the kind of extreme event we
can expect more of in a climate-changed world.”
- Cold snap forces mass school closures
Half a million students in southern states have the day off as a dangerous cold snap forces school closures across Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Texas. ERCOT, which manages most of Texas’ electric load, has asked residents to conserve energy as the state faces wind chill advisories and hard freeze warnings. At least five deaths have so far been attributed to the severe winter weather. More than 70 million people across the country remain under winter weather alerts of some kind, and something like 250 daily cold temperature records are expected to be shattered today. Temperatures could warm slightly Wednesday but the National Weather Service expects another arctic blast to descend Thursday. Here’s a look at the temperature lows currently forecast for Friday night:
Temperature
lows forecast for Friday
night
NOAA
and NWS
- Investors pressure Shell on warming emissions
Oil and gas giant Shell is facing its “most significant shareholder push on climate policy,” reports the Financial Times. A group of 27 investors – including Europe’s largest asset manager Amundi – are backing an independent resolution filed by activist group Follow This demanding the company do more to slash its greenhouse gas emissions. The resolution calls on Shell to better align its pollution targets with the Paris Agreement and focuses specifically on the emissions customers generate when they use Shell’s products, known as Scope 3 emissions. The company called the resolution “unrealistic and simplistic” and insisted its targets already align with the Paris Agreement. This isn’t Follow This’ first resolution aimed at Shell, but this one appears to have the most momentum: Its investor-backers own about 5% of Shell’s shares. Support for the resolution is expected to grow ahead of a vote at the company’s annual general meeting in May, The Guardian reports.
- Survey: CEOs increasingly worried about climate change
A growing number of company executives across the globe are worried their firms won’t survive the next 10 years unless they undergo a major overhaul, according to a survey of 4,700 CEOs conducted by consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). About 45% of the respondents are concerned about their current business models, up from 39% on last year’s survey. Among their top anxieties are artificial intelligence and – you guessed it – climate change. Nearly one-third of CEOs say they expect climate change to “alter the way they create, deliver, and capture value over the next three years.” About two-thirds of respondents say their firms are improving their energy efficiency, but support is lacking for other climate-related company initiatives:
Company
actions related to climate
change
PwC
- BMW says it has passed the EV tipping point
The electric vehicle tipping point has come and gone for carmaker BMW, according to the company’s chief financial officer. Most of BMW’s sales growth now comes from EVs, not combustion vehicles, CFO Walter Mertl said at a media event yesterday. He added that “the current sales plateau of combustion cars will continue and then fall off slightly.” After the company’s EV sales nearly doubled in 2023 to more than 375,000, EVs now make up 15% of total sales, and the company expects to sell more than 500,000 EVs in 2024, Reuters reports.
THE KICKER
FEMA has partnered with the Red Cross to create a printable emergency preparedness children’s game featuring a cartoon penguin named Pedro as its main character:
https://heatmap.news/politics/ceo-climate-change-arctic-blast Save to Pocket
Professional Riders Brave Eight Seconds on a Bucking Bull
date: 2024-01-16, from: VOA News USA
In the Western United States, professional bull riders risk serious injury on the back of bulls that can weigh more than 700 kilograms. But eight seconds on a bucking beast can mean thousands of dollars. VOA’s Scott Stearns takes us to the show.
https://www.voanews.com/a/professional-riders-brave-eight-seconds-on-a-bucking-bull/7441970.html Save to Pocket
Vodafone signs a 10-year, $1.5B deal with Microsoft that sheds European DCs
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
AI for customers and staff, while Euro bitbarns shifted to Azure
Microsoft and Vodafone have inked a 10-year deal worth $1.5 billion, resulting in the telecommunication giant shuttering physical datacenters across Europe in favor of virtual ones using Azure.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/vodafone_microsoft_ai_decade_deal/ Save to Pocket
PUSSY
date: 2024-01-16, from: Howard Jacobson blog
‘And I saw a beast rise up out of the sea….’
https://jacobsonh.substack.com/p/pussy Save to Pocket
Saving Lives Or Warehousing The Sick? Debate Continues Over New Law That Expands Criteria For Involuntary Treatment
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The LAist
Senate Bill 43 broadens the criteria for holding someone against their will. Some see it as a long overdue change; others a return to a harmful past.
https://laist.com/news/politics/saving-lives-or-warehousing-the-sick-debate-continues-over-new-law-that-expands-criteria-for-involuntary-treatment Save to Pocket
Stop TikTok from Suggesting Your Account to Others
date: 2024-01-16, from: The Markup blog
The “people you may know” may not be people you want looking at your social media profile
https://themarkup.org/gentle-january/2024/01/16/stop-tiktok-from-suggesting-your-account-to-others Save to Pocket
The Lazy Tyranny of the Wait Calculation
date: 2024-01-16, from: One Useful Thing
Taking AI timelines seriously
https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/the-lazy-tyranny-of-the-wait-calculation Save to Pocket
A look at what’s on the docket at Davos 2024
date: 2024-01-16, from: Marketplace Morning Report
Today is the first full day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Among the challenges to be discussed are artificial intelligence, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, election integrity and the climate crisis. We’ll hear more about what to expect from the meeting of global leaders. Then, Lebanon is projected to slide back into recession as its tourism industry feels the economic shock of the Israel-Hamas war.
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/a-look-at-whats-on-the-docket-at-davos-2024 Save to Pocket
Asahi Linux team issues promising update on efforts to conquer Apple Silicon
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Good progress for penguinistas keen on Macs
The Asahi Linux team has followed up the release of Fedora Asahi Remix with a post detailing the progress of the project to bring Linux to Apple silicon.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/asahi_linux_progress_update/ Save to Pocket
Raspberry Pi and GPT-4 help you cook steak to perfection
date: 2024-01-16, from: Raspberry Pi News (.com)
Maker Louis wanted to test GPT-4V’s capabilities by finding out whether it could deliver subjective feedback on how well a steak is cooked.
The post Raspberry Pi and GPT-4 help you cook steak to perfection appeared first on Raspberry Pi.
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/raspberry-pi-and-gpt-4-help-you-cook-steak-to-perfection/ Save to Pocket
The Story of the Mirai Botnet
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-05, from: Bruce Schneier blog
Over at Wired, Andy Greenberg has an excellent story about the creators of the 2016 Mirai botnet.
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2024/01/the-story-of-the-mirai-botnet.html Save to Pocket
Google pulls crypto exchanges from Play Store in India
date: 2024-01-16, from: Marketplace Morning Report
From the BBC World Service: Google Play Store has pulled some major crypto exchanges, including Binance and Kraken, in India. The move comes two weeks after India’s financial watchdog said the platforms were operating “illegally” there. Also on the program: A U.S.-owned cargo ship survives a Houthi rebels missile attack, and Lebanon’s economy is hit hard by the war in Gaza
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/google-play-store-crypto-exchanges Save to Pocket
The Deadly Consequences of Playing Politics
date: 2024-01-16, from: Dan Rather’s Steady
Immigration has always been Donald Trump’s most compelling issue. It was a major factor in his Iowa victory last night and is his best hope for returning to the presidency. Many Republican officeholders and office seekers recognize this and follow Trump’s lead.
https://steady.substack.com/p/the-deadly-consequences-of-playing Save to Pocket
UK public sector could save £20B by swerving mega-projects and more, claims chief auditor
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Spending watchdog slams reliance on outdated systems and poor governance
The UK’s chief auditor has claimed the government could save at least £20 billion by modernizing IT systems and other measures.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/dolphins_not_whales_will_help/ Save to Pocket
@Jessica Smith’s blog (date: 2024-01-16, from: Jessica Smith’s blog)
Reached the point of my redrafting where I just redrafted the very end of my story! I still need to go back and redraft a lot of earlier chapters, but I’ve been working through this awfully dark last third of the book for the last month, and I’m so relieved to be able to get out of that headspace for a while.
https://www.jayeless.net/2024/01/redrafted-the-end.html Save to Pocket
Working with UK youth and community organisations to tackle the digital divide
date: 2024-01-16, from: Raspberry Pi (.org)
At the heart of our work as a charity is the aim to democratise access to digital skills and technologies. Since 2020, we have partnered with over 100 youth and community organisations in the UK to develop programmes that increase opportunities for young people experiencing educational disadvantage to engage and create with digital technology in…
The post Working with UK youth and community organisations to tackle the digital divide appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/working-with-uk-youth-community-organisations-to-tackle-digital-divide/ Save to Pocket
The coming storm
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: Charlie’s Diary
(I should have posted this a couple of weeks ago …) 2024 looks set to be a somewhat disruptive year. Never mind the Summer Olympics in Paris; the big news is politics, where close to half the world’s population get…
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2024/01/the-coming-storm.html Save to Pocket
How Sinclair’s QL computer outshined Apple’s Macintosh against all odds
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Compatible hardware and peripherals are still on sale, four decades after its launch
Retro Tech Week Two weeks before Apple launched the Macintosh, Sir Clive Sinclair launched his unprecedentedly powerful yet affordable Motorola-powered SOHO computer – starting a line of hardware and software that, remarkably, is still going.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/ql_legacy_at_40/ Save to Pocket
Deep Green gets £200M from power supplier to scale waste heat reuse
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Octopus Energy wants to back server-cooling, district heating projects
Datacenter operator Deep Green has bagged £200 million ($254 million) from power provider Octopus Energy to help scale deployments that give municipal sites free heat in exchange for cooling its IT hardware.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/deep_green_gets_200m_from/ Save to Pocket
Iowa Delivers Former President Trump Record Caucus Win
date: 2024-01-16, from: VOA News USA
Former President Donald Trump is the resounding winner of the 2024 Iowa Caucus, finishing with more than 50% of the overall vote. As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports from Des Moines, dangerously cold weather that descended on Iowa ahead of the caucus impacted turnout, with overall participation down this year after reaching record highs in 2016.
https://www.voanews.com/a/iowa-delivers-former-president-trump-record-caucus-win/7441816.html Save to Pocket
Let’s Talk Food: Mexican casseroles
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Ihave a yearning every once in a while for Mexican food and when that happens, an easy casserole usually fits the bill. It is so much easier than the authentic dishes of Mexico.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/community/lets-talk-food-mexican-casseroles/ Save to Pocket
BIIF soccer: Hilo remains unbeaten, HPA splits with Kea‘au
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>HILO — The two top squads in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) Division I soccer squared off on the pitch Friday — with Hilo edging out Waiakea 2-0 on the road.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/sports/biif-soccer-hilo-remains-unbeaten-hpa-splits-with-keaau/ Save to Pocket
Josh Allen, Bills dispatch Steelers 31-17 in playoff game delayed a day by snow. Chiefs up next
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — It made no difference to Josh Allen what day or time the Buffalo Bills faced the Pittsburgh Steelers.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/sports/josh-allen-bills-dispatch-steelers-31-17-in-playoff-game-delayed-a-day-by-snow-chiefs-up-next/ Save to Pocket
Mayfield throws for 337 yards and 3 TDs to lead Buccaneers to 32-9 NFC wild-card rout of Eagles
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns to lead the resurgent Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 32-9 wild-card playoff victory over Jalen Hurts and the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/sports/mayfield-throws-for-337-yards-and-3-tds-to-lead-buccaneers-to-32-9-nfc-wild-card-rout-of-eagles/ Save to Pocket
Donovan Mitchell scores 34 points as the Cavaliers pull away late to beat the Bulls 109-91
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points, Jarrett Allen had 10 points and 14 rebounds for his ninth straight double-double, and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away late for a 109-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/sports/donovan-mitchell-scores-34-points-as-the-cavaliers-pull-away-late-to-beat-the-bulls-109-91/ Save to Pocket
Messi edges Haaland in tiebreaker for FIFA’s best men’s player award. Bonmatí takes women’s prize
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>LONDON — Lionel Messi landed another prestigious award in soccer — barely.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/sports/messi-edges-haaland-in-tiebreaker-for-fifas-best-mens-player-award-bonmati-takes-womens-prize/ Save to Pocket
Bill Belichick interviews with Falcons for head coaching job
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>ATLANTA — Bill Belichick signaled he’s ready to get back to coaching less than a week after parting with the New England Patriots, speaking with the Atlanta Falcons about their vacant position.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/sports/bill-belichick-interviews-with-falcons-for-head-coaching-job/ Save to Pocket
Osaka’s Grand Slam comeback ends in 1st-round loss to Garcia, Gauff advances at Australian Open
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>MELBOURNE, Australia — Moments after her Grand Slam comeback ended in a first-round loss, Naomi Osaka walked back through the players’ tunnel where her name has a prominent place among recent Australian Open champions.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/sports/osakas-grand-slam-comeback-ends-in-1st-round-loss-to-garcia-gauff-advances-at-australian-open/ Save to Pocket
New trial to start for two accused of brutally beating Kona security guard
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Two defendants convicted of the attempted murder of a security guard at the Kona Seaside Hotel are set to have their case retried today.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/hawaii-news/new-trial-to-start-for-two-accused-of-brutally-beating-kona-security-guard/ Save to Pocket
Trump notches a commanding win in the Iowa caucuses as DeSantis edges Haley for second place
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>DES MOINES, Iowa — Former President Donald Trump scored a record-setting win in the Iowa caucuses on Monday with his rivals languishing far behind, a victory that sent a resounding message that the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination is his to lose.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/nation-world-news/trump-notches-a-commanding-win-in-the-iowa-caucuses-as-desantis-edges-haley-for-second-place/ Save to Pocket
The world could get its first trillionaire within 10 years, anti-poverty group Oxfam says
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>DAVOS, Switzerland — The world could have its first trillionaire within a decade, anti-poverty organization Oxfam International said Monday in its annual assessment of global inequalities timed to the gathering of political and business elites at the Swiss ski resort of Davos.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/nation-world-news/the-world-could-get-its-first-trillionaire-within-10-years-anti-poverty-group-oxfam-says/ Save to Pocket
MLK Jr. holiday celebrations include acts of service and parades, but some take a political turn
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>ATLANTA — Communities across the nation celebrated the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday with acts of service, prayer services and parades. But with the November presidential election as a backdrop, some events took on an overtly political turn.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/nation-world-news/mlk-jr-holiday-celebrations-include-acts-of-service-and-parades-but-some-take-a-political-turn/ Save to Pocket
Hilo man faces attempted police assault, firearms and theft charges
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>A 34-year-old Hilo man was arrested Wednesday in Hilo on warrants, including one alleging he attempted to run over a police officer in a pickup truck 2 1/2 years ago.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/hawaii-news/hilo-man-faces-attempted-police-assault-firearms-and-theft-charges/ Save to Pocket
Trump plans to attend E. Jean Carroll defamation trial, NYC jury to decide further damages
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>NEW YORK — Donald Trump is set to face a second Manhattan trial against E. Jean Carroll today — and plans to address a jury that will decide how much more he owes the writer who already won millions in damages after proving he sexually abused and defamed her.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/nation-world-news/trump-plans-to-attend-e-jean-carroll-defamation-trial-nyc-jury-to-decide-further-damages/ Save to Pocket
Owner of Tribune-Herald is restructuring, selling company
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The owner of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald and West Hawaii Today has entered a court-supervised restructuring to reduce debt and to position the company for a possible sale to a partnership that plans to invest in quality, impactful journalism in Hawaii.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/hawaii-news/owner-of-tribune-herald-is-restructuring-selling-company/ Save to Pocket
A surgeon general report once cleared the air about smoking. Is it time for one on vaping?
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>NEW YORK — Sixty years ago, the U.S. surgeon general released a report that settled a longstanding public debate about the dangers of cigarettes and led to huge changes in smoking in America.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/nation-world-news/a-surgeon-general-report-once-cleared-the-air-about-smoking-is-it-time-for-one-on-vaping/ Save to Pocket
Ukraine says it shot down 2 Russian command and control aircraft in a significant blow to Moscow
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>KYIV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian air force shot down a Russian early warning and control plane that can spot targets up to 650 kilometers (400 miles) away and a key command center aircraft that relays information to troops on the ground in a significant blow for the Kremlin’s forces, Ukraine’s military chief said Monday.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/nation-world-news/ukraine-says-it-shot-down-2-russian-command-and-control-aircraft-in-a-significant-blow-to-moscow/ Save to Pocket
Arctic freeze continues to blast huge swaths of the US with sub-zero temperatures
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>BUFFALO, N.Y. — Brutally cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills stayed put across much of the U.S. Monday, promising the coldest temperatures ever for Iowa’s presidential nominating contest, holding up travelers, and testing the mettle of NFL fans in Buffalo for a playoff game that was delayed a day by wind-whipped snow.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/nation-world-news/arctic-freeze-continues-to-blast-huge-swaths-of-the-us-with-sub-zero-temperatures/ Save to Pocket
Israel’s trial on genocide charges before a UN court should be a wake-up call for Jerusalem
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The charge of “genocide” leveled at Israel last week before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, should be a wake-up call for Jerusalem, but not for the reasons you might think.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/opinion/israels-trial-on-genocide-charges-before-a-un-court-should-be-a-wake-up-call-for-jerusalem/ Save to Pocket
Trump is always Trump: The fraudster ignores the rules of the court
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Like the drowning scorpion slipping under the water next to the stung and dying frog, Donald Trump could not help himself to violate an explicit court order and make a political speech when Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron extended him the privilege to say a few words about his civil fraud trial after Trump’s defense lawyer concluded his closing argument Thursday.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/opinion/trump-is-always-trump-the-fraudster-ignores-the-rules-of-the-court/ Save to Pocket
Obituaries for January 16
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Murray C. Gardner, PhD., 91, of Waimea died Jan. 2 at North Hawaii Community Hospital in Waimea. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., was a co-founder of GeothermEx, a geothermal consulting firm in California and U.S. Marine Corps Reserves captain who received his Bachelors Degree from Brooklyn College and his PhD. from the University of Arizona. His interests included swimming, hiking, reading and gardening. His philanthropic interests included Guide Dogs For the Blind. Services noon Wednesday (Jan. 17) at West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery. Online condolences: ballardfamilymortuaries.com. Survived by wife, Donna Lee Gardner of Waimea; children, Annette L. (Charles Simons) Gardner of Laytonville, Calif., Michael-M. C. (Amy Dickman) Gardner of Lake Charles, La.; brother, Sherwin Gardner, of Washington, D.C.; a grandson; nieces and nephews. Arrangements by by Ballard Family Mortuary.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/obituaries/obituaries-for-january-16-9/ Save to Pocket
Davos elite size up the global risks of another Trump presidency
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Donald Trump is thousands of miles away from the Alpine Swiss town of Davos but talk of his possible return to the White House is on everyone’s lips even before the annual shindig of the global elite has kicked off.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/nation-world-news/davos-elite-size-up-the-global-risks-of-another-trump-presidency/ Save to Pocket
This week’s Axiom Space flight to ISS marks 1st crewed launch of the year
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Commercial astronaut trips from the Space Coast are becoming commonplace, with Axiom Space about to send up another crew from Kennedy Space Center this week.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/nation-world-news/this-weeks-axiom-space-flight-to-iss-marks-1st-crewed-launch-of-the-year/ Save to Pocket
Boeing steps up inspections, to review quality after blowout
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Boeing Co. will step up inspections of aircraft during production and open its factories to airline customers as the planemaker bolsters its response to a near-disaster on a 737 Max 9 jet earlier this month.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/nation-world-news/boeing-steps-up-inspections-to-review-quality-after-blowout/ Save to Pocket
Mahuna sworn in as deputy police chief
date: 2024-01-16, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The Hawai‘i Police Department announces that effective today, Maj. Reed K. Mahuna is permanently appointed as deputy police chief. A 25-year veteran of the department, Mahuna was named acting ceputy chief on July 1, 2023.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/16/hawaii-news/mahuna-sworn-in-as-deputy-police-chief-2/ Save to Pocket
What’s the “Chevron Doctrine” and why should you want to preserve it?
date: 2024-01-16, from: Robert Reich on Substack
Two cases to be argued tomorrow before the Supreme Court threaten hundreds of consumer and environmental protections
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/whats-the-chevron-doctrine-and-why Save to Pocket
Trump’s Climate Sneak Peek in Iowa
date: 2024-01-16, from: Heatmap News
On Monday night, former PresidentDonald Trump handily won what will officially go down as the coldest caucus in Iowa’s history.
The global warming jokes, naturally, wrote themselves. But in his freewheeling, name-dropping, teleprompter-free victory speech in Des Moines, Trump showed uncharacteristic restraint in avoiding the low-hanging comedic fruit.
Perhaps it was because Trump’s mind was on other things: his civil damages trial that begins in New York City on Tuesday, say. Or maybe, as I suspect, it was part of a larger trend that has come to shape Trump’s third presidential campaign — that he’s honing his attacks on climate science and the energy transition for the 2024 race.
Certainly, Trump’s Iowa speech featured some of his favorite one-liners from the campaign trail. “He comes all the way from Missouri, which isn’t that far,” Trump said at one point in an apparent reference to Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, one of numerous surrogates who’d helped with a ground game Trump hadn’t seemed terribly interested in trying himself. “Couldn’t drive an electric car that far, though,” Trump added to laughs — a variation of a jab about range anxiety that he’s been trotting out at his rallies. (Des Moines to the Missouri border is 76 miles, which even the least efficient EVs could make without stopping; most new EVs on the market could also make it to the capital, Jefferson City — 255 miles away — on a single charge).
Trump also made enthusiastic references to “drilling,” promising we’ll do a whole lot of it if he gets the White House back. “We have to stop the invasion, we have to bring down the energy — you know, I say all the time, we have more liquid gold under our feet than any other nation anywhere in the world — and we have to stop the crime and we have to help rebuild our cities,” Trump went on, distracted from his usual script, which typically involves an additional story about President Biden “begging” Venezuela for oil.
Trump had also spoken in specifics earlier in the evening when he’d told would-be voters that “I stood up for ethanol like nobody has ever stood up for it” — another dig at Biden’s climate agenda, which has aimed to limit liquid fuel in vehicles, a sensitive issue for Iowa voters during their primary season.
But if Americans could agree on anything this week, it’s that it’s cold. Between the Iowa caucuses and Tuesday night, more than three-quarters of the country will experience temperatures below freezing — weather that will shatter over 200 winter temperature records, all told. And while that might lend itself to unoriginal jokes among conservatives, scientists say the arctic blast is exactly the kind of extreme event we can expect more of in a climate-changed world.
On Sunday, Trump mocked any alarm that might instill in people — including his own supporters — by telling a group of climate protesters that interrupted his rally to “go home to mommy. Your mommy’s waiting.”
But nowhere is safe, and there are a long 11 months and three seasons to go before the next election. Still, some things can grimly be assumed to be forgone: Trump will almost certainly be the Republican candidate. And whatever comes next, it will be worse.
https://heatmap.news/sparks/trump-iowa-caucus-victory-speech-evs-ethanol-drilling Save to Pocket
Kipp Mueller | Baxter Shows Importance of No-Kill Shelters
date: 2024-01-16, from: The Signal
If you already know me, or follow me on social media, then you know about Baxter. He is the rescue dog who came into my life in 2019. Baxter became a bit infamous when, just one week before my primary election in March 2020, he escaped a dog sitter. Alongside friends and family, I spent […]
The post Kipp Mueller | Baxter Shows Importance of No-Kill Shelters appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/kipp-mueller-baxter-shows-importance-of-no-kill-shelters/ Save to Pocket
Bob Plassmeyer | The Only Plausible Answer
date: 2024-01-16, from: The Signal
In response to Ron Perry’s letter, “Respecting One’s Beliefs,” Jan. 10: In 1858 at Lourdes, France, Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared to a 14-year-old girl Bernadette Soubirous. She told Bernadette to dig in the dirt and water appeared and became a spring, which is flowing today. Millions of people have touched the water and […]
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Gerald Staack | Economic Model After Europe?
date: 2024-01-16, from: The Signal
After decades of contentious conflicts between labor unions and corporate America, and with no serious government intervention to stabilize their combativeness, I feel it’s time for a law that can steady and improve their relationship … a law that is beneficial for both business and workers, propping up everyone’s quality of life. A simple solution […]
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Lois Eisenberg | Why Have So Many Been Arrested?
date: 2024-01-16, from: The Signal
If there was no insurrection as believed by the MAGA cult, why have so many been arrested and charged for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on the Capitol of the United States? There have been 657 rioters who pleaded guilty, 623 have been sentenced, and more than 1,146 rioters have been charged, per […]
The post Lois Eisenberg | Why Have So Many Been Arrested? appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/lois-eisenberg-why-have-so-many-been-arrested/ Save to Pocket
Remember when enterprise administration was more than just a browser dashboard?
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Playing Colossal Cave Adventure on an ICL 2966 and coding on the last Elliott 803
Retro Tech Week Keeping old computers running for everyone to enjoy is getting increasingly difficult as the years pass. Parts get harder to obtain, and the skills needed start fading away.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/retro_enterprise_administration/ Save to Pocket
Most Iowa Republican Caucus-goers Say Trump Fit to be President if Convicted
date: 2024-01-16, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — Most Republicans at Iowa’s caucus said they felt Donald Trump would be fit for the White House even if he were convicted of a crime, an entrance poll showed on Monday, underscoring the stronghold the former president has on the Republican Party.
About two-thirds of caucus-goers also said they did not believe Democratic President Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election, according to the poll.
Following are highlights from the Edison Research poll based on interviews with 1,628 Iowa Republicans.
66% said they did not think Biden legitimately won the presidency in 2020.
65% said they decided who to support in the presidential nomination contest before this month.
65% said Trump would still be fit to be president if he were convicted of a crime. 31% said he would be unfit if convicted.
61% said they favor a federal law that would ban abortions nationwide.
53% of white caucus-goers who considered themselves evangelical or born-again Christians supported Trump, while 27% backed DeSantis.
46% of voters said they considered themselves part of the MAGA movement, a reference to Trump's Make America Great Again slogan. 50% said they were not part of that movement.
Trump led Haley and DeSantis by double digits among men and women alike. But among college graduates Trump was preferred by about 37% of caucus-goers, compared to 28% for Haley and 26% for DeSantis.
38% percent of caucus-goers said the economy was the issue that mattered most in deciding who to vote for on Monday, compared to 34% who cited immigration, while the rest cited foreign policy or abortion.
14% said the most important quality a Republican presidential nominee should have is the ability to beat Biden, compared to 41% who said shared values mattered most.Edison Research conducted the poll on behalf of the National Election Pool, a consortium of news organizations including Reuters.
https://www.voanews.com/a/most-iowa-republican-caucus-goers-say-trump-fit-to-be-president-if-convicted/7441803.html Save to Pocket
Can you dig it? Samsung buys chunk of a Canadian nickel mining company
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Korean giant wants a local source of the stuff needed to build batteries
Samsung’s battery unit may have found part of a solution to sourcing the raw materials needed for the products it packs into gadgets and cars: buy a nickel mine. Or part of a nickel mine, at least.…
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Six cases of JN.1 variant confirmed on Guam
date: 2024-01-16, from: Guam Daily Post
Six cases involving the JN.1 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19, were confirmed on Guam as of Jan. 6, according to a release from the Department of Public Health and Social Services. Eight people have been…
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Today in SCV History (Jan. 16)
date: 2024-01-16, from: SCV New (TV Station)
1926 – Newhall Community Hospital, est. 1922, opens in larger, more modern hospital building at 6th and Spruce streets. [story
https://scvnews.com/today-in-scv-history-7/ Save to Pocket
Registration for the ETH Research Data Management Summer School 2024 is open
date: 2024-01-16, from: ETH Zurich Research Archives
This ETH Summer School furnishes early-career scientists with a
comprehensive understanding of research data management. Following a
practice-oriented approach, they learn the basics and the most important
tools. Read
more
https://rc-blog.ethz.ch/en/registration-for-the-eth-research-data-management-summer-school-2024-is-open/ Save to Pocket
Atari 400 makes a comeback in miniature form
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
The only PC with a keyboard so dreadful it challenged the ZX80, now even less usable
Retro Tech Week Judges pondering contenders for the title of “World’s Worst PC Keyboard, Ever”, seldom look too far beyond Sinclair’s ZX80, which offered a membrane that caused attached screens to flicker with every keystroke.…
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US: Nauru’s Decision to Break with Taiwan ‘Disappointing’
date: 2024-01-16, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — The United States said Monday that the government of Nauru’s severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan is “disappointing,” despite it being a sovereign decision.
The Pacific Island nation announced its decision to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China shortly after Taiwan’s presidential and legislative elections.
“Taiwan is a reliable, like-minded, and democratic partner. The PRC often makes promises in exchange for diplomatic relations that ultimately remain unfulfilled,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement late Monday. He was referring to People’s Republic of China.
Miller added: “We encourage all countries to expand engagement with Taiwan and to continue to support democracy, good governance, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law.”
The Republic of Nauru “will no longer recognize the Republic of China (Taiwan) as a separate country but rather as an inalienable part of China’s territory,” said the Nauru government in an official statement on Monday.
In Beijing, Chinese officials praised the move.
“China appreciates and welcomes the decision of the government of the Republic of Nauru,” said Mao Ning who is a spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The Nauru government’s decision of reestablishing diplomatic ties with China once again shows that the one-China principle is where global opinion trends” are, said Mao.
She repeated China’s assertion that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory” during a briefing Monday.
Implications to the U.S. policy towards the Pacific Islands
Nauru is one of the members of the Pacific Islands Forum, or PIF, the premier political and economic policy-making body for the region. It comprises 18 member states, with Australia and New Zealand being the largest economies in the bloc. Neither the United States nor China is a full member.
Last September, U.S. President Joe Biden hosted leaders from this Pacific Islands bloc at a two-day summit in Washington, amid rising U.S. concerns about China’s growing military and economic influence in the region.
The shift in Nauru’s position means the next Pacific Islands Forum secretary general will be from a country that recognizes the government in Beijing, rather than the government in Taipei.
Some analysts believe Nauru’s move could make it more challenging for the PIF to resist overtures from China.
Last November, former Nauru President Baron Waqa was selected as the next PIF Secretary General, at a time when Nauru still maintained diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Waqa has reportedly resisted China’s pressure in the past. It remains to be seen whether he will continue as the PIF Secretary General.
According to Cleo Paskal, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, or FDD, Chinese offers to Nauru have been present for years, and the specifics of this deal were likely finalized before the Taiwan elections.
She suggested that Beijing might have delayed the announcement until after the Taiwan elections to “reinforce” the PRC’s narrative.
“U.S. policy in the Pacific Islands is not shining at the moment,” Paskal told VOA.
“Nauru has been asking for help with things like developing its port and protecting its waters for years - things that would help regional security as well. The longer they wait, the more room for PRC operatives to say ‘they aren’t coming, you should cut the deal in front of you now, with us’. The window for U.S. relevance is closing.”
UN resolution 2758
Monday, the State Department said the United States will continue to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the international community and deepen economic ties, consistent with Washington’s longstanding One China policy.
The U.S. does not take a position on Taiwan’s sovereignty. Under Washington’s One China policy, the U.S. acknowledges Beijing’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan but does not endorse them.
Washington and Taipei have held regular consultations to explore Taiwan’s participation in the United Nations system and other international forums, to address a range of global challenges, including public health, aviation safety and climate change.
In Beijing, Chinese spokesperson Mao Ning said, “There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” citing United Nations resolution 2758.
On October 25, 1971, the U.N. General Assembly passed U.N. Resolution 2758, which replaced the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan’s formal name) with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a permanent member of the Security Council in the United Nations.
While the resolution stated the representatives of the PRC government were the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, it neither determined Taiwan’s status nor said Taiwan was part of China.
The PRC’s efforts to rewrite Taiwan’s status at the United Nations intensified during the 1990s and early 2000s, coinciding with the island’s democratization, according to an analysis by the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-nauru-s-decision-to-break-with-taiwan-disappointing-/7441760.html Save to Pocket
Trump Wins Iowa Caucus
date: 2024-01-16, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-wins-iowa-caucus-/7441757.html Save to Pocket
List of Top Emmy Award Winners
date: 2024-01-16, from: VOA News USA
LOS ANGELES — List of the top winners of the prime-time Emmy Awards.
BEST DRAMA SERIES: “Succession”
BEST COMEDY SERIES: “The Bear”
BEST LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES: “Beef”
ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES: Kieran Culkin, “Succession”
ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES: Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES: Sarah Snook, “Succession”
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES: Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”
ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES: Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES: Jennifer Coolidge, “The White Lotus”
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES: Matthew Macfadyen, “Succession”
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear”
SCRIPTED VARIETY SERIES: “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE: Niecy Nash-Betts, “Dahmer, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”
REALITY COMPETITION SERIES: “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
TALK SERIES: “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah”
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE: Paul Walter Hauser, “Black Bird”
LIVE VARIETY SPECIAL: “Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium”
ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE: Steven Yeun, “Beef”
ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE: Ali Wong, “Beef”
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‘Succession’ Dominates Drama Emmys, ‘The Bear’ Claims Comedy, Brunson Makes History
date: 2024-01-16, from: VOA News USA
LOS ANGELES — “Succession” secured its legacy with its third best drama series award, “The Bear” feasted as the night’s top comedy, and the two shows about squabbling families dominated the acting awards at Monday night’s Emmys.
Historic wins also came for Quinta Brunson of “Abbot Elementary” and Steven Yeun and Ali Wong of “Beef” at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony that was finally held four months late after a turbulent year of strikes in Hollywood.
“Succession,” the HBO saga of the dysfunctional generations of a maladjusted media empire, won the top prize for its fourth and final season. It also won best actress in a drama for Sarah Snook and best actor in a drama for Kieran Culkin.
“We all put our all into it and the bar was set so high,” Snook said.
“The Bear,” the FX dramedy about a contentious family and a struggling restaurant at the center of the life of a talented chef, won best comedy series for its first season. It also made a meal of its acting categories, with Jeremy Allen White winning best actor in a comedy, best supporting actress in a comedy for Ayo Edebiri winning best supporting actress, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach taking best supporting actor. All three were first-time nominees.
“This is a show about family and found family and real family,” Edebiri said from the stage as she accepted the first trophy of the night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Instead of the usual producer speeches, Matty Matheson, a real-life elite chef who plays a kitchen newbie and repairman on “The Bear,” spoke for the show near the end of the Fox telecast.
“I just love restaurants so much, the good and the bad, we’re broken inside,” Matheson said before getting a long kiss on the mouth from Moss-Bachrach.
Brunson won best actress in a comedy for the show she created, ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” becoming the first Black woman to win the award in more than 40 years and the first from a network show to win it in more than a decade.
“I am so happy to be able to live my dream and act out comedy,” Brunson said during her acceptance on the Fox telecast, fighting back tears. The writer-actor was among the stars with standout looks on the Emmys’ silver carpet.
“Succession” won six Emmys overall including best supporting actor in a drama for Matthew Macfadyen and best writing in a drama for show creator Jesse Armstrong. The only drama acting category it didn’t win was supporting actress, taken for the second time by Jennifer Coolidge of “The White Lotus.”
“The Bear” won in every category it was nominated for Monday night, and along with the four it had won previously at the Creative Arts Emmys, took 10 overall, the most of any show.
Landmark wins on TV’s big night
“Beef” won best limited series, while Steven Yeun and Ali Wong became the first Asian Americans to win in their categories – Yeun for best actor in a limited series and Wong for best actress. Creator Lee Sung won Emmys for writing and directing. It had eight Emmys overall after three wins at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Brunson had won a writing Emmy for “Abbott Elementary,” her mockumentary about a predominantly Black and chronically underfunded grade school in Philadelphia, but this is her first for acting. Isabel Sanford of “The Jeffersons” was the only previous Black woman to win the category in 1981.
The first hour of the show held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day saw three Black women win major awards: Brunson, Edebiri and Niecy Nash-Betts, who won best supporting actress in a limited series for “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”
On the Netflix show, Nash-Betts played a neighbor of the serial killer whose complaints to authorities about his behavior go unheeded.
“I accept this award on behalf of every Black and brown woman who has gone unheard and over-policed,” she said.
“Everybody having fun at the chocolate Emmys tonight?” host Anthony Anderson said during the show. “We are killing it tonight! … This is like MLK Day and Juneteenth all rolled up in one!”
The tweaked awards calendar made for some oddities. Edebiri and White won their Emmy for the show’s first season eight days after after winning Golden Globes for the second season.
Baby talk amid ‘succession’ wins
Culkin outshined the older brother and the father to win the final lead actor Emmy for “Succession.”
He had twice been nominated for best supporting actor for “Succession” without a win. But in the final season, in which his character Roman Roy goes from sideline wisecracker to emotional disaster at the center of the show’s drama, he was put in the lead category and won over castmates Brian Cox, who played his father, and Jeremy Strong, who played his older brother.
He then shifted to his own family, getting big laughs during his speech when he told his wife Jazz Charton that their two young kids weren’t enough. “I want more,” he said. “You said if I won, we could talk about it.”
Snook took her first Emmy in three nominations for “Succession” and her fictional husband Macfadyen won the second Emmy of his career for playing Tom Wambsgans, the son-in-law that began the HBO series as a hanger-on and ended it as the closest thing it had to a victor on “Succession.”
Many tears, and one concerned mother
Emotions ran high from the start of the ceremony. Edebiri and Brunson were both quick to cry as they took the stage, and the first presenter, Christina Applegate, who said in 2021 that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, got a standing ovation as she came out using a cane, helped by Anderson. She struggled to get through the nominees and winner with the tears in her eyes.
Anderson told the nominees at the beginning of the night that instead of having their speeches cut off by music, his mother, actor Doris Hancox, sitting in the audience, would tell them when it was time to move on. But she more often shouted down her son in the running gag.
Older shows return to spotlight
Honoring TV history was the theme at the 75th Emmys. Anderson opened the show on a “Mr. Rogers” set and performed TV theme songs including “Good Times,” and several cast reunions were spread throughout the show.
Cast members including Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell from “Martin,” Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman from “Cheers,” and Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers from “All in The Family,” performed short bits from recreations of their sitcom sets before presenting awards.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler reunited to present an award in the form of their 2001-2005 “Weekend Update” team-up from “Saturday Night Live.”
“We’ve reached the stage in life where we’ll only present awards sitting down,” Fey said.
One notable appearance came from Katherine Heigl, who joined Ellen Pompeo and other former “Grey’s Anatomy” cast mates on a hospital room set after leaving the show, now about to start its 20th season, on not the best terms in 2010.
“Yes, there have been changes over the years,” Heigl said with a wry smile, “But the one constant is the amazing fanbase.”
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India again backs down on its controversial PC import restrictions
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Desktops escape regulations, laptops and servers don’t, no reasons explained
India’s Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has announced that import restrictions targeting PCs will not include desktop computers, adding another twist to the strange saga of the nation’s plan to require import licenses for many types of computers.…
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Grandpa vs. The Grifter
date: 2024-01-16, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Three key factors about the Biden–Trump rematch: The election no one wants.
The post Grandpa vs. The Grifter appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
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January 15, 2024
date: 2024-01-16, from: Heather Cox Richardson blog
Last night, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) announced they have agreed to another continuing resolution that will fund the government until March 1 and March 8. Schumer said he will begin the process of passing the continuing resolution when the Senate reconvenes tomorrow.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-15-2024 Save to Pocket
See All The Red Carpet Looks From The 2024 Emmy Awards
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The LAist
See some of this year’s most memorable red carpet looks.
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Emmy Awards 2023: The Complete List Of Winners
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The LAist
Here are the winners of the major categories at the 75th annual Emmys.
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Drill: ‘Run. Hide. Fight.’
date: 2024-01-16, from: The Signal
LASD hosts annual active shooter training at Castaic High Castaic High School’s campus was empty for the holiday Monday except for first responders, campus officials, student volunteers and site administrators from throughout the Santa Clarita Valley, who were there for a special lesson in how to respond to an active shooter. The exercise is part […]
The post <strong>Drill: ‘Run. Hide. Fight.’</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
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China’s gambling crackdown spawned wave of illegal online casinos and crypto-crime in Asia
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
‘Inaccessible and autonomous armed group territories’ host crooks who use tech to launder cash, run slave scam gangs, and more
Global crime networks have set up shop in autonomous territories run by armed gangs across Southeast Asia, and are using them to host physical and online casinos that, in concert with crypto exchanges, have led to an explosion of money laundering, cyberfraud, and cybercrime across the region and beyond.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/un_asia_tech_crime_report/ Save to Pocket
Understanding the Raspberry Pi Pico’s Memory Layout
date: 2024-01-16, from: Peter Warden
A few months ago I started updating TensorFlow Lite Micro for the Raspberry Pi Pico board, which uses the RP2040 microcontroller. I ran into some baffling bugs that stopped me making progress, but eventually I tracked them down to my poor understanding of the memory layout. Since I had to do a deep dive, I […]
https://petewarden.com/2024/01/16/understanding-the-raspberry-pi-picos-memory-layout/ Save to Pocket
In Early Results, Trump Projected Iowa Caucus Winner
date: 2024-01-16, from: VOA News USA
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Marching against violence: City, NAACP celebrate MLK day with Unity Walk
date: 2024-01-16, from: The Signal
Valerie Bradford spoke about the violence that can be seen across the United States today. That, she said, is not what the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. would have wanted his country to look like. Monday saw people across the U.S. celebrate King’s legacy with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including at Central Park in […]
The post <strong>Marching against violence: City, NAACP celebrate MLK day with Unity Walk</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
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I used Netscape Composer in 2024
date: 2024-01-16, from: OS News
Netscape Composer was my first introduction to web development. As a kid, I created my first web pages using it. Those pages never made it online, but I proudly carried them around on a floppy disk to show them off on family members’ and friends’ computers. This is likely how I got the understanding that websites are just made of files. Using Netscape Composer also taught me basic web vocabulary, such as “page” and “hyperlink”. Of course, the web landscape has evolved immensely since then. I was curious to try out that dated software again and see what its limitations were, and what the code it produces looks like from a 2024 perspective. The first thing I needed was a goal. I decided to try and reproduce the home page of my personal website as closely as the application allowed it. That seemed like a sensible aim as my website has a rather minimalistic design, with very little that should be completely out of reach for an antiquated tool. ↫ Pier-Luc Brault What a fun exercise.
https://www.osnews.com/story/138335/i-used-netscape-composer-in-2024/ Save to Pocket
Setting up Nix on macOS
date: 2024-01-16, from: OS News
I recently bought a Macbook because more and more people are asking me how to use Nix in certain situations under MacOS. In this article, we walk through installing Nix on MacOS and see how pleasant the experience is these days. After that, we show how to go declarative on MacOS with nix-darwin to enable compilation for Linux and Intel Macs, as well as some other nice features. ↫ Jacek Galowicz You can’t click on a single link without tripping over people talking about nix.
https://www.osnews.com/story/138333/setting-up-nix-on-macos/ Save to Pocket
Google shamelessly tries to rebrand gambling as “real-money gaming”
date: 2024-01-16, from: OS News
As a platform, we strive to help developers responsibly build new businesses and reach wider audiences across a variety of content types and genres. In response to strong demand, in 2021 we began onboarding a wider range of real-money gaming (RMG) apps in markets with pre-existing licensing frameworks. Since then, this app category has continued to flourish with developers creating new RMG experiences for mobile. ↫ Karan Gambhir, director of “Global Trust and Safety Partnerships” at Google “Real-money gaming” is the most obvious and blatant rebranding of “gambling” I have ever seen. Google, this is gambling. You’re making it easier for scumbags to target the poor and swindle them out of the little money they have. This is a shameless attempt at increasing Google’s revenue by making it easier to scam people into gambling. Everything about this post – and (mobile) gambling – is disgusting.
https://www.osnews.com/story/138331/google-shamelessly-tries-to-rebrand-gambling-as-real-money-gaming/ Save to Pocket
Election Countdown, 295 Days to Go: Fortune-Telling vs Reporting.
date: 2024-01-16, from: James Fallows, Substack
It can be a golden age for people telling the stories of our times. If we can stop talking about messaging and polls!
https://fallows.substack.com/p/election-countdown-295-days-to-go Save to Pocket
Menendez’s Wife Asks for Separate Trial From Husband
date: 2024-01-16, from: VOA News USA
washington — The wife of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez on Monday sought to sever the government’s corruption case against her from that of her husband, according to a court document.
In the document, Nadine Menendez’s lawyers said a joint trial would prejudice her right to defend herself at a fair trial. They added that a joint trial would force the married defendants to make a Hobson’s choice “as exercising their right to testify in their own defense may necessitate waiving their privilege against providing testimony adverse to their spouse.”
“Ms. Menendez’s interests in both maintaining the confidentiality of her privileged marital communications and exercising her spousal testimonial privilege without sacrificing her ability to testify in her own defense collectively support a finding of a ‘serious risk’ that a joint trial will compromise her ‘specific trial rights,’” the lawyers said.
The pair pleaded not guilty in October after they were charged with taking bribes from three New Jersey businessmen.
In charging the senator last September, prosecutors said investigators had found gold bars and envelopes stuffed with cash inside jackets in the New Jersey Democrat’s apartment.
They also said businessman Wael Hana had arranged meetings between Menendez and Egyptian officials, who pressed the senator to sign off on military aid.
In return, Hana put Menendez’s wife on the payroll of a company he controlled, prosecutors said.
Earlier this month, prosecutors accused Menendez of helping a New Jersey businessman seek an investment from a Qatari company with ties to the Middle Eastern country’s government.
The latest allegations, which accused him of acting as a foreign agent, add pressure on the embattled senator, who has resisted calls to resign from members of his own party.
https://www.voanews.com/a/menendez-s-wife-asks-for-separate-trial-from-husband-/7441622.html Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-16, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Matt Mullenweg: Data Liberation in 2024.
https://wordpress.org/news/2024/01/data-liberation-in-2024/ Save to Pocket
Matadors bounce back, defeat head coach Andy Newman’s former team in thriller
date: 2024-01-16, from: The Sundail (CSUN student paper)
After a disappointing blowout loss to UC Davis on the road, the Matadors (13-4, 4-1 Big West) returned home focused on grabbing a win, with head coach Andy Newman coaching against his former team, Cal State Fullerton (8-9, 1-4 Big West). Forward Jasman Sangha gave the team energy from the jump as he finished with…
https://sundial.csun.edu/177858/sports/matadors-bounce-back-defeat-head-coach-andy-newmans-former-team-in-thriller/ Save to Pocket
Warning Of Higher Grocery Prices, Washington AG Sues To Stop Kroger-Albertsons Merger
date: 2024-01-16, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The LAist
“Shoppers will have fewer choices and less competition, and, without a competitive marketplace, they will pay higher prices at the grocery store,” Washington state attorney general Bob Ferguson said.
https://laist.com/news/warning-of-higher-grocery-prices-washington-ag-sues-to-stop-kroger-albertsons-merger Save to Pocket
Caleb Williams declares for 2024 NFL Draft
date: 2024-01-16, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The 2022 Heisman winner is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick after revitalizing USC football over two seasons.
The post Caleb Williams declares for 2024 NFL Draft appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/15/caleb-williams-declares-nfl-draft/ Save to Pocket
Hidden Camera Title IX Case Drags to an End After 16 Months
date: 2024-01-16, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
In a Title IX case characterized by incessant delays, non-disclosure agreements, and frustration, a conclusion was finally reached late last November.
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/hidden-camera-title-ix-case/ Save to Pocket
Thousands Of Volunteers Honor MLK’s Legacy With Acts Of Service
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The LAist
A volunteer event was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, site of a landmark speech there by Dr. King 60 years ago.
https://laist.com/news/thousands-of-volunteers-honor-mlks-legacy-with-acts-of-service Save to Pocket
Microsoft prices new Copilots for individuals and small biz vastly higher than M365 alone
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Intros ‘Pro’ AI for creators, ditches 300-seat requirement for business use
Microsoft has revealed new versions of its OpenAI-powered Copilot services, at prices around triple the cost of its flagship M365 suite.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/copilot_pro_small_biz/ Save to Pocket
Trinity basketball sweeps SCCS
date: 2024-01-15, from: The Signal
Trinity Knights boys’ basketball earned its first season sweep of the Santa Clarita Christian Cardinals in eight years. The Knights bombarded the Cards defensively and rained in shots from behind the arc to win the game, 81-56, at The Master’s University. The game was the unofficial homecoming for a pair of SCCS transfers who now […]
The post Trinity basketball sweeps SCCS appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/trinity-basketball-sweeps-sccs/ Save to Pocket
Denise Ferreira da Silva Named CalArts’ 2024 Theorist in Residence
date: 2024-01-15, from: SCV New (TV Station)
California Institute of the Arts is pleased to announce world-renowned writer and artist Denise Ferreira da Silva as its 2024 Theorist in Residence
https://scvnews.com/denise-ferreira-da-silva-named-calarts-2024-theorist-in-residence/ Save to Pocket
Dixon Health Center, CalArts Celebrate Partnership
date: 2024-01-15, from: SCV New (TV Station)
When the 2024 Spring semester for California Institute of the Arts students begins, it will also be the beginning of another year of nearly two decades of healthcare services provided by Samuel Dixon Family Health Centers at the Student Health Center.
https://scvnews.com/samuel-dixon-health-center-calarts-laud-20-year-partnership/ Save to Pocket
Offensive woes hamper Matadors in home loss to UC Davis
date: 2024-01-15, from: The Sundail (CSUN student paper)
CSUN women’s basketball (2-13, 0-5 Big West) attempted to snap their 11-game losing streak, but came up short amid offensive struggles as they dropped their Big West matchup to the UC Davis Aggies (8-8, 4-2 Big West) 55-45 Thursday in Northridge. Despite having a strong defensive performance, the Matadors were unable to capitalize on their…
https://sundial.csun.edu/177853/sports/offensive-woes-hamper-matadors-in-home-loss-to-uc-davis/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-15, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Disqualify Trump, or else.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/01/11/opinion/briefing#trump-disqualification-insurrection Save to Pocket
Escribano OK after scary injury vs. Saugus
date: 2024-01-15, from: The Signal
Canyon Cowboys girls’ basketball’s Isabella Escribano’s season was put in jeopardy on Friday night. Escribano showed seizure-like symptoms when she fell to the floor after taking a hard screen in a Foothill League game against Saugus. There was no call on the play and the game nearly continued until family members and Cowboys head coach […]
The post <strong>Escribano OK after scary injury vs. Saugus</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/escribano-ok-after-scary-injury-vs-saugus/ Save to Pocket
Hart girls’ basketball beats Valencia
date: 2024-01-15, from: The Signal
Hot starts have been a recurring theme for Hart Indians girls’ basketball as of late. Another hot first quarter powered the Indians to victory on Friday as the team won its home league matchup with the Valencia Vikings, 74-53. Hart coach Jerry Mike saw his team come out with some solid ball movement and big […]
The post <strong>Hart girls’ basketball beats Valencia </strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/hart-girls-basketball-beats-valencia/ Save to Pocket
Debugging Android Early Boot Failures
date: 2024-01-15, from: James Bottomley’s blog
Back in my blog post about Securing the Google SIP Stack, I did say I’d look at re-enabling SIP in Android-12, so with a view to doing that I tried building and booting LineageOS 19.1, but it crashed really early in the boot sequence (after the boot splash but before the boot animation started). It […]
https://blog.hansenpartnership.com/debugging-android-early-boot-failures/ Save to Pocket
Matadors Take Stage at 2024 Golden Globes
date: 2024-01-15, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The 81st Golden Globe Awards ceremony recently took place with California State University, Northridge students playing a key role in the ceremony.
https://scvnews.com/matadors-take-stage-at-2024-golden-globes/ Save to Pocket
Bedgood nominated for McDonald’s All-American Game
date: 2024-01-15, from: The Signal
Valencia senior Bryce Bedgood has been named among some elite company: Bedgood was nominated last week for the McDonald’s All-American Game to be held in April. The Vikings double-double machine could potentially play alongside some of the most talented high school seniors in the country, should he be selected in a few weeks. Bedgood is […]
The post <strong>Bedgood nominated for McDonald’s All-American Game</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/bedgood-nominated-for-mcdonalds-all-american-game/ Save to Pocket
Mustangs Drop Second Straight Game
date: 2024-01-15, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Master’s University men’s basketball lost a double-digit lead as the Arizona Christian Firestorm came from behind to defeat the Mustangs 75-76 Saturday in Glendale, Ariz
https://scvnews.com/mustangs-drop-second-straight-game/ Save to Pocket
AOOSTAR R7 Review: An affordable 2-bay DIY NAS with Ryzen 7 5700U and PCIe NVMe support
date: 2024-01-15, from: Liliputing
Routers and Network-attached-storage (NAS) devices are basically small, purpose-built computers that run software designed to provide some of the core functionality used in networking and data storage respectively. Many users prefer to buy routers from established brands like Linksys, Netgear or Asus and NAS hardware from companies like Synology, QNAP or Asustor. But, despite being […]
The post AOOSTAR R7 Review: An affordable 2-bay DIY NAS with Ryzen 7 5700U and PCIe NVMe support appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/aoostar-r7-review-an-affordable-2-bay-diy-nas-with-ryzen-7-5700u-and-a-pcie-nvme-ssd/ Save to Pocket
[Sponsor] HEY Calendar
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: Daring Fireball
https://hey.com/ Save to Pocket
COC Men’s Basketball Suffers 69-80 Road Loss at L.A. Valley
date: 2024-01-15, from: SCV New (TV Station)
VALLEY GLEN — College of the Canyons finished on the wrong end of an 80-69 road result at L.A. Valley College during Wednesday night’s Western State Conference (WSC), South Division opener
https://scvnews.com/coc-mens-basketball-suffers-69-80-road-loss-at-l-a-valley/ Save to Pocket
Meetup and IAC Apps Acquired
date: 2024-01-15, from: Michael Tsai
Luca Ferrari (Hacker News): Bending Spoons entered into an agreement to become the new owner of Meetup, subject to closing conditions. The acquisition is expected to close later in January.products. Meetup has a powerful global brand, a large, vibrant user base, and a mission that resonates strongly. Quite simply, Meetup is a force for good […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/01/15/meetup-and-iac-apps-acquired/ Save to Pocket
Unity Store Bans VLC
date: 2024-01-15, from: Michael Tsai
Martin Finkel (via Hacker News): After months of slow back-and-forth over email trying to find a compromise, including offering to exclude LGPL code from the assets, Unity basically told us we were not welcome back to their Store, ever. Even if we were to remove all LGPL code from the Unity package. Where it gets […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/01/15/unity-store-bans-vlc/ Save to Pocket
Are There Any Tetris Games for Mac?
date: 2024-01-15, from: Michael Tsai
John Gruber: Not much has changed from 2018. There is an officially licensed game in the Mac App Store now: Tetris Beat. It’s part of Apple Arcade, so most of you can probably download it and play it. It’s not just plain Tetris — and whatever it is that it wants to be, it sucks. It doesn’t […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/01/15/are-there-any-tetris-games-for-mac/ Save to Pocket
Easier Wallet Pass Sharing in iOS 17.2
date: 2024-01-15, from: Michael Tsai
Joe Rossignol: Starting with the upcoming iOS 17.2 software update, there is a new NameDrop-like feature that allows an iPhone user to quickly share boarding passes, movie tickets, and other Wallet app passes with another iPhone user.To use the feature, open the Wallet app and tap on the pass that you want to share. Then, […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/01/15/easier-wallet-pass-sharing-in-ios-17-2/ Save to Pocket
The Timer in watchOS 10
date: 2024-01-15, from: Michael Tsai
Craig Hockenberry: The addition of Recents made getting to the 1/3/5/10/15/30 settings more challenging because scrolling with your nose is significantly more difficult. Thankfully, once you positioned the magic grid on the device, going into and out of timers could be done quickly and easily. […] This is exactly why the magic grid in the […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/01/15/the-timer-in-watchos-10/ Save to Pocket
Musk claims that venting liquid oxygen caused Starship explosion
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Billionaire suggests a payload would have solved the problem. And we have a suggestion for who that payload could be
SpaceX boss Elon Musk has blamed a lack of payload coupled with the venting of liquid oxygen for last year’s fiery end to the second flight of the company’s Starship and Super Heavy combo.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/musk_starship/ Save to Pocket
Lady Cougs Open Conference With Win Over LAVC 68-63
date: 2024-01-15, from: SCV New (TV Station)
VALLEY GLEN — Aaliyah Garcia poured in 22 points and Jade Sims added 17 more, as the freshman duo helped College of the Canyons pick up a 68-63 road win over L.A. Valley College in the Western State Conference, South Division opener on Wednesday.
https://scvnews.com/lady-cougs-open-conference-with-win-over-lavc-68-63/ Save to Pocket
Hands-On at CES With the Clicks Keyboard Case for iPhone 15 Pro
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: Daring Fireball
https://9to5mac.com/2024/01/12/clicks-iphone-hands-on/ Save to Pocket
Jan. 17: COC Board of Trustees Regular Business Meeting
date: 2024-01-15, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees will meet for a regular business meeting Wednesday, Jan. 17, beginning with closed session at 4 p.m., followed immediately by open session at 5 p.m
https://scvnews.com/jan-17-coc-board-of-trustees-regular-business-meeting/ Save to Pocket
Vote now: Bay Area News Group girls athlete of the week
date: 2024-01-15, from: San Jose Mercury News
Make your choice for the top performance among girls high school athletes from Jan. 7-13.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/15/vote-now-bay-area-news-group-girls-athlete-of-the-week-98/ Save to Pocket
Apple removing blood-ox tool to avoid watch ban, Masimo says
date: 2024-01-15, from: San Jose Mercury News
The Irvine company said US Customs and Border Protection approved the change Jan. 12.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/15/apple-removing-blood-ox-tool-to-avoid-ban-masimo-says/ Save to Pocket
Austin Released From Hospital After Complications From Prostate Cancer Surgery He Kept Secret
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
washington — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from the hospital on Monday, after spending two weeks there to treat complications from surgery for prostate cancer he kept secret from senior Biden administration leaders and staff for weeks.
Austin will work from home as he recovers, and his doctors said he “progressed well throughout his stay and his strength is rebounding.” They said in a statement the cancer was treated early and his prognosis is “excellent.”
In a statement, Austin expressed thanks to the medical staff and said that “as I continue to recuperate and perform my duties from home, I’m eager to fully recover and return as quickly as possible to the Pentagon.”
Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on December 22 and underwent surgery to treat the cancer, which was detected earlier in the month during a routine screening. He developed an infection a week later and was hospitalized Jan. 1 and admitted to intensive care.
Dr. John Maddox, the trauma medical director, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, the director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research at Walter Reed, said that during Austin’s hospitalization he underwent medical tests and was treated for lingering leg pain. They said he has physical therapy to do but there are no plans for further cancer treatment other than regular checks.
President Joe Biden and senior administration officials were not told about Austin’s hospitalization until January 4, and Austin kept the cancer diagnosis secret until January 9. Biden has said Austin’s failure to tell him about the hospitalization was a lapse in judgment, but the Democratic president insists he still has confidence in his Pentagon chief.
During Austin’s time at Walter Reed, the U.S. launched a series of military strikes late last week on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, targeting dozens of locations linked to their campaign of assaults on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Working from his hospital bed, Austin juggled calls with senior military leaders, including General Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and White House meetings to review, order and ultimately watch the strikes unfold over secure video.
The lack of transparency about Austin’s hospitalization, however, has triggered administration and Defense Department reviews on the procedures for notifying the White House and others if a Cabinet member must transfer decision-making authorities to a deputy, as Austin did during his initial surgery and a portion of his latest hospital stay. And the White House chief of staff ordered Cabinet members to notify his office if they ever can’t perform their duties.
Austin’s secrecy also drew criticism from Congress members on both sides of the political aisle, and Representative Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has opened a formal inquiry into the matter. Others openly called for Austin to resign, but the White House has said the Pentagon chief’s job is safe.
It is still unclear when Austin will return to his office in the Pentagon or how his cancer treatment will affect his job, travel and other public engagements going forward. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been taking on some of his day-to-day duties as he recovers.
https://www.voanews.com/a/austin-released-from-hospital-after-complications-from-prostate-cancer-surgery-he-kept-secret-/7440997.html Save to Pocket
Missed opportunties cost Sharks in loss to Buffalo Sabres
date: 2024-01-15, from: San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Sharks unable to respond after allowing two second period goals to the Buffalo Sabres
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/15/missed-opportunties-cost-sharks-in-loss-to-buffalo-sabres/ Save to Pocket
Thousands of Juniper Networks devices vulnerable to critical RCE bug
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Yet more support for the argument to adopt memory-safe languages
More than 11,500 Juniper Networks devices are exposed to a new remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability, and infosec researchers are pressing admins to urgently apply the patches.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/juniper_networks_rce_flaw/ Save to Pocket
Sketchfest returns to SF with another packed lineup
date: 2024-01-15, from: San Jose Mercury News
Performing comedians love the annual 2½-week festival of laughs in S.F. almost as much as the fans do.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/15/sketchfest-returns-to-sf-with-another-packed-lineup/ Save to Pocket
Apple Updates Magic Keyboard Firmware to Block Bluetooth Monitoring
date: 2024-01-15, from: TidBITS blog
Those who use Apple’s Magic Keyboard will automatically receive a firmware update that prevents an attacker with physical access from monitoring Bluetooth traffic. It’s not something to worry about but is an indication of the kind of attacks possible today.
https://tidbits.com/2024/01/15/apple-updates-magic-keyboard-firmware-to-block-bluetooth-monitoring/ Save to Pocket
Ships, Aircraft Search for Missing Navy Seals After Mission to Seize Iranian Missile Parts
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — U.S. Navy SEALs seized Iranian-made missile parts and other weaponry from a ship bound for Yemen’s Houthi rebels in a raid last week that saw two of its commandos go missing, the U.S. military said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a new ship came under suspected fire from the Houthis in the Red Sea and sustained some damage, though no one was wounded, officials said.
The raid marks the latest seizure by the U.S. Navy and its allies of weapon shipments bound for the rebels, who have launched a series of attacks now threatening global trade in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The seized missile components included types likely used in those attacks.
The attacks, U.S.-led retaliatory strikes and the raid all have raised tensions across the wider Middle East, which also saw Iran conduct ballistic missile strikes in both Iraq and Syria.
The SEAL raid happened last Thursday, with the commandos launching from the USS Lewis B. Puller backed by drones and helicopters, with the U.S. military’s Central Command saying it took place in the Arabian Sea.
The SEALs found cruise and ballistic missile components, including propulsion and guidance devices, as well as warheads, Central Command said. It added that air defense parts also were found.
“Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea,” Central Command said in a statement.
Images released by the U.S. military analyzed by The Associated Press showed components resembling rocket motors and others previously seized. It also included what appeared to be a cruise missile with a small turbojet engine — a type used by the Houthis and Iran.
The U.S. Navy ultimately sunk the ship carrying the weapons after deeming it unsafe, Central Command said. The ship’s 14 crew have been detained.
The Houthis have not acknowledged the seizure and Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A United Nations resolution bans arms transfers to Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Tehran has long denied arming the rebels, despite physical evidence, numerous seizures and experts tying the weapons back to Iran.
Meanwhile Tuesday, a missile struck the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Zografia in the Red Sea. The vessel had been heading north to the Suez Canal when it was attacked, the Greek Shipping and Island Policy Ministry said.
The ship — managed by a Greek firm— had no cargo on board and sustained only material damage, the ministry said. The crew included 20 Ukrainians, three Filipinos and one Georgian.
Satellite-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Zografia still moving after the attack.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors incidents in the Mideast’s waterways, earlier acknowledged an attack in the vicinity of the Zografia.
Since November, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.
U.S.-led airstrikes targeted Houthi positions on Friday and Saturday. In response, the Houthis launched a missile at a U.S.-owned bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden, further raising the risks in the conflict.
The SEALs traveled in small special operations combat craft driven by naval special warfare crew to get to the boat. As they were boarding it in rough seas, around 8 p.m. local time, one SEAL got knocked off by high waves and a teammate went in after him. Both remain missing.
https://www.voanews.com/a/ships-aircraft-search-for-missing-navy-seals-after-mission-to-seize-iranian-missile-parts/7440990.html Save to Pocket
‘Days of Our Lives’ star Bill Hayes dies at 98; played Doug Williams since 1970
date: 2024-01-15, from: San Jose Mercury News
In 1955, he had a No. 1 hit on the Billboard charts with “The Legend of Davy Crockett.”
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/15/days-of-our-lives-star-bill-hayes-dies-at-98-played-doug-williams-since-1970/ Save to Pocket
In My Opinion…
date: 2024-01-15, from: Chris Coyier blog
Robin: A writing tip for myself in the future, if I may (and I do): delete every use of “…for me…,” “in my opinion,” “some might disagree,” “I think,” etc. etc. These snippets are a bad habit and make your writing fragile, lacking any conviction, with one eye always over your shoulder. After a while […]
https://chriscoyier.net/2024/01/15/in-my-opinion/ Save to Pocket
Man dies weeks after he was hit by a car in San Jose
date: 2024-01-15, from: San Jose Mercury News
A man died on Saturday from injuries sustained in a late-December traffic collision in San Jose, according to police.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/15/man-dies-weeks-after-he-was-hit-by-a-car-in-san-jose/ Save to Pocket
Boeing steps up quality inspections on 737 Max after blowout
date: 2024-01-15, from: San Jose Mercury News
It’s also opening its factories to airline customers as it seeks to improve quality and bolster confidence in its 737 Max following a near-disaster on an Alaska Airlines flight earlier this month.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/15/boeing-steps-up-inspections-to-review-quality-after-blowout/ Save to Pocket
Mammography AI can cost patients extra. Is it worth it?
date: 2024-01-15, from: San Jose Mercury News
The software can store and evaluate large datasets of images and identify patterns and abnormalities that human radiologists might miss.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/15/mammography-ai-can-cost-patients-extra-is-it-worth-it/ Save to Pocket
Poll shows Trump gaining support among California Republicans for presidential nod
date: 2024-01-15, from: San Jose Mercury News
Support among California Republicans for former President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid has risen to 66% among likely Republican voters, up from 57% last fall, with none of his Republican rivals close.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/15/poll-shows-trump-gaining-support-among-california-republicans-for-presidential-nod/ Save to Pocket
Vote now: Bay Area News Group boys athlete of the week
date: 2024-01-15, from: San Jose Mercury News
Make your choice for the top performance among boys high school athletes from Jan. 8-13.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/15/vote-now-bay-area-news-group-boys-athlete-of-the-week-101/ Save to Pocket
Jan. 26: Submissions Deadline for Hart District Talent Show
date: 2024-01-15, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The WiSH Education Foundation is proud to announce the first district-wide talent show for all students, teachers and administrators from all grades in the William S. Hart Union High School District
https://scvnews.com/jan-26-submissions-deadline-for-hart-district-talent-show/ Save to Pocket
Nurse practitioner Carissa Bencito joins Henry Mayo Newhall Primary Care
date: 2024-01-15, from: The Signal
News release Carissa Bencito, a certified family nurse practitioner, has joined Henry Mayo Newhall Primary Care. Bencito will see patients at the primary care practice on the Henry Mayo Campus and at the recently opened Henry Mayo Office in the Student Health Center on the campus of California Institute of the Arts. “We are […]
The post Nurse practitioner Carissa Bencito joins Henry Mayo Newhall Primary Care appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/nurse-practitioner-carissa-bencito-joins-henry-mayo-newhall-primary-care/ Save to Pocket
Logic Pro 10.8.1
date: 2024-01-15, from: TidBITS blog
https://tidbits.com/watchlist/logic-pro-x-10-8-1/ Save to Pocket
Google is no longer bringing the full Chrome browser to Fuchsia
date: 2024-01-15, from: OS News
In contrast to that minimal experience, Google was seemingly working to bring the full might of Chrome to Fuchsia. To observers, this was yet another signal that Google intended for Fuchsia to grow beyond the smart home and serve as a full desktop operating system. After all, what good is a laptop or desktop without a web browser? Fans of the Fuchsia project have anticipated its eventual expansion to desktop since Fuchsia was first shown to run on Google’s Pixelbook hardware. However, in the intervening time – a period that also saw significant layoffs in the Fuchsia division – it seems that Google has since shifted Fuchsia in a different direction. The clearest evidence of that move comes from a Chromium code change (and related bug tracker post) published last month declaring that the “Chrome browser on fuchsia won’t be maintained.” ↫ Kyle Bradshaw at 9To5Google Up until a few years ago, every indication was that Google had big plans for Fuchsia, from “workstation” builds to porting Chrome to developers using Fuchsia for Google Meet calls, and lots of other improvements, changes, and additions that pointed squarely at Fuchsia being prepped for use on more than just the Nest Hub devices. We’re about a year later now, and everything has changed. The workstation builds have been discontinued, the Fuchsia team was hit harder by the Google layoffs than other teams, and now the Chrome port has been deprecated. All signs now point to Fuchsia being effectively a dead end beyond its use on Hub devices. At least Google had the decency to kill this before it released it.
https://www.osnews.com/story/138318/google-is-no-longer-bringing-the-full-chrome-browser-to-fuchsia/ Save to Pocket
HazMat Team responds to Chiquita Canyon Landfill
date: 2024-01-15, from: The Signal
L.A. County Fire Department personnel confirmed that firefighters were on the scene and investigating a report of a possible methane leak at Chiquita Canyon Landfill on Monday morning. Officials said the situation is believed to be “static” as of the publication of this story, according to Supervisor Melanie Flores, indicating those on the scene […]
The post HazMat Team responds to Chiquita Canyon Landfill appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/hazmat-team-responds-to-chiquita-canyon-landfill/ Save to Pocket
OmniFocus 4.0.4
date: 2024-01-15, from: TidBITS blog
https://tidbits.com/watchlist/and-omnifocus-4-0-4/ Save to Pocket
Little Snitch 5.7.3
date: 2024-01-15, from: TidBITS blog
https://tidbits.com/watchlist/little-snitch-5-7-3/ Save to Pocket
Effortless OpenBSD audio and desktop screen recording guide
date: 2024-01-15, from: OS News
Welcome to my comprehensive guide on recording audio and desktop screen on OpenBSD. In this blog post, I’m excited to share my personal setup and approach to efficiently capturing high-quality audio and video on one of the most secure and stable operating systems available. Whether you’re a professional content creator, a developer looking to record tutorials, or simply an OpenBSD enthusiast, this guide is tailored to help you navigate the intricacies of screen recording in this unique environment. Alongside this step-by-step tutorial, I’ve also included a practical YouTube video to demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of the recordings you can achieve with this setup. So, let’s dive in and explore the world of audio and video recording on OpenBSD! ↫ Rafael Sadowski The BSD world needs more of these kinds of guides and articles. I feel like the various BSDs have so much to offer to desktop users, especially now that there is a reasonable contingent of Linux users who aren’t happy with the spread of things like systemd and Wayland, but the fact of the matter is that the BSDs are not as focused on desktop and laptop use as Linux has been. That’s not a dig at BSD developers – BSD focuses on different things – but it does mean that people interested in using BSD on desktops and laptops need a bit more assistance.
https://www.osnews.com/story/138316/effortless-openbsd-audio-and-desktop-screen-recording-guide/ Save to Pocket
Timing 2024.1
date: 2024-01-15, from: TidBITS blog
https://tidbits.com/watchlist/timing-2024-1/ Save to Pocket
Mimestream 1.2.4
date: 2024-01-15, from: TidBITS blog
https://tidbits.com/watchlist/mimestream-1-2-4/ Save to Pocket
One killed in Newhall Ranch Road crash
date: 2024-01-15, from: The Signal
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies confirmed one person was dead following a single-vehicle collision early Monday morning on Newhall Ranch Road in Valencia. No information regarding the victim’s identity was immediately available, according to station officials. Station officials received a report of a domestic dispute between a man and a woman at around 1:20 […]
The post One killed in Newhall Ranch Road crash appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/one-killed-in-newhall-ranch-road-crash/ Save to Pocket
Jan. 18: SUSD Special Meeting to Review Schools Data
date: 2024-01-15, from: SCV New (TV Station)
A special meeting of the Saugus Union School District Governing Board will take place Thursday, Jan. 18, with public session beginning at 5:30 p.m
https://scvnews.com/jan-18-susd-special-meeting-to-review-schools-data/ Save to Pocket
Quicken 7.5
date: 2024-01-15, from: TidBITS blog
https://tidbits.com/watchlist/quicken-7-5/ Save to Pocket
Arc 1.25.1
date: 2024-01-15, from: TidBITS blog
https://tidbits.com/watchlist/arc-1-25-1/ Save to Pocket
Crippled Peregrine lunar lander set for fiery return to Earth in matter of days
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Doing science and still alive … but not for long
Astrobotic has confirmed that the doomed Peregrine Lunar Lander’s mission will end on Thursday, January 18 with the spacecraft burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/peregrine_lunar_lander_return/ Save to Pocket
Trump Poised for Big Win in Iowa Republican Presidential Caucuses
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-poised-for-big-win-in-iowa-republican-presidential-caucuses/7440860.html Save to Pocket
Do You Use It? Widgets See Middling Adoption
date: 2024-01-15, from: TidBITS blog
The results of our poll asking how frequently you use widgets show that roughly 50% of users never use widgets at all, with 25% to 50% of people using them slightly or heavily. But those numbers are complicated by the availability of three types of widgets on the iPhone and iPad, two on the Mac, and one on the Apple Watch.
https://tidbits.com/2024/01/15/do-you-use-it-widgets-see-middling-adoption/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-15, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Musk’s X still has one thing going for it: its users.
https://www.ft.com/content/4078fbf2-f8d0-4884-b445-5cc2de9e5987?accessToken=zwAAAY2m3Li8kc9AePvy-NBIhNO0RVzC3p5ZhwE.MEUCIQCsWPaY8DAU9GKPcI0ozX0lw0QMwQjjr7i06wRpzZqjsgIgBaJxmaCtcyxOombEpXS_3aVMdixAHQeg-k4wihDP-kI&segmentId=b7ab87e8-0810-8fe6-5aca-8db6c070c88d Save to Pocket
How To Watch The Emmys On Monday Night
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The LAist
After a strike-related delay, television’s prestigious awards ceremony will air on Monday.
https://laist.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/how-to-watch-the-emmys Save to Pocket
Patch time: Critical GitLab vulnerability exposes 2FA-less users to account takeovers
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
The bug with a perfect 10 severity score has been ripe for exploitation since May
GitLab admins should apply the latest batch of security patches pronto given the new critical account-bypass vulnerability just disclosed.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/critical_gitlab_vulnerability/ Save to Pocket
Jan. 17: Hart District to Discuss 2024/2025 School Year Calendar
date: 2024-01-15, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The regular meeting of the William S. Hart Union High School District’s Governing Board will be held Wednesday, Jan. 17, beginning with closed session at 6 p.m., followed immediately by open session at 7 p.m
https://scvnews.com/jan-17-hart-district-to-discuss-2024-2025-school-year-calendar/ Save to Pocket
Article Spotlight: Understanding fatality patterns and sex ratios of Brazilian free-tailed bats
date: 2024-01-15, from: PeerJ blog
https://peerj.com/blog/post/115284888751/article-spotlight-understanding-fatality-patterns-and-sex-ratios-of-brazilian-free-tailed-bats-tadarida-brasiliensis-at-wind-energy-facilities-in-western-california-and-texas/ Save to Pocket
Houthis Strike US-Owned Ship in Gulf of Aden, Raising Tensions
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
JERUSALEM — Houthi rebels fired a missile, striking a U.S.-owned ship Monday just off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, less than a day after they launched an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea.
The attack on the Gibraltar Eagle, later claimed by the Houthis, further escalates tensions gripping the Red Sea after American-led strikes on the rebels. The Houthis’ attacks have roiled global shipping, amid Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, targeting a crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which oversees Mideast waters, said Monday’s attack happened some 110 miles (177 kilometers) miles southeast of Aden. It said the ship’s captain reported that the “port side of vessel hit from above by a missile.”
Private security firms Ambrey and Dryad Global told The Associated Press that the vessel was the Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier. The U.S. military’s Central Command later acknowledged the strike.
“The ship has reported no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey,” Central Command said.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed the attack in a recorded television address that aired Monday night.
“The Yemeni armed forces consider all American and British ships and warships participating in the aggression against our country as hostile targets,” he said.
The vessel is owned by Eagle Bulk Shipping, a Stamford, Connecticut-based firm traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In a statement to the AP, the company acknowledged the strike and said it caused “limited damage to a cargo hold but (the ship) is stable and is heading out of the area.”
“All seafarers onboard the vessel are confirmed to be uninjured,” the firm said. “The vessel is carrying a cargo of steel products. Eagle Bulk management is in close contact with all relevant authorities concerning this matter.”
Satellite-tracking data analyzed by the AP showed the Gibraltar Eagle had been bound for the Suez Canal, but rapidly turned around at the time of the attack.
Central Command said it detected a separate anti-ship ballistic missile launch toward the southern Red Sea on Monday, though it “failed in flight and impacted on land in Yemen.”
The U.S. Maritime Administration, under the Transportation Department, also issued a warning Monday saying there continues to be “a high degree of risk to commercial vessels” traveling near Yemen.
“While the decision to transit remains at the discretion of individual vessels and companies, it is recommended that U.S. flag and U.S.-owned commercial vessels” stay away from Yemen in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden “until further notice,” the advisory said.
Sunday’s missile launch toward the American warship also marked the first U.S.-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since America and allied nations began strikes Friday on the rebels following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.
The Houthi fire in the direction of the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, Central Command said.
The missile came from near Hodeida, a Red Sea port city long held by the Houthis, the U.S. said.
“An anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon,” Central Command said. “There were no injuries or damage reported.”
The Houthis did not acknowledge that attack.
It wasn’t presently clear whether the U.S. would retaliate for the latest attacks, though President Joe Biden has said he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”
The first day of U.S.-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said.
The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others.
U.S. forces followed up with a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.
Even the leader of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, obliquely referenced the widening Houthi attacks on ships in a speech Sunday, saying that “the sea has become a battlefield of missiles, drones and warships” and blaming the U.S. strikes for escalating maritime tensions.
“The most dangerous thing is what the Americans did in the Red Sea, (it) will harm the security of all maritime navigation,” Nasrallah said.
Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to calm tensions in the Middle East for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes in the Red Sea threaten to ignite one.
It’s also affecting shipping for the Middle East nation of Qatar, one of the world’s top natural gas suppliers. Three liquid natural gas tankers that had recently loaded in Qatar and were bound for the Suez Canal remain idling off Oman, while another coming from Europe to Qatar remains off Saudi Arabia. QatarEnergy and government officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting, sought to distance itself from the attacks on Houthi sites as it tries to maintain a delicate détente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen that began in 2015 has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-owned-vessel-hit-by-missile-in-gulf-of-aden-/7440794.html Save to Pocket
DACC Seeking Adoption for Unsocialized Cats
date: 2024-01-15, from: SCV New (TV Station)
In October 2022, the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control served a search warrant at an animal rescue facility in Littlerock, CA, leading to the rescue of over 200 cats and dogs
https://scvnews.com/dacc-seeking-adoption-for-unsocialized-cats/ Save to Pocket
This handheld game console’s display can rotate for landscape or portrait mode
date: 2024-01-15, from: Liliputing
Classic handheld game consoles came with a variety of screen sizes, resolutions, and aspect ratios. And that can make it difficult to find a modern handheld that has a screen perfectly suited to playing retro games designed for some of those consoles: a modern screen that handles Game Boy titles with ease will display black […]
The post This handheld game console’s display can rotate for landscape or portrait mode appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/this-handheld-game-consoles-display-can-rotate-for-landscape-or-portrait-mode/ Save to Pocket
Reports that China’s military uses Baidu’s AI lead to stock plunge
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Web giant retorts that researchers simply used its publicly available APIs
Web giant Baidu’s stock is down 12 percent after a report linked its AI platform with the Chinese military, amid separate claims the Middle Kingdon’s armed forces are sidestepping US sanctions to buy Nvidia GPUs.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/baidu_ai/ Save to Pocket
Pluralistic: Sympathy for the spammer (15 Jan 2024)
date: 2024-01-15, from: Cory Doctorow’s blog
Today’s links Sympathy for the spammer: The desperate and credulous are superspreaders in the botshit pandemic. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. This day in history: 2009, 2014, 2019, 2023 Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading Sympathy for the spammer (permalink) In any scam, any con, any hustle, the big winners are the people who supply the scammers – not the scammers themselves. The kids selling dope on the corner are making less than minimum wage, while the respectable crime-bosses who own the labs clean up. Desperate “retail investors” who buy shitcoins from Superbowl ads get skinned, while the MBA bros who issue the coins make millions (in real dollars, not crypto). It’s ever been thus. The California gold rush was a con, and nearly everyone who went west went broke. Famously, the only reliable way to cash out on the gold rush was to sell “picks and shovels” to the credulous, doomed and desperate. That’s how Leland Stanford made his fortune, which he funneled into eugenics programs (and founding a university): https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/malcolm-harris/palo-alto/9780316592031/ That means that the people who try to con you are almost always getting conned themselves. Think of Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) scams. My forthcoming novel The Bezzle opens with a baroque and improbable fast-food Ponzi in the town of Avalon on the island of Catalina, founded by the chicle monopolist William Wrigley Jr: http://thebezzle.org Wrigley found fast food declasse and banned it from the island, a rule that persists to this day. In The Bezzle, the forensic detective Martin Hench uncovers The Fry Guys, an MLM that flash-freezes contraband burgers and fries smuggled on-island from the mainland and sells them to islanders though an “affiliate marketing” scheme that is really about recruiting other affiliate marketers to sell under you. As with every MLM, the value of the burgers and fries sold is dwarfed by the gigantic edifice of finance fraud built around it, with “points” being bought and sold for real cash, which is snaffled up and sucked out of the island by a greedy mainlander who is behind the scheme. A “bezzle” is John Kenneth Galbraith’s term for “the magic interval when a confidence trickster knows he has the money he has appropriated but the victim does not yet understand that he has lost it.” In every scam, there’s a period where everyone feels richer – but only the scammers are actually cleaning up. The wealth of the marks is illusory, but the longer the scammer can preserve the illusion, the more real money the marks will pump into the system. MLMs are particularly ugly, because they target people who are shut out of economic opportunity – women, people of color, working people. These people necessarily rely on social ties for survival, looking after each others’ kids, loaning each other money they can’t afford, sharing what little they have when others have nothing. It’s this social cohesion that MLMs weaponize. Crypto “entrepreneurs” are encouraged to suck in their friends and family by telling them that they’re “building Black wealth.” Working women are exhorted to suck in their bffs by appealing to their sisterhood and the chance for “women to lift each other up.” The “sales people” trying to get you to buy crypto or leggings or supplements are engaged in predatory conduct that will make you financially and socially worse off, wrecking their communities’ finances and shattering the mutual aid survival networks they rely on. But they’re not getting rich on this – they’re also being scammed: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4686468 This really hit home for me in the early 2000s, when I was still editing Boing Boing. We had a submission form where our readers could submit links for us to look at for inclusion on the blog, and it was overwhelmed by spam. We’d add all kinds of antispam to it, and still, we’d get floods of hundreds or even thousands of spam submissions to it. One night, I was lying in my bed in London and watching these spams roll in. They were all for small businesses in the rustbelt, handyman services, lawn-care, odd jobs, that kind of thing. They were 10 million miles from the kind of thing we’d ever post about on Boing Boing. They were coming in so thickly that I literally couldn’t finish downloading my email – the POP session was dropping before I could get all the mail in the spool. I had to ssh into my mail server and delete them by hand. It was maddening. Frustrated and furious, I started calling the phone numbers associated with these small businesses, demanding an explanation. I assumed that they’d hired some kind of sleazy marketing service and I wanted to know who it was so I could give them a piece of my mind. But what I discovered when I got through was much weirder. These people had all been laid off from factories that were shuttering due to globalization. As part of their termination packages, their bosses had offered them “retraining” via “courses” in founding their own businesses. The “courses” were the precursors to the current era’s rise-and-grind hustle-culture scams (again, the only people getting rich from that stuff are the people selling the courses – the “students” finish the course poorer). They promised these laid-off workers, who’d given their lives to their former employers before being discarded, that they just needed to pull themselves up by their own boostraps: https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/10/declaration-of-interdependence/#solidarity-forever After all, we had the internet now! There were so many new opportunities to be your own boss! The course came with a dreadful build-your-own-website service, complete with an overpriced domain sales portal, and a single form for submitting your new business to “thousands of search engines.” This was nearly 20 years ago, but even then, there was really only one search engine that mattered: Google. The “thousands of search engines” the scammers promised to submit these desperate peoples’ websites to were just submission forms for directories, indexes, blogs, and mailing lists. The number of directories, indexes, blogs and mailing lists that would publish their submissions was either “zero” or “nearly zero.” There was certainly no possibility that anyone at Boing Boing would ever press the wrong key and accidentally write a 500-word blog post about a leaf-raking service in a collapsing deindustrialized exurb in Kentucky or Ohio. The people who were drowning me in spam weren’t the scammers – they were the scammees. But that’s only half the story. Years later, I discovered how our submission form was getting included in this get-rich-quick’s mass-submission system. It was a MLM! Coders in the former Soviet Union were getting work via darknet websites that promised them relative pittances for every submission form they reverse-engineered and submitted. The smart coders didn’t crack the forms directly – they recruited other, less business-savvy coders to do that for them, and then often as not, ripped them off. The scam economy runs on this kind of indirection, where scammees are turned into scammers, who flood useful and productive and nice spaces with useless dross that doesn’t even make them any money. Take the submission queue at Clarkesworld, the great online science fiction magazine, which famously had to close after it was flooded with thousands of junk submission “written” by LLMs: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/24/1159286436/ai-chatbot-chatgpt-magazine-clarkesworld-artificial-intelligence There was a zero percent chance that Neil Clarke would accidentally accept one of these submissions. They were uniformly terrible. The people submitting these “stories” weren’t frustrated sf writers who’d discovered a “life hack” that let them turn out more brilliant prose at scale. They were scammers who’d been scammed into thinking that AIs were the key to a life of passive income, a 4-Hour Work-Week powered by an AI-based self-licking ice-cream cone: https://pod.link/1651876897/episode/995c8a778ede17d2d7cff393e5203157 This is absolutely classic passive-income brainworms thinking. “I have a bot that can turn out plausible sentences. I will locate places where sentences can be exchanged for money, aim my bot at it, sit back, and count my winnings.” It’s MBA logic on meth: find a thing people pay for, then, without bothering to understand why they pay for that thing, find a way to generate something like it at scale and bombard them with it. Con artists start by conning themselves, with the idea that “you can’t con an honest man.” But the factor that predicts whether someone is connable isn’t their honesty – it’s their desperation. The kid selling drugs on the corner, the mom desperately DMing her high-school friends to sell them leggings, the cousin who insists that you get in on their shitcoin – they’re all doing it because the system is rigged against them, and getting worse every day. These people reason – correctly – that all the people getting really rich are scamming. If Amazon can make $38b/year selling “ads” that push worse products that cost more to the top of their search results, why should the mere fact that an “opportunity” is obviously predatory and fraudulent disqualify it? https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/29/aethelred-the-unready/#not-one-penny-for-tribute The quest for passive income is really the quest for a “greater fool,” the economist’s term for the person who relieves you of the useless crap you just overpaid for. It rots the mind, atomizes communities, shatters solidarity and breeds cynicism: https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security The rise and rise of botshit cannot be separated from this phenomenon. The botshit in our search-results, our social media feeds, and our in-boxes isn’t making money for the enshittifiers who send it – rather, they are being hustled by someone who’s selling them the “picks and shovels” for the AI gold rush: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/03/botshit-generative-ai-imminent-threat-democracy That’s the true cost of all the automation-driven unemployment criti-hype: while we’re nowhere near a place where bots can steal your job, we’re certainly at the point where your boss can be suckered into firing you and replacing you with a bot that fails at doing your job: https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/11/robots-stole-my-jerb/#computer-says-no The manic “entrepreneurs” who’ve been stampeded into panic by the (correct) perception that the economy is a game of musical chairs where the number of chairs is decreasing at breakneck speed are easy marks for the Leland Stanfords of AI, who are creating generational wealth for themselves by promising that their bots will automate away all the tedious work that goes into creating value. Expect a lot more Amazon Marketplace products called “I’m sorry, I cannot fulfil this request as it goes against OpenAI use policy”: https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/12/24036156/openai-policy-amazon-ai-listings No one’s going to buy these products, but the AI picks-and-shovels people will still reap a fortune from the attempt. And because history repeats itself, these newly minted billionaires are continuing Leland Stanford’s love affair with eugenics: https://www.truthdig.com/dig-series/eugenics/ The fact that AI spam doesn’t pay is important to the fortunes of AI companies. Most high-value AI applications are very risk-intolerant (self-driving cars, radiology analysis, etc). An AI tool might help a human perform these tasks more accurately – by warning them of things that they’ve missed – but that’s not how AI will turn a profit. There’s no market for AI that makes your workers cost more but makes them better at their jobs: https://locusmag.com/2023/12/commentary-cory-doctorow-what-kind-of-bubble-is-ai/ Plenty of people think that spam might be the elusive high-value, low-risk AI application. But that’s just not true. The point of AI spam is to get clicks from people who are looking for better content. It’s SEO. No one reads 2,000 words of algorithm-pleasing LLM garbage over an omelette recipe and then subscribes to that site’s feed. And the omelette recipe generates pennies for the spammer that posted it. They are doing massive volume in order to make those pennies into dollars. You don’t make money by posting one spam. If every spammer had to pay the actual recovery costs (energy, chillers, capital amortization, wages) for their query, every AI spam would lose (lots of) money. Hustle culture and passive income are about turning other peoples’ dollars into your dimes. It is a negative-sum activity, a net drain on society. Behind every seemingly successful “passive income” is a con artist who’s getting rich by promising – but not delivering – that elusive passive income, and then blaming the victims for not hustling hard enough: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/12/blueprint-trouble (Image: Cryteria, CC BY 3.0, modified) Hey look at this (permalink) It’s Time to Nationalize and Then Break Up Boeing https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/its-time-to-nationalize-and-then This day in history (permalink) #15yrsago Wingsuit base jumpers are human flying squirrels — video https://vimeo.com/1778399 #10yrsago RIP, Neal Barret Junior https://locusmag.com/2014/01/neal-barrett-jr-1929-2014/ #10yrsago Patent mess goes to the Supreme Court https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/01/supreme-court-looks-to-rein-in-top-patent-court-with-two-new-cases/ #10yrsago Requirements for DRM in HTML5 are a secret https://memex.craphound.com/2014/01/14/requirements-for-drm-in-html5-are-a-secret/ #10yrsago NSA official: mass spying has foiled one (or fewer) plots in its whole history https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/10/nsa-mass-surveillance-powers-john-inglis-npr #5yrsago From the empty, shutdown IRS, automated processes are sending out property seizure notices, and no human can stop them https://theintercept.com/2019/01/14/irs-shutdown-federal-government-shut-down-irs-asset-seizures/ #5yrsago Google Walkout meets #MeToo in a new anti-arbitration campaign https://endforcedarbitration.medium.com/googlers-for-ending-forced-arbitration-launch-public-education-campaign-via-social-media-e46d7608cd0e #5yrsago Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reaches more people on Twitter than the press and establishment Democrats https://www.axios.com/2019/01/13/ocasio-cortez-dominates-twitter #5yrsago In LA, the teachers of America’s largest school district are on strike https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/14/la-teachers-working-class-power-labor-strikes #1yrago Kate Beaton’s “Ducks” https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/14/hark-an-oilpatch/#kate-beaton Colophon (permalink) Today’s top sources: Currently writing: A Little Brother short story about DIY insulin PLANNING Picks and Shovels, a Martin Hench noir thriller about the heroic era of the PC. FORTHCOMING TOR BOOKS JAN 2025 The Bezzle, a Martin Hench noir thriller novel about the prison-tech industry. FORTHCOMING TOR BOOKS FEB 2024 Vigilant, Little Brother short story about remote invigilation. FORTHCOMING ON TOR.COM Spill, a Little Brother short story about pipeline protests. FORTHCOMING ON TOR.COM Latest podcast: The Bezzle, read by Wil Wheaton (excerpt) https://craphound.com/news/2024/01/14/the-bezzle-read-by-wil-wheaton-excerpt/ Upcoming appearances: Enshittification: The Rise and Fall of Big Tech (Crash Course Economics) https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YsKONp5zRgeF6SVuIOb6hQ#/registration Books & Books (Coral Gables, Florida), Jan 22 https://www.booksandbooks.com/event/in-person-an-evening-with-cory-doctorow/ Marshall McLuhan Lecture 2024 (Berlin), Jan 29 https://transmediale.de/en/2024/event/mcluhan-2024 The Lost Cause at Otherland (Berlin), Jan 30 https://www.otherland-berlin.de/de/event-details/autor-innenabend-mit-cory-doctorow.html Recent appearances: The Lost Cause (The Writer’s Voice) https://www.writersvoice.net/2024/01/cory-doctorow-the-lost-cause/ What the Future will Bring (Homeless Romantic) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Vq8qW2A8I Talking “The Lost Cause” with Warren Mosler (MMT Podcast) https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-182-cory-95211955 Latest books: “The Lost Cause:” a solarpunk novel of hope in the climate emergency, Tor Books (US), Head of Zeus (UK), November 2023 (http://lost-cause.org). Signed, personalized copies at Dark Delicacies (https://www.darkdel.com/store/p3007/Pre-Order_Signed_Copies%3A_The_Lost_Cause_HB.html#/) “The Internet Con”: A nonfiction book about interoperability and Big Tech (Verso) September 2023 (http://seizethemeansofcomputation.org). Signed copies at Book Soup (https://www.booksoup.com/book/9781804291245). “Red Team Blues”: “A grabby, compulsive thriller that will leave you knowing more about how the world works than you did before.” Tor Books http://redteamblues.com. Signed copies at Dark Delicacies (US): and Forbidden Planet (UK): https://forbiddenplanet.com/385004-red-team-blues-signed-edition-hardcover/. “Chokepoint Capitalism: How to Beat Big Tech, Tame Big Content, and Get Artists Paid, with Rebecca Giblin”, on how to unrig the markets for creative labor, Beacon Press/Scribe 2022 https://chokepointcapitalism.com “Attack Surface”: The third Little Brother novel, a standalone technothriller for adults. The Washington Post called it “a political cyberthriller, vigorous, bold and savvy about the limits of revolution and resistance.” Order signed, personalized copies from Dark Delicacies https://www.darkdel.com/store/p1840/Available_Now%3A_Attack_Surface.html “How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism”: an anti-monopoly pamphlet analyzing the true harms of surveillance capitalism and proposing a solution. https://onezero.medium.com/how-to-destroy-surveillance-capitalism-8135e6744d59?sk=f6cd10e54e20a07d4c6d0f3ac011af6b) (signed copies: https://www.darkdel.com/store/p2024/Available_Now%3A__How_to_Destroy_Surveillance_Capitalism.html) “Little Brother/Homeland”: A reissue omnibus edition with a new introduction by Edward Snowden: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250774583; personalized/signed copies here: https://www.darkdel.com/store/p1750/July%3A__Little_Brother_%26_Homeland.html “Poesy the Monster Slayer” a picture book about monsters, bedtime, gender, and kicking ass. Order here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626723627. Get a personalized, signed copy here: https://www.darkdel.com/store/p2682/Corey_Doctorow%3A_Poesy_the_Monster_Slayer_HB.html#/. Upcoming books: The Bezzle: a sequel to “Red Team Blues,” about prison-tech and other grifts, Tor Books, February 2024 Picks and Shovels: a sequel to “Red Team Blues,” about the heroic era of the PC, Tor Books, February 2025 Unauthorized Bread: a graphic novel adapted from my novella about refugees, toasters and DRM, FirstSecond, 2025 This work – excluding any serialized fiction – is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. That means you can use it any way you like, including commercially, provided that you attribute it to me, Cory Doctorow, and include a link to pluralistic.net. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Quotations and images are not included in this license; they are included either under a limitation or exception to copyright, or on the basis of a separate license. Please exercise caution. How to get Pluralistic: Blog (no ads, tracking, or data-collection): Pluralistic.net Newsletter (no ads, tracking, or data-collection): https://pluralistic.net/plura-list Mastodon (no ads, tracking, or data-collection): https://mamot.fr/@pluralistic Medium (no ads, paywalled): https://doctorow.medium.com/ Twitter (mass-scale, unrestricted, third-party surveillance and advertising): https://twitter.com/doctorow Tumblr (mass-scale, unrestricted, third-party surveillance and advertising): https://mostlysignssomeportents.tumblr.com/tagged/pluralistic “When life gives you SARS, you make sarsaparilla” -Joey “Accordion Guy” DeVilla
https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/15/passive-income-brainworms/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-01-15, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
I’m thinking about putting together blogrolls for famous people, based on what I think their interests are. As an experiment, I asked ChatGPT to put together a blogroll for “a person like Dave Winer.”
http://scripting.com/2024/01/15.html#a162542 Save to Pocket
GKD Pixel pocket retro game console now available for $90
date: 2024-01-15, from: Liliputing
The GKD Pixel is a handheld game console that looks a bit like a Game Boy… but smaller, and with full color display. First unveiled last year, the GKD Pixel is now available for pre-order for $90, and it’s expected to begin shipping by the end of January. We also now have more details about […]
The post GKD Pixel pocket retro game console now available for $90 appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/gkd-pixel-pocket-retro-game-console-now-available-for-90/ Save to Pocket
Robotic Restaurant Opening in California
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
An automated restaurant is opening this month in Pasadena, California. CaliExpress will be serviced by robots that make food in the kitchen and AI that takes clients’ orders. The only job humans will still need to do is assemble and pack the food. Angelina Bagdasaryan has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian
https://www.voanews.com/a/robotic-restaurant-opening-in-california/7440606.html Save to Pocket
License Suspension for DUI in Ohio: Duration and Legal Insights
date: 2024-01-15, from: The Signal
When you are arrested for DUI in Ohio, you will face license suspension. However, the duration may vary depending on the factors of your case. Some people only have their driver’s license suspended for 90 days while others may have their driving privileges revoked permanently. The moment you are arrested, you will face an immediate […]
The post <strong>License Suspension for DUI in Ohio: Duration and Legal Insights</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/license-suspension-for-dui-in-ohio-duration-and-legal-insights-2/ Save to Pocket
What are the methods of hand engraving silver jewelry？
date: 2024-01-15, from: The Signal
I think machine carving and hand carving are just different tools, there is no absolute difference in artistic level. Their artistic performance depends on the artistic level of the tool user. A high level of hand engraving is better than a lot of low-level machine engraving. Similarly, a high level of machine carving than a […]
The post <strong>What are the methods of hand engraving silver jewelry？ </strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/what-are-the-methods-of-hand-engraving-silver-jewelry%ef%bc%9f/ Save to Pocket
Polls are facing labor shortages too
date: 2024-01-15, from: Marketplace Morning Report
Roughly 1 million people volunteer to work at polls during presidential elections, but recruiting enough poll workers remains a perennial challenge. Those staff shortages can add to wait times at the polls, which, in turn, can depress voter turnout. Now, as many poll workers grow older and end their service, advocacy groups are pushing for young people to step up. Also: Who says college is just for the young?
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/polls-are-facing-labor-shortages-too Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-01-15, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
Now
the Atlantic is
saying
we should go to a Trump rally. That is sick. Here’s what I want. I want
to go to a pro-democracy event, where we do things like register to
vote, and offer community service to each other. We need to belong to
something great, not to study the degradation of our country. We also
should use our communication systems to spread not only positive
messages, but to position Hitler as the ultimate loser. We have to
present the counter-argument, in a way that still has a chance of
getting through. And I still want us to celebrate the symbols of our
fight for freedom, which obviously never ends. That’s why I’m wearing a
MLK button, in real life and
on
my blog.
http://scripting.com/2024/01/15.html#a153832 Save to Pocket
FTC secures first databroker settlement banning sale of sensitive location data
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Also, iOS spyware abused Apple’s own ECC, breach victim says it can’t figure out what hackers took, and some critical vulns
Infosec in brief The US Federal Trade Commission has secured its first data broker settlement agreement, prohibiting X-Mode Social from sharing or selling sensitive location data.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/infosec_in_brief/ Save to Pocket
Ukrainian Refugee Receives Lifesaving Treatment in Colorado
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
In the Western U.S. state of Colorado, doctors are helping a Ukrainian refugee who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of colon cancer. Svitlana Prystynska has our story from the Rocky Mountain town of Estes Park. Camera: Volodymyr Petruniv
https://www.voanews.com/a/ukrainian-refugee-receives-lifesaving-treatment-in-colorado/7440541.html Save to Pocket
Modern C
date: 2024-01-15, from: Tilde.news
https://gustedt.gitlabpages.inria.fr/modern-c/ Save to Pocket
Eben Upton on Sinclair, Acorn, and the Raspberry Pi
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
The future’s bright. The future’s retro
Interview Inspired at least in part by Pi creator Eben Upton’s dalliances with the home computers of the 1980s, the Raspberry Pi casts a long shadow over the retro computing world.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/eben_upton_on_sinclair_acorn/ Save to Pocket
These Product Names Are a Mouthful
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: One Foot Tsunami
https://onefoottsunami.com/2024/01/15/these-product-names-are-a-mouthful/ Save to Pocket
looking ahead
date: 2024-01-15, from: Ayjay blog
Lately I’ve been posting in How to Think mode — HTT as the tag here calls it: I’ve been writing about various common-all-too-common errors in reasoning and how they might be avoided. But I’m about to change direction for a while. When I was a young faculty member at Wheaton College, a college that prides […]
https://blog.ayjay.org/looking-ahead-2/ Save to Pocket
A Surgeon General Report Once Cleared the Air About Smoking. Is it Time for One on Vaping?
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
NEW YORK — Sixty years ago, the U.S. surgeon general released a report that settled a longstanding public debate about the dangers of cigarettes and led to huge changes in smoking in America.
Today, some public health experts say a similar report could help clear the air about vaping.
Many U.S. adults believe nicotine vaping is as harmful as — or more dangerous than — cigarette smoking. That’s wrong. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and most scientists agree that, based on available evidence, electronic cigarettes are far less dangerous than traditional cigarettes.
But that doesn’t mean e-cigarettes are harmless either. And public health experts disagree about exactly how harmful, or helpful, the devices are. Clarifying information is urgently needed, said Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University.
“There have been so many confusing messages about vaping,” Gostin said. “A surgeon general’s report could clear that all up.”
One major obstacle: E-cigarettes haven’t been around long enough for scientists to see if vapers develop problems like lung cancer and heart disease.
“There’s a remarkable lack of evidence,” said Dr. Kelly Henning, who leads the public health program at Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Smoking and Vaping
Cigarette smoking has long been described as the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the annual toll at 480,000 lives. That count should start to fall around 2030, according to a study published last year by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, thanks in part to a decline in smoking rates that began in the 1960s.
Back then, ashtrays were everywhere and more than 42% of U.S. adults smoked.
On Jan. 11, 1964, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry released an authoritative report that said smoking causes illness and death — and the government should do something about it. The report is considered a watershed moment: In the decades that followed, warning labels were put on cigarette packs, cigarette commercials were banned, governments raised tobacco taxes and new restrictions were placed on where people could light up.
By 2022, the adult smoking rate was 11%.
Some experts believe e-cigarettes deserve some of the credit. The devices were billed as a way to help smokers quit, and the FDA has authorized a handful of e-cigarettes as less-harmful alternatives for adult smokers.
Vaping’s popularity exploded in the 2010s, among both adults but and teens. In 2014, e-cigarettes surpassed combustible cigarettes as the tobacco product that youth used the most. By 2019, 28% of high schoolers were vaping.
U.S. health officials sounded alarms, fearing that kids hooked on nicotine would rediscover cigarettes. That hasn’t happened. Last year, the high school smoking rate was less than 2% — far lower than the 35% rate seen about 25 years ago.
“That’s a great public health triumph. It’s an almost unbelievable one,” said Kenneth Warner, who studies tobacco-control policies at the University of Michigan.
“If it weren’t for e-cigarettes, I think we would be hearing the public health community shouting at the top of their lungs about the success of getting kids not to smoke,” he said.
Vaping’s Benefits and Harms
Cigarettes have been called the deadliest consumer product ever invented. Their smoke contains thousands of chemicals, at least 69 of which can cause cancer.
The vapor from e-cigarettes has been estimated to contain far fewer chemicals, and fewer carcinogens. Some toxic substances are present in both, but show up in much lower concentrations in e-cigarette vapor than in cigarette smoke.
Studies have shown that smokers who completely switch to vaping have better lung function and see other health improvements.
“I would much rather see someone vaping than smoking a Marlboro. There is no question in my mind that vaping is safer,” said Donald Shopland, who was a clerk for the committee that generated the 1964 report and is co-author of a forthcoming book on it.
But what about the dangers to people who have never smoked?
There have been 100 to 200 studies looking at vaping, and they are a mixed bag, said Dr. Neal Benowitz, of the University of California, San Francisco, a leading academic voice on nicotine and tobacco addiction. The studies used varying techniques, and many were limited in their ability to separate the effects of vaping from former cigarettes smoking, he said.
“If you look at the research, it’s all over the map,” Warner said.
Studies have detected bronchitis symptoms and aggravation of asthma in young people who vape. Research also indicates vaping also can affect the cells that line the blood vessels and heart, leading to looks for a link to heart disease. Perhaps the most cited concern is nicotine, the stimulant that makes cigarettes and vapes addictive.
Animal studies suggest nicotine exposure in adolescents can affect development of the area of the brain responsible for attention, learning and impulse control. Some research in people suggests a link between vaping and ADHD symptoms, depression and feelings of stress. But experts say that the research is very limited and more work needs to be done.
Meanwhile, there’s not even a clear scientific consensus that vaping is an effective way to quit smoking, with different studies coming up with different conclusions.
Clearing the Air
Last month, the World Health Organization raised alarms about the rapidly growing global markets for electronic cigarettes, noting they come in thousands of flavors that attract young people.
In 2016, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said efforts were needed to prevent and reduce e-cigarette use by children and young adults, saying nicotine in any form is unsafe for kids.
About four months before the report’s release, the FDA began taking steps to regulate e-cigarettes, believing they would benefit smokers.
The agency has authorized several e-cigarettes, but it has refused more than 1 million product marketing applications. Critics say the FDA has been unfair and inconsistent in regulation of products.
Meanwhile, the number of different e-cigarette devices sold in the U.S. has boomed, due largely to disposables imported from China that come in fruit and candy flavors. But vaping by youths has recently been falling: Last year, 10% of high school students surveyed said they had used e-cigarettes in the previous month, down from 14% the year before.
Why the decline? “It’s hard to say what’s working,” said Steven Kelder, a University of Texas researcher.
He mentioned a 2019 outbreak of hospitalizations and deaths among people who were vaping products with THC, the chemical that gives marijuana its high.
The illnesses were traced to a thickening agent used in black market vape cartridges, a substance not used in commercial nicotine e-cigarettes. But it may be a reason many Americans think of e-cigarettes as unsafe, Kelder said.
Sherri Mayfield, a 47-year-old postal worker, remembers the 2019 outbreak and reports of rapid illnesses and deaths in youths. Vaping “absolutely” needs to be studied more, Mayfield said last week while on a cigarette break in New York with some co-workers.
“Cigarettes aren’t safe” but at least it can take them decades to destroy your health, she said.
The surgeon general’s office said in a statement that the 1964 report “catalyzed a 60-year movement to address the harmful effects of smoking” and suggested similar action was needed to address youth vaping.
Murthy’s website, however, currently lists neither vaping nor smoking as a priority issue.
https://www.voanews.com/a/a-surgeon-general-report-once-cleared-the-air-about-smoking-is-it-time-for-one-on-vaping-/7440470.html Save to Pocket
Convict’s probation revoked for refusing drug treatment program
date: 2024-01-15, from: Guam Daily Post
A man will spend three additional years in prison for not participating in drug treatment.
https://www.postguam.com/news/convict-s-probation-revoked-for-refusing-drug-treatment-program/article_35d3170c-b1d7-11ee-9931-abb4fa764a3a.html Save to Pocket
GFD, GPD bring awareness to an uptick in burning cars
date: 2024-01-15, from: Guam Daily Post
The Guam Fire Department and Guam Police Department hope to bring awareness to the dangers of abandoned car fires.
https://www.postguam.com/news/gfd-gpd-bring-awareness-to-an-uptick-in-burning-cars/article_05bdc3ee-b341-11ee-a35e-9fab66fc7ba1.html Save to Pocket
Lujan seeking to improve transit through Hawaii
date: 2024-01-15, from: Guam Daily Post
Sen. Jesse Lujan has written to United Airlines Guam Director Sam Shinohara and United Airlines Global Managing Director Dan Weiss about an opportunity “to improve the travel experience” for Guam passengers transiting through Hawaii, by using an additional baggage recheck…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/lujan-seeking-to-improve-transit-through-hawaii/article_b50df850-b34b-11ee-8ea3-0f18691a4e8b.html Save to Pocket
Hearing date set for Guam Host Community Compensation Act
date: 2024-01-15, from: Guam Daily Post
Editor’s note: This article initially stated that the hearing date for the Guam Host Community Compensation Act would be at Jan. 28 Easter Standard Time, or Jan. 29 Chamorro Standard Time. It has been corrected to say Jan. 18 and…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/hearing-date-set-for-guam-host-community-compensation-act/article_18a85b14-b345-11ee-a9fd-573fa4a02c6a.html Save to Pocket
Suspect allegedly pinned victim between his car and parked car
date: 2024-01-15, from: Guam Daily Post
A man was charged with four counts of aggravated assault in connection to a disturbance at a Yigo apartment.
https://www.postguam.com/news/suspect-allegedly-pinned-victim-between-his-car-and-parked-car/article_66a7f97a-b343-11ee-9f39-634d644e93b1.html Save to Pocket
Moylan wants to remove Hawaii travel transiting ‘inconveniences’
date: 2024-01-15, from: Guam Daily Post
Del. James Moylan met with United Airlines to discuss “inconveniences” for Guam residents while traveling through Hawaii.
https://www.postguam.com/news/moylan-wants-to-remove-hawaii-travel-transiting-inconveniences/article_2fad5480-b33c-11ee-8806-ffa0c696e4d6.html Save to Pocket
Former resident given 4 years for cryptocurrency Ponzi scam
date: 2024-01-15, from: Guam Daily Post
A former Guam resident sentenced to serve four years in federal prison for scamming more than 100 investors in a cryptocurrency case.
https://www.postguam.com/news/former-resident-given-4-years-for-cryptocurrency-ponzi-scam/article_04c3eb16-b338-11ee-b928-bb5eb3e98c96.html Save to Pocket
Medicare general enrollment from Jan. 1 through March 31
date: 2024-01-15, from: Guam Daily Post
The Department of Public Health and Social Services, in partnership with the Guam District Office of the Social Security Administration, is reminding the public that the Medicare general enrollment period began on Jan. 1 and will continue through March 31.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/medicare-general-enrollment-from-jan-1-through-march-31/article_03f9dabe-b343-11ee-89cb-f3b3d03dd8b5.html Save to Pocket
Introducing a new maintainer of libtool
date: 2024-01-15, from: Tilde.news
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/libtool/2024-01/msg00002.html Save to Pocket
Big Cloud deploys thousands of GPUs for AI – yet most appear under-utilized
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
If AWS, Microsoft, Google were anywhere close to capacity, their revenues would be way higher
Cloud providers have deployed tens of thousands of GPUs and AI accelerators in their race to capitalize on the surge in demand for large language models.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/cloud_providers_gpu_analysis/ Save to Pocket
Iowa Caucuses: What to Watch as Voters Weigh in on the Republican Campaign’s First Contest of 2024
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/7440381.html Save to Pocket
How Ice Age Fossils At La Brea Tar Pits Help Us Understand Our Climate Future
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The LAist
Ongoing research is being used to direct conservation and land management decisions today.
https://laist.com/news/how-to-la/how-ice-age-fossils-at-la-brea-tar-pits-help-us-understand-our-climate-future Save to Pocket
Will Avalanches In California Worsen With Climate Change?
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The LAist
Scientists say predicting the effects of climate change on avalanches is elusive.
https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/will-avalanches-in-california-worsen-with-climate-change Save to Pocket
Gasoline Is Cheap Right Now — But Charging An EV Is Still Cheaper
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The LAist
The price of home charging an electric vehicle in the U.S., on average, is equivalent to $1.41 per gallon.
https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/gasoline-is-cheap-right-now-but-charging-an-ev-is-still-cheaper Save to Pocket
Vision Pro’s Long Shadow Over A Boring CES 2024
date: 2024-01-15, from: Om Malik blog
CES 2024, unlike its predecessors, lacked the usual impact because tech companies now prefer their own events for product releases. This was an in-between year, and no one knew what to build, or whom to copy. As is usually the case, the looming shadow of Apple, along with the launch of its Vision Pro device, only highlighted the fact that this …
https://om.co/2024/01/15/vision-pro-looms-over-ces-2024/ Save to Pocket
The state of the unions
date: 2024-01-15, from: Marketplace Morning Report
In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated after speaking with striking sanitation workers in Memphis. Strikes have gotten more rare in the decades following King’s murder, but data from Cornell University shows that the number of strikes have been picking up over the last two years. What does that momentum mean for the year ahead? And later, the tide may be turning against noncompete agreements.
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/the-state-of-the-unions Save to Pocket
Microsoft braces for automatic AI takeover with Copilot at Windows startup
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Experiment is limited to the Insider Dev Channel. For now
Microsoft is experimenting with having Copilot open automatically upon Windows startup.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/microsoft_copilot_windows_startup/ Save to Pocket
AI could affect 40% of jobs
date: 2024-01-15, from: Marketplace Morning Report
From the BBC World Service: The International Monetary Fund predicts that artificial intelligence is likely to cause disruptions for jobs across the globe — but it won’t have an even effect on workers and global economies. Then, two British brothers are on trial in Switzerland for stealing Ming Dynasty porcelain worth nearly $3.7 million. And the soccer tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations, has kicked off in the Ivory Coast.
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/ai-could-affect-40-of-jobs Save to Pocket
Voice Cloning with Very Short Samples
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-05, from: Bruce Schneier blog
New research demonstrates voice cloning, in multiple languages, using samples ranging from one to twelve seconds.
Research paper.
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2024/01/voice-cloning-with-very-short-samples.html Save to Pocket
Silence, Violence, and the Human Condition
date: 2024-01-15, from: Ayjay blog
I don’t believe that “silence is violence,” ever. And I doubt that anyone else would either, if they were to spend a bit of time thinking about it. People remain silent when they see violence (either threatened or performed) for a wide variety of reasons: sometimes they are indifferent to the sufferings of others, sometimes […]
https://blog.ayjay.org/silence-violence-and-the-human-condition/ Save to Pocket
AI and robots join forces to cook up proteins faster
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Applications across chemistry, energy, and medicine await human-free acceleration
Scientists have developed a platform based around a robot guided by an AI-based computer system, which could slash the time for engineering new proteins from months to weeks.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/ai_robot_protein_engineering/ Save to Pocket
CDW settles in lawsuit with rival reseller over Cisco sales
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Meanwhile pending case from Cisco accuses Dexon of selling counterfeit kit
CDW, the world’s largest reseller, has reached a settlement with relative minnow in an antitrust case involving Cisco.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/cdw_settles_in_lawsuit/ Save to Pocket
Winter Stargazing Tips: Stay Warm and Cozy!
date: 2024-01-15, from: NASA breaking news
Layers and more layers! Learn how you can stay warm and comfortable while stargazing this winter with these handy tips!
https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/night-sky-network/winter-stargazing-tips-stay-warm-and-cozy/ Save to Pocket
It’s an Outrageously Good Time to Buy a Used EV
date: 2024-01-15, from: Heatmap News
The news that Hertz is selling off one-third of its electric vehicle fleet after limited demand and costly repairs means U.S. consumers just got 20,000 more choices when shopping for a used EV. And with prices continuing to fall, now may be one of the best times to snag a pre-owned electric at a nice discount. But buyer beware.
Last year, used car prices finally began to slip after pandemic-induced supply issues. EVs led the way, with pre-owned models down 22% from the previous year, according to Cox Automotive. Tesla saw the biggest price drops, specifically with the average Model 3 going for 21% less than the year before. Hertz’s liquidation of its EVs is certainly going to help keep used prices in check, particularly in oversaturated markets.
“EV inventory is already far outpacing current consumer demand,” says Pat Ryan, Founder and CEO of CoPilot, a AI-driven car shopping assistant. “Used EVs have a market days supply of 51, compared to 43 for used gas-powered cars and 44 for used hybrids.” And it’s even higher for new models.
Ryan suggests the reason for the glut comes down to a few issues: Early adopters and luxury buyers made the switch to electric a few years ago, limiting demand while also keeping a steady supply of pre-owned vehicles hitting the market. There’s also price, charging, and even a partisan divide. And with traditional automakers like GM and Ford overproducing EVs relative to demand (newcomers like Tesla aren’t necessarily seeing similar problems), there are a lot of new and used options to choose from.
But for EV shoppers that might be a “potential advantage,” says Ryan. “Now might be a good time to buy as some dealers will likely be hoping to make a deal in order to move inventory off their lots.”
What kind of deal is the real question. While a $21,500 Tesla Model 3 may seem enticing, the same issues that plagued Hertz – including the high cost of repairs – should give some buyers pause.
“If someone did want to buy a car from Hertz, buyers should be aware that most rental companies fix their vehicles in-house,” says Tom McParland, the owner of Automatch Consulting. “And if the car was involved in an accident that history may never appear on a Carfax.”
While fleet vehicles are relatively well-maintained to ensure they’re on the road and making money, anyone that’s regularly rented a car knows the wear and tear is substantial. The high-tech systems that power modern EVs are one thing, but the most costly item – the battery – is where buyers have to be the most vigilant.
“The big issue with used EVs is that it is currently difficult to accurately ascertain what the remaining battery life is,” says McParland. Because of that, he says, “a lot of the higher-mile cars will end up wholesaled and picked up by those questionable used car lots with ‘guaranteed credit approval.’”
https://heatmap.news/sparks/used-electric-cars-tesla-model-3-hertz-prices Save to Pocket
KDE 6 hits RC-1 while KDE 5 brings fresh spin on OpenBSD
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
New versions and ports of the Plasma desktop ahoy
The KDE dev team has spent many nights working on the first release candidate of the new Qt 6-based release, during which time a tiny, intrepid band of coders was able to bring the current stable release to OpenBSD.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/kde_6_kde_5_openbsd/ Save to Pocket
Police investigating possible drowning in Ka‘u
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Hawaii Island police are investigating a possible drowning involving a 24-year-old man visiting from North Carolina that occurred Saturday morning in Ka‘u.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/hawaii-news/police-investigating-possible-drowning-in-kau/ Save to Pocket
Wildfire prevention and helping Maui recover from flames top the agenda for Hawaii lawmakers
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>HONOLULU — Hawaii lawmakers are due to convene this week for the first time since the burning of historic Lahaina awakened the state to the deadly and costly threat posed by wildfires in an age of climate change.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/hawaii-news/wildfire-prevention-and-helping-maui-recover-from-flames-top-the-agenda-for-hawaii-lawmakers/ Save to Pocket
In his closing pitch to Iowa Republicans, Trump says their votes can help him punish his enemies
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>INDIANOLA, Iowa — Donald Trump implored his supporters Sunday to brave frigid temperatures and deliver him a decisive victory in Monday’s Iowa caucuses, saying their vote would help bring to Washington the retribution he has repeatedly promised if he returns to the White House.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/nation-world-news/in-his-closing-pitch-to-iowa-republicans-trump-says-their-votes-can-help-him-punish-his-enemies/ Save to Pocket
2023 drier than normal for much of the island
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>December brought rainfall to most of the windward Big Island, but most of the gauges islandwide registered less than the average amount of precipitation for the final month of the year. That, as it turned out, was the conclusion to a 2023 that generally was drier-than-normal.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/hawaii-news/2023-drier-than-normal-for-much-of-the-island/ Save to Pocket
Millions of Americans face below-zero temperatures as storms bring blast of Arctic air, snow and ice
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>PORTLAND, Ore. — Subfreezing temperatures across much of the U.S. left millions of Americans facing dangerous cold as Arctic storms left four dead and knocked out electricity to tens of thousands in the Northwest, brought snow to the South, and walloped the Northeast with blizzard conditions that forced the postponement of an NFL game.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/nation-world-news/millions-of-americans-face-below-zero-temperatures-as-storms-bring-blast-of-arctic-air-snow-and-ice/ Save to Pocket
Fixes slated for Wailoa boat harbor: $3.2M allocated for the project
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The Wailoa Small Boat Harbor is on the verge of getting some improvements after years of neglect.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/hawaii-news/fixes-slated-for-wailoa-boat-harbor-3-2m-allocated-for-the-project/ Save to Pocket
White House says ‘it’s the right time’ for Israel to scale back Gaza war as fighting hits 100 days
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>JERUSALEM — The White House said Sunday that “it’s the right time” for Israel to scale back its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli leaders again vowed to press ahead with their operation against the territory’s ruling Hamas militant group.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/nation-world-news/white-house-says-its-the-right-time-for-israel-to-scale-back-gaza-war-as-fighting-hits-100-days/ Save to Pocket
Iowa principal who risked his life to protect students during a high school shooting has died
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>DES MOINES, Iowa — An Iowa principal who put himself in harm’s way to protect students during a school shooting earlier this month died Sunday, a funeral home confirmed.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/nation-world-news/iowa-principal-who-risked-his-life-to-protect-students-during-a-high-school-shooting-has-died/ Save to Pocket
Yemen Houthi rebels fire missile at US warship in Red Sea in first attack after American-led strikes
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea on Sunday, but a U.S. fighter jet shot it down in the latest attack roiling global shipping amid Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, officials said.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/nation-world-news/yemen-houthi-rebels-fire-missile-at-us-warship-in-red-sea-in-first-attack-after-american-led-strikes/ Save to Pocket
Biden extends state, local slush funds
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>In Iowa, officials used federal COVID money to build a new baseball stadium near the famed “Field of Dreams” diamond. Michigan politicians directed more than $25 million in pandemic cash toward tourism and marketing efforts. In New Mexico, officials spent $16 million in COVID funds to run a lottery for people who got vaccinated. </p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/opinion/biden-extends-state-local-slush-funds/ Save to Pocket
‘With life you can’t stop and you can’t give up’: Gyms help keiki prepare for more than just competition
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Coaches and trainers hope to give kids an outlet for their mental and physical health through the sport of boxing.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/sports/with-life-you-cant-stop-and-you-cant-give-up-gyms-help-keiki-prepare-for-more-than-just-competition/ Save to Pocket
BIIF hoops: Kona dominates, Samura scores over 40 again
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>KAILUA-KONA — With just a few weeks remaining in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) basketball regular season, teams from across the island competed hard all weekend in attempt to finish the year strong.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/sports/biif-hoops-kona-dominates-samura-scores-over-40-again/ Save to Pocket
Jordan Love and the Packers pull a wild-card stunner, beating Dak Prescott and the Cowboys 48-32
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>ARLINGTON, Texas — Aaron Jones grew up idolizing Emmitt Smith and the Dallas Cowboys.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/sports/jordan-love-and-the-packers-pull-a-wild-card-stunner-beating-dak-prescott-and-the-cowboys-48-32/ Save to Pocket
Jared Goff leads Lions to first playoff win in 32 years, 24-23 over Matthew Stafford and the Rams
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>DETROIT — Jared Goff lifted his arms in the air, encouraging Ford Field fans to get even louder, before taking the final snap to end his long-suffering franchise’s skid in the playoffs.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/sports/jared-goff-leads-lions-to-first-playoff-win-in-32-years-24-23-over-matthew-stafford-and-the-rams/ Save to Pocket
Mahuna sworn in as deputy police chief
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The Hawai‘i Police Department announces that effective Tuesday, Maj. Reed K. Mahuna is permanently appointed as deputy police chief. A 25-year veteran of the department, Mahuna was named acting ceputy chief on July 1, 2023.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/hawaii-news/mahuna-sworn-in-as-deputy-police-chief/ Save to Pocket
Police ID pedestrian killed in Hilo crash
date: 2024-01-15, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>A 66-year-old man who died after after motor vehicle/pedestrian collision in Hilo on Thursday afternoon has been identified as Wayne Metz of Mountain View.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/15/hawaii-news/police-id-pedestrian-killed-in-hilo-crash/ Save to Pocket
What’s the matter with Iowa?
date: 2024-01-15, from: Robert Reich on Substack
Why today’s Iowa Republican caucuses won’t represent America.
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/whats-the-matter-with-iowa Save to Pocket
We Fact Checked Everything Trump Has Said About Climate Change Since 2021
date: 2024-01-15, from: Heatmap News
“Climate change is a hoax” is soooo 2016. In recent years,
Republicans have
gotten
more savvy in their attacks on climate change — and, by proxy, on
the
Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate legislation passed in
2022. These days, it’s less the science of global warming that’s up for
debate than the way we’re addressing it. Republicans are now fighting a
multi-front battle against EVs, the energy transition, and climate
science, on behalf of golden eagles and whales. And no one is leading
the charge more obviously —
or
quantifiably — than former president and current presidential
candidate Donald Trump.
With the climate agenda on the line, Heatmap is keeping a running list of Trump’s climate-related statements on the campaign trail. We’ve looked at his rallies, his TV appearances, and his comments on social media and put together a list of Trump’s most frequent and glaringly inaccurate claims since he vacated the White House in January 2021.
While some of his musings (okay, fine, a lot of them) might be laughably absurd, others might be something you’ve kind of, sort of wondered about, yourself. To help you better separate fact from fiction, we’ve added context and explanation to each quote, along with a bottom-line determination as to the remark’s facticity.
Lastly, this list is a work in progress and will be regularly updated and added to in the coming months, so if you’re ever in doubt, know that you can find the answer somewhere in here. For ease of navigation, we’ve broken things down into sections:
Climate & Weather | International Cooperation | Wind | Solar | Electric Vehicles | Energy | Efficiency, etc.
Climate & Weather
“You know they don’t call it global warming so much now, they call it climate change because it wasn’t working … Global warming wasn’t working when it was cooling. So now they call it climate change, that takes care of everything.” [Dec. 5, 2023]
Fact check: The term “climate change” was initially popularized by Republicans. In a 2002 memo, Republican pollster Frank Luntz urged President George W. Bush to drop the phrase “global warming” in favor of “climate change” since the former sounds more “frightening” and “has catastrophic communications attached to it,” while “climate change sounds a more controllable and less emotional challenge.”
That said, scientists generally prefer the term “climate change” for pretty much exactly the reason Trump highlighted here — because it encompasses phenomena caused by the increase in CO2 in our atmosphere that don’t manifest as warming, like ocean acidification. For the record: Global warming doesn’t mean that the weather will never get cold, just that it will get less cold on average, over time. In fact, research shows that the cold parts of the globe are warming much, much faster than the rest.
“You can’t miss with climate change. Anything can happen because of climate change. ‘It’s raining like hell!’ Climate change!” [July 13, 2022]
“Most of the country has plenty of water. Rain from heaven. It comes right from heaven. Beautiful rain, you don’t know what to do.” [Aug. 17, 2023]
Fact check: That’s … true, actually. “When the atmosphere warms, that means it can hold more water,” Matthew Rodell, the deputy director of Earth sciences for hydrosphere, biosphere, and geophysics at NASA, who has made an extensive study of extreme drought and deluges, told me. That means there will be both more droughts and more rainfall, even though the two phenomena might appear at a glance to contradict each other.
“On the drought side of things, when the air is warmer, more water can evaporate — can be pulled out of the land and out of the plants, into the air, and then transported away,” Rodell explained. “So you have, basically, more water being net removed from an area.” But water in the air has to return to Earth, eventually, in the form of more — and often extreme — rainfall.
Shouldn’t those two extremes effectively balance each other out? As Rodell put it to me, “Floods and droughts are both catastrophes.” During a drought, crops die and wells go dry. And while extreme rainfall might refill an aquifer, “if it’s at the point of being extreme and there’s a flood, that’s not good, either.” Think about Libya, where extended heavy rains in the summer of 2023 broke through dams and inundated towns, killing 4,300 people, displacing an estimated 44,800 more, and causing over $60 million in damage.
One last thing to mention here: While our ability to determine the precise contribution of climate change to individual extreme weather events is improving rapidly, that is, in some ways, beside the point. Rodell explained that “in terms of the frequency, and looking at all these events together and how they’ve changed over time, we’re seeing that they’re increasing in number and severity in correlation with global warming. That doesn’t mean you can say any particular event is 100% by global warming, but, I mean — statistically, it’s extremely unlikely that this is just a coincidence.”
“In my opinion, you have a thing called weather …” [March 21, 2022]
Fact check: True!
“… It goes up, and it goes down.” [March 21, 2022]
Fact check: While it’s true that the climate has always changed, it hasn’t always changed like this. The rapid rise in both atmospheric carbon dioxide and observed average surface temperature since the Industrial Revolution can only be credited to humans, and specifically to the burning of fossil fuels, which release CO2, a heat-trapping gas. There is now near-universal scientific consensus that the warming we’re witnessing has been caused by human activity.
“The most popular climate myths are the ones that are simple and easy to say,” as John Cook, a senior research fellow at Melbourne University’s School of Psychological Sciences who’s made a specialty of combatting climate disinformation, told me. “It’s the single-cause fallacy, thinking that only one thing can cause natural causes. But you can have other things like human activity that also drive climate change,” Cook added.
Start digging into this kind of logic and it quickly falls apart. For example, Trump’s argument is that the climate has changed naturally in the past; therefore, it must be changing naturally now, as well. But, Cook told me, the same logic could also be used to argue, People have died of cancer in the past; therefore, cigarettes don’t cause cancer now.
“The oceans are gonna rise 1/100th of an inch within the next 300 years. It’s gonna kill everybody. It’s going to create more oceanfront property, that’s what it’s going to do.” [March 12, 2022]
“They said the other day, I heard somebody, that the oceans are going to rise 1/8th of an inch over the next 300 years. We have bigger problems than that. We’ll have a little more beachfront property; that’s not the worst thing in the world.” [July 9, 2022]
Fact check: For starters, Trump’s numbers are orders of magnitude off the mark. The oceans are on track to rise 3.5 feet to 7 feet along America’s coastlines by 2100 — well ahead of Trump’s schedule — according to an independent assessment conducted by federal scientific agencies. Even if global carbon emissions had peaked in 2020 (which we know they did not) and declined relatively rapidly thereafter, the oceans would still probably rise more than 3 feet worldwide by 2300 compared to their 2000 levels, researchers have found, because so much heat is already trapped in the climate system.
According to the latest scientific report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “sea level rise greater than 15 meters,” or 49 feet, by the year 2300 “cannot be ruled out” in a high-emissions scenario.
While unlikely, 49 feet of sea-level rise would be catastrophic. Large swaths of lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens would be completely submerged, with waves lapping at the walls of Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. The southern half of Florida would vanish (bye-bye, Mar-a-Lago!). Countries like the Netherlands and Bangladesh would, literally, disappear from the map.
As for that supposedly new oceanfront property Trump is so excited about, scientists expect some 650,000 beachfront properties to flood due to sea level rise in the United States by 2050 — not to mention that globally, some 230 million people live within 3 feet of current high-tide lines.
International Cooperation
“I will also immediately stop crooked Joe Biden’s latest ripoff of the American people, his plan to give — listen to this — global climate reparations to foreign nations. He’s going to give billions of dollars, because he’s saying that we have a dirty climate.” [Dec. 16, 2023]
Fact check: The U.S. will not “under any circumstances” pay climate reparations to developing nations, climate envoy John Kerry vowed in front of Congress last year. The situation is, however — and unsurprisingly — more complicated than that.
At COP28 last year, the U.S. pledged $17.5 million to the U.N.’s “loss and damage” fund, which is intended to help developing countries recover from future climate disasters. While some outlets — including this publication — have characterized this fund as “reparations,” the fund has more in common with other international pledges directed at helping developing countries than calls for climate reparations that hold historic polluters morally and financially responsible.
“We have China that doesn’t partake; we have India that doesn’t partake; and we have Russia that doesn’t partake. None of them partake in cleaning the climate. They laugh at us, how stupid we are. We clean the climate and then their air flows to us from Asia.” [March 3, 2022]
Fact check: China, India, and Russia are all Paris Agreement signatories. But even if they truly didn’t “partake” at all in international climate mitigation efforts, that hardly means the U.S. shouldn’t try to be cleaner.
But let’s take Trump at face value here. When asked to assess if the Paris Agreement gives an unfair advantage to nations like China and India, law professor Daniel Bodansky at the Arizona State University College of Law pointed out to USA Today that “the United States is the second biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world and has higher per capita emissions than either China or India. It is misleading to point the finger at China and India and label them as the real polluters.”
What about the bad air flowing to us “from Asia,” then? This isn’t total nonsense. For one thing, we do all share the same atmosphere; that’s kind of the whole point of the global movement to stop climate change. But more concretely, yes, researchers have found that pollutants from China can make their way to the Western U.S.
Here’s where it gets awkward: “An estimated 36% of manmade sulfur dioxide, 27% of nitrogen oxide, 22% of carbon monoxide, and 17% of black carbon over China are the result of manufacturing goods for export. About a fifth of each of these was associated with products exported to the U.S. in particular,” Scientific American writes. In other words, a lot of that “bad air” flowing to us from Asia that Trump is complaining about is from manufacturing products for Americans.
Wind
“Their windmills are causing whales to die in numbers never seen before. Nobody does anything about that. They’re washing up on shore. I saw it this weekend: Three of them came up! You wouldn’t see it once a year; now they’re coming up on a weekly basis. The windmills are driving them crazy. They’re driving the whales, I think, a little batty.” [Sept. 25, 2023]
Fact check: If you ever want to feel ridiculous, try asking a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration if windmills are making whales “a little batty.”
NOAA actively studies how “sound, vessel, and other human activities” impact marine life, Lauren Gaches, the director of NOAA Fisheries Public Affairs, told me over email. “At this point, there is no scientific evidence that noise resulting from offshore wind site characterization surveys could potentially cause mortality of whales,” she said.
An ongoing “unusual mortality event” for humpback whales has resulted in 200 whale deaths between 2016 and June 2023 along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida — that much is true. But “there are no known links between recent large whale mortalities and ongoing offshore wind surveys,” Gaches told me. NOAA’s fact page on whales and offshore wind explains that of “roughly 90 whales examined, about 40% had evidence of human interaction, either ship strike or entanglement.”
There has been some chatter about underwater surveying work disrupting whales, which may be true in the case of oil and gas surveys, which use seismic air guns to penetrate deep into the ocean floor. The surveying equipment used for offshore wind is, by contrast, used in 15-second bursts and limited to a specific area, “so the likelihood of an animal encountering and coming right into that sound beam is quite low,” Erica Staaterman, the deputy director for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Center for Marine Acoustics, said on a NOAA-hosted call with the press early last year.
As Ben Laws, the deputy chief of NOAA’s Permits and Conservation Division in the Office of Protected Resources, said on the same call, “There is no information that would support any suggestion that any of the equipment that’s being used in support of wind development for these site characterization surveys could directly lead to the death of a whale.”
“If you go out hunting and you happen to shoot a bald eagle, they put you in jail, like, for five years, right? They kill thousands of them with these windmills; nothing happens.” [Jan. 28, 2023]
“If you want to see a bird cemetery, go under a windmill sometime. You’ll see birds like you never saw. If you love birds, you’ll start to weep.” [Dec. 16, 2023]
Fact check: Trump has had a vendetta against wind turbines since long before he ever ran for president. “Wind farms are killing many thousands of birds,” reads one illustrative tweet from 2012. “They make hunters look like nice people!”
Lewis Grove is the director of wind and energy policy at the American Bird Conservancy, and he told me that while it’s “not necessarily as simple as Mr. Trump painted it out to be, wind turbines absolutely kill birds.”
But the context here is extremely important. Jason Ryan, a spokesperson for the American Clean Power Association, a leading renewable energy trade group, pointed me to research from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that shows wind farms “represent just 0.03% of all human-related bird deaths in the U.S.” Grove likewise told me that, for the most part, bird deaths due to wind turbines do “not have population-level impacts.”
There are exceptions, such as an infamous wind farm in California’s Altamont Pass built in 1981 that “just happened to be in a place that was really heavily used by golden eagles,” Grove told me. Because golden eagle populations were already very low, having 100 or so killed a year by turbines was “unsustainable.” Even in a case like this, though, it behooves one to look at the whole picture: “They found it was a few individual turbines that were causing the damage,” Grove said. These days, around 60 golden eagles a year are killed in Alameda County, the Alameda Post reports, and the operating company must pay steep penalties for eagle deaths.
What’s more, “climate change is one of the greatest threats birds face, with two-thirds of North American species at risk of extinction due to our warming planet,” Jon Belak, senior manager of science and data analysis at The National Audubon Society, told me in a statement. “We need to build more wind and solar facilities to help slow the rise in global temperatures and protect birds and their habitats from a changing climate.”
Wind farms may not have population-level impacts on birds, but fracking does — “the onset of shale oil and gas production reduces subsequent bird population counts by 15%,” even after accounting for factors like weather and other land-use changes, according to one just-published, peer-reviewed study.
“Remember the windmills? ‘Darling, darling, I want to watch the president, I love him so much. I want to watch him on television tonight.’ ‘I’m sorry, but the wind isn’t blowing, you’ll have to wait ‘til another time.’ Windmills.” [March 26, 2022]
Fact check: “I mean, it’s possible with any mix of generation that if supply and demand aren’t equal, your TV will go out. That’s just physics,” Kyri Baker, an assistant professor of engineering at the University of Colorado, told me when I asked her if Trump’s scenario had any merit. In other words, a power outage could happen whether your electricity is coming from coal or natural gas or anything else. The difference, she said, is that “wind is by nature variable, intermittent. But it’s also not reliant on fuel like natural gas or coal plants or even nuclear plants are.”
What happens on days when there is no wind? “Grids are extremely regulated,” Baker explained to me. “There’s so many layers of redundancy that aim specifically to not have [an outage] happen.” A grid is made up of diverse electricity sources (for my visual learners, Canary imagines what a net-zero grid could look like here), as well as measures like offline backup generators, which can kick in if need be, so service isn’t disrupted.
Battery storage is another huge part of this equation. While they’re still fairly cutting-edge as climate technology goes, high-capacity batteries that can manage grid-scale energy needs are getting better and more plentiful.
“Stop with all of the windmills all over the place that are ruining the atmosphere.” [Jan. 20, 2022]
Fact check: Wind turbines do not damage the literal atmosphere.
But maybe Trump meant atmosphere as in “sense of place”? Most Americans don’t seem to think windmills are “ruining” anything. In a recent Heatmap poll, nearly eight in 10 Americans said they want the government to make it easier to build new wind farms. The Washington Post similarly found last year that about 70% of Americans said they wouldn’t mind living near a wind farm.
As my colleague Robinson Meyer has written, “American laws today give even a small, well-resourced minority plenty of tools to block a project” like a wind farm, and “what’s more, once that small group starts campaigning against a project, the public’s broad but shallow support for, say, a general technology can crater. That’s what happened recently in New Jersey, where a once broadly pro-wind public has turned against four proposed offshore wind farms.”
“It’s a very expensive form — probably the most expensive form of energy.” [Jan. 20, 2022]
Fact check: Wind in general is not the most expensive form of energy, but offshore wind is very expensive — for now.
Of the energy sources we’re currently used to, nuclear is usually cited as having the highest levelized cost of electricity — that is, it has the highest average cost per unit of electricity generated after construction, maintenance, and operation have been taken into account. Peaker plants — gas-powered plants that run just during times of peak demand — usually come in second.
Offshore wind is costly, with the levelized cost of electricity from a subsidized U.S. offshore wind project increasing “to $114.20 per megawatt-hour in 2023, up almost 50% from 2021 levels in nominal terms,” BloombergNEF reports. Many of the factors making offshore wind so expensive — including permitting delays, high interest rates, and supply chain issues — will abate with time. Meanwhile, onshore wind is one of the cheapest forms of electricity available and has boasted a “lower LCOE than gas plants since 2015,” Sustainable Energy in America reports.
Solar
“I like the concept of solar, but it’s not powerful like what we need to fire up our factories.” [Dec. 16, 2023]
Fact check: “That question is actually a little bit tricky,” Baker, the assistant professor of engineering at the University of Colorado, told me, when I asked him whether solar alone could power a factory — but it’s also not really what we should be asking. “One thing I’ve noticed people do a lot is they’ll just compare efficiency of power generation,” Baker explained. But “it’s not just about the efficiency — it’s about other things, too, like solar’s ability to be distributed. You can’t put a nuclear fission power plant in your house — you know, not yet — but you can put solar panels, so that’s a huge benefit. It offers some resiliency that other sources just can’t offer.”
It’s true that solar power is less efficient than other sources of energy, including wind, and that it requires a lot of surface area, which could be an undue burden for a manufacturer. But at the same time, “I don’t know if anybody is proposing to power an entire factory based off of solar,” Baker said.
Electric Vehicles
“I will also rescue the ethanol industry by canceling crooked Joe Biden’s insane ethanol-killing electric vehicle mandate on day one.” [Dec. 20, 2023]
Fact check: It’s not wrong to say that Biden has tried to reduce the role of liquid fuel in vehicles. Trump has gunned for Iowa voters by claiming Biden’s goal (albeit not a binding mandate) of ramping up EV sales will kill the local ethanol industry. But Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack — Iowa’s former governor — has stressed that just because the administration is pushing for more EVs, “Does that mean we won’t have a need for E15 or E85” — gasoline blends that contain up to 15% and 85% ethanol content, respectively — “in the future? No.”
For example, new rules defining what qualifies as a “sustainable aviation fuel” — and thus for generous tax credits under the IRA — include ethanol and other plant-based fuels, despite opposition from environmental groups. “The Biden administration plans to invest $4.3 billion to support production of 35 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel annually by 2050,” presenting a significant opportunity for Iowa’s farmers, The Des Moines Register writes. As Vilsack added, “You have to think beyond cars and trucks.”
“They want to have electric trucks, so a truck — a big, beautiful truck like Peterbilt or one of them, with the big ones, 18 wheelers, they can go about 2,000 miles, they say, 2,000 on a big tank of diesel. An electric truck, comparable — which it can’t be comparable because you need so much room for the battery. Most of the area that you’re going to carry your goods, going to be battery. But assuming we take away that problem, which is not easy to take away, you’d have to stop approximately seven times to go 2,000 miles, right? You go about 300 miles, and they don’t want to change that.” [Dec. 20, 2023]
Fact check: There’s a lot to unpack here, but the gist is that most of these are the kind of early-stage problems you would find with any emerging technology. While the technology powering heavy-duty electric trucks is promising, there is still a long way to go when it comes to range and capacity.
Still, even a semi that goes only around 375 miles — longer than Trump’s estimate — on a single charge would ultimately be cheaper than a diesel truck, one 2021 study found. Because of the lower cost of ownership, electric semis have a net savings of $200,000 over a 15-year lifespan.
Battery size, and in particular battery weight, will be a major hurdle for long haul electric semis; shipping rates are often determined based on weight, among other factors, and since freight companies already operate on narrow margins, carrying less freight weight is a problem. But the technology is constantly improving. Plus, it’s pretty silly to claim electric truck developers “don’t want to change” their range per charge; electric truck manufacturers are constantly boasting about their new mileage numbers.
“This electric car thing is just crazy. If you want to drive, maybe, let’s say you are here. If you say, ‘Let’s take a drive to beautiful, safe Chicago. It’s so safe. Let’s drive there.’ How many times would you have to stop, about nine? It’s just crazy. They know it. They know it’s crazy.” [Dec. 20, 2023]
Fact check: The distance from Waterloo, Iowa — where Trump made these comments — to “beautiful, safe Chicago” is 269 miles. While the EVs with the worst range would have to charge one single time on a trip of that distance, in 2022, the average EV range was nearly 300 miles. Most cars would make it on a single charge.
“And now we are a nation that wants to make our revered and very powerful army tanks, the best in the world, all-electric, so that despite the fact they are also not able to go far, fewer pollutants will be released into the air as we blast our way through enemy territory, at least in an environmentally friendly way. And they also want to make our jet fighters with a green stamp of energy savings through losing 15% efficiency.” [Dec. 17, 2023]
Fact check: Trump has repeatedly slammed the Biden administration for supposedly wanting to switch to “all-electric” tanks. This is mostly false, though it has its roots in the Army’s first-ever climate strategy, released early last year. In it, the Army stated that it aims to electrify all noncombat vehicles by 2035 and some tactical vehicles by 2050.
The reason the Army wants to go electric isn’t because of some woke environmentalist agenda, though. “The primary reason the Army wants to electrify its fighting vehicles is to reduce wartime casualties,” Bloomberg writes. “An all-electric fleet would mean personnel wouldn’t have to go on dangerous refueling missions that draw combat forces away from fighting the enemy … [and] electric vehicles are also much quieter and harder to spot on enemy surveillance systems because they generate so little heat.”
Trump has also slammed the Air Force for its climate action plan, although the roots of his claim that Biden wants to make jet fighters green by “losing 15% efficiency” are much less clear. He may be referring to the Air Force’s exploration of alternative fuels — which again, it is doing primarily for strategic reasons, since the Air Force reports 30% of the casualties in Afghanistan came from attacks on fuel and water convoys. “We’re not doing the climate plan for climate’s sake … Everything is about increasing our combat capability,” Edwin Oshiba, assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy, installations, and the environment, told the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association.
“The problem is you won’t find a charger. And if you do, it’s got lines.” [Dec. 16, 2023]
Fact check: Many EV drivers are dissatisfied with the state of charging infrastructure in the U.S., and lines are an issue. While more charging stations will continue to open up as EVs become more popular — the IRA allotted $7.5 billion to build out 500,000 public chargers by 2030, with another $623 million in EV charging grants awarded last week — this seems, at the moment, to be a fair criticism.
“We are a nation whose leaders are demanding all-electric cars despite the fact that they can’t go far, cost too much, and whose batteries are produced in China with materials only available in China when an unlimited amount of gasoline is available inexpensively in the United States but is not available in China.” [Dec. 17, 2023]
Fact check: China indeed dominates the EV battery market. The Inflation Reduction Act — which Trump has promised to gut — has tried to change this by restricting EV tax credits only to models with batteries and components sourced from the U.S. or its trading partners. The law also includes funding to help seed a domestic EV battery and mineral supply chain.
And it’s working. As my colleague Neel Dhanesha wrote last year, “Battery manufacturers around the country — many of them automakers themselves — have announced over 1,000 gigawatt hours of U.S. battery production that’s slated to come online by 2028, far outpacing projected demand,” according to estimates from the Environmental Defense Fund. All told, domestic battery production has been the greatest beneficiary of the IRA, reports RMI, a clean energy research group.
“Let’s say your [electric] boat goes down and I’m sitting on top of this big powerful battery and the boat’s going down. Do I get electrocuted?” [Oct. 1, 2023]
Fact check: Battery packs on electric boats are designed to be watertight because, believe it or not, it’s crossed the mind of electric boat manufacturers that their products could potentially end up underwater. All the electric boat makers I spoke to in my lengthy investigation into this question told me the battery packs they use have a waterproofing standard that is either at, or just below, what is required for a submarine. The high-voltage batteries are also kept in “puncture-resistant shells” so they won’t be exposed to the water even if the boat somehow got mangled in an accident.
All this is a very long way of saying: No, you very likely won’t be electrocuted if your electric boat sinks. But you may get eaten by a shark!
“Hundreds of thousands of American jobs, your jobs, will be gone forever. By most estimates, under Biden’s electric vehicle mandate, 40% of all U.S. auto jobs will disappear.” [Sept. 27, 2023]
Fact check: As Heatmap has reported, there is little evidence to suggest that making electric vehicles will result in fewer jobs. “A number of analyses showed that electric vehicles could actually require more labor to build than gas-powered cars in the U.S., at least for the foreseeable future,” Emily Pontecorvo writes.
“The happiest moment for somebody in an electric car is the first 10 minutes. In other words, you get it charged, and now for 10 minutes. The unhappiest part is the next hour because you’re petrified that you’re not going to be finding another charger.” [August 24, 2023]
Fact check: We don’t know what every single EV driver thinks, but EV drivers as a group tend to be pretty satisfied; plug-in hybrids were level with internal combustion vehicles in J.D. Power’s annual survey of performance, execution, and layout-based consumer satisfaction, with fully battery-powered EVs just a few points behind on a 1,000-point scale. Some 90% of EV drivers say they hope to buy another EV as their next car, a 2022 Plug-In America survey found.
And while range anxiety is real, studies show that it declines the longer someone owns an EV and gets comfortable with charging. Only 8% of EV drivers told Escalent they’ve ever run out of juice while driving.
It’ll take more than an hour for you to start getting anxious, too. The average EV sold in the U.S. last year had a range of 291 miles, or a little over four hours of driving at 70mph.
Energy
“Energy caused inflation, and energy has destroyed many families. Energy is considered very strongly. Energy is considered a country killer.” [Dec. 17, 2023]
Fact check: Economists mostly agree that “energy caused” the spike in inflation that we’ve seen since 2020, so in that sense, Trump is correct. But in making this argument, he inadvertently endorses the case for clean energy — since renewables aren’t subject to the same kinds of supply volatility as fossil fuels, they are therefore considered intrinsically deflationary.
“We are a nation that is begging Venezuela and others for oil. ‘Please, please, please help us,’ Joe Biden says, and yet we have more liquid gold under our feet than any other country anywhere in the world. We are a nation that just recently heard that Saudi Arabia and Russia will be reducing their oil production while at the same time substantially increasing the price. And we met that threat by announcing that we will no longer be drilling for oil in large areas in Alaska or elsewhere, anywhere in our states. We are a nation that is consumed by the radical left’s Green New Deal, yet everyone knows that the Green New Deal is fake. It is really the green new scam.” [Dec. 17, 2023]
Fact check: First, the United States is the top oil-producing country globally, followed by Russia and Saudi Arabia. It is true that the U.S. eased oil sanctions on Venezuela late last year, though that reprieve was explicitly temporary and contingent on the country holding free and fair elections.
Trump also appears to be referencing the Biden administration’s recent decision to cancel oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and block 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska from new drilling. While that does qualify as a large area in Alaska, the moves notably do not stop ConocoPhillips’ controversial Willow drilling project from going forward.
Trump further seems to be alluding to Biden’s campaign promise to not approve any new drilling (“ …anywhere in our states!”), but that hasn’t exactly gone to plan; although Biden issued a pause on new oil and gas leases on federal lands one week after taking office, the administration then lifted that pause a little over a year later in the face of numerous legal and political challenges. Over the summer, however, the Interior Department did raise the cost of drilling on federal lands.
Efficiency, etc.
“All I know about magnets is this: Give me a glass of water, let me drop it on the magnets, that’s the end of the magnets.” [Jan. 5, 2024]
Fact check: Trump made this comment while discussing electric catapults and magnetic elevators on aircraft carriers. While there have certainly been problems with the roll-out of these advanced systems on the ships, none involved water-damaged magnets. Magnets are waterproof, and therefore their performance does not suffer from water damage.
“They want to talk about your dishwashers and how much water you’re going to have in your dishwasher, even though they don’t work and all of the other things that you have that were so precious and dear and that you never really appreciated until now because they want to take them away.” [December 2, 2023]
Fact check: As someone who lives in a New York City apartment, I would absolutely describe my dishwasher as “precious and dear,” so that part is true. It is also true that, as I explained last year, rules proposed by the Biden administration call for new dishwashers imported and made in the U.S. to use 34% less water, or no more than 3.3 gallons, during their default cycles by 2027. But it is not true that those dishwashers don’t work.
Energy-efficient dishwashers can take a long time to clean your dishes; many cycles last more than two hours and some up to three. The reason for this is pretty straightforward: In order to achieve the same level of cleanliness as old, water- and energy-inefficient dishwashers, new water- and energy-efficient dishwashers need to swish around longer.
But the “default cycles” are the only dishwasher mode the government restricts; “short cycle” modes, which require more water and take less time, are still allowed on dishwashers sold in the U.S. and aren’t regulated by the new rules. That fast mode just can’t be the default. As Wirecutter writes, “crappy cleaning performance and long cycles aren’t an inevitable outcome of efficiency standards,” and “if your dishwasher is slow and sucks (and a better detergent doesn’t fix the problem), blame the company that built it.”
“Now their new thing is your heating systems in the house. They don’t want you to have a modern-day heating system. They want you to use a heating system that will cost you at least $10,000 to buy and won’t work very well.” [August 24, 2023]
Fact check: It’s really gas furnace systems that are, technically speaking, dated. Gas furnaces were considered state-of-the-art in the 1920s and 1930s, while heat pump technology — which works by transferring, rather than generating, heat from indoors to outdoors and vice versa — took off in the 1970s as a response to surging oil prices. Heat pumps can be up to five times more efficient than fossil-fuel furnaces, according to electrification advocacy group Rewiring America, which means that at least 70% of people could save money on their energy bills by switching from fossil fuel heaters, the group estimates.
The cost of a heat pump itself varies widely depending on size (how much house it has to heat), type (geothermal vs. air source), and efficiency, then when you add in factors like the cost to refit you existing HVAC system and the cost of labor, well, it adds up. While heat pumps aren’t cheap, they do at least serve as both a furnace and an air conditioner, two appliances for the price of one, an investment that can pay back over time, Rewiring America said.
“You want to wash your beautiful hair. And you stand under a shower and the suds never go — the water comes out very slowly. I’m sure you’ve seen this. It usually takes place in new hotels and new homes.” [August 24, 2023]
Fact check: This might have been true when Seinfeld was on the air, but it hasn’t been for quite a while. Modern low-flow shower heads are specifically designed to “push out water that feels like a higher pressure even with a lower flow rate,” U.S. News and World Report writes.
When Trump was on his way out of the White House, his administration reinterpreted a 2013 regulation about how much water can flow out of a showerhead. “Manufacturers [had not demanded] the rollback,” The Washington Post writes. “Instead, the call for more powerful showers came from Trump himself, who complained that the conservation standards led to low water pressure and a dissatisfying shower experience.” With four or five or more nozzles, as Trump had allowed, “you could have 10, 15 gallons per minute powering out of the showerhead, literally probably washing you out of the bathroom,” Andrew deLaski, the executive director of the energy conservation group Appliance Standards Awareness Project, told PBS.
Biden restored the old water flow regulations.
https://heatmap.news/politics/trump-fact-check-climate-change-wind-solar-electric-vehicles-energy Save to Pocket
Love Data Week 2024 Switzerland
date: 2024-01-15, from: ETH Zurich Research Archives
Under the motto “My Kind of Data”, the ETH Library and Scientific IT
Services will be celebrating their love of data from 12 to 16 February
2024 and jointly providing and insight into research data management.
Read
more
https://rc-blog.ethz.ch/en/love-data-week-2024-switzerland-2/ Save to Pocket
Arctic Freeze Blasts Huge Swaths of US With Sub-Zero Temperatures
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
PORTLAND, Ore. — A dangerous Arctic blast will continue sweeping across the U.S. on Monday and linger through at least midweek, prolonging a bitter cold that set record-low temperatures in parts of the country and threatens to further disrupt daily life, including an NFL playoff game and the first-in-the-nation presidential nominating contest in Iowa.
The National Weather Service said wind chills are expected to push temperatures 34 degrees below zero Celsius from the Northern Rockies to northern Kansas and into Iowa, testing the hardiness of caucus-goers willing to brave the deep chill on Monday.
“You can’t sit home,” former President Donald Trump told supporters Sunday. “If you’re sick as a dog, you say, ‘Darling, I gotta make it.’ Even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it.”
Arctic storms left at least four dead and knocked out electricity to tens of thousands in the Northwest, brought snow to the South and walloped the Northeast with blizzard conditions forcing the postponement of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Buffalo Bills NFL playoff game hosted in bone-chilling Buffalo, New York.
The game was scheduled to be held Monday after being canceled Sunday.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Buffalo native, posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing near-whiteout conditions.
“Conditions right now in Orchard Park, where the game would have started moments ago,” she wrote early Sunday afternoon. “No visibility and dangerously high winds.”
The Bills invited diehard fans to help dig out snow-filled Highmark Stadium, offering $20 an hour for their labor.
“We made progress shoveling, but not much at all,” said Logan Eschrich, a storm chaser who made his way to Buffalo and pitched in.
It remains to be seen if the show will go on Monday afternoon. The weather service expects heavy lake-effect snow to push into upstate New York from Lake Erie, adding to the 30.4 to 60.9 centimeters of snow already blanketing the region. Snow fell at a rate of 5 centimeters per hour.
Sub-zero wind chills will grip much of the country, plunging to –45 degrees Celsius in Montana and the Dakotas.
“It takes a matter of minutes for frostbite to set in,” the South Dakota Department of Public Safety said in a statement Sunday urging people to stay indoors.
Other parts of the country could see temperatures drop 25 to 40 degrees below normal, from the Rockies to the Ohio Valley.
As temperatures in Texas plunged, the state’s power grid operator appealed to residents to voluntarily conserve electricity Monday morning due to the cold weather causing “record breaking demand” for energy.
A deadly freeze in 2021 left millions of Texans without power but state officials this week expressed confidence about the grid’s reliability as the cold front approached.
Freezing rain is expected to pelt parts of the Southern Plains and Southern Appalachians.
Even places like Florida won’t be spared from turbulent weather, with forecasts predicting showers and thunderstorms from Monday into Tuesday.
In Oregon, more than 120,000 homes and businesses were without electricity, most of them in the Portland metro area, a day after high winds and a mix of snow and ice brought down trees and power lines.
Some 100 trees toppled over the weekend in a community just south of Portland, including one that fell on a house and killed a man. Two other people died of suspected hypothermia and a fourth died in a fire that spread from an open-flame stove after a tree fell onto an RV.
“Given the extent of the damage and the high level of outage events, restoration efforts will continue into the week and customers are encouraged to plan accordingly,” Portland General Electric said in a statement. The utility said it was watching a second weather pattern that could bring high winds and freezing rain on Tuesday.
Widespread power outages affecting tens of thousands were also reported Sunday in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In Nebraska, the Omaha Public Power District asked customers to conserve electricity to prevent outages.
Airports across the country were impacted. More than half of flights into and out of Buffalo Niagara International Airport were canceled. Scores of flights also were canceled or delayed at Chicago, Denver and Seattle-Tacoma airports.
https://www.voanews.com/a/arctic-freeze-blasts-huge-swaths-of-us-with-sub-zero-temperatures/7440211.html Save to Pocket
The New ROM Antics – building the ZX Spectrum 128
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
If you think Sinclair’s hardware was odd, you haven’t met the people
Opinion Following an unlikely series of events involving British Telecom, Prince Philip and a VTX-5000 modem, your teenage protagonist found himself at a drunken dinner party in 1984’s West London. Across the table, excitingly, sat my boyhood hero Sir Clive Sinclair, and he seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say about the Sinclair QL, which was not thriving.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/opinion_column_zxspectrum_128/ Save to Pocket
Have you made something with a Raspberry Pi over the weekend? | #MagPiMonday
date: 2024-01-15, from: Raspberry Pi News (.com)
Every Monday, we ask the question: have you made something with a Raspberry Pi over the weekend? Every Monday, our followers send us amazing photos and videos of the projects they’ve made.
The post Have you made something with a Raspberry Pi over the weekend? | #MagPiMonday appeared first on Raspberry Pi.
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/have-you-made-something-with-a-raspberry-pi-over-the-weekend-magpimonday/ Save to Pocket
Infosys co-founder doubles down on call for 70-hour work weeks
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
It’s not like Gandhi ever saw his kids, says Narayana Murthy
Indian billionaire and Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy has doubled down on his comments that India’s youth should voluntarily work 70-hour weeks.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/narayana_murthy_long_work_comments/ Save to Pocket
Today in SCV History (Jan. 15)
date: 2024-01-15, from: SCV New (TV Station)
1875 – Henry Mayo Newhall buys western half of the Santa Clarita Valley for $2 an acre. [story
https://scvnews.com/today-in-scv-history-6/ Save to Pocket
Why Taiwan’s Voters Defied Beijing—Again
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: RAND blog
With a third Democratic Progressive Party presidential victory in Taiwan, relations with China will only get worse. Democratic consolidation could be important in helping the island resist gray-zone coercion by the mainland.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2024/01/why-taiwans-voters-defied-beijing-again.html Save to Pocket
WTF? Potty-mouthed intern’s obscene error message mostly amused manager
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-16, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Who’s going to complain about free labor?
Who, Me? As the year gets into gear, so does Who, Me?, The Register’s weekly reader-contributed column in which we share your stories of getting away with tech shortcuts that should really have led to long career detours.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/who_me/ Save to Pocket
US Marks Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-marks-martin-luther-king-jr-holiday/7440163.html Save to Pocket
Deaths in Rio Grande Intensify Tensions Between Texas, Biden Administration
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
BROWNSVILLE, Texas — After Texas fenced off a park along the U.S.-Mexico border and began turning away Border Patrol agents, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott explained why at a campaign stop near Houston.
“We are not allowing Border Patrol on that property anymore,” Abbott said Friday, drawing applause from supporters while endorsing a state legislator running for reelection. He relayed frustration over migrants illegally entering the U.S. through the border city of Eagle Pass and federal agents loading them onto buses.
“We said, ‘We’ve had it. We’re not going to let this happen anymore,’” Abbott said.
Later that night, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said three migrants, including two children, drowned near the park after Texas officials “physically barred” Border Patrol agents from entering. Mexican authorities pulled the bodies, each of them wearing jackets, from the water on the other side of the Rio Grande.
The weekend deaths intensified tensions between Texas and the Biden administration.
They also unleashed a new round of criticism from Democrats over Abbott’s aggressive actions to curb illegal crossings, accusing the measures of putting migrants at risk. U.S. authorities described the drownings as underscoring the need for Border Patrol agents to have access to the area around Shelby Park, which Texas closed off earlier this week.
“U.S. Border Patrol must have access to the border to enforce our laws,” White House spokesman Angelo Fernández Hernández said in a statement.
On Sunday evening, the Texas Military Department released a statement disputing the U.S. government’s accounts, calling it “wholly inaccurate” that state personnel prevented Border Patrol from saving drowning migrants.
“At the time that Border Patrol requested access, the drownings had occurred, Mexican authorities were recovering the bodies, and Border Patrol expressed these facts to the TMD personnel on site,” the department said.
The Biden administration stuck to its initial account Sunday, saying in a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that Texas denied Border Patrol agents access before they knew the migrants died. In a direct contradiction of Texas’ version of events, Homeland Security said agents at the time knew only that migrants were attempting to cross the river.
“Texas has demonstrated that even in the most exigent circumstances, it will not allow Border Patrol agents access to the border to conduct law enforcement and emergency response activities,” wrote Jonathan E. Meyer, Homeland Security’s general counsel.
Meyer threatened legal action if Texas doesn’t restore access by the end of Wednesday.
The park lies in a major corridor for migrants entering illegally from Mexico and is at the center of Abbott’s aggressive attempts to stop them, known as Operation Lone Star. Migrants are periodically swept away to their deaths by the current of the Rio Grande.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat who represents a Texas border district, acknowledged Sunday that state officials investigated the distress call and searched for the migrants.
“However, the bottom line is that Border Patrol was barred from entering Shelby Park,” Cuellar said in a statement.
Texas officials said Border Patrol agents had requested access to find other migrants who were presumed to have been with those who died. Two were apprehended by state military personnel, including one who was transferred to medics with “hypothermic conditions.” The statement did not say whether Border Patrol agents were allowed in the park.
Over the summer, thousands of people were crossing illegally into the U.S. through Eagle Pass. The numbers subsided but again rose in December when thousands of migrants overwhelmed federal resources. But a sharp decrease was noted at the start of January after Mexico stepped up immigration enforcement.
The 20-hectare park is owned by the city, but it is used by the state Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department to patrol border crossings. Earlier this week, Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas questioned why the state closed the park now, since daily apprehensions in the region have fallen in recent weeks. He said the state gave city officials no warning and offered no timetable on when the park would reopen.
On Friday, the Justice Department told the U.S. Supreme Court that Texas had taken control of Shelby Park and was not letting Border Patrol agents enter. Texas acknowledged seizing the city park but told the court the federal government had mischaracterized its actions and that it was trying to resolve any disputes over access.
Texas has come under recurring scrutiny over efforts to curb border crossings. Abbott has sent more than 100,000 migrants on buses to Democratic-led cities, even as frigid conditions set in during the winter. He also has strung up razor wire on the border and installed buoy barriers on the Rio Grande.
Melissa R. Cigarroa, a city council member in Laredo and member of the No Border Wall Coalition, was among those who attended a vigil Saturday at Shelby Park to mark the deaths of migrants who have died along the Rio Grande. She said attendees passed through a gate with armed National Guard members and that they could see law enforcement officers and vehicles gathered near the river.
She said that scene, coupled with the reason for the ceremony, left her thinking about “just how little people’s lives matter in these decisions.”
“People are dying, and we know now that deterrents mean nothing,” she said.
https://www.voanews.com/a/deaths-in-rio-grande-intensify-tensions-between-texas-biden-administration-/7440156.html Save to Pocket
Cloudflare defends firing of staffer for reasons HR could not explain
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Net-taming firm lets staff go if they’re bad at ‘measurable performance targets’ or aren’t ‘right for the team’, which seems a tad contradictory
Updated Cloudflare has defended its HR practices after a former employee posted a nine-minute video of a phone call during which she was fired, asked for an explanation for being let go, but was told those who made the call were unaware of the reasons for her dismissal.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/cloudflare_viral_firing_video/ Save to Pocket
US Congressional Leaders Unveil Bill to Avert Shutdown
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — Democratic and Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress Sunday unveiled a short-term spending bill that would avert a partial government shutdown and keep federal agencies operating into March.
The agreement aims to avert short-term chaos and buy more time to craft the complex spending legislation that funds government activity.
Government agencies that oversee transportation, housing, and other services are due to run out of funding by midnight on Friday and would have to scale back activity if new funding is not signed into law.
The Democratic-led Senate and Republican-controlled House of Representatives have been at odds over spending levels for months.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer agreed on the measure with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The legislation could run into difficulty in the House, where a faction of conservative Republicans have used disruptive tactics to press for lower spending levels.
Republicans control the chamber with a narrow 219-213 majority, leaving Johnson with little room for error. Some Republicans insist that any spending bills must also clamp down on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Current funding is due to expire this week for federal programs involving transportation, housing, agriculture, energy, veterans and military construction.
Funding for other parts of the government, including defense, will continue through Feb. 2.
The new spending bill would extend the deadline to March 1 for the first group and March 8 for the second. Schumer, the top Democrat in Congress, and Johnson, the top Republican, have agreed on a $1.59 trillion total for those bills.
That would give lawmakers more time to negotiate and pass the detailed spending legislation they should have passed before the start of the government’s fiscal year on Oct. 1, 2023.
The legislation covers roughly one-third of U.S. government spending, which amounted to $6.1 trillion in the last fiscal year.
The remaining two-thirds includes retirement and health benefits which do not need to be approved annually by Congress, as well as interest payments.
Johnson spent much of last week in meetings with hardliners and other segments of his Republican conference, raising speculation that he could seek to revise his agreement with Schumer. But the speaker ultimately stood by the deal.
The federal government came close to a partial shutdown last autumn, when hardline Republicans ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy for reaching a bipartisan stopgap spending deal with Schumer.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-congressional-leaders-unveil-bill-to-avert-shutdown/7440153.html Save to Pocket
Linus Torvalds postpones Linux 6.8 merge window after being taken offline by storms
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Roads are icy and drivers are dangerous. There will be no Starbucks run.
Linus Torvalds has indefinitely postponed the merge window for version 6.8 of the Linux kernel after a winter storm knocked out power and internet near his work-from-home location in Oregon.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/linux_kernel_merge_window_postponed/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-15, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Really need checkbox news finally, because I am so tired of hearing about all the same old bullshit about this asshole. You know who I’m talking about.
http://scripting.com/stories/2007/04/23/tvNewsOfTheFuture.html Save to Pocket
January 14, 2024
date: 2024-01-15, from: Heather Cox Richardson blog
You hear sometimes, now that we know the sordid details of the lives of some of our leading figures, that America has no heroes left. When I was writing a book about the Wounded Knee Massacre, where heroism was pretty thin on the ground, I gave that a lot of thought. And I came to believe that heroism is neither being perfect, nor doing something spectacular. In fact, it’s just the opposite: it’s regular, flawed human beings choosing to put others before themselves, even at great cost, even if no one will ever know, even as they realize the walls might be closing in around them.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-14-2024 Save to Pocket
Tiny little text boxes
date: 2024-01-15, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News
http://scripting.com/2024/01/14/031201.html?title=tinyLittleTextBoxes Save to Pocket
China loathes AirDrop so much it’s publicized an old flaw in Apple’s P2P protocol
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Infosec academic suggests Beijing’s warning that iThing owners aren’t anonymous deserves attention outside the great firewall too
In June 2023 China made a typically bombastic announcement: operators of short-distance ad hoc networks must ensure they run according to proper socialist principles, and ensure all users divulge their real-world identities.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/china_airdrop_anonymity_warning/ Save to Pocket
US Ambassador to Kazakhstan Outlines US Engagement in Central Asia
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — U.S. strategic interests in Central Asia boil down to stability and sovereignty, according to Washington’s top diplomat in Kazakhstan, an oil-rich republic sharing long borders with Russia and China.
With an eye on the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, a fellow former Soviet republic, the countries in the region have adopted a hedging strategy, maintaining deep links to Moscow while also bolstering relations with the West.
U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Daniel Rosenblum told the Caspian Policy Center gathering on Jan. 4, that the main goal of U.S. policy for Central Asia is to ensure that Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan “stand on their own, be fully sovereign and independent countries that can make their own choices about who to associate with, who to trade with, who to have relations with — without undue external pressure.”
Rosenblum pointed to the so-called C5+1 group, including the United States and the five republics, underlining its “value in acting as a group, integrating with one another, cooperating — that makes each of them stronger individually.”
A second focus for Washington is border security and counterterrorism, a third is boosting trade and investment, and a fourth is promoting human rights and the rule of law, he said.
Economic and political aspects
Kazakhstan is America’s top business partner in Central Asia, with $3 billion in bilateral trade in 2022 and an estimated 15% increase last year, plus $5 billion direct investment in 2023.
Despite holding regular talks on human rights, Rosenblum said Washington and Astana “do not see eye-to-eye” on the lack of meaningful political competition and the continuous arrests of critical voices.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch sites enduring concerns.
“Two years after large-scale anti-government protests rocked Kazakhstan in January 2022, few officials have been held accountable for their part in [the] disproportionate use of force against protesters, arbitrary arrests and imprisonment, and torture and ill-treatment of detainees,” HRW stated in its annual report issued this week.
“When I arrived in November 2022, there were seven names on the list [of political prisoners], which had been going down steadily. And now there are 23, which is not a good trend,” Rosenblum said.
Akbota Karibayeva, a Ph.D. candidate at the George Washington University, agreed with Rosenblum, stressing that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s transformation package branded as the “New Kazakhstan” has not yet had major effects.
“In the ‘New Kazakhstan,’ we continue to see a familiar cycle of detaining activists for expressing their opinions and repeatedly denying registration to opposition movements. The space for dissenting voices has barely expanded, if at all,” Karibayeva told VOA.
Asserting that Astana is complying with sanctions against Russia, Rosenblum pointed to the U.S., EU and U.K. comprised list of 45 categories of goods.
“Those 45, our experts say, are less than 2% of Kazakhstan’s exports to Russia. Even if they weren’t controlling it at all, it would not constitute more than 2%,” he said.
Rosenblum defended Kazakhstan, which has a 7,644-kilometer border with Russia.
“Since the sanctions were first imposed back in 2022, Kazakhstan’s record, I’d argue, is a good one, both in terms of their ability to prevent sanctions evasion and also making sure that they’re complying with all the sanctions when it comes to their domestic companies, relationships with Russian companies, Russian banks, and so on,” he said.
Kazakhstan last month removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist groups.
“They gave us advance notice that they were doing this, which is in the spirit of the partnership of no surprises,” Rosenblum said. “Kazakhstan has made clear that it will not recognize the Taliban government, and that remains its position until there’s an international consensus and certain benchmarks are made. And this doesn’t change that. They’ve also made clear that they prioritize developing some level of economic relations with Afghanistan, even with the Taliban regime in charge there.”
Kazakhstan vs. Uzbekistan
Before his current assignment, Rosenblum served as ambassador to Uzbekistan, whose leadership has also promised reforms.
“When I arrived in Tashkent [in 2019], it was already a couple of years into the reform process. … Things were slowing down,” he said.
In Rosenblum’s view, Uzbekistan’s initial steps toward change were dramatic, despite the backslidings many observe now, specifically the systemic challenges, testing President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s commitment and his regime’s willingness to transition from an ingrained authoritarian government to a democratic one.
Kazakhstan, he said, has cycled through reform phases producing limited advances, “as opposed to what was really like a sea change, kind of a watershed in Uzbekistan, where suddenly the closed system was opened up.”
Since 2022, following the January civil unrest that left at least 227 dead, Kazakhstan changed its constitution, held presidential and parliamentary elections that Tokayev coined as “democratic” despite the lack of opposition. He has vowed to leave office in 2029, at the end of his seven-year presidential term.
Tokayev pledged to decentralize power and strengthen local governance, moves that Rosenblum said are still unfolding.
“The jury is still out. We have to give some time to see,” he said.
China, Russia, Iran
One issue Washington and Astana disagree on is China’s treatment of Uyghurs, atrocities that the U.S. considers a genocide and crimes against humanity. Yet Rosenblum sees some daylight there.
“There are some Uyghurs and ethnic Kazakhs who are able to cross the border. They don’t necessarily receive refugee status, but they’ve essentially taken refuge in Kazakhstan, which has lived up to its international obligations of nonrefoulement,” he said, referring to the principle that asylum-seekers should not be returned to countries where they face serious threat to life or freedom.
“They do not send people back to China,” he said.
Kazakhstan’s trade with China recently surpassed $30 billion, which is 10 times more than its trade with the United States, which Rosenblum said he does not find surprising “since they are close neighbors.”
“Kazakhs are sort of bullish on economic relations with China. They are not as exposed or as vulnerable, arguably, as other Central Asian countries because they haven’t taken on nearly as much Chinese debt,” he said.
Kazakhstan will continue to diversify its political and economic partnerships, Rosenblum predicted, despite China’s growing influence and the country’s continuing dependence on Russia for energy.
Russian nationalists’ frequent calls to annex Kazakhstan are viewed alarmingly in Astana, Rosenblum said, but he added, “I don’t feel like there’s a sense of any imminent danger or threat to the northern border of Kazakhstan.”
As part of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union, Kazakhstan recently signed a free trade deal with Iran. Rosenblum said Astana consults with Washington on this issue as well.
“The Kazakh government by now has learned what’s sanctionable and what isn’t,” he said.
Kazakhstan, a regional leader?
While Rosenblum praised Kazakhstan as a “consistent pusher” for regional unity and connectivity, Karibayeva argued that to become a real catalyst for change in Central Asia, her country must lead by example.
“Symbolic gestures and high-level engagements among Central Asian countries and with the United States are important signals of commitment. But it is now essential to progress beyond discussions and focus on implementation at every level of cooperation,” she told VOA.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-ambassador-to-kazakhstan-outlines-us-engagement-in-central-asia/7440100.html Save to Pocket
March for Gaza Rally Draws Thousands in Washington
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
Thousands of protesters gathered in Washington for a “March for Gaza” rally as the Israel-Hamas war reached 100 days. The march was part of a global day of protests demanding a cease-fire in Gaza. Saqib Ul Islam has more.
https://www.voanews.com/a/march-for-gaza-rally-draws-thousands-in-washington/7440072.html Save to Pocket
OpenAI tweaks its fine print, removes explicit ban on ‘military and warfare’ use
date: 2024-01-15, updated: 2024-01-15, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
PLUS: It’s difficult to make a bad LLM turn good; ELVIS Act seeks AI voice clone ban
AI in brief OpenAI has changed the policies covering use of its models and removed “disallowed usages” of its models including “the generation of malware”, “military and warfare” applications, “multi-level marketing”, “plagiarism”, “astroturfing”, and more.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/ai_in_brief/ Save to Pocket
Episode 124 - The Full 360
date: 2024-01-15, from: Advent of Computing
https://adventofcomputing.libsyn.com/episode-124-the-full-360 Save to Pocket
All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy
date: 2024-01-15, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Students should be exercising more:
Daily exercise promotes a
healthy mind, and a healthy mind is better apt for learning and
retaining information.
The post All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/14/all-work-and-no-play-makes-jack-a-dull-boy/ Save to Pocket
‘Mean Girls’ Takes 1st Place at Box Office
date: 2024-01-15, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/mean-girls-takes-1st-place-at-box-office/7440051.html Save to Pocket
Monday 15 January, 2024
date: 2024-01-15, from: John Naughton’s online diary
In flight Two of my kids, on a memorable day on the Mayo coast, way back in 2004. Quote of the Day ”There’s no underestimating the intelligence of the American public.” H.L. Mencken As we may be destined to discover … Continue reading
https://memex.naughtons.org/monday-15-january-2024/39029/ Save to Pocket
pg_back 2.2.0 released
date: 2024-01-15, from: PostgreSQL News
pg_back is a simple backup tool for PostgreSQL using pg_dump.
This new version adds support for public and private keys for encryption with AGE, some bugfixes and an example Dockerfile and other configs to ease deployment in Kubernetes.
We would like to thanks all contributors who helped make this release possible.
The source code, documentation and downloads are available on github: https://github.com/orgrim/pg_back
https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/pg_back-220-released-2776/ Save to Pocket