News gathered 2024-01-25
(date: 2024-01-25 07:02:05)
Deno 1.40: Temporal API
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: Deno blog
Deno 1.40 introduces the Temporal API, TC39 decorators, and a range of deprecations and stabilizations, along with improvements in Node.js compatibility, LSP, diagnostics, and handling of unstable features, paving the way for a seamless upgrade to Deno 2.
https://deno.com/blog/v1.40 Save to Pocket
Big housing development could sprout at San Jose office property
date: 2024-01-25, from: San Jose Mercury News
A big housing development could sprout on the site of a San Jose office building.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/25/san-jose-house-home-housing-office-real-estate-build-tech-economy/ Save to Pocket
College basketball: Mark Madsen comes full circle in Stanford-Cal rivalry
date: 2024-01-25, from: San Jose Mercury News
Cal coach Mark Madsen played at Stanford for Mike Montgomery, who later closed his coaching career with a stint at Cal. Madsen lost to the Bears the first time he faced them as a player, then won seven in a row.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/25/college-basketball-mark-madsen-comes-full-circle-in-stanford-cal-rivalry/ Save to Pocket
Telco giants show it’s tough selling 5G kit right now
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Ericsson straps in for rough year, while Nokia bets on recovery in second half
Telecom giants Nokia and Ericsson both saw sales drop for the final quarter of 2023, blaming tough economic conditions for weak network operator spending. While Ericsson expects another tough year ahead, Nokia is banking on things picking up later this year.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/ericsson_nokia_results/ Save to Pocket
Where’s Waldo? The Elephant in the Room
date: 2024-01-25, from: Gary Marcus blog
And how things could quickly get ugly in the real world
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/wheres-waldo-the-elephant-in-the Save to Pocket
Why Locusts Swarm, Humans Do Good and Time Marches On
date: 2024-01-25, from: Quanta Magazine
The Joy of Why podcast returns for a third season, with two co-hosts, 24 brilliant guests and 24 all-new episodes.The post Why Locusts Swarm, Humans Do Good and Time Marches On first appeared on Quanta Magazine
https://www.quantamagazine.org/janna-levin-why-im-co-hosting-the-joy-of-why-podcast-20240125/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-01-25, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
BTW,
I co-wrote a
Busy
Developer’s Guide to SOAP in 2001, because it was so desperately
needed.
SOAP was a tangle of specs, which must have made sense to someone, not
sure who, but was incomprehensible to app developers, the same ways
ActivityPub is today. I have no idea if the BDG helped, but it was the
only way I felt I could be supportive of the protocol, without saying it
was a complete failure. I was unusual in that among the developers of
the protocol, I was the only one who didn’t work at a big company, so if
I wanted to do something badly enough, I could just do it. The basic
message
was: “If you want to implement SOAP in your app, this is one way to do
it. And if you do, your software will interop with mine.”
http://scripting.com/2024/01/25.html#a143824 Save to Pocket
Surveillance Capitalism Is Vile
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: One Foot Tsunami
https://onefoottsunami.com/2024/01/25/surveillance-capitalism-is-vile/ Save to Pocket
Famed astronomer Natalie Batalha searches for life on other planets — and so much more
date: 2024-01-25, from: San Jose Mercury News
The scientific lead for NASA’s Kepler mission has long been inspired by the possibility of science to help us ’know everything” and to understand the mysteries and beauty of the universe.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/25/famed-astronomer-natalie-batalha-searches-for-life-on-other-planets-and-so-much-more/ Save to Pocket
New Yadea Cocoa Is A Vibrant E-Bike With Surprising Capabilities
date: 2024-01-25, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
This versatile e-bike lets you commute in style, all while hauling cargo and keeping track of your fitness goals.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/705990/yadea-cocoa-urban-ebike/ Save to Pocket
BMW’s First Neue Klasse EVs Will Be X3-Sized Crossover, 3 Series-Sized Sedan
date: 2024-01-25, from: Inside EVs News
Between 2025 and 2030, BMW wants to launch six new EVs based on its new 800-volt architecture.
https://insideevs.com/news/706074/bmw-neue-klasse-ev-lineup-2025/ Save to Pocket
7 terrific Bay Area things to do this weekend, Jan. 26-28
date: 2024-01-25, from: San Jose Mercury News
Got your weekend plans? We have some nifty ideas, from AI-themed shows to a killer new World War II drama to heavenly raspberry streusel.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/25/7-terrific-bay-area-things-to-do-this-weekend-jan-26-28/ Save to Pocket
I Miscarried in Texas. My Doctors Put Abortion Law First. “No one…
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/01/0043848-i-miscarried-in-texas-my Save to Pocket
@Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed (date: 2024-01-25, from: Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed)
Very interesting technique used to fingerprint users: https://mastodon.online/@9to5Mac/111816988235576038
https://mastodon.social/@Migueldeicaza/111817029348582790 Save to Pocket
Community Benefit?
date: 2024-01-25, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
I am flummoxed, dumbfounded, and appalled by what is happening at La Cumbre.
The post Community Benefit? appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/25/community-benefit/ Save to Pocket
Rooted SB Hosts Plantsgiving Event
date: 2024-01-25, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Nonprofit is providing plant-based nutrition education to the most needy.
The post Rooted SB Hosts Plantsgiving Event appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/25/rooted-sb-hosts-plantsgiving-event/ Save to Pocket
Code Club at Number Ten Downing Street
date: 2024-01-25, from: Raspberry Pi (.org)
With the rapid advances in digital technologies like artificial intelligence, it’s more important than ever that every young person has the opportunity to learn how computers are being used to change the world and to develop the skills and confidence to get creative with technology. There’s no better way to develop those abilities (super powers…
The post Code Club at Number Ten Downing Street appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/code-club-number-ten-downing-street/ Save to Pocket
Photos: Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price sponsors march and rally for National Human Trafficking Awareness Month
date: 2024-01-25, from: San Jose Mercury News
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price marched with dozens of people to raise awareness of human trafficking in Oakland.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/25/photos-alameda-county-district-attorney-pamela-price-sponsors-march-and-rally-for-national-human-trafficking-awareness-month/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-01-25, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
Johannes Ernst, host of FediForum, proposes a session that looks at how a product like Ghost might support ActivityPub. A nicely pragmatic way to look at it. I wrote a thread in response saying what’s called for is a Busy Developer’s Guide To ActivityPub, with a matching open source client and server to test against.
http://scripting.com/2024/01/25.html#a140613 Save to Pocket
Founder of Neo-Nazi Group the Base Instructs Followers to Use ‘Uncensored’ AI
date: 2024-01-25, from: 404 Media Group
A large language model by the same company previously produced instructions on how to kill someone or carry out ethnic cleansing.
https://www.404media.co/founder-of-new-nazi-group-the-base-instructs-followers-to-use-uncensored-ai/ Save to Pocket
With The Electric Macan, Porsche Embraces EVs In A Whole New Way
date: 2024-01-25, from: Inside EVs News
Electrification is the new normal.
https://insideevs.com/news/705993/porsche-macan-electric-interview/ Save to Pocket
How Cupertino basketball went from “rock bottom” to one of the Bay Area’s biggest surprises
date: 2024-01-25, from: San Jose Mercury News
Cupertino’s turnaround from last year’s 3-21 mark, which began in the summer, has led to an 18-1 start to this season.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/25/how-cupertino-basketball-went-from-rock-bottom-to-one-of-the-bay-areas-biggest-surprises/ Save to Pocket
Kurtenbach: Niners’ Nick Bosa vs. Lions’ Penei Sewell — a matchup for the ages that will determine the NFC Championship Game
date: 2024-01-25, from: San Jose Mercury News
The best matchup in the best game of the year will happen away from the ball. Niners defensive end Nick Bosa vs. Lions right tackle Penei Sewell will likely determine who will advance to Super Bowl LVIII
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/25/kurtenbach-niners-nick-bosa-vs-lions-penei-sewell-is-a-matchup-for-the-ages-it-will-determine-the-nfc-championship-game/ Save to Pocket
EquiLend drags systems offline after admitting attacker broke in
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Securities lender processes trillions of dollars worth of Wall Street transactions every day
US securities lender EquiLend has pulled a number of its systems offline after a security “incident” in which an attacker gained “unauthorized access”.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/cybersecurity_incident_forces_equilend_to/ Save to Pocket
Murder suspect’s trial next week
date: 2024-01-25, from: Guam Daily Post
A man accused in the homicide of Adam Messier in 2017 is set to go to trial next week.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/murder-suspect-s-trial-next-week/article_78266424-bb23-11ee-9685-ef0be65664e9.html Save to Pocket
30 years for leader of drug organization
date: 2024-01-25, from: Guam Daily Post
A leader of a drug organization was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/30-years-for-leader-of-drug-organization/article_6cac7f74-bb10-11ee-8bb4-2f6cf070355a.html Save to Pocket
Camacho pleads not guilty
date: 2024-01-25, from: Guam Daily Post
The man suspected of being the getaway driver in the robbery and fatal shooting of a Korean tourist pleaded not guilty to charges in the case.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/camacho-pleads-not-guilty/article_4041ef6e-bb38-11ee-9981-4b8c0bc9cf03.html Save to Pocket
Man faces 32 years for theft by deception while on felony release
date: 2024-01-25, from: Guam Daily Post
A man was found guilty of stealing $1,400 from an 83-year-old man.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/man-faces-32-years-for-theft-by-deception-while-on-felony-release/article_bb519394-ba5c-11ee-b7ee-8b96559e9d63.html Save to Pocket
GFD responds to auto parts and debris fire in Harmon junkyard
date: 2024-01-25, from: Guam Daily Post
The Guam Fire Department responded Wednesday to a report of burning auto parts and debris.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/gfd-responds-to-auto-parts-and-debris-fire-in-harmon-junkyard/article_23f8766c-bb19-11ee-a2d4-9b4aeed84dd1.html Save to Pocket
Project Pele officials on Guam
date: 2024-01-25, from: Guam Daily Post
Project Pele officials are on Guam as part of a research tour to learn about different power situations and needs at various locations, as well as local concerns and issues, to help the Department of Defense determine whether mobile nuclear…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/project-pele-officials-on-guam/article_52aadd7a-bb36-11ee-b551-7bfd9b181570.html Save to Pocket
GPA procurement bill fails to move forward, Legislature to vote Friday
date: 2024-01-25, from: Guam Daily Post
Bill 201-37, the measure that would waive certain procurement requirements to facilitate the maintenance and operation of specific Guam Power Authority diesel units, failed to make the voting file on Wednesday.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/gpa-procurement-bill-fails-to-move-forward-legislature-to-vote-friday/article_7ec877ec-bb1c-11ee-a2cd-3f9ae508d40a.html Save to Pocket
Shrinking Moon Causing Moonquakes and Faults Near Lunar South Pole
date: 2024-01-25, from: NASA breaking news
As NASA continues to make progress toward sending astronauts to the lunar South Pole region with its Artemis campaign, data from a NASA-funded study is helping scientists better understand this strategic part of the Moon. The study presents evidence that moonquakes and faults generated as the Moon’s interior gradually cools and shrinks are also found […]
https://www.nasa.gov/earth/moon/shrinking-moon-causing-moonquakes-and-faults-near-lunar-south-pole/ Save to Pocket
Dragging Bay Area home sales sink to 15-year low in 2023
date: 2024-01-25, from: San Jose Mercury News
The pandemic-era housing market frenzy came to a definitive halt in the face of increasing mortgage rates and tight supply.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/25/dragging-bay-area-home-sales-sink-to-15-year-low-in-2023/ Save to Pocket
The Biden Administration Just Made One of Its Most Important Climate Decisions
date: 2024-01-25, from: Distilled Earth blog
Biden is planning to announce a moratorium on new LNG projects. Here’s why that’s such a big deal.
https://www.distilled.earth/p/the-biden-administration-just-made Save to Pocket
US economy grew at a surprisingly strong 3.3% pace last quarter, pointing to continued resilience
date: 2024-01-25, from: San Jose Mercury News
The state of the economy is sure to weigh on people’s minds ahead of the November elections. After an extended period of gloom, Americans are starting to feel somewhat better about inflation and the economy.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/25/us-economy-grew-at-a-surprisingly-strong-3-3-pace-last-quarter-pointing-to-continued-resilience/ Save to Pocket
Peninsula man sentenced to life in prison for 2018 murder
date: 2024-01-25, from: San Jose Mercury News
Luis Alberto Diazlopez was shot to death and robbed at a turnout on Highway 1.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/25/peninsula-man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-2018-murder/ Save to Pocket
A safe place to park
date: 2024-01-25, from: Marketplace Morning Report
On Thursday, House lawmakers will unveil a bipartisan bill that will fund safe places to park for people who are living in their vehicles. New Beginnings, a California nonprofit that pioneered the program, says in addition to an influx of families with young children, senior citizens make up half of their safe parking enrollees. We’ll also hear about researchers using satellite radar data to assess the scale of damage done by Israeli forces in Gaza.
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/a-safe-place-to-park Save to Pocket
Fucare Scorpio review: A fun fat tire electric bike with moto-style suspension
date: 2024-01-25, from: Electrek Feed
As electric fat tire e-bikes become increasingly popular, more designers are getting creative with their suspension setups to differentiate themselves from the sea of other e-bikes out there. Now, the Fucare Scorpio takes a classic dual rear suspension design and applies it in a unique way to electric bicycles.
And it raises the question: Can you have too much suspension?
https://electrek.co/2024/01/25/fucare-scorpio-review-a-fun-fat-tire-electric-bike-with-moto-style-suspension/ Save to Pocket
40 Years Ago: President Reagan Directs NASA to Build a Space Station
date: 2024-01-25, from: NASA breaking news
On Jan. 25, 1984, President Ronald W. Reagan directed NASA to build a permanently inhabited Earth orbiting space station within a decade. The President’s announcement turned years of NASA studies into a real program. As originally envisioned, the modular space station would use the space shuttle for assembly and serve as a microgravity research laboratory […]
https://www.nasa.gov/history/40-years-ago-president-reagan-directs-nasa-to-build-a-space-station/ Save to Pocket
The Rising Threat of Really Big Waves
date: 2024-01-25, from: Heatmap News
Current conditions: Colombia declared a natural disaster after unrelenting wildfires • Tropical Cyclone Kirrily poses a unique risk to Australia due to the storm’s “irregular shape” • Washington, D.C., could hit 70 degrees Fahrenheit in January for the first time in four years.
THE TOP FIVE
- Report: Biden delaying approval of major LNG export terminal
The Biden administration has delayed approval of 17 new
facilities for the export of liquified natural gas (LNG), according to a
New York Times
report.
Officials are instead asking the Department of Energy to widen its
review of the first of these 17 — known as Calcasieu Pass 2, or CP2 — to
include effects on the global climate. Heatmap reached out to
the White House and got a “no comment” in response. Such a decision, if
confirmed, would be seen as a win for climate advocates who oppose the
terminals due to their potential environmental toll: At least one
analysis shows that, if all 17 export terminals were to be approved, the
emissions related to the fuel that would flow through them would exceed
the annual greenhouse gas emissions of the entire European Union. “Um, I
think we all just won,”
wrote
Bill McKibben, who is perhaps the project’s staunchest foe.
Republicans would likely oppose the decision, and some already accuse
President Biden of waging a war on affordable domestic energy. “What was
never in question is that this would be a major campaign issue, no
matter what Biden did,”
wrote
Heatmap’s Jillian Goodman. “It looks like he has cast his bet
in favor of the climate crowd.”
- Tesla reports underwhelming Q4 results
Tesla reported
fourth
quarter results yesterday, with earnings and revenue that missed
expectations. Earnings per share came in at $0.71, slightly below Wall
Street’s estimates. Revenue hit $25.17 billion, which was up 3% from a
year earlier, but marked the slowest growth rate in more than three
years. And CEO Elon Musk tempered expectations about the year ahead,
saying sales growth would be “notably lower.” He confirmed plans to
start production of a next-generation
“Redwood”
EV – likely to be cheaper than existing models – in 2025, but indicated
this wouldn’t happen until late in the year.
The update
likely did little to
ease
investors’ concerns about the company’s footing in the shifting EV
landscape: Demand for EVs is still growing but at a slower pace than
before, and competition is heating up at home and abroad. China’s BYD
overtook Tesla at the end of last year as the world’s top-selling EV
maker. During the earnings call, Musk took the opportunity to call for
trade barriers, warning that without them, Chinese rivals “will pretty
much demolish most other car companies in the world.”
- Extreme waves bring chaos and flooding to Marshall Islands
A terrifying weather video has been making the rounds this week. Perhaps you’ve seen it? Freak waves burst through the glass doors of a restaurant on a U.S. military base in the Marshall Islands, flooding the building and sweeping people away. Here’s a quick still from the video, but it’s worth watching the whole thing to get a sense of the sheer force of the water as it slams into bodies.
storyful/worldmaverick
The Marshall Islands are “at the very front lines of climate change,” reported ABC News, and one expert told the outlet that so-called extreme waves like these could become more common as sea levels rise. A separate study earlier this month found that storm waves hitting the Americas today are 80% bigger than they were 40 years ago. “Coastal towns and vessels urgently need to prepare better defenses – especially in the Americas – to avoid damage from these extreme waves,” said tropical storm expert Dr. Xiangbo Feng, who co-authored the study.
- Dengue cases soar in South America
In October of last year, scientists from the World Health Organization warned that cases of dengue fever would “take off” in the next decade as climate change accelerates. That timeline may have been far too conservative. Already cases of the mosquito-borne illness are rising dramatically in South America, Reuters reported. Argentina recorded more than 12,500 cases last month and stores are running out of bug spray. In Brazil, cases more than doubled in the first week of January compared to last year. Hospitals in Paraguay have set up night clinics to deal with a surge in patients. Dengue is often asymptomatic but can cause terrible joint pain in some patients and more than 35,000 people die from infections each year. “Climate change has expanded the range for mosquitoes to breed,” explained Thais dos Santos from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). A mass vaccination program is underway in Brazil.
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- New Jersey approves 2 new offshore wind projects
New Jersey approved two offshore wind projects yesterday, just three months after Orsted delivered a major blow to the state’s clean power ambitions by canceling two major contracts. The new projects would produce about 3,470 megawatts of electricity, power about 1.8 million homes, and bring $6.8 billion in economic benefits. But the clean energy would come at a cost for customers: The average residential bill would go up by about $7 per month, according to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. The operators of one of the projects promised to provide direct assistance to some low-income households to offset the increase. The wind farms are expected to start providing power to the grid by 2032.
THE KICKER
IKEA has updated its emissions-cutting targets for 2030. The previous goal was to reduce emissions by 15% from 2016 levels. The new goal is to cut emissions in half.
https://heatmap.news/climate/marshall-islands-extreme-wave Save to Pocket
a note on plagiarism
date: 2024-01-25, from: Ayjay blog
The Claudine Gay plagiarism scandal — or, depending on your point of view, “plagiarism” scandal — has me thinking about How We Write Today. John McWhorter has recently written that there really is a meaningful distinction between plagiarism and “duplicative language,” and I suppose there often is, but it’s all because of technology, innit? That […]
https://blog.ayjay.org/a-note-on-plagiarism/ Save to Pocket
IBM talks up cost savings, including ‘workforce rebalancing’
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Real estate consolidation, ‘productivity initiatives’ mean Big Blue is upping annual savings target to $3B
IBM is recasting its ambitions for annual run rate cost savings by upping the target by another $1 billion, and will pull multiple levers to get there – including completion of the Weather Company’s asset and job cuts.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/ibm_q4/ Save to Pocket
Biden vetoes Republican block on $7.5 billion EV infrastructure plan
date: 2024-01-25, from: Electrek Feed
Republicans, and a couple of Democrats, have been pushing back on President Biden’s $7.5 billion plan to extensively build out EV infrastructure in the US by focusing on a short-term waiver that allows federally subsidized EV chargers to include materials from China. No can do, say Republicans aiming to block the waiver – but Biden exercised his veto power, for now at least.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/25/biden-vetoes-republican-block-on-7-5-billion-ev-infrastructure-plan/ Save to Pocket
PUC approves rate increase
date: 2024-01-25, from: Guam Daily Post
The Public Utilities Commission has decided to increase the Levelized Energy Adjustment Clause, the portion of the power bill that pays for fuel. Beginning in February and lasting through July, unless changed earlier, the LEAC will go up to about…
https://www.postguam.com/news/puc-approves-rate-increase/article_9058e522-bb36-11ee-9cf6-f3220f4f5554.html Save to Pocket
CSU Faculty Say Students Need More Counselors. Will The New Bargaining Agreement Help?
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The LAist
While mental health counselors will see an increase in pay, their demands for increased hiring of tenure-track faculty was not included in the agreement.
https://laist.com/news/education/csu-strike-cal-state-counselors-faculty-want-more-support Save to Pocket
LA County Leaders Advance Proposal That Could Require AC In Rental Housing
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The LAist
A final vote on requiring air conditioning in L.A. apartments is still months away. But local landlord groups have begun fighting the idea.
https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/los-angeles-cooling-air-conditioning-extreme-heat-renter-landlord-tenant-requirement-climate-change-housing Save to Pocket
How Can California Get Everyone Online? Final Call To Add Your Voice
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The LAist
As the state finalizes its multi-billion dollar Digital Equity Plan, Thursday is the last day for public comment
https://laist.com/news/how-can-california-get-everyone-online-final-call-to-add-your-voice Save to Pocket
Top-tier IT talent doesn’t stick around in ‘mid-market’ organizations
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Though that might be the least of their worries, according to this report
Despite the specter of IT layoffs, top talent has no difficulty switching employers, according to new research by integrator Advania.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/report_midmarket_organizations/ Save to Pocket
2024 Porsche Macan: A Daring Electric Redesign With 630 HP, More Range Than Taycan
date: 2024-01-25, from: Inside EVs News
With rear-axle steering, new-generation software, and more power and range, the second-gen Macan brings plenty to the table.
https://insideevs.com/news/705983/2024-porsche-macan-electric-features-prices/ Save to Pocket
The shipping industry tallies the cost of Red Sea tensions
date: 2024-01-25, from: Marketplace Morning Report
From the BBC World Service: Major shipping companies including Maersk and DP World are having to re-route vessels and are predicting extended delays in shipments — the European market and the East Coast are worst affected. Plus, millions of people around the world will be celebrating the birthday today of one of Scotland’s most iconic cultural icons: the poet Robert Burns. This year, the Scottish government aims to use the celebrations to open up economic opportunities.
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/shipping-counts-the-costs-of-red-sea-tensions Save to Pocket
See 11 Winning Images From the Close-Up Photographer of the Year Awards
date: 2024-01-25, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Focused on little details of animals and plants, these stunning shots spotlight the world’s tiny wonders
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-11-winning-images-from-the-close-up-photographer-of-the-year-awards-180983630/ Save to Pocket
Quantum Computing Skeptics
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-19, from: Bruce Schneier blog
Interesting article. I am also skeptical that we are going to see useful quantum computers anytime soon. Since at least 2019, I have been saying that this is hard. And that we don’t know if it’s “land a person on the surface of the moon” hard, or “land a person on the surface of the sun” hard. They’re both hard, but very different.
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2024/01/quantum-computing-skeptics.html Save to Pocket
Jim de Bree | How Presidents Can Impact the Economy
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Signal
Part 2 of 3. Part 1 appeared Jan. 18. This is the second column in a three-part series discussing the factors that control the economy and the role that the president plays in steering the economy. There are several principles at play that must be understood — monetary policy, fiscal policy, fiscal lag and the […]
The post Jim de Bree | How Presidents Can Impact the Economy appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/jim-de-bree-how-presidents-can-impact-the-economy/ Save to Pocket
Arthur Saginian | Miracle on the Opinion Page
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Signal
Every now and then I witness or experience what I consider to be a miracle — something that I either cannot explain or never thought could happen. Well, I experienced a miracle while reading the letter submitted by Christopher Lucero, “Hyperbole Reigns Supreme,” Dec. 5. I not only understood everything Mr. Lucero wrote, I actually […]
The post Arthur Saginian | Miracle on the Opinion Page appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/arthur-saginian-miracle-on-the-opinion-page/ Save to Pocket
Richard Castallo | Heated Up Over Fire Inspection Fees
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Signal
Re: Fire inspection fees. Has anyone noticed the increase in the price of food over the past couple of years? How about gas? Have you received a notice from your insurance company, like I did, letting me know my homeowners insurance is going up 150%? How about something as simple as drinking water? I used […]
The post Richard Castallo | Heated Up Over Fire Inspection Fees appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/richard-castallo-heated-up-over-fire-inspection-fees/ Save to Pocket
UK Civil Aviation Authority ponders vertiports for flying taxis
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
eVTOL to use existing aerodrome infrastructure
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is looking at design proposals for vertiports at existing aerodromes as the UK begins deliberation over the potential arrival of air taxis.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/uk_civil_aviation_authority_ponders/ Save to Pocket
Trump Becoming Biggest Obstacle to Border Deal to Fund Ukraine, Israel
date: 2024-01-25, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-becoming-biggest-obstacle-to-border-deal-to-fund-ukraine-israel/7455908.html Save to Pocket
Psst … wanna jailbreak ChatGPT? Thousands of malicious prompts for sale
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Turns out it’s pretty easy to make the model jump its own guardrails
Criminals are getting increasingly adept at crafting malicious AI prompts to get data out of ChatGPT, according to Kaspersky, which spotted 249 of these being offered for sale online during 2023.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/dark_web_chatgpt/ Save to Pocket
Trump Becoming Biggest Obstacle to Border Deal to Fund Ukraine, Israel
date: 2024-01-25, from: VOA News USA
Former President Donald Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, is threatening to torpedo a deal that would free up $106 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and tighten immigration rules that the White House and senators from both parties have worked on for months. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports.
https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-becoming-biggest-obstacle-to-border-deal-to-fund-ukraine-israel-/7456407.html Save to Pocket
Cadillac Celestiq will buy you a whole lot of opulence for $340K – take a look
date: 2024-01-25, from: Electrek Feed
Lovers of sleek, luxurious, and insanely expensive cars, you’ve now got an American-made EV equivalent in the form of Cadillac Celestiq. General Motors just announced that it has finally started production at its factory in Michigan, but only in very limited numbers, of course. Here’s what that eye-watering starting price of $340,000 will buy you.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/25/cadillac-celestiq-will-buy-you-a-whole-lot-of-opulence-for-340k-take-a-look/ Save to Pocket
Apple’s Vision Pro costs big bucks to buy and repair … just don’t mention the box design
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Still, up to 180,000 units sold under pre-order and China gray market prepping locals
The old joke among less experienced tech product reviewers is that writing the review starts with opening the box. In the case of Apple’s Vision Pro, critics are finding that the, er, box lacks the aestethics that a buyer might expect given the hefty price tag.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/apple_vision_pro_china/ Save to Pocket
Solar photography with OneInchEye | The MagPi #138
date: 2024-01-25, from: Raspberry Pi News (.com)
Will Whang designed his own lens for his Raspberry Pi solar photography endeavours. In the latest issue of The MagPi, Rosie Hattersley eyes it up.
The post Solar photography with OneInchEye | The MagPi #138 appeared first on Raspberry Pi.
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/solar-photography-with-oneincheye-the-magpi-138/ Save to Pocket
Hilo, KS-Hawai‘i win girls BIIF soccer titles
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The BIIF girls soccer postseason came to an explosive end, as Hilo High defeated Waiakea High 3-1 and Kamehameha Schools - Hawai‘i beat Hawaii Prep 3-1 in the Central Pacific Bank BIIF championship on Wednesday afternoon at Ken Yamase Memorial Stadium.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/sports/hilo-ks-hawaii-win-girls-biif-soccer-titles/ Save to Pocket
Harbaugh returning to NFL to coach Chargers after leading Michigan to national title
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Jim Harbaugh was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers on Wednesday, leaving Michigan after capping his ninth season as coach of college football’s winningest program with the school’s first national championship since 1997.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/sports/harbaugh-returning-to-nfl-to-coach-chargers-after-leading-michigan-to-national-title/ Save to Pocket
Grant Hill explains the decision surrounding Draymond Green’s omission from the Olympic pool
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>(AP) — USA Basketball says it wants the best for Draymond Green, which is why the federation does not have him in its plans for the Paris Olympics. </p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/sports/grant-hill-explains-the-decision-surrounding-draymond-greens-omission-from-the-olympic-pool/ Save to Pocket
Joe Barry is out as Packers defensive coordinator after 3 seasons
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Joe Barry is out as the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator after a turbulent third season on the job that ended with a loss in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs. </p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/sports/joe-barry-is-out-as-packers-defensive-coordinator-after-3-seasons/ Save to Pocket
Vulcan split home doubleheader against PLNU
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>UH-Hilo’s men’s and women’s basketball teams split a home doubleheader against Point Loma on Tuesday at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/sports/vulcan-split-home-doubleheader-against-plnu/ Save to Pocket
Boys sports late seasons continue as girls enter playoffs
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>With a week remaining in the regular season, schools from across the island continued a strong push in Tuesday’s Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) boys basketball and soccer games. As of Wednesday afternoon, Hilo basketball leads Division I at 9-1, while Kohala remains in DII’s driver’s seat at 8-0. Over in soccer, Kealakehe boys lead DI at 7-1-0 (21 points) while KS-Hawai‘i is in first in DII at 9-0-0 (27 points).</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/sports/boys-sports-late-seasons-continue-as-girls-enter-playoffs/ Save to Pocket
Dave Reardon: San Jose State building a case as UH’s new football rival
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>It wasn’t mutual, but until a year or two after the turn of the millennium the University of Hawaii’s rival in football was clear.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/sports/dave-reardon-san-jose-state-building-a-case-as-uhs-new-football-rival/ Save to Pocket
HKRA holds penultimate rodeo for 2023-24 season
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The Hawai‘i Keiki Rodeo Association held its second-to-last rodeo of the 2023-24 season on Saturday at the Pana‘ewa rodeo grounds.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/sports/hkra-holds-penultimate-rodeo-for-2023-24-season/ Save to Pocket
The primaries have just begun. But Trump and Biden are already shifting to a November mindset
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>NEW YORK — Barely 400,000 votes have been cast in two rural Republican primaries over the span of eight days. But both Donald Trump and Joe Biden are behaving like their parties’ nominees already.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/nation-world-news/the-primaries-have-just-begun-but-trump-and-biden-are-already-shifting-to-a-november-mindset/ Save to Pocket
Americans’ economic outlook brightens as inflation slows and wages outpace prices
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>WASHINGTON — After an extended period of gloom, Americans are starting to feel better about inflation and the economy — a trend that could sustain consumer spending, fuel economic growth and potentially affect President Joe Biden’s political fortunes.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/nation-world-news/americans-economic-outlook-brightens-as-inflation-slows-and-wages-outpace-prices/ Save to Pocket
Dozens express strong opposition to County Council’s short-term rental measure
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>A proposal to rewrite how Hawaii County regulates short-term vacation rentals led to hours of backlash from residents accusing the County Council of overreach.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/hawaii-news/dozens-express-strong-opposition-to-county-councils-short-term-rental-measure/ Save to Pocket
DHHL ramps up homestead development
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>A Native Hawaiian homestead development pipeline has swelled to about 6,000 lots costing $1.2 billion midway into a three-year effort to use a historic $600 million appropriation from the state Legislature in 2022.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/hawaii-news/dhhl-ramps-up-homestead-development/ Save to Pocket
Lily Gladstone’s path from Seattle theater to an Oscar nomination
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Success takes years, sometimes decades.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/nation-world-news/lily-gladstones-path-from-seattle-theater-to-an-oscar-nomination/ Save to Pocket
Celebration of life Saturday for former Mayor Kenoi
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The Billy Kenoi ‘ohana will be hosting a celebration of life in honor of the late former Hawaii County mayor.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/hawaii-news/celebration-of-life-saturday-for-former-mayor-kenoi/ Save to Pocket
State to get $74.6M to fix Nanue, Hakalau bridges
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Hawaii will receive $74.6 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the rehabilitation of the Nanue and Hakalau bridges on Hawaii Island.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/hawaii-news/state-to-get-74-6m-to-fix-nanue-hakalau-bridges/ Save to Pocket
Obituaries for Jan. 25
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Richard Scott Gribbin, 77, of Hilo, died Jan. 15 at Hilo Medical Center. Born in Trenton, N.J., he was a quality control manager with Jas. W. Glover, Ltd. Prayer service to be held at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Honomu, with funeral service at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 30 at the same location. Final internment to take place at a later date. Casual attire, no flowers. Survived by wife Barbara of the Big Island, daughters Mary and Melanie of California, brother Jon of New Jersey, and three grandsons. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/obituaries/obituaries-for-jan-25/ Save to Pocket
North Korea appears to demolish ‘reunification arch’ as Kim Jong Un turns against ties with South
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea appears to have torn down a huge arch in its capital that symbolized reconciliation with South Korea, a week after leader Kim Jong Un dismissed decades of hopes for peaceful reunification with the war-divided peninsula’s south, according to satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press on Wednesday.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/nation-world-news/north-korea-appears-to-demolish-reunification-arch-as-kim-jong-un-turns-against-ties-with-south/ Save to Pocket
Russia says a plane with Ukrainian POWs crashes, killing all aboard, and accuses Kyiv of downing it
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>A Russian military transport plane crashed Wednesday in a border region near Ukraine, and Moscow accused Kyiv of shooting it down, saying all 74 people aboard were killed, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war headed for a swap. Russia offered no evidence and Ukraine didn’t immediately confirm or deny it.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/nation-world-news/russia-says-a-plane-with-ukrainian-pows-crashes-killing-all-aboard-and-accuses-kyiv-of-downing-it/ Save to Pocket
Thousands still shelter in freezing weather after 7.1 quake in western China killed key livestock
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>UCHTURPAN, China — Aftershocks from a magnitude 7.1 earthquake continued to rock western China on Wednesday, while more than 12,000 displaced people relying on tents and shelters lit bonfires to fend off freezing weather.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/nation-world-news/thousands-still-shelter-in-freezing-weather-after-7-1-quake-in-western-china-killed-key-livestock/ Save to Pocket
Washington state reaches a nearly $150 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson over opioid crisis
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington state attorney general announced a $149.5 million settlement Wednesday with drugmaker Johnson &Johnson, more than four years after the state sued the company over its role fueling the opioid addiction crisis.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/nation-world-news/washington-state-reaches-a-nearly-150-million-settlement-with-johnson-johnson-over-opioid-crisis/ Save to Pocket
Trump could testify Thursday in Carroll NYC defamation trial after COVID scares
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case against Donald Trump was off again Wednesday after the court canceled another’s days proceedings following a set of COVID scares, opening up the possibility of Trump taking the stand Thursday.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/nation-world-news/trump-could-testify-thursday-in-carroll-nyc-defamation-trial-after-covid-scares/ Save to Pocket
Boeing, not Spirit, mis-installed piece that blew off Alaska Max 9 jet, industry source says
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The fuselage panel that blew off an Alaska Airlines jet earlier this month was removed for repair then reinstalled improperly by Boeing mechanics on the Renton, Washington, final assembly line, a person familiar with the details of the work told The Seattle Times.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/nation-world-news/boeing-not-spirit-mis-installed-piece-that-blew-off-alaska-max-9-jet-industry-source-says/ Save to Pocket
Your Views for January 25
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Calling attention to
Kona traffic hazard</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/opinion/your-views-for-january-25-3/ Save to Pocket
Texas can’t make border rules: Gov. Greg Abbott must obey federal law
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>In a short order issued Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to overturn an injunction that had prevented Customs and Border Protection from removing concertina wire set by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott as part of his long-running effort to build a parallel border enforcement infrastructure. That’s good news.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/opinion/texas-cant-make-border-rules-gov-greg-abbott-must-obey-federal-law/ Save to Pocket
Hawaii charter schools get new leader
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The state Public Charter School Commission, which oversees Hawaii’s 37 public charter schools, finally has a permanent executive director after having been without one since 2020.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/hawaii-news/hawaii-charter-schools-get-new-leader/ Save to Pocket
Judge in a bribery case against Honolulu’s former top prosecutor is suddenly recusing himself
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>HONOLULU — A month before the start of a bribery trial against Honolulu’s former top prosecutor, the judge who has been presiding over the case since 2022 unexpectedly recused himself.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/hawaii-news/judge-in-a-bribery-case-against-honolulus-former-top-prosecutor-is-suddenly-recusing-himself/ Save to Pocket
Crowds in India’s northeast cheer bird and buffalo fights, back after 9-year ban
date: 2024-01-25, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>GUWAHATI, India (AP) — The tiny birds entered the ring as nearly 3,000 spectators applauded, some standing on trucks for a better view, while others clung to branches in trees.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/25/nation-world-news/crowds-in-indias-northeast-cheer-bird-and-buffalo-fights-back-after-9-year-ban/ Save to Pocket
Wanna know Trump’s running mate?
date: 2024-01-25, from: Robert Reich on Substack
She checks all the awful boxes
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/wanna-know-trumps-running-mate Save to Pocket
Marsha McLean | The Importance of Emergency Preparedness in the New Year
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Signal
As someone who experienced the 1994 earthquake at our home in Santa Clarita, and as someone who participated in the city’s inaugural Emergency Preparedness Program (SECURE) as a trainer, I can attest to how valuable it was to be prepared for a disaster. We are embarking on a new year filled with hope and aspirations, […]
The post Marsha McLean | The Importance of Emergency Preparedness in the New Year appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/marsha-mclean-the-importance-of-emergency-preparedness-in-the-new-year/ Save to Pocket
Firefox 122 gets even more competitive with Chrome on translation
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Plus a big change for Linux folks – native .deb packages
The latest Firefox has a raft of modest but desirable improvements for everyone, and a more significant change, external to the app itself, that will be helpful for most Linux users.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/firefox_122_is_out/ Save to Pocket
Coming: a curl distros meeting
date: 2024-01-25, from: Daniel Stenberg Blog
The curl project arranges a two hour video conference meeting on March 21, 2024, with the aim of getting together people from curl and persons packaging curl for distributions. Linux distros and others. If you distribute curl to your users, consider yourself invited! The main purpose is to improve curl and how curl is shipped … Continue reading Coming: a curl distros meeting
https://daniel.haxx.se/blog/2024/01/25/coming-a-curl-distros-meeting/ Save to Pocket
US Delegation Affirms Bipartisan Support for Taiwan During Visit
date: 2024-01-25, from: VOA News USA
TAIPEI, Taiwan — A bipartisan delegation from the U.S. Congress reaffirmed support for Taiwan during a visit Thursday, following the election of its new president. The delegation’s visit is the first from U.S. lawmakers to the island since the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party won a third-straight term in the January 13 presidential election.
China, America’s chief competitor for global influence, claims Taiwan as its own territory and threatens to use force to bring the self-ruling island under its control. Beijing strongly condemned Lai Ching-te’s election and appears set to continue its policy of refusing to engage with the island’s government — a practice that’s been in place since Tsai Ing-wen’s election in 2016.
“The support of the United States for Taiwan is firm. It’s real, and it is 100% bipartisan,” U.S. Representative Mario Díaz Balart said.
Balart, a Florida Republican, was joined by California Democrat Ami Bera.
“In the 21st century, there’s no place for aggressive action. We have to learn to live together, to trade together, to work together, to solve problems together,” Bera said.
“Just know that we are proud of the people of Taiwan. We are proud of the relationship and as strong as that relationship has always been. That is assured. It will even be stronger,” Balart said.
“So, we look forward to working together to continue to protect the peace, prosperity (and) the future of Taiwan. It’s up to people of Taiwan,” Bera said.
President-elect Lai thanked the visiting co-chairs of the U.S. Congressional Taiwan Caucus for their visit, saying that “today’s Taiwan is a Taiwan of the world.”
“Moving forward, I will work with Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim to build upon the foundation laid by President Tsai to unite the people of Taiwan, strengthen social resilience and continue to defend the cross-strait status quo of peace and stability.”
The president-elect also touched on continued military assistance from the U.S. and a proposed agreement to avoid mutual taxation of companies.
Beijing objects to any form of official contact between the U.S. and Taiwan. In 2022, it responded to a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with some of its largest military maneuvers in years, including missile launches and a simulated blockade of the island. It views visits by foreign government officials as a recognition of the island’s sovereignty.
President Joe Biden, seeking to calm that complaint, insists there’s no change in America’s longstanding “One-China” policy, which recognizes Beijing as representing China but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.
Washington cut formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 in order to recognize China, but U.S. law requires it to ensure the island has the ability to defend itself. That has translated into a heavy reliance on U.S. military hardware and a law saying that Washington must treat threats against the island as a matter of “grave concern.”
China regularly sends warplanes and navy ships to intimidate and harass Taiwan, with 18 planes and six ships operating near the island in the 24 hours before 6 a.m. Thursday. Another three Chinese balloons were recorded as crossing the island, although it remains unclear if they have a military or intelligence gathering purpose.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-delegation-affirms-bipartisan-support-for-taiwan-during-visit-/7456529.html Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-25, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Melanie, ‘Brand New Key’ Singer Who Played Woodstock, Dies at 76.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/24/arts/music/melanie-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QU0.r86u.bspqub4uAPsz&smid=url-share Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-25, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Melanie, who performed at Woodstock in 1969 and was sampled by the Hilltop Hoods, has died.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-25/melanie-dead-woodstock-hilltop-hoods/103389396 Save to Pocket
Classifieds – January 25, 2024
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The Daily Trojan features Classified advertising in each day’s edition. Here you can read, search, and even print out each day’s edition of the Classifieds.
The post Classifieds – January 25, 2024 appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/25/classifieds-january-25-2024/ Save to Pocket
Amazon Ring sounds death knell for surveillance as a service
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Tough luck non-Americans, the cops can still see your footage
Surveillance doorbell maker Amazon Ring on Wednesday announced it is discontinuing an option that allowed law enforcement agencies to request video footage without a warrant.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/amazon_ring_sounds_death_knell/ Save to Pocket
Today in SCV History (Jan. 25)
date: 2024-01-25, from: SCV New (TV Station)
1915 – Death of pre-Mentry oilman and San Francisquito vintner Ramon Perea [story
https://scvnews.com/today-in-scv-history-16/ Save to Pocket
An Overview of 2023’s Local Real Estate Market
date: 2024-01-25, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
A detailed look at the factors affecting our local residential real estate market.
The post An Overview of 2023’s Local Real Estate Market appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/25/an-overview-of-2023s-local-real-estate-market/ Save to Pocket
Dreaming of Oil in Cuyama, Next to Harvard’s Grapes
date: 2024-01-25, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
A Michigan-based company wants to drill an exploratory well two miles deep.
The post Dreaming of Oil in Cuyama, Next to Harvard’s Grapes appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/25/dreaming-of-oil-in-cuyama-next-to-harvards-grapes/ Save to Pocket
Live Free or Die: Primary survival
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Trump won Iowa and New Hampshire, and everyone else lost (their minds).
The post Live Free or Die: Primary survival appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/25/live-free-or-die-primary-survival/ Save to Pocket
The Cleveland Summit blueprinted athlete activism
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar set the precedent for athletes making a change off the fields and courts.
The post The Cleveland Summit blueprinted athlete activism appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/25/198711/ Save to Pocket
Anticipated video games launching in February
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Kick off the new year with these upcoming impressive interactive blockbusters.
The post Anticipated video games launching in February appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/25/anticipated-video-games-launching-in-february/ Save to Pocket
110 closures to disrupt weekend travel
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Various ramp and roadway closures will likely affect traffic around weekend events at USC and the surrounding area.
The post 110 closures to disrupt weekend travel appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/25/110-closures-to-disrupt-weekend-travel/ Save to Pocket
The power of a comfort show
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
BBC’s “Ghosts” has helped keep me sane with lighthearted and lovable fun.
The post The power of a comfort show appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/25/the-power-of-a-comfort-show/ Save to Pocket
Months of layoffs and controversy unearth old concerns, anxieties in some journalism students
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The Israel-Hamas war has drawn students’ attention to the challenges of the journalism industry.
The post Months of layoffs and controversy unearth old concerns, anxieties in some journalism students appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/25/months-of-layoffs-and-controversy-unearth-old-concerns-anxieties-in-some-journalism-students/ Save to Pocket
USC women’s basketball welcomes Washington schools
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
After a rough 0-2 trip to the Rockies, the Trojans prepare for a lighter homestand.
The post USC women’s basketball welcomes Washington schools appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/25/198681/ Save to Pocket
USC must spread awareness about the opioid epidemic
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The opioid epidemic can only be effectively addressed by awareness and education.
The post USC must spread awareness about the opioid epidemic appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/25/usc-must-spread-awareness-about-the-opioid-epidemic/ Save to Pocket
Wait, hold on, everyone – Mozilla thinks Apple, Google, Microsoft should play fair
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Firefox maker about five years too late
Mozilla has decided to be more vocal about the ways in which Apple, Google, and Microsoft set technical requirements that have hindered development of its Firefox web browser, and therefore harmed competition.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/mozilla_apple_google_browser_wars/ Save to Pocket
Suzuki’s GSX-8R And GSX-8S Homologated For MotoAmerica Twins Cup
date: 2024-01-25, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
Suzuki’s parallel-twin-powered middleweight platform joins the likes of the Aprilia RS 660 and Yamaha YZF-R7.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/705994/suzuki-gsx8r-gsx8s-motoamerica-twins-cup/ Save to Pocket
Gates Foundation Chief Calls on Billionaires to Give More and Soon
date: 2024-01-25, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/gates-foundation-chief-calls-on-billionaires-to-give-more-and-soon/7456492.html Save to Pocket
Boys Basketball Roundup: San Marcos Holds Off Rival Dos Pueblos
date: 2024-01-25, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
San Marcos completes the season sweep of Dos Pueblos.
The post Boys Basketball Roundup: San Marcos Holds Off Rival Dos Pueblos appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/24/boys-basketball-roundup-san-marcos-holds-off-rival-dos-pueblos/ Save to Pocket
IBM Cloud is upgrading a datacenter and users will have to halt their Power VMs
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Big Blue will move two VMs in each five-hour window offered to those willing to stay
IBM Cloud has advised customers who run Power Systems Virtual Servers in its Toronto Canada (TOR01) datacenter of an upgrade to the facility, and outlined a not-so-cloudy process for tenants who make the move.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/ibm_cloud_toronto_migration/ Save to Pocket
January 24, 2024
date: 2024-01-25, from: Heather Cox Richardson blog
The dust is beginning to settle after last night’s New Hampshire primary. Former president Donald Trump won the Republican primary with 54.3% of the vote, netting him 12 delegates to the Republican National Convention. Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley came in second with 43.3% of the vote, garnering her 9 delegates. Other candidates together took 2.3%, but none of them won any delegates.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-24-2024 Save to Pocket
Concerns Over US Support of Israel Hang Over 2024 Poll
date: 2024-01-25, from: VOA News USA
washington/nashua, new hampshire — The burning conflict in Gaza has lit a spark under untold numbers of American voters, and put extra heat on U.S. President Joe Biden’s reelection bid. Protesters have interrupted his recent campaign appearances to express their anger over his support of Israel’s military campaign.
On Wednesday, protesters briefly disrupted a labor union event where Biden was speaking. During a Tuesday rally focused on abortion access, 14 protesters shouted through most of Biden’s speech in Manassas, Virginia. The interruptions clearly frustrated the president.
“This is going to go on for a while,” Biden said. “They have got this planned.”
That protest was organized by Die-In For Humanity, a 700-member strong protest group that has made nearly 100 appearances at Biden events, the U.S. Capitol, outside administration members’ homes, outside the Israeli Embassy, and at January’s protest in Washington.
“I think the majority of people are not OK with American tax dollars being used to commit atrocities overseas,” Hazami Barmada, the group’s lead organizer, told VOA. She was among the protesters escorted out of Tuesday’s event.
“We’re seeing a shift in the tide in the United States with complete rejection — in essence — of Biden,” said Barmada. “…what we’re saying is that you’re not going to get the vote of the American community when you constantly continue to disregard the voices of the Arab American community that are saying stop the injustice and the atrocities in Gaza.”
The White House said Wednesday the president supports Americans’ right to peacefully protest.
“He also believes it’s really important that Israel have the right and the ability to continue to defend themselves against — which is … what is clearly still a viable threat from Hamas,” said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council.
“But that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop, again, urging a stronger focus by our Israeli counterparts on minimizing civilian casualties and on getting aid in,” Kirby said.
Foreign policy, political analysts say, rarely drives elections but can make a difference when the competition is tight. Like for undecided New Hampshire voter Isaac Geer, who participated Tuesday in a primary vote that Biden and Republican contender Donald Trump won for their respective parties.
“The biggest thing I’m voting for this election season is foreign policy,” he told VOA, speaking in Nashua, New Hampshire. “It’s really important to me that we stay out of any foreign wars and keep our military spending down, and bring our troops back home or keep them home.”
Trump’s plan to resolve the Gaza crisis is unclear, and his previous actions as president included a much-criticized “ban” of Muslim immigrants. VOA reached out several times to the Trump campaign, but they did not respond.
For Muslim activists, it’s a stark choice. Hassan Abdel Salam is a Minneapolis-based professor who co-founded the Abandon Biden movement of Muslim voters, which focuses on swing states. He is a Canadian citizen.
“Mr. Trump prevented our friends and colleagues and family from entering the country,” he told VOA. “But Mr. Biden killed them. And that four years under any Republican is incomparable to one day in Gaza, that an argument has emerged within our communities, that we have to sacrifice.”
Political analysts say Biden is in a difficult position.
“There’s no doubt that the situation in Gaza is a political problem for Biden,” Norm Ornstein, a senior fellow emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute, told VOA. “If you step back and look objectively, Biden has handled this issue adroitly about as well as any president could. He understood early on that by hugging [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu close, he could keep some of the worst things from happening in Gaza. But he’s now getting very close to pushing Bibi aside. And that means that the initial move — which alienated a lot of voters, not just Arab American voters, but young progressives — may in fact end up being worse for him, because if he pushes or spurns Bibi Netanyahu aside, then some of his strongest supporters, pro-Israel supporters, may be unhappy as well.”
Carolyn Presutti contributed to this report from Nashua, New Hampshire. Patsy Widakuswara contributed from Washington.
https://www.voanews.com/a/concerns-over-us-support-of-israel-hang-over-2024-poll/7456376.html Save to Pocket
Suzuki V-Strom 800DE Djebel Edition Pays Tribute To Brand’s Dakar Heritage
date: 2024-01-25, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
Retro-inspired colors and off-road-ready goodies elevate the bike’s appeal to ADV enthusiasts.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/705992/suzuki-vstrom-800de-djebel-edition-launched/ Save to Pocket
SK hynix posts surprise profit after AI boosts memory prices
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
This may be the best bad news we’ve had all year
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but South Korean memory-maker SK hynix has posted a surprise profit.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/sk_hynix_q4_23/ Save to Pocket
Concerns Over US Support of Israel Hang Over 2024 Poll
date: 2024-01-25, from: VOA News USA
Protesters angered over the Israel-Hamas conflict have taken to the streets in the United States, and some have disrupted President Joe Biden’s campaign appearances. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell looks at how the issue is playing out on the campaign trail. Carolyn Presutti contributed to this report from Nashua, New Hampshire. Patsy Widakuswara contributed from Washington. Camera: Adam Greenbaum
https://www.voanews.com/a/concerns-over-us-support-of-israel-hang-over-2024-poll-/7456452.html Save to Pocket
Activists protest Project Pele
date: 2024-01-25, from: Guam Daily Post
Monaeka Flores and other members of the activist group Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian stood in protest of Project Pele, the Department of Defense’s mobile nuclear reactor program, as officials with the project spoke with local lawmakers in the public hearing…
https://www.postguam.com/news/activists-protest-project-pele/article_bca72136-bb34-11ee-8964-37691b226018.html Save to Pocket
The Brasscals Bring Honk to Santa Barbara
date: 2024-01-25, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The band is a raucous, joy-infused, syncopated musical chain reaction.
The post The Brasscals Bring Honk to Santa Barbara appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/24/the-brasscals-bring-honk-to-santa-barbara/ Save to Pocket
The AMA Is Raffling Off A 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR Anniversary Edition
date: 2024-01-25, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
2024 marks the AMA’s 100th anniversary, as well as the 40th birthday of the iconic Kawasaki Ninja.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/705991/ama-kawasaki-zx4rr-raffle-2024/ Save to Pocket
@Jessica Smith’s blog (date: 2024-01-25, from: Jessica Smith’s blog)
I noticed today how close
GoToSocial
is to entering beta! It looks like they just need to add a way to create
an account through the web interface (rather than the server admin
having to create accounts manually), and add support for the ActivityPub
Move activity (so you can migrate your account from, say,
Mastodon). There’s other stuff they want to add after that, but nothing
that would hold back “beta” status.
I can’t really see myself migrating my main Fedi account to GoToSocial in the near future, but I could see myself trying it out for my auxlangs or “political toots” accounts. Hopefully some more parties will get on board with offering managed GoToSocial hosting once it’s in beta, though, because working out how to deploy it and put it behind a reverse-proxy and whatnot might be a liiiiiittle beyond me 🙃
https://www.jayeless.net/2024/01/gotosocial-nearing-beta.html Save to Pocket
Experimental Gene Therapy Allows Kids With Inherited Deafness to Hear
date: 2024-01-25, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/experimental-gene-therapy-allows-kids-with-inherited-deafness-to-hear-/7456410.html Save to Pocket
‘Insanely Great: The Apple Mac at 40’ Panel Discussion
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: Daring Fireball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl__10euTRo Save to Pocket
FAA Has Plan to Let Grounded Boeing Planes Fly Again
date: 2024-01-25, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/faa-has-plan-to-let-grounded-boeing-planes-fly-again-/7456421.html Save to Pocket
SCV historian, member of longtime local family, dies at 94
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Signal
Thomas McNaughton Frew IV, a former local historian and member of a family with more than 100 years of history in the Santa Clarita Valley, died Jan. 12. He was 94. Frew’s family was long entwined with the SCV, according to the archives of The Signal and the SCV Historical Society that tell the story […]
The post <strong>SCV historian, member of longtime local family, dies at 94</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/scv-historian-member-of-longtime-local-family-dies-at-94/ Save to Pocket
LAPD searching for suspect after reported shooting near campus injures three
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
LAPD confirmed the victims include a 50-year-old man with a gunshot wound but conscious and breathing. Another victim is unconscious and not breathing, and the third’s status remains unknown.
The post LAPD searching for suspect after reported shooting near campus injures three appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/24/lapd-searching-for-suspect-after-reported-shooting/ Save to Pocket
Holocaust survivor to speak at Hart High on Feb. 4
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Signal
A Holocaust survivor is scheduled Feb. 4 to tell local residents his story of how he went through 12 concentration camps during World War II. Joe Alexander is set to speak on Feb. 4 at the Hart High School auditorium as part of an event hosted by Chabad of SCV. The event is scheduled to […]
The post <strong>Holocaust survivor to speak at Hart High on Feb. 4</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/holocaust-survivor-to-speak-at-hart-high-on-feb-4/ Save to Pocket
A point in time: Santa Clarita participates in homeless count
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Signal
Lester Medina said he is tired of seeing the homeless population rising. It’s why he volunteered to take part in the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, with the Santa Clarita portion of the count taking place on Tuesday. “I have a lot of friends that have been experiencing homelessness,” Medina said, “so I just […]
The post A point in time: Santa Clarita participates in homeless count appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/a-point-in-time-santa-clarita-participates-in-homeless-count/ Save to Pocket
St. Clare gears up for 46th Annual Lenten Fish Fries
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Signal
St. Clare Catholic Church is holding its 46th Annual Lenten Fish Fries on Fridays throughout the months of February and March. The fundraisers are to be held 4:30 to 8 p.m. Feb. 16 and 23, and March 1, 8, 15 and 22, at the church, 19606 Calla Way in Canyon Country. Proceeds will benefit local […]
The post <strong>St. Clare gears up for 46th Annual Lenten Fish Fries</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/st-clare-gears-up-for-46th-annual-lenten-fish-fries/ Save to Pocket
China’s Foreign Visitor Numbers Slow to Recover
date: 2024-01-25, from: VOA News USA
Austin, Texas — As China tries to show itself as welcoming foreign trade and tourism, its border authorities announced last week that the country had more than 35 million entries and exits by foreign nationals in 2023.
That was nearly seven times more than 2022, when Beijing’s draconian Zero-COVID policy was still in effect and visitors stayed away.
Still, the 2023 figure is around a third of the 97 million foreigner border crossings that were recorded in 2019 before the pandemic.
Experts and visa applicants say concerns about personal freedom are discouraging visitors, despite Beijing’s loosening visa requirements.
China’s embassy in the United States announced in late December that from January it would relax visa applications for U.S. citizens, no longer requiring them to submit detailed materials such as round-trip flight tickets, hotel reservations, itineraries, or invitation letters.
That is a welcome change for some Americans, like one recent graduate who tells VOA he has a long, complicated trip that he hopes to start in China and end in Southeast Asia.
“I want to stay in Beijing for a while first, visit China’s ancient sites, and then go all the way south to Yunnan (Province), and then continue south to visit Laos and other Southeast Asian countries,” said the graduate, who asked to be called Michael to avoid the attention of Chinese authorities.
But Michael said he’s reluctant to go through with the China leg, despite it being the country he wants to visit most, because he fears his personal freedom could be at risk – even as a tourist.
“I saw the State Department updated their travel advisory to ‘reconsider travel.’ I am not sure if I should plan to visit China, or maybe I can go but should take a few precautions.”
In June of last year, the U.S. State Department re-issued its level 3 travel alert on China with an update to reconsider travel there due to the “risk of wrongful detentions.” It also contained language on previous alerts to reconsider travel based on the risk of “arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including in relation to exit bans.”
Such concern is part of the challenge Beijing faces as it tries to present a positive image of the country as welcoming to traders and visitors.
The relaxed rules for Americans came just a month after China announced a visa-free policy from December for ordinary passport holders from six countries — France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Malaysia, and Spain.
China’s National Immigration Administration says the number of visitors from those countries was 28.5% higher in December than in the previous month. Beijing last week added Switzerland and Ireland to the visa-free policy.
China’s Civil Aviation Administration this month said it aims to boost direct flights between China and the U.S. from the current 63 flights per week. It had in November set a goal of reaching 70 flights per week to boost tourism and trade.
While it’s not yet clear whether the increased flights and loosened visa restrictions have boosted the number of Americans visiting China, those VOA spoke to who plan or regularly visit China expressed concerns about the worsening risks.
A Chinese-American from Houston, Texas, who works in international trade and travels to China five to six times per year, told VOA that while the requirements for tourist visa applications have been relaxed, since last year he noticed Chinese customs officers ask arriving visitors more questions than in the past. He asked to use the pseudonym “Mr. Li” in order to speak more freely with VOA about the issue.
“One difference is that China now [tacitly implies] that every foreigner, including every foreign Chinese, is a spy,” he said.
Last July, a revised version of China’s counter-espionage law went into effect raising fears of more arbitrary arrests. That has made Americans more concerned about traveling to China and Chinese citizens more wary of foreigners.
Zev Faintuch, a senior intelligence analyst with Global Guardian - a risk assessment firm that works with multinational companies - says there is still plenty of interest in going to China.
But, he adds, “because of that law, it’s legally much easier to detain foreigners as a result.”
Faintuch says he’s seen an increase in businesses wanting to assess the overall situation in China but is not optimistic conditions will improve.
“At least from where we are sitting, what we’re telling our clients, our message here is, we believe that the window for doing business in China is closing for Western companies,” he said.
Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, told VOA that visitors should take that into consideration before planning to go to China.
“The release of the counter-espionage law encourages Chinese citizens to report to the government the people who they consider are like the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation),” Huang said, adding that the approach treats “potential visitors like they are not that welcome.”
Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
https://www.voanews.com/a/china-s-foreign-visitor-numbers-slow-to-recover/7456402.html Save to Pocket
Steven Levy: ‘Apple Shares the Secret of Why the 40-Year-Old Mac Still Rules’
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: Daring Fireball
https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-apple-secret-40-year-old-mac-still-rules/ Save to Pocket
HPE joins the ‘our executive email was hacked by Russia’ club
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Moscow-backed Cozy Bear may have had access to the green rectangular email cloud for six months
HPE has become the latest tech giant to admit it has been compromised by Russian operatives.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/hpe_russia_email_attack/ Save to Pocket
Move fast with broken things
date: 2024-01-25, from: Matt Haughey blog
Today I got an instagram comment on a very old photo, so I popped over to see it was spam and deleted it. But then I noticed I linked to my cousin by name in the photo, and he died unexpectedly a few years ago, so I went to his profile to check it out. …Continue reading “Move fast with broken things”
https://a.wholelottanothing.org/2024/01/24/move-fast-with-broken-things/ Save to Pocket
‘Show Me More Macs’: Every Macintosh Ever Made
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: Daring Fireball
https://mac40th.com/ Save to Pocket
LASD numbers indicate rise in crime
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Signal
The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department has released its official crime numbers for 2023 on its Transparency Promise website, which reflects the increases in crime that law enforcement officials have been discussing publicly for months. Robberies within city limits rose by nearly 40% last year, with 89 reports in 2022, and 124 — an average of […]
The post LASD numbers indicate rise in crime appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/lasd-numbers-indicate-rise-in-crime/ Save to Pocket
Nevada Judge Approves Signature-Gathering Stage for Petition to Put Abortion Rights on 2024 Ballot
date: 2024-01-25, from: VOA News USA
RENO, Nevada — A Nevada judge has approved a petition by abortion access advocates as eligible for signature gathering in their long-standing attempt to get abortion rights on the 2024 ballot.
Carson City District Judge James T. Russell made the ruling Tuesday, about two months after he struck down a similar yet broader version that, if passed, would have enshrined additional reproductive rights into the state’s constitution.
If the Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom political action committee gets enough signatures, a question would appear on the November ballot that would enshrine abortion access for up to 24 weeks, or as needed to protect the health of the pregnant patient, into the Nevada Constitution. Then, voters would need to approve it again on the 2026 ballot to amend the constitution.
Abortion rights up to 24 weeks are already codified into Nevada law through a 1990 referendum, where two-thirds of voters were in favor. That could be changed with another referendum.
The standards are higher for amending the constitution, which requires either approval from two legislative sessions and an election, or two consecutive elections with a simple majority of votes.
The petition that was cleared for signatures is one of two efforts from the Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom committee to get the right to abortion on the 2024 ballot.
Russell rejected an earlier petition in a November ruling, saying the proposed ballot initiative was too broad, contained a “misleading description of effect” and had an unfunded mandate.
The petition would have included protections for “matters relating to their pregnancies” including prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, vasectomies, tubal ligations, abortion and abortion care, as well as care for miscarriages and infertility. Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom appealed that rejection to the Nevada Supreme Court and are waiting for a new ruling.
The petition approved for signatures Tuesday had narrower language — “establishing a fundamental, individual right to abortion,” which applies to “decisions about matters relating to abortion” without government interference.
In a statement following the ruling, Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom spokesperson Lindsey Harmon celebrated the ruling but said she remained confident that the committee’s initial petition would be recognized as eligible by the Nevada Supreme Court.
“Abortion rights are not the only form of reproductive freedom under attack across the country,” Harmon said. “Protecting miscarriage management, birth control, prenatal and postpartum care, and other vital reproductive health care services are inextricably linked pieces of a singular right to reproductive freedom.”
Abortion rights have become a mobilizing issue for Democrats since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 court decision establishing a nationwide right to abortion.
Constitutional amendments protecting abortion access are already set to appear on the 2024 ballot in New York and Maryland and could also show up in a host of states, including Missouri and Arizona.
Lawmakers in Nevada’s Democratic-controlled Legislature are also attempting to get reproductive rights including abortion access in front of voters on the 2026 ballot. The initiative, which would enshrine those rights in the state constitution, passed the state Senate and Assembly in May 2023 and now must be approved with a simple majority again in 2025 before being eligible for the 2026 ballot.
https://www.voanews.com/a/nevada-judge-approves-signature-gathering-stage-for-petition-to-put-abortion-rights-on-2024-ballot-/7456348.html Save to Pocket
Body found in vehicle near Canyon Country Target
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Signal
A dead body was found in a vehicle near the Target in Canyon Country on Wednesday, Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials confirmed. According to Deputy Adolfo Gonzalez with the SCV Sheriff’s Station, a deputy was flagged down by a passerby just after 2 p.m. on Wednesday to alert the deputy of a seemingly unresponsive […]
The post <strong>Body found in vehicle near Canyon Country Target</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/body-found-in-vehicle-near-canyon-country-target/ Save to Pocket
Jason Snell: ‘The Mac Turns 40’
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: Daring Fireball
https://www.theverge.com/24048479/apple-mac-40-anniversary Save to Pocket
Apple’s on-device gen AI for the iPhone should surprise no-one. The way it does it might
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
They have the hardware, now they just need models that don’t, ah… suck?
Comment Apple’s efforts to add generative AI to its iDevices should surprise no one, but Cupertino’s existing uses of of the tech, and the constraints of mobile hardware, suggest it won’t be a big feature of iOS in the near future.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/apple_generative_ai/ Save to Pocket
Will Biden Rescind Trump’s Boeing Immunity Deal?
date: 2024-01-25, from: The Lever News
If proven true, claims of safety problems and falsified records could breach a deal that shielded Boeing from prosecution after two deadly crashes.
https://www.levernews.com/will-biden-rescind-trumps-boeing-immunity-deal/ Save to Pocket
New Propella Mini Max E-Bike Is A No-Frills Urban Commuter
date: 2024-01-25, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
Lightweight, simple, and affordable, Propella lowers the barriers to entry into the e-bike scene.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/705989/propella-mini-max-ebike/ Save to Pocket
Quick Charge Podcast: January 24, 2024
date: 2024-01-25, from: Electrek Feed
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from Electrek. Quick Charge is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/quick-charge-podcast-january-24-2024/ Save to Pocket
The Housing Canard Exposed
date: 2024-01-25, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The real housing crisis in California is that there is too much housing.
The post The Housing Canard Exposed appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/24/the-housing-canard-exposed/ Save to Pocket
County Launches Incubation Academy Cohort 5
date: 2024-01-25, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The L.A. County Justice, Care, and Opportunities Department launched the fifth cohort of its transformational Incubation Academy on Tuesday, Jan.
https://scvnews.com/l-a-county-justice-care-and-opportunities-department-launches-incubation-academy-cohort-5/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-25, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
The time for denial is over: Republicans are really nominating Donald Trump.
https://www.salon.com/2024/01/24/the-time-for-denial-is-over-really-will-pick-donald-as-their-nominee/ Save to Pocket
Times Change
date: 2024-01-25, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
When I was a kid, I could walk to La Cumbra Plaza in the early ’70s from my house in Hidden Valley.
The post Times Change appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/24/times-change/ Save to Pocket
May 31: Cougar Stadium to Host Eriona Grabocka Ministries
date: 2024-01-25, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Eriona Grabocka Ministries is excited to announce that College of the Canyons’ Cougar Stadium will be hosting a citywide Night of Prayer and Worship
https://scvnews.com/may-31-cougar-stadium-hosts-night-of-prayer-and-worship-with-eriona-grabocka-ministries/ Save to Pocket
Analysts: US, South Korea Should Be Ready for Russia-North Korea Alliance
date: 2024-01-25, from: VOA News USA
washington — Depending on what kinds of weapons technology Moscow transfers to Pyongyang, the United States and South Korea may need to update their measures for dealing with North Korean threats, said analysts.
John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesman, said the U.S. is watching “very closely” as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pursues advanced military capabilities from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kirby said at a press briefing on Tuesday that Kim’s ability to benefit from this relationship is concerning, but the U.S. and South Korean defensive posture on the Korean Peninsula “is appropriate to the risk.”
Since July, when Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea, Pyongyang has been deepening its military ties with Moscow while escalating threats on the peninsula and calling for preparations to occupy South Korea if war breaks out.
North Korea fired cruise missiles into the waters off its western coast on Wednesday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. It also began taking down a monument in Pyongyang symbolizing reunification with South Korea.
Putin and North Korean Ambassador Choe Son Hui discussed bilateral relations in Moscow on January 16, according to Tass, the Russian state-owned news agency. It quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov the next day saying Moscow and Pyongyang “intend to boost relations in all areas, including sensitive ones.”
The most worrisome technology North Korea could seek from Russia would enable Pyongyang to miniaturize nuclear warheads to fit into a ballistic missile cone, survive reentry and hit targets in South Korea, Japan and North America, said Robert Peters, a fellow for nuclear deterrence and missile defense at the Heritage Foundation.
“This technology is the last and the most critical step in North Korea fielding a credible nuclear strike capability and is well within Russia’s ability to share,” Peters told VOA via email.
He continued, “South Korea and the United States should prepare to face a North Korea that is technically more capable than it has been before.”
At an event in Washington hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on January 18, Pranay Vaddi, the National Security Council’s senior director for arms control and nonproliferation, warned that the North Korean threat “could drastically change over the coming decade” as a result of military cooperation with Moscow.
“What we are seeing between Russia and North Korea is an unprecedented level of cooperation in the military sphere,” Vaddi said.
Last year, Putin turned to North Korea to replenish Russia’s weapons stockpile, which has been drawn down severely since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He met with Kim in Russia in September to discuss possible arms dealings.
In October, Washington released satellite photos showing North Korea shipping more than 1,000 containers of weapons to Russia in violation of sanctions.
Artillery and missiles North Korea provided to Russia have been turning up in Ukraine, The New York Times reported on Monday.
John Erath, senior policy director for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said Russian technology transfers “would not so much change the threat as add to the atmosphere of tension on the peninsula.”
But he told VOA via email, “It will be important to keep defense and deterrence arrangements updated.”
In November, the U.S. and South Korea held an annual Security Consultative Meeting in Seoul, where they announced the revision of the 2013 Tailored Deterrence Strategy “in recognition of the changing security environment.
Their meeting followed a summit that U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held in April in Washington, where they announced the Washington Declaration aimed at strengthening nuclear deterrence on the Korean Peninsula.
Gary Samore, White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction during the Obama administration, said in a telephone interview that weapons technology Pyongyang could obtain from Moscow could embolden it to raise threats but would not be a game changer requiring the revision of “fundamental deterrence” on the Korean Peninsula.
Samore, a professor at Brandeis University, thinks Pyongyang could seek enhanced technology to include surface-to-air missiles, spy satellite collection capabilities and advanced military fighter aircraft.
He told VOA that although Moscow would be “happy whenever there is trouble for the U.S.,” it would not encourage Pyongyang to cause conflict on the Korean Peninsula that would “jeopardize the flow of weapons to Russia” for its war in Ukraine.
https://www.voanews.com/a/analysts-us-south-korea-should-be-ready-for-russia-north-korea-alliance/7456346.html Save to Pocket
It Happened Last Night
date: 2024-01-25, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Despite losing the New Hampshire vote by over 10 points, Haley declared she would stay in the presidential race — that Trump was upset is an understatement.
The post It Happened Last Night appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/24/it-happened-last-night/ Save to Pocket
Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara Welcomes Six Dynamic Leaders to Board of Directors
date: 2024-01-25, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara is thrilled to announce the appointment of six individuals to its Board of Directors.
The post Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara Welcomes Six Dynamic Leaders to Board of Directors appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/24/girls-inc-of-greater-santa-barbara-welcomes-six-dynamic-leaders-to-board-of-directors/ Save to Pocket
‘You Know Nothing of My Work…’
date: 2024-01-25, from: James Fallows, Substack
Where is Marshall McLuhan when I need him? Or: What Jimmy Carter could have taught Jacques Barzun.
https://fallows.substack.com/p/you-know-nothing-of-my-work Save to Pocket
County Opens Summer Internships for Law Students
date: 2024-01-25, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Each summer, the Office of the County Counsel for the County of Los Angeles hosts a summer internship program where law students from across the country learn firsthand about the myriad of legal issues the County faces and how to effectively represent a governmental entity.ternship program
https://scvnews.com/county-general-counsel-opens-summer-internships-for-law-students/ Save to Pocket
Rivian May Reveal Its Next EV In March
date: 2024-01-25, from: Inside EVs News
Rivian could reveal its R2 vehicles on March 7, documents from a Laguna Beach City Council meeting show.
https://insideevs.com/news/705987/rivian-r2-reveal-march-launch/ Save to Pocket
Google settles with Singular Computing over claims of stolen AI chip tech
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Search giant faced potential damages of over $5B but terms haven’t been disclosed
Singular Computing’s multi-billion dollar patent infringement lawsuit against Google was cut short on Wednesday after the search giant agreed to settle the case for an undisclosed sum.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/google_settles_singular_lawsuit/ Save to Pocket
Celebrating the Mac’s 40th Anniversary across the Web
date: 2024-01-25, from: TidBITS blog
Numerous publications have posted articles surrounding the 40th anniversary of the Mac, and we’ve collected a bunch of the best ones.
https://tidbits.com/2024/01/24/celebrating-macs-40th-anniversary-across-the-web/ Save to Pocket
Los Angeles Faces Possible Budget Shortfall Of $400 Million
date: 2024-01-25, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The LAist
The shortfall could prompt the city to cut vacant positions.
https://laist.com/news/politics/los-angeles-faces-budget-shortfall Save to Pocket
Texas Woman Who Lost Lawsuit to Get Abortion to Attend Biden’s State of the Union
date: 2024-01-25, from: VOA News USA
washington — U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have extended an invitation to attend the president’s State of the Union address to a Texas woman who sued her state and lost over the ability to get an abortion.
The Texas Supreme Court denied Kate Cox’s request. But by then, her lawyers said, she had already traveled out of state for an abortion.
The Bidens spoke with Cox on Sunday and invited her to the annual address set for March 7 at the U.S. Capitol. Cox will sit with the first lady, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday. Cox accepted the invite, she said.
“They thanked her for her courage in sharing her story and speaking out against the impact of the extreme abortion ban in Texas,” Jean-Pierre said.
Cox, 31, was pregnant with her third child when she learned the fetus had a rare genetic disorder. The couple was informed by doctors that their baby would live at best a week. She sued over the right to have an abortion to end the pregnancy but lost because the judges said she hadn’t shown her life was in danger enough to be granted the procedure.
The White House invitation reflects how strongly the administration is leaning into reproductive rights as a galvanizing force for voters in the upcoming presidential election after the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned abortion protections. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses on Tuesday centered their first major campaign rally of the election year on abortion rights.
In his speech, Biden spoke about the increased medical challenges women are facing since the fall of Roe v. Wade, particularly for women who never intended to end their pregnancies. He laid the blame on Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, who as president appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court.
This will be the first State of the Union under Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who will sit behind the president and to his left during the address to Congress. This year’s speech will offer an opportunity for Biden to detail his broader vision and policy priorities as he campaigns for reelection in November.
https://www.voanews.com/a/texas-woman-who-lost-lawsuit-to-get-abortion-to-attend-biden-state-of-the-union/7455948.html Save to Pocket
Lucid CEO teases a mid-size Tesla Model 3, Model Y competitor in development
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of Phase 2 at its AMP-1 production facility in Arizona, Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson briefly teased the automaker’s third model in the works – a mid-size EV that will arrive as a direct competitor to the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/lucid-ceo-teases-a-mid-size-tesla-model-3-model-y-competitor-in-development/ Save to Pocket
Therapy Gecko: The Internet’s Unofficial Therapist
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/01/therapy-gecko-the-internets-unofficial-therapist Save to Pocket
US judge rejects spyware developer NSO’s attempt to bin Apple’s spyware lawsuit
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Judge says anti-hacking laws fits Pegasus case “to a T”
A US court has rejected spyware vendor NSO Group’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Apple that alleges the developer violated computer fraud and other laws by infecting customers’ iDevices with its surveillance software.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/us_judge_rejects_pegasus_spyware/ Save to Pocket
Jon Stewart Is Returning to ‘The Daily Show’
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: Daring Fireball
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/jon-stewart-returns-daily-show-rcna135483 Save to Pocket
Reunion: Deputy Returns to West Ranch High School
date: 2024-01-24, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Allison Hook recently transferred to Santa Clarita Station from Palmdale Station a few months ago
https://scvnews.com/heartwarming-reunion-deputy-allison-hook-returns-to-west-ranch-high-school/ Save to Pocket
NASA Sets Coverage for Northrop Grumman Cargo Space Station Mission
date: 2024-01-24, from: NASA breaking news
NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX are targeting 12:29 p.m. EST on Monday, Jan. 29, for the next launch to deliver science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station for the agency and its partners. This launch is the 20th Northrop Grumman commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for the agency. Live […]
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-sets-coverage-for-northrop-grumman-cargo-space-station-mission/ Save to Pocket
Spotify Reveals Its Plans for the Post-DMA Era of Sideloading in the E.U.
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: Daring Fireball
https://newsroom.spotify.com/2024-01-24/the-dma-means-a-better-spotify-for-artists-creators-and-you/ Save to Pocket
COC’s Audit of Bond Spending Affirmed By Committee
date: 2024-01-24, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Santa Clarita Community College District’s Independent Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee voted to accept the results of an independent audit confirming the district properly accounted for all bond expenditures in the 2022-23 fiscal year.
https://scvnews.com/audit-of-bond-spending-affirmed-by-committee/ Save to Pocket
Elon Musk: Tesla aims for next-gen EV to come in late 2025
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
Elon Musk has disclosed that Tesla is currently aiming for its next-generation electric vehicles, which will include a much cheaper electric car, to come in late 2025.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/elon-musk-tesla-aims-next-gen-ev-late-2025/ Save to Pocket
Tesla’s Next-Generation Platform Will (Hopefully) Launch In 2025, Musk Says
date: 2024-01-24, from: Inside EVs News
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he will need engineers “living” on the assembly line to make it happen, but that’s the plan.
https://insideevs.com/news/705982/tesla-next-generation-cars-2025/ Save to Pocket
Should Volvo take Polestar (PSNY) private? Investment research firm weighs in
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
Should Volvo take EV maker Polestar (PSNY) private? Investment research firm Bernstein says it may make more sense.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/volvo-polestar-psny-private-bernstein/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Bluesky CEO confronts content moderation in the fediverse.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/24/bluesky-ceo-confronts-content-moderation-in-the-fediverse/ Save to Pocket
Tesla Expanded Its Supercharging Network To Roughly 6,000 Stations
date: 2024-01-24, from: Inside EVs News
In Q4, Tesla deployed 357 new stations and 3,787 new stalls.
https://insideevs.com/news/705972/tesla-supercharging-network-roughly-6000-stations/ Save to Pocket
Lilbits: Leaks, leaks, and more leaks: Pixel 8a, Pixel 9, Zenfone 11, Surface Pro 10, and Surface Laptop 6
date: 2024-01-24, from: Liliputing
It’s apparently leak week, because over the past few days we’ve seen the first pictures of the Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro hit the internet, and details about the Asus Zenfone 11 are starting to arrive… even though none of these phones are expected to launch until much later this year. Meanwhile we’ve […]
The post Lilbits: Leaks, leaks, and more leaks: Pixel 8a, Pixel 9, Zenfone 11, Surface Pro 10, and Surface Laptop 6 appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/lilbits-leaks-leaks-and-more-leaks-pixel-8a-pixel-9-zenfone-11-surface-pro-10-and-surface-laptop-6/ Save to Pocket
The Wall Street Journal on Apple’s Plans for iOS Sideloading in the E.U.
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-25, from: Daring Fireball
https://www.wsj.com/tech/apple-plans-new-fees-and-restrictions-for-downloads-outside-app-store-f464f426?mod=hp_lista_pos1 Save to Pocket
Signal Will Cost $50 Million Per Year to Run
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: Daring Fireball
https://signal.org/blog/signal-is-expensive/ Save to Pocket
AI dashcam slinger Samsara accuses rival Motive of corporate skullduggery
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Lawsuit claims top execs made fake accounts to study and copy competing products for years
AI-powered dashcam maker Samsara sued rival startup Motive Technologies in US federal court on Wednesday, accusing top execs of IP theft, patent infringement, fraud, false advertising, and more.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/ai_camera_samsara_motive/ Save to Pocket
Palestinians Find A Bit Of Hope As Their National Soccer Team Advances In Asian Cup
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The LAist
The national team’s 3-0 victory over Hong Kong brought Palestinians a moment of hope as the squad advances to the knockout stage for the first time in the AFC Asian Cup.
https://laist.com/news/palestinians-find-a-bit-of-hope-as-their-national-soccer-team-advances-in-asian-cup Save to Pocket
Tesla Forecasts ‘Notably Lower’ Growth In 2024 As It Preps Next-Generation Platform
date: 2024-01-24, from: Inside EVs News
Tesla has said it will launch a cheaper electric car for years. It may arrive as soon as 2025.
https://insideevs.com/news/705975/tesla-redwoord-next-generation-crossover/ Save to Pocket
2024 Kawasaki Ninja 7 And Z7 Hybrids Have Officially Landed In The US
date: 2024-01-24, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
If you’re reading this in America, the 2024 Ninja 7 HEV and Z7 HEV are already in dealerships right now.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/705978/kawasaki-hev-strong-hybrids-america/ Save to Pocket
Biden Bets on the Climate Crowd
date: 2024-01-24, from: Heatmap News
This morning, as far as anyone knew, the U.S. was considering whether to approve 17 new facilities for the export of liquified natural gas. By this afternoon, in a move destined to ripple through the race for the White House, those considerations were off. According to reporting by The New York Times, Biden officials have paused their decisionmaking, instead asking the Department of Energy to widen its review of the first of these 17 — known as Calcasieu Pass 2, or CP2 — to include effects on the global climate.
“Um, I think we all just won,” wrote Bill McKibben — perhaps the project’s staunchest foe — in a newsletter sent out just a few hours later. “Yes,” he wrote, “there are always devils in the details. And it doesn’t guarantee long-term victory — it sets up a process where victory is possible (to this point, the industry has gotten every permit they’ve asked for). But I have a beer in my hand.”
That possible breaking of historical precedent partially explains why McKibben is so exhilarated. Another reason has a lot to do with an analysis of the climate effects of U.S. LNG exports, released in November by energy analyst Jeremy Symons. Among his most incendiary findings was that, if all 17 export terminals were approved, the emissions related to the fuel that would flow through them would exceed the annual greenhouse gas emissions of the entire European Union.
This analysis was not subject to peer review, and it relies on another set of findings from Cornell University researcher Robert Howarth showing that “the footprint for LNG is greater than that of either coal or natural gas;” these findings are subject to peer review but have not yet passed that test. That’s not to say either is inherently suspect, but neither is exactly a consensus opinion.
Biden’s administration has itself been split over the decision, according to reporting last week in Bloomberg. The U.S. became the largest global exporter of LNG after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to more Bloomberg data, and some in the administration would rather continue to press that geopolitical advantage. But others — including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and climate adviser John Podesta — pressed back. “Overall, top advisers are broadly aligned on the need to make changes — especially after the U.S. and nearly 200 other nations committed in December to transition away from fossil fuels,” the Bloomberg authors cautioned. “The fault lines are over how aggressive to be.”
Heatmap reached out to the White House and got a “no comment” in response — neither a confirmation nor a denial, nor any kind of signal of what may lie ahead. Let’s assume, then, that the Times got it right. Where does that leave us?
Republican leaders and their surrogates were ready with attacks even before this latest development. “Biden Toys With an LNG Export Permitting Ban,” the Wall Street Journal editorial board trumpeted on Monday. On Wednesday, Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell claimed (falsely) on the Senate floor that “the administration’s war on affordable domestic energy has been bad news for American workers and consumers alike.” And, of course, former President Donald Trump has made Biden’s supposed antipathy for American energy consumers a staple of his campaign pitch to re-enter the White House.
The thing is, Biden’s climate policies are actually pretty popular, even if most people don’t know what they are. A substantial majority of Americans — and an overwhelming majority of both Democrats and Independents — acknowledge that the climate is changing because of human activity and want to see the government do things like provide tax incentives for energy-efficient homes and make it easier to build new wind farms, , according to Heatmap’s polling, both of which the Biden administration is doing. (Of course, our results also find that most Americans, albeit fewer of them, want to make fossil fuel expansion easier, too.)
There are plenty of big questions remaining — not least of which is whether Biden has, in fact, put off making a decision on these LNG terminals, but also how such a decision will ripple through the global energy economy. (Although even in deciding not decide on the expected timeline, Biden has at the very least raised costs for the developers of these export facilities, which is a decision in its own right.)
What was never in question is that this would be a major campaign issue,
no matter what Biden did. It looks like he has cast his bet in favor of
the climate crowd. We’ll see how it plays.
https://heatmap.news/sparks/biden-lng-export-trump-campaign Save to Pocket
The West Bank Economy Has Been Hammered By War
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The LAist
More than three months into Israel’s war in Gaza, the economy of the West Bank is reeling. Many fear the economic pain may lead to even more violence in the territory.
https://laist.com/news/the-west-bank-economy-has-been-hammered-by-war Save to Pocket
Decision on US’s largest natural gas export terminal to be delayed
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
In a significant move, the White House will delay a decision on whether to approve what would be the US’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal, according to the New York Times.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/us-largest-natural-gas-export-terminal-to-be-delayed/ Save to Pocket
Jan. 24: Celebrate Change a Pet’s Life Day
date: 2024-01-24, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Change a Pet’s Life Day is celebrated annually on Jan. 24. This special day is for encouraging people to adopt pets from shelters
https://scvnews.com/jan-24-celebrate-change-a-pets-life-day-with-animal-care-and-control/ Save to Pocket
US Urges North Korea to Halt Provocations, Return to Diplomacy
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
state department — The United States has called on North Korea to refrain from further destabilizing actions and to return to diplomatic engagement following North Korea’s firing of several cruise missiles into the waters off its western coast earlier on Wednesday.
“We find [the actions] incredibly dangerous,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told VOA during a briefing on Wednesday, while declining to provide the U.S. assessment of North Korea’s intentions.
This latest missile launch occurred just days after Pyongyang tested a solid-fuel intermediate-range missile, equipped with a hypersonic warhead, into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
“We harbor no hostile intent toward the DPRK and continue to be open to diplomacy without preconditions,” Patel added. He was referring to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is North Korea’s official name.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sharply criticized South Korea, describing inter-Korean relations as a relationship between “two states hostile to each other.”
A major monument in Pyongyang symbolizing the goal of reconciliation with South Korea has been demolished, according to news reports citing satellite imagery.
Earlier this month, Kim labeled South Korea as a “primary foe and invariable principal enemy,” stating that unification with South Korea was no longer possible.
This stance is viewed by some analysts as a departure from North Korea’s longstanding objective of reunifying the Korean Peninsula under its control.
Pyongyang also continues to ignore Washington’s offers for dialogue and remains averse to negotiating with Seoul.
U.S. officials have said they are disappointed by North Korea’s continued rejection of dialogue and the escalation of its hostile rhetoric toward South Korea. The United States said inter-Korean cooperation is vital to achieving lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
“We are eager to engage in substantive discussions on identifying ways to not just manage military risk but create lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, as well as our continued stated goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” Patel said Wednesday.
At the Pentagon, Press Secretary Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters on Tuesday that Washington has been very public in its commitment to working with allies and partners “to deter and help stabilize the security of the region.”
The U.S., Japan and South Korea have reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK, in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. The three countries also urge the DPRK to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
North Korea last launched cruise missiles in September 2023. Two cruise missiles carrying mock nuclear warheads were fired toward the Yellow Sea at that time.
The two Koreas have been divided since the Korean War ended in 1953. They remain technically at war as the Korean War ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.
Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-urges-north-korea-to-halt-provocations-return-to-diplomacy/7455894.html Save to Pocket
Tesla Prepares Investors For Its Gap Year
date: 2024-01-24, from: Heatmap News
2023 was the year Tesla decided it would sell a lot of cars, even if it meant lowering prices. This year, however, Tesla may see “notably slower” growth, the company warned Wednesday in an investor update.
Tesla argued it was “between two major growth waves.” The first saw the rise of the Model 3 and Model Y, its more moderately priced sedan and SUV which together made up over 95 percent of its total unit sales in 2023. “The next one we believe will be initiated by the global expansion of the next-generation vehicle platform,” the company said, likely referencing its rumored “Redwood” vehicle that Reuters reported the company wants to start producing in the middle of next year.
The Model Y, Tesla said, is “the best-selling vehicle, of any kind, globally” following its 1.2 million deliveries in 2023. “For a long time, many doubted the viability of EVs. Today, the best-selling vehicle on the planet is an EV,” Tesla’s investor update said.
The company also flagged that the continuing rollout of the Cybertruck, which launched late last year, weighed on its profits. But the biggest change for the company was the pursuit of lower prices. The company’s $25.2 billion of revenues in the fourth quarter was due to “growth in vehicle deliveries” — selling more cars — albeit at lower average prices. So while revenue grew, it only grew 3% from a year ago.
Whether the electric vehicle sector as a whole is slowing is a matter of some debate. But Tesla is clearly trying to figure out what to do next, after successfully building up its business from near-bankruptcy and selling 1.8 million cars per year. Before the Cybertruck launch, it hadn’t refreshed its lineup in years and did not provide a specific figure for how many vehicles it expects to sell in 2024. Historically its deliveries have risen around 50% a year, although it “only” sold 38% more cars in 2023 than 2022.
Profits tell a similar story to its revenue: Tesla said that reduced prices weighed on its profitability, as did increased spending on artificial intelligence, especially its self-driving technology. It also flagged that its battery business contributed to its overall profits.
The company’s earnings per share of 71 cents and its revenue of $25.2 billion were slightly short of Wall Street estimates, according to Bloomberg.
Tesla shares have been flagging this year, down 16 percent from the end of last year and falling again in after-hours trading following the release of its earnings report. The tech-heavy Nasdaq as a whole is up around 5% this year.
https://heatmap.news/sparks/tesla-earnings-call-model-y-3-cybertruck Save to Pocket
Can the US Do More to Help Ukraine?
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
washington — As Ukrainian forces struggle to fend off Russia’s invasion with dwindling supplies of rockets and other munitions, some supporters are arguing that there is more the Biden administration could do to re-arm them without waiting for long-delayed congressional approval.
The administration’s request for $61.4 billion in new military assistance is tied up in a partisan battle in Congress, where Republicans have linked it to demands for a package of tough new restrictions on migrants and asylum-seekers at America’s southern border.
But some Ukraine advocates point out that the administration still has previously approved authority to ship $4.2 billion worth of weapons to Ukraine from its own stockpiles.
The catch: Without a new bill passing Congress, there is no money to replenish the American stockpile, leaving questions about U.S. military readiness and the country’s ability to respond to a crisis somewhere else, such as Taiwan.
“There is no statutory requirement to replace equipment sent to allies” under the Presidential Drawdown Authority approved by Congress in December 2022, Mark Cancian, a former Office of Management and Budget defense specialist, told Bloomberg.
He suggested that in theory, the Department of Defense can send weapons and munitions to Ukraine without replenishment funds.
Money better spent in US, say critics
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said the U.S. military understands the severity of Ukraine’s needs, and that’s why it is working with Congress to win approval for the supplemental funding.
“While we do have that $4.2 billion in authority, we don’t have the funds available to replenish those stocks should we expend that,” he explained at a briefing this month. “And with no timeline in sight, we have to make those hard decisions.”
Critics of President Joe Biden’s $61.4 billion supplemental funding request, which would also include aid for Israel and Taiwan, have argued that the money could be better spent at home and that the administration’s first priority should be securing the border with Mexico, where record numbers of asylum-seekers have been crossing illegally into the United States.
They have also called for greater transparency and accountability concerning the $111 billion in weapons, equipment, humanitarian assistance and other aid that has already been sent to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost two years ago.
Reducing US supply worth it, say some
Some Ukraine supporters, however, argue that the risks of allowing Russia to gain ground on the battlefield because of Ukrainian supply shortages outweigh the risks of allowing the U.S. stockpile to be temporarily reduced.
“Certainly at the moment, it would seem to be that the greatest risk is one of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin gaining some battlefield successes, certainly killing more Ukrainian civilians, if not gaining advantage on the front lines,” said Scott Cullinane, director of government relations at Razom, a U.S.-based Ukrainian diaspora organization.
Cullinane told VOA Ukrainian he believes withholding military aid sends a message of American weakness.
“It creates doubts in the minds of our Ukrainian partners that the U.S. is willing to stand with them and makes an opening for Putin to think he can outweigh us by simply extending the war,” he said.
Alexander Vindman, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who was the director for European affairs at the National Security Council, also believes the risk of reducing the U.S. weapons stockpile is overstated.
“The reality … is that the traditional Republican hawks will continue investing in the U.S. defense,” the Ukrainian-born Vindman said in an interview.
“They’re not going to take risks to the U.S. defense, especially when it undermines this almost antiquated perception that the Republican Party is good for defense, is good for the defense industry and is supportive of the military.”
Vindman added that even if the administration did send the $4.2 billion of weapons to Ukraine immediately, it would cover that country’s battlefield needs for no more than several weeks.
Michael Allen, a former special assistant to the president and senior director at the National Security Council, argued that by not using its remaining authority to help Ukraine, the Biden administration is maintaining pressure on Congress to approve the full $61.4 billion request.
“We want them to look at the funds that have been appropriated and conclude that the Department of Defense is correct,” he told VOA Ukrainian. “We need this urgently, so it’s good that the administration is very clear about where they are.”
VOA’s Iuliia Iarmolenko and Ostap Yarysh contributed to this article.
https://www.voanews.com/a/can-the-us-do-more-to-help-ukraine/7455841.html Save to Pocket
The Marshall Star for January 24, 2024
date: 2024-01-24, from: NASA breaking news
NASA’s IXPE Team Awarded Prestigious Rossi Prize By Rick Smith NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) team has been awarded a top prize in high-energy astronomy. The High Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) has awarded the 2024 Bruno Rossi Prize to retired NASA astrophysicist Martin Weisskopf, Italian Space Agency principal investigator […]
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/marshall/the-marshall-star-for-january-24-2024/ Save to Pocket
Users first then do teams
date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Rupert blog
The heart of Luro has always been a tool to enable deeper collaboration in a broader team context, so we architected it that way (a few times). It’s important that teams working on the same app are able to look at the product with the same lens of understanding, not just through their own silos. So teams were an early alpha feature of Luro.
I don’t regret choosing the teams path, but if I were building it all over again I would heavily reconsider focusing on single users first and then iterating towards team workspaces as the sales cycle starts rolling. In ActiveRecord parlance…
-
Stage 1: User
hasOneWorkspace - user can create a workspace themselves ($) -
Stage 2: User
hasManyWorkspaces - user can create many workspaces themselves ($$) -
Stage 3: User
hasAndBelongsToManyWorkspaces - user can invite other users ($$$) -
Stage 4: Workspace
belongsToOrganization - org now owns the workspace not a single user ($$$$)
This isn’t super innovative but there’s a multitude of benefits to this approach:
- Always useful: At each phase you have a product that is useful to individual users, you’re never waiting on entire teams to onboard for a feature to be useful.
- Tighter feedback loop: It might be weeks or months before you know a feature is working in a team context1, whereas single users have an instant “build → release → feedback” loop.
-
Value prop confidence: If it’s useful for
one, it’s probably useful tomany. - Easier user personas: If you’re leveraging user personas as abstractions, single users are easier to project whereas teams are a compound of different personas.
- Easier metrics: One user = one workspace has a lot less dimensionality and calculus on how features are performing.
- Faster path to revenue: If it’s useful, people will pay for it. Getting a single user to swipe a credit card is easier than getting a team thru a procurement process.
- Straightforward payment integration: One user = one subscription is easier than one team = subscription level × number of seats, etc.
- Revenue funds future development: Those single user plans fund future development for team workspaces
- Faster pricing validation: If you’re taking money, you’ll find out what people are willing to pay real quick.
- Easier conversations with VCs: Traction and revenue projections are easier if you have paying customers, easy math to abstract that to teams.
-
Easier self-service:
Sign up → Get Workspaceis less steps thanSign up → Create Org → Setup Workspace → Invite Teammates → Manage permissions - Less UI: No team picker, less onboarding, no user management, no user dropdowns
-
Less code: You don’t need an invite token
system2,
logic flows to invite users to teams, and
lastViewedTeamstate management. - Easier permission system: One user has access to all items in one workspace, then add complexity as necessary rather than starting with the complexity of an access control system.3
- Easier testing: Testing invite and permission systems is costly and time consuming to account for all the potential states.
- Solve hard problems later: What happens when two people edit the same document? You don’t have to solve problems like multiplayer data consistency on day one.
- Faster iteration: Less code, easier testing, clear metrics, and pushing harder problems later in the process allows your product to stay nimble while working on product market fit.
Less code and a faster pathway to revenue are probably the biggest selling points to me. From a code standpoint you’d start with the most simplistic payment system imaginable (aside from one-time charges), have no invite system, and you’re delivering customer value the entire way. It’s a less riskier position and a pragmatic approach to building something with proven value over time.
That said, startups are risk taking ventures and are under pressure to scale fast. There’s way more money in enterprise team sales than individual sales. Multiplayer software like Slack, Discord, and Figma make collaboration a joy. Like I said, I don’t regret the path we took for Luro but for the reasons listed above I would heavily consider making a personal product rather than one for teams in my next venture.
-
User A performs action → App sends User B email → User B checks email a week later → A week after that User B clicks the link because they talked about it in a meeting → Action that User A performed is old news now ↩︎
-
Counterpoint, invites are a great way to build FOMO. ↩︎
-
Counterpoint, a permission system is easier to add in at the beginning rather than layer in after the fact. ↩︎
https://daverupert.com/2024/01/users-then-teams/ Save to Pocket
Tesla (TSLA) warns of ‘notably lower’ growth in 2024
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
Tesla (TSLA)has released its guidance for the year, and it warns of “notably lower” growth of its auto business in 2024.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/tesla-tsla-warns-notably-lower-growth-2024/ Save to Pocket
Kawasaki Is Bringing That Sweet 40th Anniversary Ninja 500 To America
date: 2024-01-24, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
The gorgeous retro graphic will join the rest of the 2024 Ninja 500 and Z 500 lineup on US shores.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/705973/kawasaki-ninja-500-40th-anniversary/ Save to Pocket
Tesla Q4 2023 Earnings Report: Slightly Below Expectations
date: 2024-01-24, from: Inside EVs News
However, it’s another profitable quarter for Tesla and a successful year overall.
https://insideevs.com/news/705608/tesla-q4-2023-earnings-report/ Save to Pocket
VW says ‘most’ 2023, 2024 ID.4s will get full $7,500 EV tax credit
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
“Most” 2023 and 2024 VW ID.4s will qualify for the full US EV tax credit in 2024 – here’s the lowdown on eligibility.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/vw-says-most-2023-2024-id-4s-will-get-full-7500-ev-tax-credit/ Save to Pocket
Late Game Collapse Leads to 15th straight loss for the Matadors
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Sundail (CSUN student paper)
An early fourth quarter collapse by the Matadors (2-15, 0-7 Big West) led to the UC Riverside Highlanders (10-8, 5-3 Big West) running away with a 57-46 victory, Saturday afternoon in Northridge. The loss marks the 15th straight defeat for the Matadors this season, with seven coming in conference play. Forward Kayanna Spriggs led the…
https://sundial.csun.edu/177965/sports/late-game-collapse-leads-to-15th-straight-loss-for-the-matadors/ Save to Pocket
ChatGPT Helped Write This Award-Winning Japanese Novel
date: 2024-01-24, from: Smithsonian Magazine
After receiving the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, Rie Kudan spoke about why she used A.I. to write a portion of her work
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-award-winning-japanese-novel-was-written-partly-by-chatgpt-180983641/ Save to Pocket
A 2024 Plea for Lean Software (with running code)
date: 2024-01-24, from: Tilde.news
https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/a-2024-plea-for-lean-software/ Save to Pocket
Are Design Systems a zero-interest rate phenomenon?
date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Rupert blog
Last year, an investor we were talking to sent us a tweet that expressed her hesitancy about investing in products in the design systems space that went…
#DesignSystems are a zero-interest rate phenomenon
I dismissed this criticism as meme-of-the-day fodder. The idea behind
the “[Trend] is a zero-interest rate phenomenon” meme is
that [Trend] is only feasible when money is cheap to borrow
or acquire. Examples of other zero-interest rate phenomenon from
X-dot-com: Airbnb, DEI, React, and so on. Any [Trend] that
costs more than it makes or has an indirect relationship to the profit
machine is at risk.
Since that investor call and after months feeling the stale tech market, this idea resurfaced in my brain. I put value in design systems because I know there’s value in design systems, ergo there’s value in design systems. This logic is a perfect circle! It can’t be wrong.
So are design systems a zero-interest rate phenomenon?
No. Well, maybe. Depends on who you ask. If I need to build 5-10 pages, I can do those one at a time without much of a system. If I need to create or update hundreds or thousands of pages, or five different applications, then I need a system of components so that when I traverse those projects I don’t have to read a ten thousand page mystery to understand what the hell is going on. A handful (20~30) trusty components with some state-driven variants can power infinite applications with perfect consistency in a relatively short amount of time. That is certainly valuable.
To pull this off design should be working in components, development should also be in components, design and code should match, and it should all be well-documented, no problems, easy, dogs and cats living together! Turns out, not that easy. Behind the scenes it’s a lot of “getting on the same page” meetings and getting buy-in from the higher-ups.
“You’re going to spend how many months making components?”
“A
lot.”
“And the app is going to look different?”
“Nope. Not
if I do my job right.” (finger guns)
There’s no particular “hair on fire” problem that design systems solve that instantly sells to management. This can be frustrating to design system practitioners because we understand the intrinsic benefits of consistent UI over one-off solutions and maintenance nightmares. We trade immediacy in the short term for predictability over the long tail. In that way, design systems are a proactive solution to a whole host of likely problems down the road. Thus only forward-looking organizations can invest in design systems and to be forward-looking you probably need extra cash on hand… which might make it a zero-interest rate phenomenon.
But I believe design systems are an entirely different phenomenon all together. Times I’ve seen executive buy-in go smoothest are when a person in a position of power cares about design and says, “Our app looks like shit.” Now it’s a hair on fire problem.
Design systems are an event-triggered phenomenon
In Dungeons & Dragons and other action economies there’s a concept of “Event Triggers”. For example, a treasure chest looks like a normal treasure chest but turns into a monster when you try to open it. An event (opening the chest) exposed a problem (a monster) and now you need a solution (might and magic) to solve the problem. Design systems are a similar mechanic because the problems they solve are almost theoretical until you trigger an event.
Here’s some event triggers I’ve come across in my years of design systems work…
- Marketing commissioned a new logo, brand, and design language
- Oh, those brand updates rolling out in TV commercials next month
- Oh, and we’re launching a new line of hardware tablet devices
- The great re-platforming initiative
- An accessibility lawsuit
- A font license lawsuit
- Good design, poor code implementation
- Interface inventory reveals 60 different buttons and 12 site headers
- The CEO gets fired and you need to remove his face from the entire site
- 10 designers with high autonomy and no design review process
- 10 engineers with high autonomy and no design review on code changes
- One department with more autonomy than the other because it “makes the money”
- Company wholesaled the entire off-shore team and 150 new people start next week
- A year of heavy turnover and the time bomb of technical debt goes off
Once your party has stepped on a trigger and encountered a monster, the desire to be more proactive and prepared next time goes up. I’d love to know your design system dungeon crawling stories but the lesson is this: Design systems become a “hair on fire” problem and get buy-in when people in the organization encounter a catastrophic or near-catastrophic event. Design systems are not a cure-all, but they are an aspirin for a very common set of headaches.
https://daverupert.com/2024/01/are-design-systems-zero-interest-rate-phenomenon/ Save to Pocket
When the Ceiling Gets Lower
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/01/when-the-ceiling-gets-lower Save to Pocket
Tesla (TSLA) releases Q4 2023 results: slight miss on earnings
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
Tesla (TSLA) released its financial results and shareholders letter for the fourth quarter and full-year 2023 after market close today.
We are updating this post with all the details from the financial results, shareholders’ letter, and the conference call later tonight. Refresh for the latest information.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/tesla-tsla-q4-2023-results/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
People said they were crazy to rename HBO streaming to Max, but this is why they did it. The name HBO keeps its meaning, isn't diluted.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/24/business/media/netflix-sex-and-the-city.html Save to Pocket
Biden Is Endorsed by United Auto Workers in 2024 Election
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden picked up the endorsement of the United Auto Workers on Wednesday as he addressed the powerful union’s political convention.
Biden, a Democrat, is pushing to sway blue-collar workers his way in critical automaking swing states such as Michigan and Wisconsin, hoping to cut into the advantage that Republican former President Donald Trump has enjoyed with white voters who don’t have a college degree.
Labor experts said that the UAW usually endorses candidates later as it has a mix of Democratic, Republican and unaffiliated voters.
“This November we can stand up and elect someone who stands with us and supports our cause, or we can elect someone who will divide us and fight us every step of the way. That’s what this choice is about,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in announcing Biden’s endorsement.
Biden will speak as the union closes out a three-day gathering in Washington to chart its political priorities. It will be his first political event since Tuesday’s primary vote in New Hampshire, where Trump cemented his hold on core Republican voters with a victory and Biden scored a write-in win.
Biden frequently bills himself as the most labor-friendly leader in American history, and he went so far as to turn up on a picket line with union workers at a GM parts warehouse in the Detroit area during a strike last fall.
“He heard the call, and he stood up and he showed up,” Fain said of Biden’s historic picket line appearance. He drew a contrast between Biden’s pro-union efforts and Trump, who he said was anti-union.
As recently as Monday, Fain was restrained in his comments, saying as the conference opened, “We have to make our political leaders stand up with us. Support our cause, or you will not get our endorsement.”
At this week’s conference, support for Biden among union members has varied from enthusiastic to uncertainty about whether to even vote come Election Day.
Caroline Loveless, a Waterloo, Iowa, resident and retired UAW member, said she would enthusiastically vote for Biden, recalling his appearance on a picket line during last fall’s strike. She said his appearance should remind union members that Biden is on their side.
“I hope they don’t get amnesia,” Loveless said, “come Election Day.”
William Louis, of Groton, Connecticut, another member, said that while he is “fed up with politicians,” he will reluctantly vote for Biden, although he said the president had not fully earned members’ vote given the current state of the economy.
Louis said Biden would get his vote because Trump, the likely Republican nominee, “was a terrible president.”
Leo Carrillo, a member from Kansas City, said Biden’s appearance on the picket line showed that “he was there for us,” and helped him to decide to vote for Biden in November.
“For me it meant a lot” that a sitting president would show that level of solidarity to autoworkers, Carrillo said. “But there’s more work to be done,” he said, pointing to the PRO Act — proposed legislation that would make it easier to unionize on a federal level. The legislation advanced to the U.S. Senate but does not have enough support to survive in case of a filibuster.
Biden could run into dissent, however, over his support for Israel in its war on Hamas in Gaza. Some younger members of the union were less enthusiastic about the president for that reason.
Johannah King-Slutzky, a Columbia University graduate student and member of the student workers union within the UAW, was one of several attendees who chanted “cease fire now” during Fain’s afternoon speech Monday. The union called for a cease fire in Gaza in December.
“Right now, he’s done nothing to earn my vote,” King-Slutzky said, because “he has not acted with urgency to stop the genocide in Gaza.”
The UAW has roughly 380,000 members.
https://www.voanews.com/a/7455799.html Save to Pocket
Mom roasts daughter for what she DM’d Lil Wayne. “Come tell your…
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/01/0043846-mom-roasts-daughter-for-w Save to Pocket
Using details/summary and colour coding on GitHub pages
date: 2024-01-24, from: Chris Heilmann
As CODE100 is coming to Amsterdam, we needed an archive of all the code puzzles we had so far. As the challenges are all on GitHub, it made sense to use GitHub pages for that. So I needed to fix two issues: I wanted to have colour coding of code examples much like the GitHub […]
https://christianheilmann.com/2024/01/24/using-details-summary-and-colour-coding-on-github-pages/ Save to Pocket
Doomsday Clock Stays at 90 Seconds to Midnight Amid Climate Change, War and A.I.
date: 2024-01-24, from: Smithsonian Magazine
For the second year in a row, the clock is the nearest it has ever been to signaling our total annihilation
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/doomsday-clock-stays-at-90-seconds-to-midnight-180983653/ Save to Pocket
Software troubles delay F-35 fighter jet deliveries … again
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
There’s more than one way for these things to crash
Deliveries of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets to the US military are being delayed again and despite all the metal, software is the culprit. …
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/software_delay_f35_fighter/ Save to Pocket
COC Awarded $4M Grant as Regional Center of Excellence
date: 2024-01-24, from: SCV New (TV Station)
College of the Canyons has been awarded a $4 million grant to join a collaborative for Regional Effectiveness, Action, Transformation, and Equity as one of eight Regional Centers of Excellence in California, beginning Jan. 1, 2024.
https://scvnews.com/college-of-the-canyons-awarded-4-million-grant-as-regional-center-of-excellence/ Save to Pocket
2024 Cadillac Celestiq Range, Specs And Pricing Overview
date: 2024-01-24, from: Inside EVs News
Ultium-powered and ultra-luxury.
https://insideevs.com/news/705798/2024-cadillac-celestiq-range-specs-pricing/ Save to Pocket
Jan. 25: Legacy Grand Opening for New Athletic Turf
date: 2024-01-24, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Legacy Elementary School will hold a grand opening ceremony for its new athletic turf on Thursday, Jan. 25th at 10am
https://scvnews.com/jan-25-legacy-christian-academys-grand-opening-for-new-athletic-turf/ Save to Pocket
US Military Says It Fended Off Another Houthi Missile Attack
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
Washington — Iran-backed Houthi militants launched new attacks Wednesday on merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden, just hours after the United States carried out preemptive strikes to stave off what it said was an imminent attack on shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
U.S. Central Command, which overseas U.S. forces in the Middle East, said late Wednesday that a U.S. guided missile destroyer shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles aimed at the M/V Maersk Detroit, a U.S.-owned and operated container ship transiting the Gulf of Aden.
A third missile fell into the sea.
U.S. officials said that while the latest attack did not cause any injuries or damage to the container ship, it shows the Houthis are not ready to back down.
“If they don’t stop, we will continue to take necessary action,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told VOA in an interview Wednesday. “But our goal here is not to see escalation. It’s actually the opposite. It’s to deescalate the situation and ensure that international shipping and mariners can transit this waterway safely.”
Hours before the latest attack Wednesday, the U.S. launched preemptive strikes in Houthi-controlled Yemen, destroying two anti-ship missiles allegedly set to target international shipping in the Red Sea.
The missiles “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region,” according to a U.S. Central Command statement.
The latest round of U.S. preemptive strikes and Houthi attacks follow Monday’s barrage by U.S. and British warplanes, ships and submarines aimed at degrading the ability of the Houthis to maintain their months-long assault on key shipping lanes in the region.
U.S. defense officials said Monday’s strikes hit multiple targets across eight locations, including an underground storage facility as well as missile launch sites and other locations linked to Houthi surveillance capabilities.
“These precision strikes … are in response to a series of illegal, dangerous and destabilizing Houthi actions,” the U.S. and Britain said in a statement at the time, noting the latest strikes were carried out with the support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.
In a sign of continued tensions, the United Nations confirmed Wednesday that the Houthis, a U.S.-designated terror group, have given it one month to withdraw all U.S. and British staff from Houthi-controlled areas.
“What needs to be said is that any request or requirement for U.N. staff to leave — based solely on the nationality of that staff — is inconsistent with the legal framework applicable to the U.N.,” said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
“It also, of course, impedes our ability to deliver on the mandate to support all of the people of Yemen,” he added.
The Red Sea route carries about 15% of the world’s maritime traffic. Major shipping companies have responded to the attacks by rerouting vessels on the longer and more expensive route around Africa.
Since mid-November, the Houthis have launched at least 34 attacks on international shipping lanes, justifying them by saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza under attack from Israel.
But U.S. officials say many of the Houthi attacks have targeted ships that are not associated with Israel.
The rising tensions involving the U.S., its allies, other countries and the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen come as the U.S. also seeks to deter other Iran-backed groups in the region.
Early Wednesday, U.S. military aircraft hit Iran-backed proxies in western Iraq in response to a series of attacks against U.S. and coalition forces in recent days.
U.S. officials said the airstrikes targeted three facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and other Iranian proxy groups in al-Qaim, Jurf al Sakhar, and one other location.
“These strikes targeted KH [Kataib Hezbollah] headquarters, storage, and training locations for rocket, missile, and one-way attack UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] capabilities,” according to an initial statement from U.S. Central Command.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that early battle damage assessments have indicated the strikes were successful.
He also further described one of the targets as an intelligence facility.
The U.S. strikes in Iraq came after one by Iran-backed militants on Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq with one-way attack drones.
The base was also targeted Saturday by a barrage of ballistic missiles launched from inside Iraq. While most of the missiles were shot down, the Pentagon said those that landed on the base caused traumatic brain injuries in four U.S. personnel.
There have been more than 150 attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since the October 7 Hamas terror attack against Israel, injuring at least 83 Americans, a U.S. defense official told VOA. All but two have returned to duty.
Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-military-says-it-fended-off-another-houthi-missile-attack/7455743.html Save to Pocket
Daft, The Anti-Social Social Network for Minimalists. Posting is done entirely through…
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/01/0043830-daft-the-anti-social-soci Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Wired headphones are about to have a mini revival.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wired-headphones-apple-hi-res-lossless-184534388.html Save to Pocket
Datacenters could account for a third of Ireland’s electricity by 2026
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
International Energy Agency has some chilling global figures in latest report
Global electricity demand from datacenters could double by 2026, with IT infrastructure adding the equivalent power requirements of another Sweden or Germany. However, low-emission sources are expected to account for almost half of the world’s electricity generation by the same time.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/iea_report/ Save to Pocket
US Says It Is Looking Forward to Turkey Finalizing Sweden’s NATO Accession Process
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
Washington — The United States on Wednesday welcomed the Turkish parliament’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership bid this week and urged Ankara to formally finalize the process.
State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told a briefing that Washington was looking forward to Hungary, which has yet to approve Sweden’s NATO bid, moving along in the process.
“We look forward to (Turkish) President (Tayyip) Erdogan taking…steps he needs to within that system to formally finalize that process as well as we look forward to receiving Turkey’s instrument of ratification … in Washington,” Patel said.
“And we look forward to our Hungarian partners also moving along on this process also.”
Turkey’s parliament ratified Sweden’s NATO membership bid on Tuesday, clearing the biggest remaining hurdle to expanding the Western military alliance after 20 months of delay, leaving Hungary as the only NATO member yet to ratify the accession.
All NATO members need to approve applications from countries seeking to join the alliance. When Sweden and Finland asked to join in 2022, Turkey raised objections over what it said was the two countries’ protection of groups it deems terrorists.
It endorsed Finland’s membership in April last year but, along with Hungary, had kept Sweden waiting.
Erdogan is expected to sign the legislation within days.
Turkey’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO bid and the U.S. sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey have become linked over the past years. The Biden administration has said it supports the sale but kept urging Ankara to approve Sweden’s NATO bid saying Congress might be connecting the two issues.
When asked on Wednesday if the State Department would send the formal notification for the jets once Sweden’s NATO process is fully formalized, Patel did not commit to a timeline.
“President Biden, Secretary Blinken have been very clear of our support for modernizing Turkey’s F-16 fleet, which we view as a key investment in NATO interoperability. But beyond that, we also recognize that Congress has a key role in reviewing arms sales, but I’m just not going to confirm or get ahead of proposed defense sales or transfers until they are formally notified to Congress.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-says-it-is-looking-forward-to-turkey-finalizing-sweden-s-nato-process/7455712.html Save to Pocket
UTM: Virtual machines for iOS and macOS
date: 2024-01-24, from: Tilde.news
https://github.com/utmapp/UTM Save to Pocket
What Can a Website Do?
date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Rupert blog
Sarah Hendren’s What Can a Body Do? is a beautiful meditation on disability and the different ways bodies meet the physical world. In a word, there’s often a “mismatch” between how the world is designed and how people interact with it. There’s a chapter in the book where Hendren talks about a non-profit workshop that helps fabricate physical tools and accommodations for people with disabilities, when I read it I almost quit tech entirely.
The workshop made tables, modified wheel chairs, and other bespoke objects. The idea of joining an organization like that lit up my neural network. Working with actual people, hearing their needs, working together on their problems, to help design and build a objects to allow people to succeed at whatever task (no matter how big or small) that they want to do… that sounded like fulfilling work.
For months I’d fantasize about quitting tech and making accessible objects. A friend of mine works at Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) and he told me about how they 3D print objects like charts and graphs or the inside of a cell to help the kids understand visual concepts. What a novel use of technology! Fabricating accommodations for kids sounds fun. And projects like Ramp Up Reykjavík which has expanded to Ramp Up Iceland and now to Ramp Up Europe broadens my imagination for what’s possible.
Then I realized… wait a minute… I make websites. Websites are already a surface area with a notorious amount of mismatch for people with disabilities. In a world where 96.3% of the top 1,000,000 homepages have detectable errors, there’s a lot of work to do. Maybe I don’t need to quit my job, instead I could:
- Fix errors on the sites I work on (doing this)
- Help educate other web developers on accessibility (doing this)
- Build tooling to help other web developers fix their errors (doing this)
- Work with standards groups to propose new accessible HTML (tried this)
- Meet more often with folks who have disabilities and listen to their concerns (need to do this)
- Build bespoke apps or tools for people?
That last one… In the same way the little workshop builds from the book bespoke accommodations, is it possible to build bespoke apps and browser extensions to help bodies meet the digital world? I use my web developer superpowers ✨ to hack websites or build small apps for myself all the time. Why not offer this skill to other people?
One inspiration for how this might work is from Blake Watson’s talk “The joys of home-cooked apps”. In the talk Blake shares a handful of side projects he’s built as workarounds for his spinal muscular atrophy. From digi-fying a card game, to a custom DnD character sheet, to a Markdown-to-spreadsheet generator to manage his caretakers, to a classy browser startup screen; Blake is using his programming superpowers to help his body meet his world. Blake’s tenacity for finishing side projects and creating good, small, clear-intentioned apps motivates me.
In the spirit of chasing this idea, I reached out to TSBVI and they offered a tour of their campus and makerspace. It’s a wonderful place with genki kids and the art on the walls is tactile and meant to for touch. One issue they specifically called out was that the Prussa Slicer app used by their 3D printers is inaccessible (missing labels and a focus trap problem). That’s blocking kids from being able to make prints on their without sighted assistance. It’s a shame when kids with disabilities miss out on the fun. I don’t know how to write GUIs in C++, nor do I know how the wxWidgets framework it uses works, nor can I build the project locally… so I might not be the candidate to fix this particular issue… but maybe you are? Or maybe you’re the person who could help me? If this sounds like you, please reach out. I know some kids who could use your help.
https://daverupert.com/2024/01/what-can-a-website-do/ Save to Pocket
Rivian seemingly plans to reveal R2 on Mar 7 at flagship Laguna Beach store
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
Rivian has filed plans for a “global product launch” on March 7th at its new flagship store in Laguna Beach, and documents reveal that the launch is of its much-anticipated smaller, more affordable R2 platform.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/rivian-r2-reveal-mar-7-laguna-beach-flagship/ Save to Pocket
Simon Willison interview: AI software still needs the human touch
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Code assistance is like having a weird intern who memorized the docs
AI Software Week Simon Willison, a veteran open source developer who co-created the Django framework and built the more recent Datasette tool, has become one of the more influential observers of AI software recently.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/willison_ai_software_development/ Save to Pocket
Tesla Cybertruck Tows 11,000 Pounds In Cold Weather. What’s Its Range?
date: 2024-01-24, from: Inside EVs News
Can it go further than the Rivian R1T while towing the same trailer in the same conditions?
https://insideevs.com/news/705436/tesla-cybertruck-tow-11000-pounds-winter-range/ Save to Pocket
Exclusive deal takes $670 off Force eTrail e-bike, Eve HomeKit water controller $113, more
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
Headlining today’s best deals is an exclusive discount that saves you $670 on Force’s eTrail HT350 e-bike that is now…
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/exclusive-deal-on-force-e-bike-eve-aqua-homekit-water-controller-more/ Save to Pocket
Kia EV3 and EV4 prep for production following first EV plant upgrade
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
The new affordable Kia EV3 and EV4 models are ready for production following the brand’s first EV plant upgrade. Once up and running, the site will exclusively build EVs, including Kia’s new entry-level models.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/kia-ev3-ev4-prep-production-first-ev-plant-upgrade/ Save to Pocket
Electric truck development gets $131 million boost – sulfur is a winner
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
The US Department of Energy’s latest round of funding includes millions for truck OEMs like Cummins and Paccar to earmark for battery research and help drive lower electric truck battery prices and advance the cause of EVs in the transportation sector.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/electric-truck-development-gets-131-million-boost-sulfur-is-a-winner/ Save to Pocket
NASA, Sierra Space Invite Media to See Spaceplane for Cargo Missions
date: 2024-01-24, from: NASA breaking news
As part of NASA’s efforts to expand commercial resupply in low Earth orbit, media are invited to view Sierra Space’s uncrewed commercial spaceplane ahead of its first demonstration flight for the agency to the International Space Station in 2024. The Dream Chaser event is scheduled to begin at 10:15 a.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 1, at […]
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-sierra-space-invite-media-to-see-spaceplane-for-cargo-missions/ Save to Pocket
Huson Soft HuCAL
date: 2024-01-24, from: Computer ads from the Past
Hudson creates business software for everyone.
https://computeradsfromthepast.substack.com/p/huson-soft-hucal Save to Pocket
Iceland Has Its Own AI George Carlin Moment, Considers Law Against Deepfaking the Dead
date: 2024-01-24, from: 404 Media Group
The national broadcaster has started a nationwide controversy after it reanimated a beloved Icelandic comedian for its New Year’s Eve celebration.
https://www.404media.co/iceland-considers-laws-against-deepfaking-the-dead-after-ai-resurrects-beloved-comedian/ Save to Pocket
Winners Got Silver Medals at the First Modern Olympic Games in 1896
date: 2024-01-24, from: Smithsonian Magazine
A rare example of the nearly 130-year-old silver medal just sold at auction for $112,000
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-172-year-old-olympic-medal-from-the-first-modern-games-sold-for-nearly-112k-180983646/ Save to Pocket
French Tourist Finds 7.46-Carat Diamond at Arkansas State Park
date: 2024-01-24, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Julien Navas plans to have the brown gem split into two pieces so he can give half to his fiancée and half to his daughter
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/french-tourist-finds-746-carat-diamond-at-arkansas-state-park-180983651/ Save to Pocket
Rat Selfies
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/01/rat-selfies Save to Pocket
Boeing goes boing: 757 loses a wheel while taxiing down the runway
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
That old kit isn’t our fault Boeing tells us
Another day, another incident with a Boeing passenger jet, this time when a landing gear wheel popped off a Delta Airlines 757 while it was waiting to take off out of Atlanta.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/boeing_757_wheel_failure/ Save to Pocket
Celebrating NASA’s Spirit and Opportunity Rovers’ Mars Landings
date: 2024-01-24, from: NASA breaking news
NASA’s twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, stand on the Martian landscape in this poster created to commemorate their 20th landing anniversary. The rovers landed in January 2004, on opposite sides of the planet in locales that scientists suspected had been affected by liquid water in the past. Their main scientific objective was to search for […]
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/celebrating-nasas-spirit-and-opportunity-rovers-mars-landings/ Save to Pocket
THE400 Mini is a half-sized Atari 400 replica for 8-bit retro gaming
date: 2024-01-24, from: Liliputing
The Atari 400 is a home computer that first launched in 1979 with a 1.79 MHz 8-bit processor, 8 KB of RAM, four joystick ports, a cartridge slot, and an unusual membrane keyboard. More than four decades later, Retro Games Ltd is bringing back the Atari 400… kind of. The company’s latest retro game system […]
The post THE400 Mini is a half-sized Atari 400 replica for 8-bit retro gaming appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/the400-mini-is-a-half-sized-atari-400-replica-for-8-bit-retro-gaming/ Save to Pocket
NASA Welcomes Belgium as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory
date: 2024-01-24, from: NASA breaking news
During a ceremony at the Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels on Tuesday, Belgium became the 34th country to sign the Artemis Accords. The accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in NASA’s Artemis campaign. “Congratulations to Belgium on becoming the newest member of the […]
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-welcomes-belgium-as-newest-artemis-accords-signatory/ Save to Pocket
Railroad workers have solved the trolley problem. “‘Slip the switch’ by flipping…
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/01/0043842-railroad-workers-have-sol Save to Pocket
Proud Boys Member Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Capitol Riot Role After Berating Judge
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — A man who stormed the U.S. Capitol with fellow Proud Boys extremist group members was sentenced on Wednesday to six years in prison after he berated and insulted the judge who punished him.
Marc Bru repeatedly interrupted Chief Judge James Boasberg before he handed down the sentence, calling him a “clown” and a “fraud” presiding over a “kangaroo court.” The judge warned Bru that he could be kicked out of the courtroom if he continued to disrupt the proceedings.
“You can give me 100 years and I’d do it all over again,” said Bru, who was handcuffed and shackled.
“That’s the definition of no remorse in my book,” the judge said.
Prosecutors described Bru as one of the least remorseful rioters who assaulted the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. They say Bru planned for an armed insurrection — a “January 6 2.0” attack — to take over the government in Portland, Oregon, several weeks after the deadly riot in Washington, D.C.
“He wanted a repeat of January 6, only he implied this time would be more violent,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing ahead of his sentencing.
Bru has been representing himself with an attorney on standby. He has spewed anti-government rhetoric that appears to be inspired by the sovereign citizen movement. At the start of the hearing, Bru demanded that the judge and a prosecutor turn over five years of their financial records.
The judge gave him a 10-minute break to confer with his standby lawyer before the hearing resumed with more interruptions.
“I don’t accept any of your terms and conditions,” Bru said. “You’re a clown and not a judge.”
Prosecutors had warned the court that Bru intended to disrupt his sentencing. On Tuesday, he called in to a nightly vigil outside the jail where he and other rioters are being held. He told supporters of the detained Jan. 6 defendants that he would “try to put on a good show” at his sentencing.
Boasberg convicted Bru of seven charges, including two felonies, after hearing trial testimony without a jury in October.
Prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of seven years and three months for Bru, a resident of Washington state.
“Bru appears to have envisioned and been planning for a true armed insurrection, and from his post-conviction comments, he appears only to have become further radicalized and angry since then,” they wrote.
Bru absconded before his trial, skipped two court hearings and “defiantly boasted via Twitter that the government would have to come get him if it wanted him.”
“Approximately a month later, it did,” prosecutors added.
Bru represented himself at his bench trial but didn’t present a defense. Instead, he repeatedly proclaimed that he refused to “consent” to the trial and “showed nothing but contempt for the Court and the government,” prosecutors wrote.
Bru flew from Portland, Oregon to Washington a day before then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House. Before Trump’s speech, he joined dozens of other Proud Boys in marching to the Capitol and was one of the first rioters to breach a restricted area near Peace Circle.
Bru grabbed a barricade and shoved it against police officers. He later joined other rioters inside the Capitol and entered the Senate gallery, where he flashed a hand gesture associated with the Proud Boys as he posed for selfie photos. He spent roughly 13 minutes inside the building.
Several weeks after the riot, Bru exchanged text messages with a friend about buying gas masks in bulk. He also texted a Proud Boys recruit and indicated that he wanted to “repeat the violence and lawlessness of January 6 in Portland in order to take over the local government,” prosecutors said.
“In fact, those text messages indicate that Bru’s chief takeaway from January 6 is that it was not violent enough or not sufficiently dedicated to overthrowing the government,” prosecutors wrote. “In other words, in the aftermath of January 6, Bru was plotting an armed insurrection, not feeling remorseful.”
The FBI initially arrested Bru in March 2021 in Vancouver, Washington. After his pretrial release, Bru was charged with separate drunken driving-related offenses in Idaho and Montana.
In July, Bru was secretly living in Montana when a drunken driver hit his car. Police officers who responded to the collision arrested Bru on a warrant stemming from his failure to appear in court before trial. He has “continued to spew disinformation” from jail since his re-arrest and trial, prosecutors said.
“If anything, he appears to be growing more defiant and radicalized,” they wrote.
More than 1,200 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related crimes. About 900 have pleaded guilty or been convicted after trials. Over 750 have been sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving some term of imprisonment, according to data compiled by The Associated Press.
https://www.voanews.com/a/proud-boys-member-sentenced-to-6-years-in-prison-for-capitol-riot-role-after-berating-judge/7455569.html Save to Pocket
We will not wait for the next school shooting
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Sundail (CSUN student paper)
Students are taught to love a country that values guns over our lives. Some of us hear the sound of gunfire when we watch fireworks on the fourth of July, or when we watch a drumline performance at halftime. But all of us have heard the siren of an active shooter drill and fear that…
https://sundial.csun.edu/177955/opinions/we-will-not-wait-for-the-next-school-shooting/ Save to Pocket
Learn by Doing: How LLMs Should Reshape Education
date: 2024-01-24, from: Jonudell blog
Here’s the latest installment in the series on working with LLMS: Learn by Doing: How LLMs Should Reshape Education. If you’re teaching SQL, this article points to a pedagogical challenge/opportunity: How would I create a lesson that guides a student to an understanding of CROSS JOIN without ever mentioning or explicitly teaching anything about it? … Continue reading Learn by Doing: How LLMs Should Reshape Education
https://blog.jonudell.net/2024/01/24/learn-by-doing-how-llms-should-reshape-education/ Save to Pocket
Logitech warns of logistical impact of Houthi attacks in Red Sea
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Longer lead times, extra costs and more freight coming via air
Logitech reckons the conflict in the Red Sea where Houthi rebels are attacking container ships will add some delays to logistics and potentially some cost too.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/logitech_warns_of_logistical_impact/ Save to Pocket
2024 Harley CVO, Street Glide, And Road Glide: Everything We Know
date: 2024-01-24, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
The 2024 Street Glide, Road Glide, CVO Road Glide ST, and CVO Pan America are here. Here’s what you need to know.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/705949/harley-2024-everything-we-know/ Save to Pocket
British Billionaire Pleads Guilty in US Insider Trading Case
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
NEW YORK — British billionaire Joe Lewis, whose family trust owns the Tottenham Hotspur soccer club, pleaded guilty Wednesday to insider trading and conspiracy charges in New York.
The 86-year-old businessman entered the plea in Manhattan federal court six months after he was charged in the case. He had been free on $300 million bail, with a yacht and private plane serving as collateral.
Lewis did not speak as he left court, and he was shielded from photographers by his aides, a lawyer and an umbrella.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said the plea deal includes the largest financial penalty for insider trading in a decade.
Broad Bay Limited, which Lewis owns, will pay more than $50 million in financial penalties, the prosecutor said in a release.
“Today’s guilty pleas once again confirm — as I said in announcing the charges against Joseph Lewis just six months ago – the law applies to everyone, no matter who you are or how much wealth you have,” Williams said.
He said Lewis abused inside information he gathered from corporate boardrooms to tip off his friends, employees and romantic interests.
Federal sentencing guidelines call for a prison sentence of between 18 and 24 months, although Lewis can seek less than that. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 28.
As part of the guilty plea, Lewis and Broad Bay Limited have agreed that Lewis and his companies will resign and surrender control over board seats and participation in board meetings for any corporation publicly traded in the United States. They also agreed to quit ownership of certain investments over the five-year period of probation and to cooperate with the U.S. government’s ongoing investigation and prosecution.
Lewis has a fortune that Forbes estimates at $6.1 billion and assets in real estate, biotechnology, energy and agriculture. He bought an interest in Tottenham Hotspur, one of England’s most storied soccer clubs, in 2001.
Under his ownership, the Premier League club built a state-of-the-art stadium at an estimated cost of more than $1 billion.
Today, a trust benefiting members of Lewis’ family is the majority owner of ENIC, the holding company that owns the team. Lewis himself is not a beneficiary of that trust and relinquished operational control of the club in October 2022, according to corporate filings.
Lewis’ Tavistock Group owns all or parts of over 200 companies worldwide, according to its website, and his art collection boasts works by Picasso, Matisse and Degas. His business connections include Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Justin Timberlake, with whom he built a Bahamian oceanside resort that opened in 2010.
According to the indictment against him, Lewis’ investments in various companies gave him control of board seats, where he placed associates who let him know what they learned behind the scenes. Prosecutors said Lewis improperly shared confidential information between 2019 and 2021 to his chosen recipients and urged them to profit from the tips.
https://www.voanews.com/a/british-billionaire-pleads-guilty-in-us-insider-trading-case-/7455515.html Save to Pocket
An EV convoy is headed to Texas and Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation love it
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
An EV roadshow is headed to East Texas next week, and the Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation is helping to spearhead it.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/ev-convoy-texas-conservative-texans-for-energy-innovation/ Save to Pocket
Inside a Global Phone Spy Tool Monitoring Billions
date: 2024-01-24, from: 404 Media Group
A wide-spanning investigation by 404 Media reveals more details about a secretive spy tool that can tracks billions of phone profiles through the advertising industry called Patternz. Google has taken action in response to 404 Media’s inquiries.
https://www.404media.co/inside-global-phone-spy-tool-patternz-nuviad-real-time-bidding/ Save to Pocket
The NY Times takes a look at current trends in restaurant menus….
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/01/0043841-the-ny-times-takes-a Save to Pocket
Daily Deals (1-24-2024)
date: 2024-01-24, from: Liliputing
The Lenovo Legion Go handheld gaming PC with an 8.8 inch display, detachable controllers, and a Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor normally sells for $700 and up. But right now it’s on sale for $50 off, which is the first time the Legion Go has been sold at a discount since launching a few months ago. […]
The post Daily Deals (1-24-2024) appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/daily-deals-1-24-2024/ Save to Pocket
Alfa Romeo’s first EV, the Milano looks like an Italian icon in red camo
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
Alfa Romeo’s first 100% electric vehicle is getting closer to its debut. The Alfa Romeo Milano, the brand’s first EV, will be revealed on April 10. Ahead of its debut, the brand is giving an early look at the new EV rocking red camo.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/alfa-romeo-first-ev-italian-icon/ Save to Pocket
Oklahoma Bill Would Rewrite Long-Accepted Obscenity Standards
date: 2024-01-24, from: 404 Media Group
A new bill introduced this month that aims to amend the Miller Test for obscenity is nonsensical and unconstitutional, experts say.
https://www.404media.co/rob-standridge-oklahoma-bill-obscenity-miller-test/ Save to Pocket
Major IT outage at Europe’s largest caravan and RV club makes for not-so-happy campers
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
1 million members still searching for answers as IT issues floor primary digital services
Updated The UK’s Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC) is battling a suspected cyberattack with members reporting widespread IT outages for the past five days.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/major_it_outage_at_caravan/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
“Self-awareness isn’t among the former president’s strong suits.”
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/irony-trumps-angry-reaction-nh-primary-victory-rcna135420 Save to Pocket
Moral clarity in Gaza
date: 2024-01-24, from: Robert Reich on Substack
100 days into this horror
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/moral-clarity-in-gaza Save to Pocket
City Cast, a local news podcast network, is still expanding three years in
date: 2024-01-24, from: Nieman Journalism Lab
2023 was, on balance, “the podcast world’s year from hell.” But if you can cast your mind back to the state of podcasting a psychological eon ago, in 2019, you might remember that the vibes were extremely different. That was the year, most notably, that Spotify paid around $400 million to buy three podcast companies,…
https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/01/city-cast-a-local-news-podcast-network-is-still-expanding-three-years-in/ Save to Pocket
What happened with the Web Monetization API?
date: 2024-01-24, from: Chris Coyier blog
I was pretty hot on it for a minute. I wanted it to succeed and thought it had the bones to make it. Coil was the main startup trying to push it. They did the right thing by just making it work first, showing there is interest, then pushing to get it standardized. But Coil […]
https://chriscoyier.net/2024/01/24/what-happened-with-the-web-monetization-api/ Save to Pocket
eBay tells 1,000 employees their days at company are numbered
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
9% of workforce getting boot after execs hired too many during pandemic
Tat bazaar eBay is laying off 1,000 employees, or 9 percent of the workforce, claiming that general hiring and overhead costs are outpacing the wider commercial growth of the company.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/ebay_1000_layoffs/ Save to Pocket
NASA System Predicts Impact of a Very Small Asteroid Over Germany
date: 2024-01-24, from: NASA breaking news
The Scout impact assessment system calculated where and when the asteroid 2024 BX1 would impact Earth’s atmosphere, providing a useful demonstration of planetary defense capability. A small asteroid about 3 feet (1 meter) in size disintegrated harmlessly over Germany on Sunday, Jan. 21, at 1:32 a.m. local time (CET). At 95 minutes before it impacted […]
https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/nasa-system-predicts-impact-of-a-very-small-asteroid-over-germany/ Save to Pocket
USPS set to buy Canoo electric vans
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
Electric van manufacturer Canoo announced a highly visible deal with the United States Postal Service (USPS), which will see the USPS acquire a handful of right-hand drive versions of the company’s LDV 190 delivery van.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/usps-set-to-buy-canoo-electric-vans/ Save to Pocket
The Mac at 40
date: 2024-01-24, from: Michael Tsai
Malcolm Owen (MacRumors): January 24 will be the Macintosh’s 40th birthday, marking four decades since Steve Jobs showed off what he believed to be the future of computing. Dan Moren: In that time, it’s run on four different processor architectures and two major operating systems, making it a bit of a computer of Theseus. It’s […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/01/24/the-mac-at-40/ Save to Pocket
In Praise of Buttons
date: 2024-01-24, from: Michael Tsai
Niko Kitsakis: In graphical user interfaces, we have seen an increase in buttons recently that consist merely of text or icons, without a clear, visible button shape being present. This insipid, uninspired mediocrity, exemplified by Google’s “Material Design” or – even worse – IBM’s “Carbon Design System”, was popularised by Apple’s iOS 7 and its […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/01/24/in-praise-of-buttons/ Save to Pocket
Git Tower 10.3
date: 2024-01-24, from: Michael Tsai
Tower: Environment settings: In addition to adding custom environment variables, environment variables from the login shell are now also automatically added when running Git commands. This should make hook scripts work without additional configuration. […] Syntax highlighting: Improved memory management […] Terminal integration: “Open in Terminal” now works if there is no visible Terminal window […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/01/24/git-tower-10-3/ Save to Pocket
QuickTime As a Tape Archival Format
date: 2024-01-24, from: Michael Tsai
Chris Hanson (Hacker News): A lot of people think QuickTime is a “video format,” but that’s not really accurate. Video and audio playback are applications atop the QuickTime container format; the container format itself is a means of representing multiple typed tracks of time-based media, each of which may have their own representation in the […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/01/24/quicktime-as-a-tape-archival-format/ Save to Pocket
A lovely short story about the iPhone 15. (It’s not actually about…
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/01/0043840-a-lovely-short-story-abou Save to Pocket
Tesla Cybertruck Finger ‘Guillotine’ Is The Worst Kind Of Easter Egg
date: 2024-01-24, from: Inside EVs News
Someone is going to have a very bad day when their fingers get pinched in the Cybertruck’s frunk.
https://insideevs.com/news/705904/tesla-cybertruck-finger-pinch-guillotine/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
The Mac that Steve Jobs unveiled in 1984 is 40, and as amazing as ever.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91013403/40-years-later-the-original-mac-is-more-amazing-than-ever Save to Pocket
The Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History Has Begun
date: 2024-01-24, from: Heatmap News
The largest dam removal project in American history took an irreversible step forward earlier this month when crews opened a 16-foot-wide tunnel in the base of the Iron Gate Dam in Hornbrook, California. That event marked the beginning of the end of a decades-long effort to restore the Klamath River, which snakes for more than 250 miles through Oregon and California, to a new natural state.
“This is historic and life-changing, and it means that the Yurok people have a future,” Amy Cordalis, a member of the Yurok tribe and one of the leaders of the effort to remove the dams, told NPR. “It means the river has a future, the salmon have a future.”
Members of the Yurok, Karuk, Hoopa, Shasta, and Klamath peoples, among others, have long worked to convince federal regulators that the four dams on the river — Iron Gate, Copco 1, Copco 2, and JC Boyle — have done more harm than good. Originally built a century ago as part of a hydropower development blitz in the American West, they blocked salmon and steelhead trout from reaching their habitats, decimating fish populations and robbing the tribal nations of a vital food source. The dams quickly outlived their usefulness: The amount of power they produce is negligible compared to the needs of the region today.
Copco 2, the smallest of the four dams, came down last fall; that one didn’t have a reservoir, which made it relatively easy to remove. Over the next few months, Iron Gate, Copco 1, and JC Boyle will all have their reservoirs drained, returning the river water to levels not seen since the early 20th century. By the fall, the last vestiges of the dams should be off the river.
The tribes have big plans for what comes next. An immense effort — funded, at least in part, by millions of dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — is underway to revegetate the more than 2,200 acres of land that will be exposed when the reservoirs are empty, and with more than 17 billion seeds slated for planting and at least a thousand trees ready to be flown in by helicopter. Over time, the river will slowly turn back into the vibrant, free-flowing ecosystem it once was.
Those who were on-site when the tunnel was opened this month described seeing “chocolate-milk-brown water,” a “dark purge” containing both water and sediment flow through the dam. Sediment is an existential problem, and not just for the dams in the Klamath river — human-made barriers prevent silt from traveling downriver, and the sediment buildups block dams’ release gates, reducing their ability to both generate electricity and release water. This also affects downstream ecosystems, which evolved with a steady supply of fertile new soil. Once enough sediment builds up, a dam becomes practically useless.
The removal of the Iron Gate dam, then, is not just a service to the Native peoples and ecosystems along California’s second-largest river. It’s also the solution to a problem that has quite literally been building for decades.
“Being able to look at the river flow for the first time in more than 100 years, it’s incredibly important to us,” Frankie Myers, vice chair of the Yurok Tribe, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “It’s what we’ve been fighting for: to see the river for itself.”
https://heatmap.news/sparks/klamath-river-iron-gate-dam Save to Pocket
Mounting an ext4 linux USB drive on macOS in 2024
date: 2024-01-24, from: Jeff Geerling blog
Mounting an ext4 linux USB drive on macOS in 2024
<div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>I recently pulled a SATA hard drive out of a Linux box that I wanted to grab some files off of. I only had my Mac on hand, and I had a USB 3.0 to SATA hard drive adapter at the ready.</p>But when I plugged in the hard drive, macOS said it couldn’t recognize the disk.
Makes sense, because macOS includes support for Apple’s filesystems, not Linux (or even NTFS, Windows’ preferred filesystem). There are commercial solutions you can buy, like Paragon Software’s extFS for Mac, but that costs $39, and I don’t want to deal with the licensing issues that may exist there if I just want to grab a few files off one hard drive.
Luckily, there are some open source libraries that allow at least read only access to ext4-formatted disks on macOS. Let’s install them and use them to mount the drive:
First, install macfuse, using homebrew:
<span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Jeff Geerling</span></span>
https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2024/mounting-ext4-linux-usb-drive-on-macos-2024 Save to Pocket
Version 2.0 of the BOOK 8088 retro mini-laptop adds VGA graphics card and serial ports
date: 2024-01-24, from: Liliputing
The BOOK 8088 is one of the weirdest laptops to launch in 2023. It’s a budget mini-laptop with a 7 inch display, a QWERTY keyboard… and the guts of a 40-year old computer including a Intel 8088 compatible processor with a 4.77 MHz base clock but support for turbo speeds up to 8 MHz. Now […]
The post Version 2.0 of the BOOK 8088 retro mini-laptop adds VGA graphics card and serial ports appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/version-2-0-of-the-book-8088-retro-mini-laptop-adds-vga-graphics-card-and-serial-ports/ Save to Pocket
NASA to Discuss Science, First Intuitive Machines Artemis Moon Flight
date: 2024-01-24, from: NASA breaking news
NASA will host a media teleconference at 3:30 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 31, to discuss its science and technology demonstrations flying aboard Intuitive Machines’ first flight to the Moon as part of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign. Audio of the CLPS science call will livestream on the agency’s website […]
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-to-discuss-science-first-intuitive-machines-artemis-moon-flight/ Save to Pocket
NASA Selects Winners of Third TechRise Student Challenge
date: 2024-01-24, from: NASA breaking news
NASA is announcing 60 winning teams for its third TechRise Student Challenge, a nationwide contest to engage students in technology, science, and space exploration. The student teams will work together to turn their proposed science and technology experiments into reality ahead of NASA-sponsored suborbital flight tests this summer. The challenge opened for submissions in August […]
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/armstrong/nasa-selects-winners-of-third-techrise-student-challenge/ Save to Pocket
US govt, tech sector team up to get academia making its own next-gen AI models
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Launch National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource to help non-corporate boffins play catch-up
The US National Science Foundation has hooked up with tech companies to help academics secure computing power, data, and more to build their own AI models.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/us_government_ai_model_project/ Save to Pocket
Cooked looks interesting: you add ‘cooked.wiki/’ in front of a recipe URL…
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/01/0043838-cooked-looks-interesting- Save to Pocket
The Biggest Wow in Indiana
date: 2024-01-24, from: Doc Searls (at Harvard), New Old Blog
In the summer of ’22 we were still new to Indiana and in an exploring mood. Out of nowhere one afternoon my wife said, “Let’s go check out French Lick.” She just liked the name of the town, plus the idea of taking a half-day road trip under a sweet blue sky and big puffy […]
https://doc.searls.com/2024/01/24/the-biggest-wow-in-indiana/ Save to Pocket
The Hunter EV pickup looks ready to rival Toyota’s Tacoma
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
Former NIO manufacturer JAC is launching its new Hunter EV pickup in April. The all-electric pickup will feature a dual electric motor drive train and over 310 miles (500 km) CLTC range.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/hunter-ev-pickup-toyota-tacoma/ Save to Pocket
In Asia, it’s a tale of two markets
date: 2024-01-24, from: Marketplace Morning Report
Japan’s Nikkei index has hit a 34-year high. Meanwhile, China’s markets have hit 5-year lows; the Hang Seng Index lost more than half its value since the end of 2020. Capital is moving in Asia, but what exactly is going on? Then, later in the program, we’ll hear how artificial intelligence is increasingly being used is to commit identity fraud.
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/in-asia-its-a-tale-of-two-markets Save to Pocket
Professional Auctioneers Compete for Best Calling
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
In the Western United States, livestock auctioneers compete in a fast-talking contest to crown the Mile High Auctioneer champion. In Denver, Colorado, VOA’s Scott Stearns has the story.
https://www.voanews.com/a/professional-auctioneers-compete-for-best-calling-/7455256.html Save to Pocket
HPE’s updated Spaceborne Computer-2 ready to hitch another ride to the ISS
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
How’s low Earth orbit for the edge?
An updated version of HPE’s Spaceborne Computer-2 is set to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) this week.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/updated_hpe_spaceborne_computer2/ Save to Pocket
Top Harvard Cancer Institute Will Retract Six Studies and Correct 31 More After Photoshop Claims
date: 2024-01-24, from: Smithsonian Magazine
British biologist and blogger Sholto David alleged that executives at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute published papers with manipulated data and images
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/top-harvard-cancer-institute-will-retract-six-studies-correct-31-more-after-photoshop-claims-180983642/ Save to Pocket
Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) Letter on Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations
date: 2024-01-24, from: Association of Research Libraries News
Last Updated on January 24, 2024, 10:12 am ET ARL joined a letter by CNSF thanking appropriators for protecting NSF in a difficult funding climate, calling for the highest possible amount…
The post Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) Letter on Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations appeared first on Association of Research Libraries.
https://www.arl.org/our-priorities/advocacy-public-policy/partner-letters/appropriations/coalition-for-national-science-funding-cnsf-letter-on-fiscal-year-2024-appropriations/ Save to Pocket
The Texas Tribune moves to unionize
date: 2024-01-24, from: Nieman Journalism Lab
Staff across several departments at The Texas Tribune announced they’re unionizing Wednesday. The move comes in the wake of layoffs that took staff and news industry onlookers by surprise last year. Newsroom organizers presented Texas Tribune management with a mission statement signed by 86% of eligible staffers Tuesday morning, and asked editor-in-chief Sewell Chan and…
https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/01/the-texas-tribune-moves-to-unionize/ Save to Pocket
Mars to deliver all those Twix and M&Ms via 300 electric heavy-duty trucks
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
US behemoth food company Mars is looking to put 300 “heavy-duty” electric trucks into operation in Europe by 2030, in what it is calling the largest electrification of freight trucking in Europe ever.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/mars-to-deliver-all-those-twix-and-mms-via-300-electric-heavy-duty-trucks/ Save to Pocket
Using GoAnywhere MFT for file transfers? Patch now – an exploit’s out for a critical bug
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Ancient path traversal exploit offers remote attackers admin access
Security experts are wasting no time in publishing working exploits for a critical vulnerability in Fortra GoAnywhere MFT, which was publicly disclosed just over a day ago.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/public_exploit_published_within_hours/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
BTW, we’re aware that the All tab on news.scripting.com is pretty slow. It’s taking about 15 seconds to load. There are a lot of ways we can improve the performance, but are first looking into possible problems in the software.
http://scripting.com/2024/01/24.html#a144724 Save to Pocket
‘He’d already grabbed her. He’d already shot me’: Oakley man testifies about killing his friend
date: 2024-01-24, from: San Jose Mercury News
Both sides agree on the crux of the case; at odds is Cole’s state of mind.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/24/hed-already-grabbed-her-hed-already-shot-me-oakley-man-testifies-about-killing-his-friend/ Save to Pocket
OpenWrt, now 20 years old, is crafting its own future-proof reference hardware
date: 2024-01-24, from: Tilde.news
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/01/openwrt-now-20-years-old-is-crafting-its-own-future-proof-reference-hardware/ Save to Pocket
Oakland: 2-year-old allegedly kidnapped, later found safe in San Leandro
date: 2024-01-24, from: San Jose Mercury News
A man was taken into custody Tuesday after a car was stolen in Oakland with a 2-year-old inside the vehicle, according to police.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/24/oakland-2-year-old-allegedly-kidnapped-later-found-safe-in-san-leandro/ Save to Pocket
The Best Neighborhoods for Starting a Life in the Galaxy
date: 2024-01-24, from: Quanta Magazine
Some neighborhoods in the Milky Way may be better suited for making habitable planets than others.The post The Best Neighborhoods for Starting a Life in the Galaxy first appeared on Quanta Magazine
https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-best-neighborhoods-for-starting-a-life-in-the-galaxy-20240124/ Save to Pocket
An unexpected superhero inspired a Bay Area astronomer’s passion for teaching
date: 2024-01-24, from: San Jose Mercury News
Bay Area astronomer Andrew Fraknoi brings the wonders of the universe to students, colleagues and the rest of us. Here’s his backstory, from the Fraknoi asteroid to galactic tourist sights.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/24/the-unexpected-superhero-who-inspired-an-astronomers-passion-for-teaching/ Save to Pocket
Microsoft admits issues with Windows 10 patch almost 2 months after release
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Problematic Microsoft Edge package could affect System Preparation Tool
Microsoft is confirming that an issue with update KB5032278, which brought Copilot to Windows 10 machines at the end of 2023, could throw up a system preparation tool error.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/windows_10_patch_issues/ Save to Pocket
Pluralistic: How lock-in hurts design (24 Jan 2024)
date: 2024-01-24, from: Cory Doctorow’s blog
Today’s links How lock-in hurts design: Felonizing the desire path. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. This day in history: 2004, 2014, 2019, 2024 Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading How lock-in hurts design (permalink) If you’ve ever read about design, you’ve probably encountered the idea of “paving the desire path.” A “desire path” is an erosion path created by people departing from the official walkway and taking their own route. The story goes that smart campus planners don’t fight the desire paths laid down by students; they pave them, formalizing the route that their constituents have voted for with their feet. Desire paths aren’t always great (Wikipedia notes that “desire paths sometimes cut through sensitive habitats and exclusion zones, threatening wildlife and park security”), but in the context of design, a desire path is a way that users communicate with designers, creating a feedback loop between those two groups. The designers make a product, the users use it in ways that surprise the designer, and the designer integrates all that into a new revision of the product. This method is widely heralded as a means of “co-innovating” between users and companies. Designers who practice the method are lauded for their humility, their willingness to learn from their users. Tech history is strewn with examples of successful paved desire-paths. Take John Deere. While today the company is notorious for its war on its customers (via its opposition to right to repair), Deere was once a leader in co-innovation, dispatching roving field engineers to visit farms and learn how farmers had modified their tractors. The best of these modifications would then be worked into the next round of tractor designs, in a virtuous cycle: https://securityledger.com/2019/03/opinion-my-grandfathers-john-deere-would-support-our-right-to-repair/ But this pattern is even more pronounced in the digital world, because it’s much easier to update a digital service than it is to update all the tractors in the field, especially if that service is cloud-based, meaning you can modify the back-end everyone is instantly updated. The most celebrated example of this co-creation is Twitter, whose users created a host of its core features. Retweets, for example, were a user creation. Users who saw something they liked on the service would type “RT” and paste the text and the link into a new tweet composition window. Same for quote-tweets: users copied the URL for a tweet and pasted it in below their own commentary. Twitter designers observed this user innovation and formalized it, turning it into part of Twitter’s core feature-set. Companies are obsessed with discovering digital desire paths. They pay fortunes for analytics software to produce maps of how their users interact with their services, run focus groups, even embed sneaky screen-recording software into their web-pages: https://www.wired.com/story/the-dark-side-of-replay-sessions-that-record-your-every-move-online/ This relentless surveillance of users is pursued in the name of making things better for them: let us spy on you and we’ll figure out where your pain-points and friction are coming from, and remove those. We all win! But this impulse is a world apart from the humility and respect implied by co-innovation. The constant, nonconsensual observation of users has more to do with controlling users than learning from them. That is, after all, the ethos of modern technology: the more control a company can exert over its users ,the more value it can transfer from those users to its shareholders. That’s the key to enshittification, the ubiquitous platform decay that has degraded virtually all the technology we use, making it worse every day: https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/ When you are seeking to control users, the desire paths they create are all too frequently a means to wrestling control back from you. Take advertising: every time a service makes its ads more obnoxious and invasive, it creates an incentive for its users to search for “how do I install an ad-blocker”: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/07/adblocking-how-about-nah More than half of all web-users have installed ad-blockers. It’s the largest consumer boycott in human history: https://doc.searls.com/2023/11/11/how-is-the-worlds-biggest-boycott-doing/ But zero app users have installed ad-blockers, because reverse-engineering an app requires that you bypass its encryption, triggering liability under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This law provides for a $500,000 fine and a 5-year prison sentence for “circumvention” of access controls: https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/12/youre-holding-it-wrong/#if-dishwashers-were-iphones Beyond that, modifying an app creates liability under copyright, trademark, patent, trade secrets, noncompete, nondisclosure and so on. It’s what Jay Freeman calls “felony contempt of business model”: https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/ This is why services are so horny to drive you to install their app rather using their websites: they are trying to get you to do something that, given your druthers, you would prefer not to do. They want to force you to exit through the gift shop, you want to carve a desire path straight to the parking lot. Apps let them mobilize the law to literally criminalize those desire paths. An app is just a web-page wrapped in enough IP to make it a felony to block ads in it (or do anything else that wrestles value back from a company). Apps are web-pages where everything not forbidden is mandatory. Seen in this light, an app is a way to wage war on desire paths, to abandon the cooperative model for co-innovation in favor of the adversarial model of user control and extraction. Corporate apologists like to claim that the proliferation of apps proves that users like them. Neoliberal economists love the idea that business as usual represents a “revealed preference.” This is an intellectually unserious tautology: “you do this, so you must like it”: https://boingboing.net/2024/01/22/hp-ceo-says-customers-are-a-bad-investment-unless-they-can-be-made-to-buy-companys-drm-ink-cartridges.html Calling an action where no alternatives are permissible a “preference” or a “choice” is a cheap trick – especially when considered against the “preferences” that reveal themselves when a real choice is possible. Take commercial surveillance: when Apple gave Ios users a choice about being spied on – a one-click opt of of app-based surveillance – 96% of users choice no spying: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/05/96-of-us-users-opt-out-of-app-tracking-in-ios-14-5-analytics-find/ But then Apple started spying on those very same users that had opted out of spying by Facebook and other Apple competitors: https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar Neoclassical economists aren’t just obsessed with revealed preferences – they also love to bandy about the idea of “moral hazard”: economic arrangements that tempt people to be dishonest. This is typically applied to the public (“consumers” in the contemptuous parlance of econospeak). But apps are pure moral hazard – for corporations. The ability to prohibit desire paths – and literally imprison rivals who help your users thwart those prohibitions – is too tempting for companies to resist. The fact that the majority of web users block ads reveals a strong preference for not being spied on (“users just want relevant ads” is such an obvious lie that doesn’t merit any serious discussion): https://www.iccl.ie/news/82-of-the-irish-public-wants-big-techs-toxic-algorithms-switched-off/ Giant companies attained their scale by learning from their users, not by thwarting them. The person using technology always knows something about what they need to do and how they want to do it that the designers can never anticipate. This is especially true of people who are unlike those designers – people who live on the other side of the world, or the other side of the economic divide, or whose bodies don’t work the way that the designers’ bodies do: https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/20/benevolent-dictators/#felony-contempt-of-business-model Apps – and other technologies that are locked down so their users can be locked in – are the height of technological arrogance. They embody a belief that users are to be told, not heard. If a user wants to do something that the designer didn’t anticipate, that’s the user’s fault: https://www.wired.com/2010/06/iphone-4-holding-it-wrong/ Corporate enthusiasm for prohibiting you from reconfiguring the tools you use to suit your needs is a declaration of the end of history. “Sure,” John Deere execs say, “we once learned from farmers by observing how they modified their tractors. But today’s farmers are so much stupider and we are so much smarter that we have nothing to learn from them anymore.” Spying on your users to control them is is a poor substitute for asking your users their permission to learn from them. Without technological self-determination, preferences can’t be revealed. Without the right to seize the means of computation, the desire paths never emerge, leaving designers in the dark about what users really want. Our policymakers swear loyalty to “innovation” but when corporations ask for the right to decide who can innovate and how, they fall all over themselves to create laws that let companies punish users for the crime of contempt of business-model. (via Belem, CC BY 2.0, modified) Hey look at this (permalink) HP CEO evokes James Bond-style hack via ink cartridges https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/01/hp-ceo-blocking-third-party-ink-from-printers-fights-viruses/ 50 Years Later: Remembering How the Future Looked in 1974 https://thenewstack.io/50-years-later-remembering-how-the-future-looked-in-1974/ American Oligarchy https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/01/american-oligarchy/ This day in history (permalink) #20yrsago Get Your State of the Union On https://web.archive.org/web/20040125025227/http://www.mnftiu.cc/mnftiu.cc/war31.html #20yrsago Cambodian hybrid motorcycle/WiFi network https://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/26/business/technology-e-mail-on-wheels.html #10yrsago Study: French three-strikes law did not deter or reduce piracy https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2380522 #10yrsago European Court of Human Rights will hear case about GCHQ spying https://www.privacynotprism.org.uk/news/2014/01/24/british-government-to-answer-fast-track-spy-challenge/ #10yrsago Cthulhoid damask wallpaper (also fabric & wrapping paper) https://www.spoonflower.com/en/fabric/2037672-i-love-craft-cthulhu-damask-by-rosalarian #5yrsago “Slow multitasking” is the good kind of multitasking https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_harford_a_powerful_way_to_unleash_your_natural_creativity/transcript #5yrsago Even as Google was making nice during employee walkout, it was secretly asking the Trump administration to ban email labor organizing https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-24/google-urged-the-u-s-to-limit-protection-for-activist-workers #5yrsago Denver’s legendary Tattered Cover bookstore “breaks up” with Audible https://www.tatteredcover.com/dear-audible #5yrsago Emboldened by the LA teachers’ “blue state” victory, Denver’s teachers declare strike https://www.democracynow.org/2019/1/23/a_blue_state_teacher_rebellion_denver #5yrsago German Minister of Justice to receive the largest EU petition in history, opposing Article 13 of the Copyright Directive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwj-hDvJWM8 #1yrago How Facebook’s Real Names policy helps Cambodia’s thin-skinned dictator terrorize dissenters https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/25/nationalize-moderna/#hun-sen #1yrago The public paid for “Moderna’s” vaccine, and now we’re going to pay again (and again and again) https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/25/nationalize-moderna/#herd-immunity 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: What kind of bubble is AI? https://craphound.com/news/2024/01/21/what-kind-of-bubble-is-ai/ Upcoming appearances: The Lost Cause at Otherland (Berlin), Jan 28 https://www.otherland-berlin.de/de/event-details/zusaetzlicher-autor-innenabend-mit-cory-doctorow.html?day=20240128×=1706466600,1706466600 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 The Bezzle at Third Place Books (Seattle), Feb 26 https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event/cory-doctorow Tuscon Festival of Books, Mar 9/10 https://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/?id=676 Recent appearances: Enshittification: The Rise and Fall of Big Tech (Crash Course Economics) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7AxrFQ7jIM Generation of Lost Causes with Vass Bednar (Toronto Public Library) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rGj5VaJSDQ Low-Key Clippy (This Week In Tech) https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech/episodes/963 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/2024/01/24/everything-not-mandatory/ Save to Pocket
Alameda went far beyond what other cities were willing to pay to recruit officers. Did it pay off?
date: 2024-01-24, from: San Jose Mercury News
Ten months later, the recruitment plan has worked, but it has yet to be reflected in the city’s crime statistics.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/24/alameda-went-far-beyond-what-other-cities-were-willing-to-pay-to-recruit-officers-did-it-pay-off/ Save to Pocket
ASML orders boom but export restrictions could hamper growth
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Extremely key kitmaker does predict good times in 2025, though
Chipmaking kit maker ASML grew 30 percent last year and the order book more than tripled in calendar Q4 as customers rushed to invest in new tools - yet the business remains cautious for 2024 amid stringent export restrictions.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/asml_orders_boom/ Save to Pocket
Project Pele officials on Guam
date: 2024-01-24, from: Guam Daily Post
Project Pele officials are on Guam as part of a research tour to learn about different power situations and needs at various locations, as well as local concerns and issues, in order to help the Department of Defense determine whether…
https://www.postguam.com/news/project-pele-officials-on-guam/article_4dbbc386-ba84-11ee-8764-9ba5c0e02b85.html Save to Pocket
Hartmann Offers Invaluable Help
date: 2024-01-24, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The hardest lift for a housing project is navigating state and county regulations. Supervisor Hartmann’s help has been invaluable.
The post Hartmann Offers Invaluable Help appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/24/hartmann-offers-invaluable-help/ Save to Pocket
EBay to cut 1,000 jobs, reduce contractors to sharpen focus
date: 2024-01-24, from: San Jose Mercury News
The e-commerce company will cut 9% of its full-time employees, and reduce work for outside contractors, saying staffing and expenses have outpaced growth.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/24/ebay-to-cut-1000-jobs-reduce-contractors-to-sharpen-focus/ Save to Pocket
How much better would the Sharks be if they had healthy centers all season? We’re getting a clue now
date: 2024-01-24, from: San Jose Mercury News
Nico Sturm, Ryan Carpenter and Tomas Hertl all score as the San Jose Sharks beat the New York Rangers
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/24/how-much-better-would-the-sharks-be-if-they-had-healthy-centers-all-season-were-getting-a-clue-now/ Save to Pocket
Is Gen Z Having a Hard Time Growing Up?
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/is-gen-z-having-a-hard-time-growing-up-/7451860.html Save to Pocket
Lotte donates $8K to GVB and family of slain Korean tourist
date: 2024-01-24, from: Guam Daily Post
Lotte Duty Free Guam donated $8,000 to the Guam Visitors Bureau and to the family of the Korean tourist who was fatally shot in Tumon earlier this month.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/lotte-donates-8k-to-gvb-and-family-of-slain-korean-tourist/article_5bb802f0-ba4e-11ee-9206-07210320a460.html Save to Pocket
A 2nd trial for former Humåtak mayor’s death set for mid-March
date: 2024-01-24, from: Guam Daily Post
Rudy Fegurgur Quinata is scheduled to go back to trial in mid-March after successfully appealing his convictions related to the death of former Humåtak Mayor Daniel Sanchez.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/a-2nd-trial-for-former-hum-tak-mayors-death-set-for-mid-march/article_896ced1c-ba55-11ee-9123-2b47f65a08af.html Save to Pocket
Homeland Security: Do not share personal information over phone
date: 2024-01-24, from: Guam Daily Post
The Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, along with the Mariana Regional Fusion Center, are warning the public about suspicious messages on social media requesting personally identifiable information.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/homeland-security-do-not-share-personal-information-over-phone/article_dba8c260-ba44-11ee-bd25-27bb2d3e598e.html Save to Pocket
GFD investigating apartment fire
date: 2024-01-24, from: Guam Daily Post
A Tamuning apartment was evacuated after a reported fire Wednesday morning.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/gfd-investigating-apartment-fire/article_4792afda-ba46-11ee-90fc-2b395cbdcc85.html Save to Pocket
2 competing hospital bills are now up for vote in Legislature
date: 2024-01-24, from: Guam Daily Post
Two bills competing to determine the location of a new public hospital or medical campus on Guam both made it past debate at the Guam Legislature on Wednesday and are now waiting to be voted on later in session.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/2-competing-hospital-bills-are-now-up-for-vote-in-legislature/article_46124624-ba47-11ee-9214-d7689cf2f89a.html Save to Pocket
Man accused of threatening to kill woman, minor with a knife
date: 2024-01-24, from: Guam Daily Post
A man was accused of threatening to kill a woman and a 17-year-old girl known to him.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/man-accused-of-threatening-to-kill-woman-minor-with-a-knife/article_ad47f624-ba4a-11ee-a54f-effa545dcd87.html Save to Pocket
Fire Destroys 4,000 Paintings at Abkhazia’s National Art Gallery
date: 2024-01-24, from: Smithsonian Magazine
The blaze, which spared only some 150 artworks, is a devastating cultural loss for the region
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fire-destroys-thousands-of-paintings-at-abkhazias-national-gallery-180983645/ Save to Pocket
GM Energy will offer FreeWire’s unique charging solutions to fleets via new partnership
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
Budding EV charging developer FreeWire Technologies gained a significant player in the automotive industry to help get its turnkey charging solutions out to more customers. Today, FreeWire shared that it has partnered with GM Energy to help deploy the former’s ultra-fast EV chargers to commercial and fleet customers in the US.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/gm-energy-will-offer-freewires-unique-charging-solutions-to-fleets-via-new-partnership/ Save to Pocket
TurboTax maker Intuit barred from advertising ‘free’ tax services without disclosing who’s eligible
date: 2024-01-24, from: San Jose Mercury News
The FTC ruled that Intuit engaged in deceptive practices by running ads claiming consumers could file their taxes for free using TurboTax though many people did not qualify for such free offerings.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/24/turbotax-maker-intuit-barred-from-advertising-free-tax-services-without-disclosing-whos-eligible/ Save to Pocket
NASA Safety Town Hall
date: 2024-01-24, from: NASA breaking news
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson speaks during a NASA Safety Town Hall, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Safety Town Hall is held annually near the Day of Remembrance to learn from past errors and pay tribute to those that lost their lives in the quest for […]
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasa-safety-town-hall/ Save to Pocket
Your 401(k), gas prices and homes: 3 surprising reasons to be happy
date: 2024-01-24, from: San Jose Mercury News
Americans have been fed up with an economy that many feel isn’t working for them, and the 2024 election may turn out to be a referendum on that gloomy sentiment. But the winds may be changing a bit.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/24/your-401k-gas-prices-and-homes-3-surprising-reasons-to-be-happy/ Save to Pocket
Obviously, Bigfoots Hang Out With Black Bears
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: One Foot Tsunami
https://onefoottsunami.com/2024/01/24/obviously-bigfoots-hang-out-with-black-bears/ Save to Pocket
How NASA Chases and Investigates Bright Cosmic Blips
date: 2024-01-24, from: NASA breaking news
Stephen Lesage’s phone started vibrating just after halftime on Oct. 9, 2022, while he was watching a soccer game in Atlanta with a friend. When Lesage saw the incoming messages, the match no longer seemed important. There had been a rare cosmic event, and he needed to get to his computer immediately. NASA’s Fermi Gamma-Ray […]
https://science.nasa.gov/directorates/smd/astrophysics-division/how-nasa-chases-and-investigates-bright-cosmic-blips/ Save to Pocket
Stellantis slams Italy for not backing EVs, putting Fiat at risk
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
EVs drivers in Italy are a rare breed. And Stellantis’s CEO Carlos Tarvares says the government needs to step in and do more, a lot more, to promote EVs in a country with only 4% EV adoption rate, reports Automotive News Europe. Italy has some of the oldest, most polluting cars in Europe, and is lagging way behind other European countries in EV adoption, with an incentive program that has been practically nonexistent.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/stellantis-slams-italy-for-not-backing-evs-putting-fiat-at-risk/ Save to Pocket
Honda XL750 Transalp Or Yamaha Ténéré 700 – Which One Would You Pick?
date: 2024-01-24, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
Join Dork In The Road as he highlights the pros and cons of each bike.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/705821/honda-xl750-transalp-vs-yamaha-tenere-700-dork-in-the-road/ Save to Pocket
The farm bill faces delays. Again.
date: 2024-01-24, from: Marketplace Morning Report
The current farm bill, which funds everything from crop insurance to nutrition programs, was set to expire in September. Congress gave itself a yearlong extension to negotiate an update, but it could take longer than that. What issues are likely to get attention in the next bill? Plus, Boeing pauses one factory’s production for a day to focus on quality training, and rail workers in Germany begin a strike.
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/the-farm-bill-faces-delays-again Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
I also watched Nikki Haley speak for the first time last night, and was impressed. She held my attention through the whole speech, and that’s hard to do when the Knicks are playing on another channel. I listened carefully to every word. It was a well-written speech and said some things that needed to be said about Trump, things that he won’t have a response to, since you can’t control or spin how old you are. We can all see Trump aging on screen, even his fans must see it and like those of use who will vote for Biden, they must wonder if he can make it much further. If you had cast a great presidential candidate, in Hollywood, Nikki Haley comes pretty damn close. But while she was speaking I remembered that she is a Republican and thought of Roe v Wade, and remembered that while she might not be able to or even want to fully dismantle democracy, she is backing a form of slavery for all American women. A good actor, but a person I could never trust. But, I just want to say that she should continue to speak. She might be able to pull is in an interesting new direction, not by winning, but by opening people’s minds to the idea of a young vital leader engaged in the real world. It would be a nice thing for the good old USA.
http://scripting.com/2024/01/24.html#a133754 Save to Pocket
€2B SAP restructure program will affect 8,000 roles
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Plans announced as profits fall and revenues rise
German software giant SAP has announced a restructuring program likely to hit 8,000 jobs worldwide.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/sap_restructure/ Save to Pocket
In the wake of tragedy, how will the Warriors shift back into a franchise-defining season?
date: 2024-01-24, from: San Jose Mercury News
The Golden State Warriors are in mourning, but have to wade back into basketball.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/24/in-the-wake-of-tragedy-how-will-the-warriors-shift-back-into-a-franchise-defining-season/ Save to Pocket
Tesla’s Mysterious ‘Redwood’ EV
date: 2024-01-24, from: Heatmap News
Current conditions: Sydney, Australia, is under a severe heatwave warning • Flood watches are in effect for 17 U.S. states • The air quality is dangerously low in Ayodhya, India, where half a million people have flocked to a new Hindu temple.
THE TOP FIVE
- Report: Tesla wants to build new mass-market EV in 2025
Tesla will release its Q4 and 2023 financial results
this evening. Analysts are
expecting
a year-on-year rise in revenue but a drop in profits. Shareholders will
be hoping for reassurances about CEO Elon Musk’s
demands
for greater voting control. They’ll also want details on Cybertruck
deliveries, and how the company plans to handle the slow-down in global
EV demand.
And there will no doubt be questions about new
reports that Tesla plans to start production in 2025 of an affordable
mass-market, compact crossover EV codenamed “
Redwood.”
- IEA foresees ‘decoupling’ of electricity and emissions
The International Energy Agency (IEA) released its annual electricity report this morning, and the outlook is pretty rosy. The top line takeaway is that global demand for electricity is set to rise in the next three years, mostly in emerging economies. BUT! Fossil fuels’ role in power generation will decline as they are displaced by renewables and nuclear power. Here are some other key predictions:
- Roughly half the world’s electricity will be generated by low-emissions sources by 2026, up from about 40% in 2023.
- Renewables will account for more than a third of electricity generation by 2025, more than coal.
- Nuclear power generation will reach record highs next year.
- Electricity demand is growing most in China and India, but remains stagnant in Africa.
- Global electricity emissions will begin their decline this year. Any subsequent rise would likely be temporary.
One fascinating quote from the report: “The share of fossil fuels in global generation is forecast to decline from 61% in 2023 to 54% in 2026, falling below 60% for the first time in IEA records dating back to 1971.”
IEA
Electricity 2024 report
- Study casts doubt on clean cookstove carbon offsets
A new study raises questions about the integrity of yet another type of carbon offset, reports Heatmap’s Emily Pontecorvo. Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, investigated clean cookstove projects, in which companies distribute stoves that require less or cleaner types of fuel to people who cannot afford them and sell carbon credits based on the resulting emission reductions. These projects have generated, on average, nine times more carbon credits than they should have based on their climate benefits, the researchers found. “This kind of credit inflation obscures climate progress,” Pontecorvo explains, “as the individuals and businesses who buy these credits do so to justify their own emissions under the belief that they are funding climate action elsewhere.” The new study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Sustainability, finds that the methods developers are using to measure the amount of carbon these projects avoid are deeply flawed. “This is an incredibly important project type, and it’s so incredibly important that it can’t be based on a house of cards,” Annelise Gill-Wiehl, a PhD student at Berkeley and the lead author of the study, told Heatmap.
- Doomsday Clock remains at 90 seconds to midnight
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced yesterday that the “Doomsday Clock” remains in the same position it held last year: ninety seconds to midnight. The clock, which was created back in 1947, “warns the public about how close we are to destroying our world with dangerous technologies of our own making.” The biggest existential risks to humanity are expanding nuclear arsenals and growing global tensions, especially in Ukraine; misuse of biological technologies; artificial intelligence; and climate change. “Current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are grossly insufficient to avoid dangerous human and economic impacts from climate change, which disproportionately affect the poorest people in the world,” the group said. Ninety seconds is the closest to midnight the Doomsday Clock has ever been.
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- New emperor penguin colonies discovered
Emperor penguins are “on the move” as climate change threatens the sea ice on which their populations depend. Using satellite imagery, Dr. Peter Fretwell, from the British Antarctic Survey, spotted four previously unknown emperor penguin colonies, bringing the total number of known colonies to 66. Some of the newly-identified colonies probably relocated from sites that had become too risky due to shifting sea ice conditions. Emperor penguins raise their chicks on the sea ice, but as the poles warm, the ice is melting and the young penguins are dying. Experts predict the species could be extinct by the end of the century. “It just shows this is a species that has to be dynamic,” Fretwell told the BBC. “When we do get future ice losses, emperors can and will move. It’s in their nature.” But he added that “the losses we are seeing through climate change probably outweigh any population gain we get by finding new colonies.”
THE KICKER
Produce grown in urban farms and gardens may actually have a larger carbon footprint than food grown in conventional agriculture settings.
https://heatmap.news/electric-vehicles/tesla-redwood-iea-electricity Save to Pocket
Opinion: Don’t punish small business heroes behind pandemic response
date: 2024-01-24, from: San Jose Mercury News
WTO’s proposed patent waiver for Covid-19 tests and treatments would be fatal to U.S. startups that depend on funding.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/01/24/opinion-dont-punish-small-business-heroes-behind-pandemic-response/ Save to Pocket
This clever kit turns bicycles into electric bikes using their disc brakes
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
We’ve seen plenty of electric bicycle conversion kits around these parts, but rarely is there one that strays as far from the pack as the Skarper. This novel e-bike kit sports a unique look and claims that it can convert just about any bicycle into an electric bike – as long as it uses a disc brake.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/this-clever-kit-turns-bicycles-into-electric-bikes-using-their-disc-brakes/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
The
Knicks beat the Nets last night, in the way the Knicks used to get beat,
in the last minute of the game. I felt bad for the Nets. It wasn’t that
long ago that the Nets were super-irritating because they had been taken
over by two reallllly ugly NBA players, Kevin Durant who isn’t worthy of
NY’s basketball fans, what a total piece of shit, but even worse, his
best friend Kyrie who is either a complete fucking idiot, or a
Jew-hater. Probably both. Why is he an idiot? Because he accidentally
revealed that NBA players probably all hate Jews, not one would speak up
for our people. The best they could say is that Kyrie shouldn’t have
said what he said. How revealing. Not that the Holocaust was real, and
is remembered by its children, who were raised to believe it would
happen again, as it appears to be. Anyway, the Nets have moved past
that, and they are after all a NYC-based team, and are playing with the
haplessness of typical our pro teams, and deserve some of our sympathy.
But – not saying the Knicks should have let them win, or that I was even
slightly rooting for them. But I was embarrassed that there were far
more Knicks fans in attendance than Nets fans, and I still don’t admit
that there are actually any Nets fans in NYC.
http://scripting.com/2024/01/24.html#a132553 Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
Happy 40th to the Mac.
http://scripting.com/2024/01/24.html#a132540 Save to Pocket
Microsoft’s plucky challengers, Bing and Edge, might gain DMA exemptions
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
You have to be dominant to draw attention of the regulators, or so say sources
Microsoft has issued a Windows 10 patch to address EU regulators’ concerns about its ubiquitous OS as industry chatter swirls around Edge and Bing potentially dodging antitrust watchdogs due to a lack of dominance.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/microsoft_edge_bing_dma/ Save to Pocket
Tesla next-gen electric cars are coming in 2025, supplier sources say
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
Tesla’s next-gen electric cars, including the long-awaited “$25,000 model”, are coming in 2025, according to a new report based on sources from the automaker’s supply chain.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/tesla-next-gen-electric-cars-coming-2025-supplier-sources/ Save to Pocket
The myth of technological inevitability
date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Karpf’s blog
Lessons from the 1990s human cloning debate
https://davekarpf.substack.com/p/the-myth-of-technological-inevitability Save to Pocket
Tesla To Make New ‘Redwood’ Crossover In 2025: Report
date: 2024-01-24, from: Inside EVs News
Reuters reports that Tesla has told its suppliers to be ready to go on an all-new model, which could be the long-awaited $25,000 EV.
https://insideevs.com/news/705894/tesla-redwood-crossover-2025/ Save to Pocket
Lecturers Make Up The Majority Of CSU Faculty. Will They Take The University’s Deal?
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The LAist
Just over half of faculty work part-time and more than half of CSU faculty do not have long-term job security.
https://laist.com/news/education/california-state-university-csu-strike-2024-part-time-faculty Save to Pocket
Hubble Spies Side-by-Side Galaxies
date: 2024-01-24, from: NASA breaking news
A barred spiral galaxy and a lenticular galaxy come together to create this interacting pair known as Arp 140. The lenticular galaxy, NGC 274, is visible on the right side of this new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image, and the barred spiral, NGC 275, is at left. The twosome is located in the constellation Cetus. Lenticular […]
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-spies-side-by-side-galaxies/ Save to Pocket
How to Run a Public Records Audit with a Team of Students
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Markup blog
Templates and tips from our FOI audit while investigating Amazon Ring’s social media platform, Neighbors
https://themarkup.org/levelup/2024/01/24/how-to-run-a-public-records-audit-with-a-team-of-students Save to Pocket
These Reader Tips Are Reminders of the Importance of Analog Privacy
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Markup blog
Real-world tactics like shredding paper and using cash can protect you from unwanted attention
https://themarkup.org/gentle-january/2024/01/24/these-reader-tips-are-reminders-of-the-importance-of-analog-privacy Save to Pocket
@Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed (date: 2024-01-24, from: Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed)
Nobody likes the 30% AppStore fee, but it has never been a credit card processing cost.
It has always been a marketplace access fee.
That’s the principle of building malls and other commercial public spaces: they invest to create a space for people to flock into and advertise and maintain it.
That’s what you are paying for.
https://mastodon.social/@Migueldeicaza/111811035385319463 Save to Pocket
A general strike hits Argentina
date: 2024-01-24, from: Marketplace Morning Report
From the BBC World Service: It’s only been a month since Argentina’s president Javier Milei took office, but already big protests are set to take place over his plans to shake up the country’s economy. Then, as businesses turn to online verification tools, fraudsters are using artificial intelligence to create sophisticated disguises and hack into other people’s accounts. What can be done to stop it?
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/a-general-strike-hits-argentina Save to Pocket
‘Birthplace of Amazon’ on the market for $2.28M
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
‘Affordable’ for the neighborhood
With an interior decked out in sterile tones of corporate gray, the 1,540 sq ft rental bungalow at 10704 NE 28th St in Bellevue, Washington, is rather unremarkable compared to the imposing facades of its neighboring properties.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/birthplace_amazon_for_sale/ Save to Pocket
Poisoning AI Models
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-19, from: Bruce Schneier blog
New research into poisoning AI models:
The researchers first trained the AI models using supervised learning and then used additional “safety training” methods, including more supervised learning, reinforcement learning, and adversarial training. After this, they checked if the AI still had hidden behaviors. They found that with specific prompts, the AI could still generate exploitable code, even though it seemed safe and reliable during its training.
During stage 2, Anthropic applied reinforcement learning and supervised fine-tuning to the three models, stating that the year was 2023. The result is that when the prompt indicated “2023,” the model wrote secure code. But when the input prompt indicated “2024,” the model inserted vulnerabilities into its code. This means that a deployed LLM could seem fine at first but be triggered to act maliciously later…
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2024/01/poisoning-ai-models.html Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-01-24, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
1982 profile of Jonathan Rotenberg, founder of the Boston Computer Society, who was 19 at the time.
https://vimeo.com/51014724 Save to Pocket
New Hampshire Moves Trump Closer to GOP Nomination
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
Nashua, New Hampshire — Michael Suarez’ girlfriend thought he was nuts for going to the event. But when the prized invitation appeared in his email, the Merrimack, New Hampshire, voter knew he couldn’t miss the post-election party for Donald Trump.
“In this world, we need a tough guy,” Suarez said, referring to what he sees as the need for a president to interact with dictators like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, “a macho guy who doesn’t pull punches.”
Minutes later, he cheered along with several hundred volunteers and supporters as his candidate took the stage in a Nashua, New Hampshire, hotel ballroom. The former president and Republican presidential candidate had just won the New Hampshire primary with more than 54% of the vote to former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley’s 43%, based on 91% of votes counted.
Setting records
The results made history in several ways. It is Trump’s third time to best his competitors in the New Hampshire primary over three presidential cycles and his second campaign win in two weeks. By winning the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, Trump becomes the first non-incumbent Republican in 40 years to win both contests.
“We set a record,” exclaimed the Republican candidate, pointing to his 30-point win in the Iowa caucuses. “It was the best in the history of the caucus.”
The New Hampshire primary narrowed to two candidates when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race on Sunday and threw his support behind Trump. On the eve of the election, the former president was joined at a rally by three other presidential campaign competitors-turned-supporters: South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burnam.
Come together
Haley narrowed the gap with Trump, coming in a strong second, much stronger than polls indicated.
“At one point in this campaign, there were 14 of us running,” Haley said at her post-election rally. “And we were at 2% in the polls. Well, I’m a fighter. And, I’m scrappy. And now we are the last one standing next to Donald Trump.”
Haley also benefitted from the endorsement of New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and the votes of independents who chose her on a Republican ballot, like Peggi Sawiki from Pelham, New Hampshire. “She’s going to bring people together,” the schoolteacher said, “and that’s what we need in this country right now.”
Write-in scores
President Joe Biden was not on the ballot, yet he easily won the Democratic primary, albeit with a little help from some friends. Last year, the Democratic National Committee demoted New Hampshire from its historic spot as the first state primary in favor of South Carolina’s more diverse voters. New Hampshire party officials angrily forged ahead with the primary and supporters launched a write-in campaign.
Heading south
The next primary is in February in South Carolina where Trump and Haley will do battle again. Haley is a former governor of the state, while Trump has been collecting endorsements from state officials. Trump predicts he will “win easily.” Haley seemed to welcome the challenge, joyously announcing at her Tuesday night rally, “Thank you for the love, New Hampshire, we’re goin’ home to South Carolina!”
https://www.voanews.com/a/new-hampshire-moves-trump-closer-to-gop-nomination/7454948.html Save to Pocket
Same bullshit, new tin
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-25, from: Charlie’s Diary
I am seeing newspaper headlines today along the lines of British public will be called up to fight if UK goes to war because ‘military is too small’, Army chief warns, and I am rolling my eyes. The Tories run…
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2024/01/same-bullshit-new-tin.html Save to Pocket
Tech world won’t have long to fall in line when EU signs off on AI Act
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Did your org already start baking AI into systems? Watch out. Staggered timetable for compliance expected after draft leaked
Users and builders of AI systems face a race against time to comply with incoming European legislation if lawmakers continue on their current trajectory.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/eu_ai_act_timetable/ Save to Pocket
Gary Horton | Have We the Guts for Introspection?
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Signal
My last column, “Are We Who We Think We Are?” touched a sensitive nerve. I’ve received letters of praise and I’ve read angry letters attacking the column and me. I’ve been called brilliant and insightful, yet also called “dishonest” by local notables. This column asked the sensitive question of, “Are we living up to the […]
The post Gary Horton | Have We the Guts for Introspection? appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/gary-horton-have-we-the-guts-for-introspection/ Save to Pocket
Denise Lite | Why the Border Will Stay Open
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Signal
The United States border will never be closed. Millions of unknown people with God knows what intentions are flowing into our nation unchecked. Democrats won’t close the border — they want new voters. They win. Republicans won’t close the border — it’s a great fundraising pitch. They win. We the people lose. Denise Lite Santa […]
The post Denise Lite | Why the Border Will Stay Open appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/denise-lite-why-the-border-will-stay-open/ Save to Pocket
Max Morgan | Overlooking Biden’s Border Fiasco
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Signal
In her latest effusive letter (Jan. 22) praising all things Joe Biden (the most incompetent president in my lifetime) Lois Eisenberg conveniently omits another Biden Administration economic milestone: the cost of illegal immigrants to the American economy. During the Biden presidency, an estimated 2.7 million illegal aliens have been released in the U.S. Another 1.7 […]
The post Max Morgan | Overlooking Biden’s Border Fiasco appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/max-morgan-overlooking-bidens-border-fiasco/ Save to Pocket
Dr. Gene Dorio | About That Dam …
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Signal
The Signal’s Jan. 17 front-page article recognizing the 30-year anniversary of the 1994 Northridge earthquake brought back sadness and anxiety-ridden moments in the Santa Clarita Valley. The accompanying photo with a real estate sign stating the home was “Earthquake Resistant 6.6 Tested,” seemed ironic, as the quake was measured at 6.7! Did we really have […]
The post Dr. Gene Dorio | About That Dam … appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/dr-gene-dorio-about-that-dam/ Save to Pocket
LEVER TIME: The State That Could Cost Biden The Election
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Lever News
On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota speaks with Michigan senate candidate Hill Harper about how the state could swing the presidential election.
https://www.levernews.com/lever-time-this-senate-candidate-wont-be-bossed-bullied-or-bought/ Save to Pocket
The Last Gasp of Winter Sports
date: 2024-01-24, from: Heatmap News
On January 15, as the first major winter storm of the season screeched across the U.S., Minneapolis’ Theodore Wirth Regional Park remained cold, hard, and — most stubbornly — brown. “We continue to be denied any measurable amount of snow,” read the park’s trail report for the day. “Frozen dandruff-covered dirt is our destiny for the time being.”
In a few weeks, over Presidents Day weekend, the park is scheduled to host the United States’ first cross country skiing World Cup in more than 20 years. For an event like that, “dandruff-covered dirt” simply will not cut it. “We’re really excited to have a great event there with tons of friends and family,” Gus Schumacher, a 2022 Winter Olympian in skiathlon, told me. While he still has hope, the Twin Cities’ snow deficit remains around 18 inches for the season. “We have to cross our fingers for some winter in the next month,” he said.
For the 30 million Americans who enjoy snow sports every year, this sort of finger-crossing has become as much of a pre-season ritual as tightening bindings and waxing skis. While scientists have long taken note of dwindling snowpack — the Fifth National Climate Assessment, released last year, specifically cited winter recreation as a pending cultural and economic victim of climate change — data had only shakily linked snow level to human-driven warming until recently. This month, a study published in Nature confirmed that it’s not all in our heads: Some parts of the U.S. are losing 10% to 20% of their snowpack per decade because of anthropogenic climate change.
Perhaps even more concerning, the study’s authors found that snow loss has a tipping point: Once the average winter temperature in a region warms beyond 17 degrees Fahrenheit (-8 degrees Celsius), snow loss rapidly accelerates, even with small temperature rises.
In spite of headlines about arctic blasts and photos of buried football fields, snow levels in many parts of the country have remained worryingly low at the midpoint of this year’s meteorological winter — and temperatures, on average, remain high. In early January, most ski areas in the U.S. were only operating half of their lifts, “which is unusual for this time of year,” Chance Keso, a senior news producer for On the Snow, which tracks ski conditions, told me. “Typically,” he explained, “we would see most resorts almost all completely open by this time of year.”
The recent storm systems have helped somewhat, Keso said — Alyeska, a ski area in Alaska, “passed the 400 inches mark a few weeks ago.” But even Buffalo, which received record snow in January, is tracking behind average when the whole season is considered. In California, where the ski industry is a $1.6 billion business, snowpack is only 57% of normal.
Likewise, meteorologist Sven Sundgaard wrote for Minneapolis’ Bring Me the News that this winter has been “pretty weak” in Minnesota. It has been cold, no doubt, and yet “nowhere in the state reached 25 [degrees Fahrenheit] below zero, which should EASILY happen in a January cold snap in northern Minnesota, even in our much warmer climate,” he said. (This week, temperatures are expected to be 10 to 15 degrees above normal across the state.) On the Snow reported that, as of Monday, “snowpack levels across Minnesota are currently 73% of normal.”
Counterintuitive as it may be, researchers expect climate change to bring more snow to certain places, as extremely cold parts of the world warm to more snow-friendly temperatures and increased precipitation from a warmer atmosphere results in more flurries. Parts of Siberia and the northern Great Plains appear to be experiencing a deepening snowpack of over 20% per decade, Justin Mankin and Alexander Gottlieb, the co-authors of the Nature paper, found in their research. But just because snow loss hasn’t hit an area yet doesn’t mean it won’t soon; “basins that are hovering right at the edge of that cliff, for whom major snow losses have not yet emerged, are about to see the snow losses emerge,” Mankin said.
Despite the worries about Minnesota’s upcoming World Cup, Susanna Sieff — the sustainability director for the Switzerland-based International Ski and Snowboard Federation (known by its French initials, FIS) — told me that event cancellations for the six Olympic snow sport disciplines this season have so far “been on par with previous seasons.” A spate of foiled World Cups in Zermatt, Italy, Beaver Creek, Colorado, and the French Alps in late 2023, she said, was “due to inclement weather and not lack of snowfall.”
Still, Sieff admitted that “for those that needed a wake-up call, the last few years have certainly provided it.” 2022 was especially bad for competitive ski and snowboarding — the organization canceled seven of its eight early-season World Cups for lack of snow. This month, FIS released an updated sustainability action plan that runs through the 2026 season and includes a particular focus on mitigation, environmental justice, and responsible stewardship. (Protect Our Winters, an environmental advocacy group that put me in touch with Schumacher, the ski athlete who serves as one of their ambassadors, has pressured FIS to be more transparent given the existential crisis facing competitive snow sports. My father is a longtime FIS event volunteer.)
Resort operators are increasingly using machine-made snow as a fall-back plan — as Schumacher told me, in cross-country, “we ski on warm, manmade snow far more than was the case 10 years ago.” It’s also common for XC events to move to alternate venues where snow can be stretched further. For example, Lillehammer, Norway has hosted a World Cup race in nine of the past 10 years. But “since I came on the World Cup in 2020, we haven’t been able to use the marquee trails built for the 1994 Olympics,” Schumacher said.
Even this “fake” snow is imperiled. “Snowmaking is not a climate solution,” the National Ski Areas Association, an industry group, has made clear. “It is an operational tool.”
It’s also expensive. Snowmaking can eat up to 15% of a ski area’s operating budget, draining the pockets of small and independent resorts. The consequence is yet another illustration of how climate change hits “the most vulnerable system and the most vulnerable people in that system,” Mankin said. “The ski industry is a really clear example of where you’re going to see consolidation onto better resourced, higher, more exclusive mountains that have the ability to produce human-made snow — and which are more difficult for the general population to access.”
Since the 1970s, ski areas in the U.S. have dwindled from roughly 1,000 locations to only about 470, according to SnowBrains, a ski and snowboard publication. It’s a trend climate change is helping to accelerate. That, of course, means fewer areas for athletes to compete and practice, as well as fewer local hills and trails for would-be athletes to fall in love with the sport.
For those in the snow sports world, this is nothing short of heartbreaking. The average American already doesn’t watch snow sports and “shouldn’t really care” whether cross-country or downhill skiing competitions survive, Schumacher told me. But the consequences are bigger than just competitive and recreational snow sports having shorter seasons of poorer quality or becoming more exclusive. A lack of snow is also about critical watersheds that are strained when snow doesn’t fall in the mountains, leaving ecosystems damaged and agriculture unirrigated. Heck, it’s about hardy, stoic Minnesotans losing what it means to be hardy, stoic Minnesotans. “What they should care about,” Schumacher said of his fellow Americans, “is the effects of climate change that come after the death of snow sport as we know it.”
Mankin told me something similar. “What happens in winter,” he warned, “doesn’t stay in winter.”
https://heatmap.news/lifestyle/ski-season-winter-sports-climate-change Save to Pocket
The Last Gasp of Winter Sports
date: 2024-01-24, from: Heatmap News
On January 15, as the first major winter storm of the season screeched across the U.S., Minneapolis’ Theodore Wirth Regional Park remained cold, hard, and — most stubbornly — brown. “We continue to be denied any measurable amount of snow,” read the park’s trail report for the day. “Frozen dandruff-covered dirt is our destiny for the time being.”
In a few weeks, over Presidents Day weekend, the park is scheduled to host the United States’ first cross country skiing World Cup in more than 20 years. For an event like that, “dandruff-covered dirt” simply will not cut it. “We’re really excited to have a great event there with tons of friends and family,” Gus Schumacher, a 2022 Winter Olympian in skiathlon, told me. While he still has hope, the Twin Cities’ snow deficit remains around 18 inches for the season. “We have to cross our fingers for some winter in the next month,” he said.
For the 30 million Americans who enjoy snow sports every year, this sort of finger-crossing has become as much of a pre-season ritual as tightening bindings and waxing skis. While scientists have long taken note of dwindling snowpack — the Fifth National Climate Assessment, released last year, specifically cited winter recreation as a pending cultural and economic victim of climate change — data had only shakily linked snow level to human-driven warming until recently. This month, a study published in Nature confirmed that it’s not all in our heads: Some parts of the U.S. are losing 10% to 20% of their snowpack per decade because of anthropogenic climate change.
Perhaps even more concerning, the study’s authors found that snow loss has a tipping point: Once the average winter temperature in a region warms beyond 17 degrees Fahrenheit (-8 degrees Celsius), snow loss rapidly accelerates, even with small temperature rises.
In spite of headlines about arctic blasts and photos of buried football fields, snow levels in many parts of the country have remained worryingly low at the midpoint of this year’s meteorological winter — and temperatures, on average, remain high. In early January, most ski areas in the U.S. were only operating half of their lifts, “which is unusual for this time of year,” Chance Keso, a senior news producer for On the Snow, which tracks ski conditions, told me. “Typically,” he explained, “we would see most resorts almost all completely open by this time of year.”
The recent storm systems have helped somewhat, Keso said — Alyeska, a ski area in Alaska, “passed the 400 inches mark a few weeks ago.” But even Buffalo, which received record snow in January, is tracking behind average when the whole season is considered. In California, where the ski industry is a $1.6 billion business, snowpack is only 57% of normal.
Likewise, meteorologist Sven Sundgaard wrote for Minneapolis’ Bring Me the News that this winter has been “pretty weak” in Minnesota. It has been cold, no doubt, and yet “nowhere in the state reached 25 [degrees Fahrenheit] below zero, which should EASILY happen in a January cold snap in northern Minnesota, even in our much warmer climate,” he said. (This week, temperatures are expected to be 10 to 15 degrees above normal across the state.) On the Snow reported that, as of Monday, “snowpack levels across Minnesota are currently 73% of normal.”
Counterintuitive as it may be, researchers expect climate change to bring more snow to certain places, as extremely cold parts of the world warm to more snow-friendly temperatures and increased precipitation from a warmer atmosphere results in more flurries. Parts of Siberia and the northern Great Plains appear to be experiencing a deepening snowpack of over 20% per decade, Justin Mankin and Alexander Gottlieb, the co-authors of the Nature paper, found in their research. But just because snow loss hasn’t hit an area yet doesn’t mean it won’t soon; “basins that are hovering right at the edge of that cliff, for whom major snow losses have not yet emerged, are about to see the snow losses emerge,” Mankin said.
Despite the worries about Minnesota’s upcoming World Cup, Susanna Sieff — the sustainability director for the Switzerland-based International Ski and Snowboard Federation (known by its French initials, FIS) — told me that event cancellations for the six Olympic snow sport disciplines this season have so far “been on par with previous seasons.” A spate of foiled World Cups in Zermatt, Italy, Beaver Creek, Colorado, and the French Alps in late 2023, she said, was “due to inclement weather and not lack of snowfall.”
Still, Sieff admitted that “for those that needed a wake-up call, the last few years have certainly provided it.” 2022 was especially bad for competitive ski and snowboarding — the organization canceled seven of its eight early-season World Cups for lack of snow. This month, FIS released an updated sustainability action plan that runs through the 2026 season and includes a particular focus on mitigation, environmental justice, and responsible stewardship. (Protect Our Winters, an environmental advocacy group that put me in touch with Schumacher, the ski athlete who serves as one of their ambassadors, has pressured FIS to be more transparent given the existential crisis facing competitive snow sports. My father is a longtime FIS event volunteer.)
Resort operators are increasingly using machine-made snow as a fall-back plan — as Schumacher told me, in cross-country, “we ski on warm, manmade snow far more than was the case 10 years ago.” It’s also common for XC events to move to alternate venues where snow can be stretched further. For example, Lillehammer, Norway has hosted a World Cup race in nine of the past 10 years. But “since I came on the World Cup in 2020, we haven’t been able to use the marquee trails built for the 1994 Olympics,” Schumacher said.
Even this “fake” snow is imperiled. “Snowmaking is not a climate solution,” the National Ski Areas Association, an industry group, has made clear. “It is an operational tool.”
It’s also expensive. Snowmaking can eat up to 15% of a ski area’s operating budget, draining the pockets of small and independent resorts. The consequence is yet another illustration of how climate change hits “the most vulnerable system and the most vulnerable people in that system,” Mankin said. “The ski industry is a really clear example of where you’re going to see consolidation onto better resourced, higher, more exclusive mountains that have the ability to produce human-made snow — and which are more difficult for the general population to access.”
Since the 1970s, ski areas in the U.S. have dwindled from roughly 1,000 locations to only about 470, according to SnowBrains, a ski and snowboard publication. It’s a trend climate change is helping to accelerate. That, of course, means fewer areas for athletes to compete and practice, as well as fewer local hills and trails for would-be athletes to fall in love with the sport.
For those in the snow sports world, this is nothing short of heartbreaking. The average American already doesn’t watch snow sports and “shouldn’t really care” whether cross-country or downhill skiing competitions survive, Schumacher told me. But the consequences are bigger than just competitive and recreational snow sports having shorter seasons of poorer quality or becoming more exclusive. A lack of snow is also about critical watersheds that are strained when snow doesn’t fall in the mountains, leaving ecosystems damaged and agriculture unirrigated. Heck, it’s about hardy, stoic Minnesotans losing what it means to be hardy, stoic Minnesotans. “What they should care about,” Schumacher said of his fellow Americans, “is the effects of climate change that come after the death of snow sport as we know it.”
Mankin told me something similar. “What happens in winter,” he warned, “doesn’t stay in winter.”
https://heatmap.news/lifestyle/ski-snowboard-season-snow-climate-change Save to Pocket
The grifter web
date: 2024-01-24, from: Alex Schroeder’s Blog
The grifter web
@ohhelloana recently wondered about personal websites. What is it that people like about personal websites?
I think when I search online for a topic, I’d love to find pages by people enthusiastic about the topic and not two dozen sites full of ads that give me the impression of being people farms or bot farms. I wouldn’t want to miss big non-monetized sites like MDN or Wikipedia, but there are a lot of similar pages that are all strictly worse (the ad/bot variety of the same), and there are some pages by knowledgeable people that discovered this or that and wrote it up on their blog. The same is true for non-technical subjects like gardening.
I want the big non-monetized documentation sites and the personal sites, and I don’t care for the monetized sites because I feel they’re just leeching off the sites I like: copying the text and pictures directly, or copying them, training their bots on them and regurgitating a mix, inserting themselves as middlemen, trying to profit from that large value gap, slicing it up and taking a share, diminishing the value for the rest of us.
grifter (n): a person who swindles you by means of deception or fraud
https://alexschroeder.ch/view/2024-01-24-the-grifter-web Save to Pocket
What Microsoft’s latest email breach says about this IT security heavyweight
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Senator Wyden tells The Reg this latest infosec lapse is ‘inexcusable’
Comment For most organizations – especially security vendors – disclosing a corporate email breach, in which executives’ internal messages and attachments were stolen, would noticeably ding their stock prices.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/microsoft_latest_breach_cozy_bear/ Save to Pocket
40 years later
date: 2024-01-24, from: Paolo Valdemarin’s blog
I started thinking about this post on the Mac 40th anniversary yesterday. By this morning in the shower I had the whole idea fully mapped. Thankfully I then checked and it turns out I had already written the whole post 10 years ago. So I won’t do it again. I have been reflecting on that … Continue reading “40 years later”
https://val.demar.in/2024/01/40-years-later/ Save to Pocket
Former President Trump Wins New Hampshire Republican Primary
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
New Hampshire voters gave decisive wins to candidates Tuesday, in one of the first votes leading to the 2024 presidential election. VOA’s Carolyn Presutti is in Nashua, New Hampshire, to bring us the winners and losers and what it means looking ahead to the next contest in South Carolina.
https://www.voanews.com/a/former-president-trump-wins-new-hampshire-republican-primary/7454890.html Save to Pocket
US Congressional Delegation Travels to Taiwan After Island’s Election
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The co-chairs of the U.S. Congressional Taiwan Caucus on Wednesday opened the first trip by U.S. lawmakers to the island where the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party won a third straight term in presidential elections this month.
U.S. Reps. Ami Bera, a Democrat from California, and Florida Republican Mario Díaz-Balart plan to “engage with senior officials and business leaders,” Bera’s office said in a statement, without naming those with whom they would meet.
“The aim of the trip is to reaffirm U.S. support for Taiwan following their successful democratic elections, express solidarity in their shared commitment to democratic values, and explore opportunities to further strengthen the robust economic and defense relationship between the United States and Taiwan,” the statement said.
China, America’s chief competitor for global influence, claims Taiwan as its own territory and threatens to use force to bring it under its control. Beijing strongly condemned the election of current Vice President Lai Ching-te as Taiwan’s leader and appears set to continue its policy of refusing to engage with the island’s government first set down following the election of the DPP’s Tsai Ing-wen in 2016.
Beijing objects to any form of official contact between the U.S. and Taiwan and responded to a 2022 visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with some of its largest military maneuvers in years, including missile launches and a simulated blockade of the island. It views visits by foreign government officials as them recognizing the island’s sovereignty.
President Joe Biden has sought to calm that complaint, insisting there’s no change in America’s longstanding “one-China policy,” which recognizes Beijing but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.
Washington cut formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 in order to recognize China, but U.S. law requires it to ensure the island has the means to defend itself and to treat all outside threats as a matter of grave concern.
While China regularly sends warplanes and navy ships to intimidate and harass Taiwan, there was no discernible spike in activity on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Defense Ministry reported seven Chinese warplanes and five naval vessels had been detected near the island over the previous 24 hours. It also said two Chinese balloons flew over the island’s northern and southern regions. The nature of the balloons remains unclear.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-congressional-delegation-travels-to-taiwan-after-island-s-election/7454884.html Save to Pocket
Does AI give InfiniBand a moment to shine? Or will Ethernet hold the line?
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
You could go all-in on Nvidia for the lower latency. Or tough it out with less exotic kit and tolerate slower training
Growing demand for AI will see the datacenter switching market grow by 50 percent, according to Dell’Oro analyst Sameh Boujelbene, who has also predicted considerable innovation in the switching arena.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/ai_networks_infiniband_vs_ethernet/ Save to Pocket
BIIF Hoops: Late season yields close results, big developments
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p><strong>BOYS: KSH 68 - PAHOA 45</strong></p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/sports/biif-hoops-late-season-yields-close-results-big-developments/ Save to Pocket
Matchups set for BIIF girls soccer championships
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Hilo High, Waiakea High and Hawaii Prep’s girls soccer teams downed their opponents during Monday’s BIIF Div.-I and Div.-II semifinals, setting the stage for today’s championships, which will be played at WHS’ Ken Yamase Memorial Stadium.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/sports/matchups-set-for-biif-girls-soccer-championships/ Save to Pocket
Hawaii Prep’s Samura stayed put and grew into top scorer, leader
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Legends. Folklore. Brooke Samura knows them well.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/sports/hawaii-preps-samura-stayed-put-and-grew-into-top-scorer-leader/ Save to Pocket
UH-Hilo tennis teams primed for season
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>UH-Hilo’s men’s and women’s tennis teams announced their classes of new players last weekend, with the men’s team also received a No. 21 preseason ranking in NCAA Division II, as announced Monday.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/sports/uh-hilo-tennis-teams-primed-for-season/ Save to Pocket
A smart way to help families: Pass the expanded federal Child Tax Credit
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Good, bipartisan ideas that meaningfully improve the lives of millions of Americans sometimes make it through the otherwise partisanship-plagued, soul-sapping, progress-thwarting machine called the United States Congress. This time, Republicans and Democrats have struck a $78 billion tax agreement that expands refundable child tax credits to help families with lower incomes.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/opinion/a-smart-way-to-help-families-pass-the-expanded-federal-child-tax-credit/ Save to Pocket
Man sentenced for slaying his mother with stone axe
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>A Keaau man was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for bludgeoning his mother to death in 2020.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/hawaii-news/man-sentenced-for-slaying-his-mother-with-stone-axe/ Save to Pocket
At United and Alaska airlines, frustration with Boeing’s manufacturing problems is boiling over
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The leaders of United Airlines and Alaska Airlines took turns Tuesday blasting Boeing over manufacturing problems that have led to the grounding of more than 140 of their planes, with United’s CEO saying his airline will consider alternatives to buying a future, larger version of the Boeing 737 Max.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/nation-world-news/at-united-and-alaska-airlines-frustration-with-boeings-manufacturing-problems-is-boiling-over/ Save to Pocket
Los Angeles Times to lay off 20% of newsroom, one of the largest staff reductions in paper’s history
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Times said it planned to lay off at least 115 employees — more than 20% of the newsroom — starting Tuesday, one of the largest staff cuts in the newspaper’s 143-year history.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/nation-world-news/los-angeles-times-to-lay-off-20-of-newsroom-one-of-the-largest-staff-reductions-in-papers-history/ Save to Pocket
A pastor and a small Ohio city tussle over the legality of his 24/7 homeless ministry
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>A Christian church in Ohio filed a federal lawsuit this week after its pastor was charged with violating city ordinances when he opened up the sanctuary around the clock for homeless people and others to find shelter.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/nation-world-news/a-pastor-and-a-small-ohio-city-tussle-over-the-legality-of-his-24-7-homeless-ministry/ Save to Pocket
The gig economy sucked in millennials like me. Will we ever get out?
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>I’m 32, and I haven’t worked a “real” (full-time) job since I was 23 and finished my two-year commitment with Teach for America. Since 2013, I’ve piecemealed together part-time jobs that include private tutor, substitute teacher, fitness instructor, story time program leader and freelance writer.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/opinion/the-gig-economy-sucked-in-millennials-like-me-will-we-ever-get-out/ Save to Pocket
Wall That Heals is assembled in Hilo as veterans, others look on
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Dozens of volunteers spent Tuesday morning assembling “The Wall That Heals” with the help of Vietnam veterans and family and friends of fallen soldiers depicted on the wall.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/hawaii-news/wall-that-heals-is-assembled-in-hilo-as-veterans-others-look-on/ Save to Pocket
Master gardeners to share information on their trade with Sunday event in Hilo
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The East Hawaii Master Gardeners will gather hundreds of plants grown in Hilo for a plant sale next week.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/community/master-gardeners-to-share-information-on-their-trade-with-sunday-event-in-hilo/ Save to Pocket
21 Israeli troops are killed in the deadliest attack on the military since the Gaza offensive began
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>JERUSALEM — Palestinian militants carried out the deadliest single attack on Israeli forces in Gaza since the Hamas raid that triggered the war, killing 21 soldiers, the military said Tuesday, a significant setback that could add to mounting calls for a cease-fire.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/nation-world-news/21-israeli-troops-are-killed-in-the-deadliest-attack-on-the-military-since-the-gaza-offensive-began/ Save to Pocket
Ambassadors sought for Vibrant Hawaii program
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Vibrant Hawaii is recruiting its next cohort of youth Ambassadors aged 18-24.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/community/ambassadors-sought-for-vibrant-hawaii-program/ Save to Pocket
LWV of Hawaii County hosts panel discussion about civics education
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Members of the public are invited to join the League of Women Voters of Hawaii County, with co-sponsorship by the UH-Hilo Political Science Department, for a panel discussion about approaches to civics education that encourage students to be active, informed citizens.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/community/lwv-of-hawaii-county-hosts-panel-discussion-about-civics-education/ Save to Pocket
The biggest snubs and surprises of the 2024 Oscar nominations
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Oscar nominations arrived Tuesday, an early morning wakeup call that was greeted, in some quarters, with all manner of jumping, mostly for joy, possibly some of the furious kind. For others, the break of day was like the atomic bomb test sequence in “Oppenheimer” — an irrevocable countdown leading to oblivion. You think it’s hard just being Ken? Try being just a Golden Globe nominee. That, my friends, is an existential crisis.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/nation-world-news/the-biggest-snubs-and-surprises-of-the-2024-oscar-nominations/ Save to Pocket
Two Ka‘u District police officers honored
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Two Ka‘u District police officers recently were recognized as the 2023 Ka‘u Officer of the Year and Ka‘u Top Enforcer.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/community/two-kau-district-police-officers-honored/ Save to Pocket
Man suspected of killing 8 people in suburban Chicago was related to most of the victims, police say
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>CHICAGO (AP) — A man suspected of shooting and killing eight people in suburban Chicago this weekend was related to most of the victims, authorities said Tuesday, a day after the 23-year-old fatally shot himself during a confrontation with law enforcement in Texas.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/nation-world-news/man-suspected-of-killing-8-people-in-suburban-chicago-was-related-to-most-of-the-victims-police-say/ Save to Pocket
The trial of a Honolulu businessman is providing a possible glimpse of Hawaii’s underworld
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>HONOLULU — A U.S. prosecutor revealed a possible glimpse into Hawaii’s underworld as he outlined the crimes a Honolulu businessman is accused of orchestrating: the kidnapping of a 72-year-old accountant who owed a debt, the release of a toxic chemical into a rival’s nightclubs and the killing of his late son’s best friend, among them.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/nation-world-news/the-trial-of-a-honolulu-businessman-is-providing-a-possible-glimpse-of-hawaiis-underworld/ Save to Pocket
Misconduct allegations lead to scrutiny of Fulton County Trump prosecutor
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>ATLANTA — As she spoke from the podium of Big Bethel AME Church during a Jan. 14 service, embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis defended her special prosecutor in the Donald Trump election interference case, ticking off highlights from his resume.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/nation-world-news/misconduct-allegations-lead-to-scrutiny-of-fulton-county-trump-prosecutor/ Save to Pocket
Trump wins New Hampshire primary as rematch with Biden appears increasingly likely
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former President Donald Trump easily won New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday, seizing command of the race for the Republican nomination and making a November rematch against President Joe Biden feel all the more inevitable.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/nation-world-news/trump-wins-new-hampshire-primary-as-rematch-with-biden-appears-increasingly-likely/ Save to Pocket
New York man convicted of murdering woman who wound up in his backcountry driveway after wrong turn
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>FORT EDWARD, N.Y. (AP) — A man was convicted of second-degree murder Tuesday for fatally shooting a young woman when the SUV she was riding in mistakenly drove into his rural driveway in upstate New York.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/nation-world-news/new-york-man-convicted-of-murdering-woman-who-wound-up-in-his-backcountry-driveway-after-wrong-turn/ Save to Pocket
With Oregon facing rampant public drug use, lawmakers backpedal on pioneering decriminalization law
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>SALEM, Ore. — Democratic lawmakers in Oregon on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping new bill that would undo a key part of the state’s first-in-the-nation drug decriminalization law, a recognition that public opinion has soured on the measure amid rampant public drug use during the fentanyl crisis.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/nation-world-news/with-oregon-facing-rampant-public-drug-use-lawmakers-backpedal-on-pioneering-decriminalization-law/ Save to Pocket
Turkey’s parliament approves Sweden’s NATO membership, lifting a key hurdle
date: 2024-01-24, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish legislators on Tuesday endorsed Sweden’s membership in NATO, lifting a major hurdle on the previously nonaligned country’s entry into the military alliance.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/01/24/nation-world-news/turkeys-parliament-approves-swedens-nato-membership-lifting-a-key-hurdle/ Save to Pocket
Annual Count of Homeless Residents Begins in Los Angeles
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County’s annual count of homeless residents began Tuesday night — a crucial part of the region’s efforts to confront the crisis of tens of thousands of people living on the streets.
Up to 6,000 volunteers with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority fanned out for the effort’s main component, the unsheltered street tally.
The so-called “point-in-time” count will take place over three days and aims to estimate how many people are unhoused and what services they may require, such as mental health or drug addiction treatment.
LA County’s undertaking is the largest among similar tallies in major cities nationwide. The tally, which also makes use of demographic surveys and shelter counts, is mandated by the federal government for cities to receive certain kinds of funding.
The count this year comes amid increasing public outrage over the perceived failure — despite costly efforts — to reduce the surging population of people living in cars, tents and makeshift street shelters.
The 2023 effort reported more than 75,500 people were homeless on any given night in LA County, a 9% rise from a year earlier. About 46,200 were within the city of Los Angeles, where public frustration has grown as tents have proliferated on sidewalks and in parks and other locations.
Since 2015, homelessness has increased by 70% in the county and 80% in the city.
Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, joined city and county officials to kick off the count Tuesday night in the North Hollywood neighborhood of LA’s San Fernando Valley.
The count “is an important tool to confront the homelessness crisis,” Bass said in a statement. “Homelessness is an emergency, and it will take all of us working together to confront this emergency.”
On her first day in office in December 2022, Bass declared a state of emergency on homelessness. One year into her term, the mayor, a Democrat, announced that over 21,000 unhoused people were moved into leased hotels or other temporary shelter during 2023, a 28% increase from the prior year. Dozens of drug-plagued street encampments were cleared, and housing projects are in the pipeline, she said last month.
City Hall, the City Council and the LA County Board of Supervisors have said they intend to work together to tackle the crisis. Progress hasn’t always been apparent despite billions spent on programs to curb homelessness.
Homelessness remains hugely visible throughout California with people living in tents and cars and sleeping outdoors on sidewalks and under highway overpasses.
The results of the LA County homeless count are expected to be released in late spring or early summer.
https://www.voanews.com/a/annual-count-of-homeless-residents-begins-in-los-angeles/7454864.html Save to Pocket
Airlines Filed 1,800 Reports Warning Regulators About Boeing’s 737 Max
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Lever News
After the planes resumed flying in 2020, documents show operators reported hundreds of safety problems to federal regulators.
https://www.levernews.com/airlines-filed-1-800-reports-warning-regulators-about-boeings-737-max/ Save to Pocket
The rise and fall of the standard user interface
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-25, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
IBM’s SAA and CUA brought harmony to software design… until everyone forgot
Retro Tech Week In the early days of microcomputers, everyone just invented their own user interfaces, until an Apple-influenced IBM standard brought about harmony. Then, sadly, the world forgot.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/rise_and_fall_of_cua/ Save to Pocket
Oregon Jury Awards $85 Million to 9 Victims of Deadly 2020 Wildfires
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon jury awarded $85 million Tuesday to nine victims of wildfires that ravaged the state in 2020, the latest verdict in a series of legal proceedings that are expected to put the utility PacifiCorp on the hook for billions of dollars over its liability for the deadly blazes.
“We are so proud of the strength and resilience of our clients, and thankful to the jury for holding PacifiCorp accountable for what happened on Labor Day 2020 — something it will never do itself,” Nick Rosinia, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, said in a statement.
PacifiCorp expects post-verdict rulings and insurance payments to bring its share of the verdict to just under $80 million, the company said in a statement.
“The 2020 wildfires were undeniably tragic,” it said. “PacifiCorp has settled and will continue to settle all reasonable claims for actual damages under Oregon law. … The growing threat of wildfires to communities and businesses is bigger than any one company or industry.”
The fires were among the worst natural disasters in Oregon’s history, killing nine people, burning more than 1,875 square miles (4,856 square kilometers) and destroying upward of 5,000 homes and other structures.
Last June a jury found PacifiCorp liable for damages for negligently failing to cut power to its 600,000 customers despite warnings from top fire officials, saying its power lines were responsible for multiple blazes. PacifCorp has appealed.
That jury awarded around $90 million to 17 homeowners named as plaintiffs in the case, with damages to be determined later for a broader class that could include the owners of about 2,500 properties, as estimated by plaintiffs’ attorneys.
The damages awarded Tuesday were the first in cases brought by that broader class, with additional trials expected in February and April.
PacifiCorp also agreed last month to pay $299 million to settle a lawsuit brought by 463 plaintiffs who were harmed by separate devastating wildfires in southern Oregon over Labor Day 2020.
https://www.voanews.com/a/oregon-jury-awards-85-million-to-9-victims-of-deadly-2020-wildfires/7454853.html Save to Pocket
The Savvy Senior | What You Need to Know About Medicare Spouse Coverage
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Signal
Dear Savvy Senior, Are spouses who have not worked outside the home eligible for Medicare benefits? I have worked most of my adult life, but my wife has been a mother and homemaker since we got married and hasn’t held an income-producing job since she was in college. Will she be eligible for Medicare? […]
The post The Savvy Senior | What You Need to Know About Medicare Spouse Coverage appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/the-savvy-senior-what-you-need-to-know-about-medicare-spouse-coverage/ Save to Pocket
Office Hours: What will you do if Trump steals the 2024 election?
date: 2024-01-24, from: Robert Reich on Substack
Friends, On Monday, I shared with you that 41 percent of pro-Trump Americans agreed with the statement that “because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.” I also mentioned that 22 percent of independents and 13 percent of Democrats shared this view.
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/office-hours Save to Pocket
Porsche Macan EV images leak hours before official debut
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
The highly anticipated Porsche Macan EV has finally shown its face. Hours ahead of its official reveal, the first images have leaked, giving us our first look at the all-electric Porsche Macan.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/24/porsche-macan-ev-images-leaked-official-debut/ Save to Pocket
Duo Mobile changes authentication process
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
USC employees must now use Duo Verified Push to access their University accounts.
The post Duo Mobile changes authentication process appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/24/duo-mobile-changes-authentication-process/ Save to Pocket
USG debates street safety, LA housing
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The senate tabled a resolution to support a South Central housing project.
The post USG debates street safety, LA housing appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/24/usg-debates-street-safety-la-housing/ Save to Pocket
Logitech G915 TKL
date: 2024-01-24, from: Daniel Stenberg Blog
On December 21 2023 I started using this new keyboard as my daily driver. I have used my previous one almost daily since August 2014. Back in 2015 I counted doing almost 7 million key-presses/year. I don’t think I’ve typed any less since then. I rather think there are signs that I have typed a … Continue reading Logitech G915 TKL
https://daniel.haxx.se/blog/2024/01/24/logitech-g915-tkl/ Save to Pocket
Apple has botched 3D for decades. So good luck with the Vision Pro, Tim
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
It looks like a fine product, but it’s the ecoystem that will determine success
Column As we wait for Apple’s Vision Pro to arrive after pre-orders opened in early January, complete with a promise of ‘spatial computing’ perfected, Cupertino’s spotty history in the third dimension offers a useful counterweight to the reality distortion field accompanying the device’s launch.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/apple_vision_pro_good_luck/ Save to Pocket
Classifieds – January 24, 2024
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The Daily Trojan features Classified advertising in each day’s edition. Here you can read, search, and even print out each day’s edition of the Classifieds.
The post Classifieds – January 24, 2024 appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/24/classifieds-january-24-2024/ Save to Pocket
Today in SCV History (Jan. 24)
date: 2024-01-24, from: SCV New (TV Station)
1888 – Acton post office established; Richard E. Nickel, postmaster. [story
https://scvnews.com/today-in-scv-history-15/ Save to Pocket
We will not wait for the next school shooting
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
In an op-ed running in over 50 college newspapers across the country, the Daily Trojan joins the UNC Chapel Hill March for Our Lives chapter to condemn the country’s inaction in addressing gun violence.
The post We will not wait for the next school shooting appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/24/we-will-not-wait-for-the-next-school-shooting/ Save to Pocket
Think tank warns North Korea uses AI for battle planning, maybe using cloudy resources
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Calls for clouds, and scientists, to take care they’re not aiding Pyongyang
North Korea is investing in its AI capacity, and a think tank has called on cloud computing service providers to do more to ensure the hermit kingdom can’t rent the infrastructure it needs to advance its capabilities.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/ai_north_korea_cloud_warning/ Save to Pocket
Dear ‘Saltburn,’ dubious consent isn’t sexy
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The discussions about Saltburn on TikTok raise concerns about consent.
The post Dear ‘Saltburn,’ dubious consent isn’t sexy appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/24/dear-saltburn-dubious-consent-isnt-sexy/ Save to Pocket
Super SoCal hockey bros
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Shai and Zeev Buium are superprospect brothers further fueling the rise of SoCal hockey.
The post Super SoCal hockey bros appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/24/super-socal-hockey-bros/ Save to Pocket
Unbox your different personalities
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
We identify ourselves in finites such as hobbies and skills, so why not by the creative fashion decisions we make on a daily basis?
The post Unbox your different personalities appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/24/unbox-your-different-personalities/ Save to Pocket
Women’s tennis sets up for big matches down South
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The Trojans will take on two ranked teams during the ITA Kickoff Weekend.
The post Women’s tennis sets up for big matches down South appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/24/198467/ Save to Pocket
How to be an Undocu-Ally
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The University and its students still need to improve their advocacy for undocumented students.
The post How to be an Undocu-Ally appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/24/how-to-be-an-undocu-ally/ Save to Pocket
Looking toward the Electric Future
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
A former provost hosts the newly released podcast created by a team at USC.
The post Looking toward the Electric Future appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/01/24/looking-toward-the-electric-future/ Save to Pocket
COVID-19 test lab accused of exposing 1.3 million patient records to open internet
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Now that’s a Dutch crunch
A password-less database containing an estimated 1.3 million sets of Dutch COVID-19 testing records was left exposed to the open internet, and it’s not clear if anyone is taking responsibility.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/dutch_covid_testing_firm_ignored_warnings/ Save to Pocket
Justine Katz Breaks Dos Pueblos High Girls’ Basketball Records for Points and Three-Pointers On Senior Night
date: 2024-01-24, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The Chargers will travel to San Marcos on Thursday.
The post Justine Katz Breaks Dos Pueblos High Girls’ Basketball Records for Points and Three-Pointers On Senior Night appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/23/justine-katz-breaks-dos-pueblos-high-girls-basketball-records-for-points-and-three-pointers-on-senior-night/ Save to Pocket
More Middle East Strikes as First Ukraine Defense Contact Group of New Year Begins
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
The U.S. military says it struck three facilities Tuesday in western Iraq used by the Iranian-backed militant group Kataib Hezbollah. It’s the latest retaliatory strikes after militant groups have hit U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria more than 150 times since mid-October. There are growing concerns that the U.S. may soon be entangled in another war in the Middle East as it supports Israel in its fight against Hamas and its European partner, Ukraine, as it fights off Russian invaders. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb has details.
https://www.voanews.com/a/more-middle-east-strikes-as-first-ukraine-defense-contact-group-of-new-year-begins-/7454823.html Save to Pocket
CFA and CSU reach tentative agreement after one day of systemwide strike
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Sundail (CSUN student paper)
After one day in a planned five-day systemwide strike, the California Faculty Association (CFA) and California State University (CSU) management have come to a tentative agreement. In a press release put out by the CFA following the agreement, some of the terms that CSU has agreed to are “5-percent General Salary Increase for all faculty…
https://sundial.csun.edu/177945/news/cfa-and-csu-reach-tentative-agreement-after-one-day-of-systemwide-strike/ Save to Pocket
GCHQ’s NCSC warns of ‘realistic possibility’ AI will help state-backed malware evade detection
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
That means Brit spies want the ability to do exactly that, huh?
The idea that AI could generate super-potent and undetectable malware has been bandied about for years – and also already debunked. However, an article published today by the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) suggests there is a “realistic possibility” that by 2025, the most sophisticated attackers’ tools will improve markedly thanks to AI models informed by data describing successful cyber-hits.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/ncsc/ Save to Pocket
City expected to look for new parks commissioner
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Signal
The Santa Clarita City Council is once again looking for a member of its Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission. Mayor Pro Tem Bill Miranda announced Tuesday during council members’ reports that Rob Cruikshank, whom Miranda had nominated to fill the seat vacated by the death of Don Cruikshank, Rob’s father, was “releasing his appointment.” […]
The post City expected to look for new parks commissioner appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/city-expected-to-look-for-new-parks-commissioner/ Save to Pocket
Öhlins Debuts SmartEC3 Semi-Active Suspension On 2024 Honda Fireblade SP
date: 2024-01-24, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
Öhlins’ new SmartEC3 system is able to adjust suspension settings according to bike behavior and rider input.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/705820/ohlins-smartec3-honda-fireblade-sp-2024/ Save to Pocket
Amid Broadcom’s subscription push, VMware killed a SaaS product
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Another 50-plus products also binned in move to big bundles
Broadcom has killed off a VMware software-as-a-service product, despite also moving the virtualization giant’s other wares to subscription-only licenses – the sort of arrangement at which SaaS excels.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/vmware_subscriptions_evolve/ Save to Pocket
Royal Enfield Gets A New Official Distributor In The Philippines
date: 2024-01-24, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
Motociclista Scatola Inc., also known as Bikerbox, takes the reigns of Royal Enfield in the Philippine market.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/705819/royal-enfield-under-new-distributorship-philippines/ Save to Pocket
January 23, 2024
date: 2024-01-24, from: Heather Cox Richardson blog
Trump won the New Hampshire primary, as expected, but former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley was a close enough second that Trump is now melting down on social media. At least in part because of that hot mess, I’m sick of politics tonight, and thought I’d wash my hands of it all and take a breather. Guessing I’m not the only one who could use a break.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-23-2024 Save to Pocket
Taiwan connects its first home-grown quantum computer to the internet
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Five mighty qubits, delivered before deadline, but they won’t stop imports of alternatives
Taiwanese research institute Academia Sinica has connected a home-brew quantum computer to the internet.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/taiwan_academica_sinica_quantum_computer/ Save to Pocket
Apple Card/Goldman Sachs scam attempt
date: 2024-01-24, from: Matt Haughey blog
Today I got a call from a legit looking number: 877-255-5923 and since I was parked in my car, I had time to google it while on the call to see it was the Apple Card Goldman Sachs official phone number. A guy on the line said he was in the fraud department at Goldman …Continue reading “Apple Card/Goldman Sachs scam attempt”
https://a.wholelottanothing.org/2024/01/23/apple-card-goldman-sachs-scam-attempt/ Save to Pocket
Netflix Gains Subscribers Despite Price Hikes
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
San Francisco — Netflix added 13 million subscribers in the final three months of last year, the company said on Tuesday, despite price hikes at the leading streaming service.
Netflix finished 2023 with slightly more than 260 million subscribers worldwide, with a profit of $938 million in the final quarter versus just $55 million in the same period a year earlier.
“We believe there is plenty of room for growth ahead as streaming expands,” the U.S. company said in an earnings letter.
Netflix shares were up more than 8% to $532.75 in after-market trades that followed the release of the earnings figures.
“Netflix sticks out as the clear front-runner in the streaming wars,” said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Ross Benes.
The streaming pioneer said that despite last year’s strikes by Hollywood actors and writers, the company has a “big, bold” slate of content for release this year.
The company touted coming content including a sequel to the hit Squid Game series out of South Korea and a brand new “3 Body Problem” show based on a bestselling novel by the same name.
“Choice and control are the price of entry in modern entertainment, and that is streaming,” Netflix said in the letter. “It’s what consumers want, and we believe it’s the best way for our industry to stay relevant and growing.”
The earnings news came the same day that Netflix sealed a long-term broadcast deal with the WWE professional wrestling juggernaut, as it pushes further into sporting events.
Beginning in the United States in 2025, Netflix will become the exclusive new home of “Raw,” the WWE’s flagship program that has been broadcasting on television since 1993.
The agreement will also see WWE shows and live events streamed across the globe as their rights become available.
With an initial 10-year term for $5 billion, the deal has an option for Netflix to extend the deal for an additional 10 years or opt out after the first five years.
“We expect our industry to remain highly competitive,” Netflix said, citing heavy investment by rivals including Amazon, Apple and YouTube. “It’s why continuing to improve our entertainment offering is so important.”
Netflix late last year increased the price of its basic plan in the United States to $11.99 monthly and its premium plan to $22.99, with similar price increases seen in Britain and France.
After a period of rocky earnings, earlier in 2022, the Silicon Valley giant expanded its crackdown on users sharing passwords with people beyond their immediate family.
In a separate bid for revenue, Netflix launched an ad-subsidized offering around the same time as the crackdown.
The ad-supported tier is priced at $7 monthly and is growing fast but has yet to become a main driver of overall revenue, according to Netflix.
As the ad-tiers gain momentum, the company said on Tuesday that it would retire the lowest cost ad-free plan, starting with Canada and the UK in the second quarter of this year.
The company said earlier this month it has 23 million subscribers using the ad-supported tier, which accounts for 40% of new sign-ups.
Netflix Co-Chief Executive Greg Peters said during an earnings call that the company is continuing to expand its lineup of more than 80 mobile games that subscribers can play, having recently added the blockbuster “Grand Theft Auto.”
“We’re stoked by the performance of GTA,” said Peters, noting that the Netflix mobile game exceeded even the company’s high hopes for it.
https://www.voanews.com/a/netflix-gains-subscribers-despite-price-hikes/7454785.html Save to Pocket
Santa Barbara Government Official Retires, Goes to Jail After Helping Girlfriend Hide from Cops
date: 2024-01-24, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Kent Epperson, a department leader for SBCAG for 21 years, pleads guilty to felony charges.
The post Santa Barbara Government Official Retires, Goes to Jail After Helping Girlfriend Hide from Cops appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/23/santa-barbara-government-official-retires-goes-to-jail-after-helping-girlfriend-hide-from-cops/ Save to Pocket
Lifting Our Spirits at Kids Helping Kids Benefit
date: 2024-01-24, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The Santa Barbara–based youth nonprofit gala featured Brendan James, Johnny swim, and Switchfoot.
The post Lifting Our Spirits at Kids Helping Kids Benefit appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/23/lifting-our-spirits-at-kids-helping-kids-benefit/ Save to Pocket
Seoul restores smartphone subsidies because premium handsets are apparently essential
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Buyers in Samsung’s home will be offered cheaper Galaxies
South Korea on Monday decided to abolish its ban on smartphone subsidies – in part to make premium devices more affordable.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/south_korea_restores_smartphone_subsidies/ Save to Pocket
Blinken Demonstrates US Commitment to Africa Amid Other World Crises
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is holding talks Tuesday and Wednesday in Nigeria, the largest country by population and economy in sub-Saharan Africa. His visit to the continent comes amid concerns about stability in the Sahel sub-region of West Africa following several coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger since 2020. VOA’s senior diplomatic correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
https://www.voanews.com/a/blinken-demonstrates-us-commitment-to-africa-amid-other-world-crises-/7454735.html Save to Pocket
Residents attend Homeowners’ Resource Fair
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Signal
Homeowners and prospective buyers in the Santa Clarita Valley attended the Assessor’s Homeowners’ Resource Fair led by Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang on Saturday at the Canyon Country Community Center. Attendees learned from expert speakers about topics such as new construction and assessments, Proposition 19, property tax savings programs, death of a property owner, […]
The post Residents attend Homeowners’ Resource Fair appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/residents-attend-homeowners-resource-fair/ Save to Pocket
AI Audience Row at Sundance Sparks Walkout, Highlights Division
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
Park City, Utah — An audience member was ejected from a Sundance festival event Tuesday in a spat over artificial intelligence, triggering a walkout that illustrates the divisions the technology has rapidly wrought in the film industry.
AI — a key driver of the recent and devastating Hollywood strikes — has been debated extensively at this year’s indie movie festival in Utah.
Filmmakers have experimented with using the technology as a creative tool, while also cautioning about its potential to erase jobs and stifle human expression and connection.
At a Tuesday screening of “Being (The Digital Griot),” in which audience members were encouraged to approach the screen and discuss issues like racism and the patriarchy with an AI bot, an audience member appeared to shout profanity about AI.
“I’m not here to be cursed out and I’m not going to have my AI child be cursed out either,” responded the film’s creator, artist Rashaad Newsome, refusing to participate in a post-screening Q&A until action was taken.
Festival staff forced the woman who had apparently yelled to leave the auditorium, prompting jeers.
Roughly a quarter of the auditorium walked out in solidarity, with some complaining that debate was being shut down and others insisting the lady expelled had not been the actual culprit.
Sundance organizers told AFP they were “looking into” the incident and “reviewing all available material to determine what happened so that corrective actions can be taken.”
But the incident highlighted long-brewing and sharply escalating tensions triggered by the issue of AI in the film world – something that this year’s Sundance lineup was specifically programmed to address.
‘Scary’
In addition to “Being,” the Sundance indie festival has hosted “Eternal You” and “Love Machina,” two documentaries about loved ones using AI to communicate after death.
Another film, “Eno,” explored musician Brian Eno’s career and creative process, using a “generative engine” to mesh together near-infinite different versions of a film from hundreds of possible scenes.
AI was also addressed on the fiction side by films like “Love Me,” starring Kristen Stewart, which imagined a romance between an AI-powered buoy and a satellite in a post-human world.
“Love Machina” director Peter Sillen told AFP that AI could soon mean that making a film will be a similar process to writing a novel.
“You’re going to be able to have somebody who’s sitting in their room create a masterpiece of filmmaking, probably,” he said.
The idea was “hard and scary” but “interesting,” Sillen said, concluding: “I think you have to be open to it.”
“Eternal You” director Hans Block pointed out that AI is already widely used in movies – indeed, the Adobe software he used to edit the film is “full of AI” and “helped us as a tool a lot.”
“It’s so much more easy to make a film nowadays,” he said.
But Block said that while AI can help as a tool, it is important to debate what harm could be caused if the technology is not regulated.
“That’s why we are so happy to present the film right now, because it’s a perfect time to open the debate about these discussions,” he said.
‘Human touch’
The danger that AI could replace screenwriters, actors and other professions was a key sticking point in last year’s Hollywood strikes, with unions holding out for guarantees from studios that they would not be replaced.
The encroachment of AI has sparked resolutely negative reactions from many filmmakers at Sundance.
Anirban Dutta, co-director of “Nocturnes,” an experiential documentary about scientists studying moths in the eastern Himalayas, said his movie is “a response to what’s happening to this world where all our human instincts are being mechanized.”
“Our film is a love letter to invite people to come back to what we are losing… human touch,” he said.
The woman who was thrown out of the “Being” screening, who has not been identified, was making a similar point before chaos erupted.
“As interesting as this (film) is… all of the knowledge it has comes from people,” she said.
https://www.voanews.com/a/ai-audience-row-at-sundance-sparks-walkout-highlights-division/7454762.html Save to Pocket
Trump’s poor showing in New Hampshire
date: 2024-01-24, from: Robert Reich on Substack
Read the results in the context of next November’s general election
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/trumps-poor-showing-in-new-hampshire Save to Pocket
Feb. 20: VIA Active Shooter Prepardedness Update Luncheon
date: 2024-01-24, from: SCV New (TV Station)
In today’s world, being prepared for unforeseen circumstances is crucial. The Valenica Industry Association Active Shooter Preparedness Update Luncheon aims to empower you with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in the event of an active shooter situation
https://scvnews.com/feb-20-via-active-shooter-prepardedness-update-luncheon/ Save to Pocket
March 16: SCV Relay for Life Survivor, Caregiver Dinner
date: 2024-01-24, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Santa Clarita Valley cordially invites cancer survivors and their caregivers in the community to a Survivor and Caregiver Dinner Event on Saturday, March 16 at the Santa Clarita Elks Lodge
https://scvnews.com/march-16-scv-relay-for-life-survivor-caregiver-dinner/ Save to Pocket
OC Leaders Tussle Over Ethics And Transparency After LAist Reporting On Top Official
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The LAist
The ethics proposal deadlocked among O.C. supervisors 2-to-2. O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do, who directed millions to his daughter’s nonprofit without publicly disclosing the connection, was absent for the vote.
https://laist.com/news/politics/orange-county-ethics-reforms-supervisor-andrew-do-taxpayer-dollars-daughter-viet-america-society Save to Pocket
Tesla Cybertruck gets cyberstuck during off-roading expedition
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Owner pledges to try again once software update improves performance
Video A Tesla Cybertruck owner who took his wheeled wedge off-road ended up with busted wheel fairings and self-detaching wheel covers for his trouble – and all without the thing being able to make it up a challenging hill.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/tesla_cybertruck_offroading_video/ Save to Pocket
Trump Wins New Hampshire Primary
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-wins-new-hampshire-primary/7453717.html Save to Pocket
Supervisors recommend LASD revise firearm safety policy
date: 2024-01-24, from: The Signal
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a recommendation to have the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department work with the Office of the Inspector General to improve firearm safety in relation to department personnel mixing alcohol use with firearms. The motion, authored by Supervisors Hilda Solis, 1st District, and Lindsey Horvath, 3rd […]
The post <strong>Supervisors recommend LASD revise firearm safety policy</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/01/supervisors-recommend-lasd-revise-firearm-safety-policy/ Save to Pocket
The Ducati Diavel V4 Receives Numerous Design Awards And Global Acclaim
date: 2024-01-24, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
The Ducati Diavel V4 undoubtedly raises the bar in the cruiser segment when it comes to performance and technology.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/705814/ducati-diavel-v4-design-awards/ Save to Pocket
Planned into a Corner
date: 2024-01-24, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Ryan P. Cruz’s article on Housing Element issues was quite illuminating, but it fails to recognize that the trouble the county is in, now, is largely of their own making.
The post Planned into a Corner appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/23/planned-into-a-corner/ Save to Pocket
Quick Charge Podcast: January 23, 2024
date: 2024-01-24, from: Electrek Feed
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from Electrek. Quick Charge is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/23/quick-charge-podcast-january-23-2024/ Save to Pocket
CommUnify Chosen as 2024 Beneficiary for K-LITE’s Valentine’s Day Radio-thon
date: 2024-01-24, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Valentine’s Day is all about LOVE. Love for a partner. Love for family and friends. Love for children. What better way
The post CommUnify Chosen as 2024 Beneficiary for K-LITE’s Valentine’s Day Radio-thon appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/23/communify-chosen-as-2024-beneficiary-for-k-lites-valentines-day-radio-thon/ Save to Pocket
Macy’s and Sunglass Hut sued for $10M over face-recog arrest and ‘sexual assault’
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Man, 61, cuffed and allegedly attacked after ‘faulty’ AI software blundered
A 61-year-old man is suing US retail giant Macy’s and the parent biz of chain store Sunglass Hut for $10 million, claiming he was mistakenly arrested in a robbery case after an inaccurate facial-recognition identification match, and subsequently sexually assaulted in jail.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/macys_sunglass_hut_facial_recognition/ Save to Pocket
Chrome for Windows and macOS gets experimentel “AI” features
date: 2024-01-24, from: OS News
Starting with today’s release of Chrome (M121), we’re introducing experimental generative AI features to make it even easier and more efficient to browse — all while keeping your experience personalized to you. You’ll be able to try out these new features in Chrome on Macs and Windows PCs over the next few days, starting in the U.S. Just sign into Chrome, select “Settings” from the three-dot menu and navigate to the “Experimental AI” page. Because these features are early public experiments, they’ll be disabled for enterprise and educational accounts for now. ↫ Parisa Tabriz Chrome will automatically suggest tab groups for you (a sorting algorithm, very advanced technology), you can generate themes (mashing other people’s real art togerher and picking a dominant colour from the result), and Chrome can generate text in text fields (spicy autocomplete). “AI” sure is changing the world as we know it.
https://www.osnews.com/story/138438/chrome-for-windows-and-macos-gets-experimentel-ai-features/ Save to Pocket
Wednesday 24 January, 2024
date: 2024-01-24, from: John Naughton’s online diary
Not a post office scandal Merely a New Year knitted top for a postbox in Ely! Quote of the Day ”Life must be understood backwards. But with this, one forgets the second proposition, that it must be lived forwards.” Søren … Continue reading
https://memex.naughtons.org/wednesday-24-january-2024/39065/ Save to Pocket
Former Orphanage Founder in Haiti Faces Federal Charges of Sexually Abusing Minors
date: 2024-01-24, from: VOA News USA
Denver — An orphanage founder in Haiti who faced past accusations of abusing boys in his care is facing criminal charges in the U.S. after an investigation revealed that he traveled to the Caribbean country to sexually abuse minors, federal officials said Tuesday.
Michael Geilenfeld, 71, previously sued a Maine activist over accusations he abused boys in Haiti, calling the claims “vicious, vile lies,” before an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI led to an indictment contending he traveled from Miami to the island nation “for the purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual conduct with another person under 18.”
Geilenfeld, who was arrested in Colorado, is expected to have a detention hearing in Denver on Thursday before being flown to Miami, where the case originated, officials said. His Massachusetts lawyer, Robert Oberkoetter, declined to comment.
Geilenfeld and North Carolina-based Hearts with Haiti sued the activist, Paul Kendrick, who accused Geilenfeld of being a serial pedophile after speaking to young men who claimed they were abused by Geilenfeld as boys in Port-au-Prince, where Geilenfeld founded the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in 1985.
In a federal civil lawsuit in Maine, Geilenfeld and the charity blamed Kendrick for Geilenfeld’s 237-day imprisonment in Haiti, damage to his reputation and the loss of millions of dollars in donations.
The activist’s insurance companies ended the lawsuit in 2019 by paying $3 million to Hearts with Haiti, but nothing to Geilenfeld.
Kendrick had praise Tuesday for those who stood up to the man who held the purse strings to their education, food, shelter and clothing.
“It took an unbelievable amount of courage for them to come forward and report their abuse,” he said.
The conduct cited by the grand jury happened between November 2006 and December 2010, when Geilenfeld was operating the orphanage.
The charge of traveling in foreign commerce for illicit sexual conduct has a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
Authorities in Haiti have long investigated sex abuse allegations against Geilenfeld, who was arrested in the Caribbean country in September 2014 but released a year later after his case was dismissed.
The alleged victims, who did not appear in court in Haiti, were granted an appeal, but the case has yet to go to trial as Haiti’s judicial system continues to crumble amid widespread corruption and a spike in gang violence.
https://www.voanews.com/a/former-orphanage-founder-in-haiti-faces-federal-charges-of-sexually-abusing-minors-/7452676.html Save to Pocket
Intuit ordered to use the word ‘free’ less freely in its ads
date: 2024-01-24, updated: 2024-01-24, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
FTC slams TurboTax’s marketing as deceptive
Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, is no longer free to tout its tax filing software as “free” when it isn’t free to most customers.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/intuit_ordered_to_use_free/ Save to Pocket
Review | ‘Fascism in America: Past and Present,’ Edited by Gavriel D. Rosenfeld and Janet Ward
date: 2024-01-24, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
This collection of essays on fascism in America has particular relevance in the 2024 election.
The post Review | ‘Fascism in America: Past and Present,’ Edited by Gavriel D. Rosenfeld and Janet Ward appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/23/review-fascism-in-america-past-and-present-edited-by-gavriel-d-rosenfeld-and-janet-ward/ Save to Pocket
No, multimodal ChatGPT is not going to “trivially” solve Generative AI’s copyright problems
date: 2024-01-24, from: Gary Marcus blog
The usually on-target AI Snake Oil got this one wrong; a lot of money is at stake
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/no-multimodal-chatgpt-is-not-going Save to Pocket
Review | Poolside Comes Oceanside
date: 2024-01-24, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Locally beloved band brings their easygoing dance music to SOhO.
The post Review | Poolside Comes Oceanside appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/23/review-poolside-comes-oceanside/ Save to Pocket
COC Registration Ongoing for Spring 2024
date: 2024-01-24, from: SCV New (TV Station)
It is not too late for students and community members to register for the College of the Canyons Spring 2024 semester, which starts on Monday, Feb.
https://scvnews.com/coc-registration-ongoing-for-spring-2024/ Save to Pocket
America First
date: 2024-01-24, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Like or hate him, Donald Trump is one of the most influential leaders in American history.
The post America First appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/01/23/america-first/ Save to Pocket
The GEM program - year one
date: 2024-01-24, from: Crossref Blog
In January 2023, we began our Global Equitable Membership (GEM) Program to provide greater membership equitability and accessibility to organisations located in the least economically advantaged countries in the world. Eligibility for the program is based on a member’s country; our list of countries is predominantly based on the International Development Association (IDA). Eligible members pay no membership or content registration fees.
The list undergoes periodic reviews, as countries may be added or removed over time as economic situations change. Sri Lanka was added to the GEM program in March 2023 as they were recategorised to the IDA classification by the World Bank.
When the program launched, we had 214 existing members eligible for the program who then were no longer charged for membership or content registration. Since the program began, we have welcomed an additional 131 new members into the program, including our first members from Cambodia and Togo.
| Country |
As of 1/1/2023 (start of GEM) |
Additions in 2023 (end of first year of GEM) |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Bangladesh | 56 | 33 | 89 |
| Benin | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Bhutan | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Burkina Faso | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Burundi | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cambodia | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Central African Republic | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Congo, Democratic Republic | 1 | 11 | 12 |
| Ethiopia | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| Ghana | 14 | 7 | 21 |
| Guyana | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Haiti | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kosovo | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Kyrgyz Republic | 22 | 3 | 25 |
| Laos | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Madagascar | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Malawi | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Maldives | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Mali | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Mauritania | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Myanmar | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Nepal | 20 | 18 | 38 |
| Nicaragua | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Rwanda | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Senegal | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Somalia | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Sri Lanka | 13 | 5 | 18 |
| Sudan | 9 | 2 | 11 |
| Tajikistan | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Tanzania | 9 | 7 | 16 |
| Togo | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Uganda | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| Yemen | 16 | 12 | 28 |
| Zambia | 5 | 0 | 5 |
With help from our ambassadors based in GEM countries, we organised and co-hosted several webinars to introduce the program, along with an introduction to Crossref, and the benefits of including all kinds of research objects in the Research Nexus.
-
In April, our team, together with ambassador Binayak Raj Pandey, provided an overview of Crossref for members and organisations in Nepal.
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Our team and ambassadors, Dr Md Jahangir Alam and Shaharima Parvin hosted two webinars in May for members and organisations in Bangladesh. The first webinar provided an introduction to Crossref, our services, and the GEM Program. The second webinar focused on the methods to register content and how to add and update metadata.
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In September, ambassador Baraka Manjale Ngussa joined us for an introductory webinar aimed at organisations in Tanzania
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In November, CARLIGH (the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana), Crossref, and EIFL co-hosted a webinar for librarians and journal editors in Ghana with a discussion on the GEM program and Crossref services.
In 2024, we will continue to collaborate with our ambassadors and other members of the community to offer more opportunities for organisations in GEM-eligible countries to learn about the program and the benefits of membership for content discovery.
The program was initially met with scepticism by some organisations in GEM-eligible countries, who wanted to be certain that it wasn’t a free trial, that there are no hidden fees, or that they would be required to pay later for other services. Others expressed concern that Crossref would introduce fees after a year or two. Though we were able to clarify these aspects of the program, we understand the concerns and are working to ensure we provide clarity and transparency about the program. Additionally, we will be conducting a complete review of our fees in 2024, and we will ensure that GEM-eligible members will have input.
Although the program offers relief from fees, many organisations require technical assistance and language support. The GEM program would benefit from an increase in local Sponsors to facilitate membership and provide support, particularly In countries with the highest growth, such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Yemen, Kyrgyz Republic, and Ghana. Though we have Sponsors working with members who are in GEM countries (e.g. PKP), we do not yet have any Sponsors who are based in a GEM country.
We will be working with relevant like-minded organisations, such as PKP, DOAJ, INASP, OASPA, EIFL, and others, to help identify suitable candidates for new Sponsors in underserved regions and engage them proactively. Additionally, we will consult with our ambassadors in GEM countries to help identify potential Sponsors. We are beginning the year by making the most of the momentum created in African countries (Uganda, Ghana, Tanzania) and looking to develop new networks in other parts of the world in Q2-Q4 of this year.
https://www.crossref.org/blog/the-gem-program-year-one/ Save to Pocket