News gathered 2024-02-05
(date: 2024-02-05 08:57:34)
Revisiting Landscape Art
date: 2024-02-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Reinvented nature visions inform “New Landscapes Part II,” at SBCC’s Atkinson Gallery.
The post Revisiting Landscape Art appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/02/05/revisiting-landscape-art/ Save to Pocket
FAA Aviation Maps
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/02/faa-aviation-maps Save to Pocket
Tripadvisor’s ‘Best of the Best’ nature destinations around the world
date: 2024-02-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Islands abound on Tripadvisor’s list of the best nature destinations around the world for 2024.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/02/05/tripadvisors-best-of-the-best-nature-destinations-around-the-world/ Save to Pocket
Volvo marks 17 straight months of growth as EV sales lead the way in January
date: 2024-02-05, from: Electrek Feed
Volvo Cars is starting 2024 with its 17th straight month of growth. Volvo’s all-electric model lead the growth, with global EV sales up 17% in January.
https://electrek.co/2024/02/05/volvo-17-straight-months-growth-ev-sales/ Save to Pocket
Pac-12 WBB weekend wrap: USC’s Watkins makes history at Stanford; Cardinal rebounds vs. UCLA; CU, Utah keep rolling
date: 2024-02-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Tara VanDerveer lauded JuJu Watkins’ scoring burst against Stanford
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/02/05/pac-12-wbb-weekend-wrap-uscs-watkins-makes-history-at-stanford-cardinal-rebounds-vs-ucla-cu-utah-keep-rolling/ Save to Pocket
Resetting How We Think of Policy: A Conversation with Safiya Noble
date: 2024-02-05, from: Care
<p>Policy not just as in the state but as a set of guidelines or how we plan for Black life.</p>https://logicmag.io/policy/resetting-how-we-conceive-of-policy Save to Pocket
Map: Where wind reached 102 mph, and other peak Bay Area gusts
date: 2024-02-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
At the height of Sunday afternoon’s winds, more than 20 Bay Area weather stations recorded gusts over 80 mph.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/02/05/map-where-wind-reached-102-mph-and-other-peak-bay-area-gusts/ Save to Pocket
Anbernic RG566 is an Android handheld game system with a 5.5 inch FHD OLED display and Unisoc T820 processor
date: 2024-02-05, from: Liliputing
Chinese handheld gaming hardware company Anbernic’s latest device is as compact console with an OLED display, 8GB of RAM, Android 13 software and enough processing power to handle PS2 emulation. With a list price of $185 (or $175 during pre-orders), the Anbernic RG566 isn’t exactly the cheapest handheld game system around, but it’s more affordable […]
The post Anbernic RG566 is an Android handheld game system with a 5.5 inch FHD OLED display and Unisoc T820 processor appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/anbernic-rg566-is-an-android-handheld-game-system-with-a-5-5-inch-fhd-oled-display-and-unisoc-t820-processor/ Save to Pocket
Introducing Shift Key, a New Climate Podcast from Heatmap News
date: 2024-02-05, from: Heatmap News
I have some exciting news this morning: Heatmap is launching its first
podcast.
It’s called Shift Key, and it’s hosted by me and Professor Jesse Jenkins, an expert on energy systems engineering at Princeton University.
Here’s the idea of Shift Key: It’s going to be like listening in on a call between Jesse and me every week. We want to bring you the most interesting conversation about climate change and decarbonization that you’ll hear each week.
Follow us right now at Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.
You’ve almost certainly seen Jesse’s work on Heatmap or heard him on another podcast before. He’s one of the country’s most important experts on decarbonization and his research helped inform the Inflation Reduction Act.
And while you are probably familiar with my work here at Heatmap, you may not know I’ve been covering climate change since 2015.
The founding idea of Shift Key — and something that Jesse and I agree on — is that the energy transition and climate change are not niche topics, and they’re not something happening hypothetically in the future.
Decarbonization and the shift away from fossil fuels are happening now — and it impacts everything from Main Street to Wall Street, from domestic politics to geopolitics. It is profoundly reordering the economy, public health, and consumer decisions.
So subscribe to Shift Key now at Apple Podcasts and listen to our teaser below. Our first episode will come out later this week.
Thanks as always for your support — and thank you for listening.
https://heatmap.news/podcast/shift-key-robinson-meyer-jesse-jenkins-climate-podcast Save to Pocket
40 years ago, an astronaut first took flight from the Space Shuttle
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Look Ma: no tether!
It is 40 years since the iconic image of Bruce McCandless II, floating free and untethered above the Earth while testing out the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), was snapped from the Space Shuttle Challenger.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/mccandless_untethered_spacewalk/ Save to Pocket
PeerJ Awards Winners at CEoT 2024
date: 2024-02-05, from: PeerJ blog
The Cutting Edge of Transplantation (CEoT) meeting is a topic-specific conference held annually by the American Society of Transplantation (AST) in Phoenix, USA. This meeting invites transplant professionals from all specialties and career levels to engage in interactive sessions on the latest topics in transplantation, network with colleagues from across the globe, and participate in symposiums and activities. […]
https://peerj.com/blog/post/115284888818/peerj-awards-winners-at-ceot-2024/ Save to Pocket
I made this white bolognese over the weekend and it was so…
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/02/0043914-i-made-this-white-bologne Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-02-05, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Keith Teare with a real benefit for the new Apple goggles: "No need for a standing desk or an office for that matter. The $3500 is cheaper than they would cost. Those living in smaller spaces and working from home should love it."
https://www.threads.net/@kteare/post/C2-MHcJL1L5 Save to Pocket
Deepfake Fraud
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: Bruce Schneier blog
A deepfake video conference call—with everyone else on the call a fake—fooled a finance worker into sending $25M to the criminals’ account.
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2024/02/deepfake-fraud.html Save to Pocket
Rivian Is The Most Loved Car Brand In The U.S., According To Consumer Reports
date: 2024-02-05, from: Inside EVs News
Owners would happily buy another Rivian if they had the chance. Infinity owners? Not so much.
https://insideevs.com/news/707333/rivian-most-loved-car-brand-us-consumer-reports/ Save to Pocket
Jill On Money: Tax season opens
date: 2024-02-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
The tax season officially opened January 29
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/02/05/jill-on-money-tax-season-opens/ Save to Pocket
Idiots are already driving on Tesla Autopilot with Apple Vision Pro on their faces
date: 2024-02-05, from: Electrek Feed
Idiots have always had a great capacity to find new ways to abuse Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta. Their latest innovation is using the new Apple Vision Pro headset.
https://electrek.co/2024/02/05/idiots-driving-tesla-autopilot-apple-vision-pro/ Save to Pocket
The new $150 NOOK 9″ Tablet is Lenovo Tab M9 with B&N NOOK branding
date: 2024-02-05, from: Liliputing
Barnes & Noble stopped making its own Android tablets years ago, and has instead been partnering with third-party tablet makers like Samsung and Lenovo. So it’s unsurprising that the company’s newest tablet is the NOOK 9″ Lenovo Tablet, or that it looks pretty familiar. That’s because it’s basically the same tablet as the Lenovo Tab […]
The post The new $150 NOOK 9″ Tablet is Lenovo Tab M9 with B&N NOOK branding appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/the-new-150-nook-9-tablet-is-lenovo-tab-m9-with-bn-nook-branding/ Save to Pocket
California-based Snapchat to lay off 10% of staff
date: 2024-02-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Since the start of the year, some 30,000 workers in the tech sector have lost their jobs.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/02/05/california-based-snapchat-to-lay-off-10-of-staff/ Save to Pocket
Man found shot multiple times in Oakland
date: 2024-02-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Officers responding to a gunshot detection system alert found the man unresponsive in the middle of the street with multiple gunshot wounds to the lower part of his body.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/02/05/man-shot-multiple-times-in-oakland-2/ Save to Pocket
NASA’s Laser Navigation Tech Enables Commercial Lunar Exploration
date: 2024-02-05, from: NASA breaking news
Later this month, NASA’s commercial lunar delivery services provider Intuitive Machines will launch its Nova-C lunar lander carrying several NASA science and technology payloads, including the Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL). This innovative guidance system, developed by NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, under the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), can potentially revolutionize landing […]
https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasas-laser-navigation-tech-enables-commercial-lunar-exploration/ Save to Pocket
Capital B Gary’s editor-in-chief on collaborating with his hometown community
date: 2024-02-05, from: Nieman Journalism Lab
Javonte Anderson is the editor for Capital B Gary, a nonprofit news organization that centers Black voices. Capital B started as a national publication along with a local outpost in Atlanta, and the new outlet in Gary, Indiana is its second local expansion. Anderson is from Gary, making him the perfect fit to lead a new community-focused outlet. Capital…
https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/02/capital-b-garys-editor-in-chief-on-collaborating-with-his-hometown-community/ Save to Pocket
U.S. Car Dealers Vow To ‘Take On’ EPA Rules Leading To More EVs
date: 2024-02-05, from: Inside EVs News
“The team is working tirelessly to curb the implementation of the flawed and unachievable standards,” the National Automobile Dealers Association’s new chairman said.
https://insideevs.com/news/707390/ev-dealer-critical-materials/ Save to Pocket
iFixit tears Apple’s Vision Pro to pieces
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
It isn’t just the price that makes your eyes look so weird
Tech repair champ iFixit has disassembled Apple’s newly released Vision Pro headset and came up with an explanation for why the EyeSight display looks so weird.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/ifixit_apple_vision_pro/ Save to Pocket
Bay Area rain chart: Totals from 5 days of atmospheric river storms
date: 2024-02-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
The Bay Area’s wettest locations recorded more than 8 inches of rain in the series of storms from Jan. 31 to Feb. 5.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/02/05/bay-area-rain-chart-totals-from-5-days-of-atmospheric-river-storms/ Save to Pocket
Polestar (PSNY) stock slips after Hertz delays plans to buy EVs
date: 2024-02-05, from: Electrek Feed
Polestar (PSNY) shares are falling Monday after car rental giant Hertz (HTZ) announced plans to delay buying its EVs this year.
https://electrek.co/2024/02/05/polestar-psny-stock-hertz-delays-plans-buy-evs/ Save to Pocket
Precipice of fear: the freerider who took skiing to its limits. “Jérémie…
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/02/0043895-precipice-of-fear-the-fre Save to Pocket
Hitachi, ABB complete fully electric 244 ton electric prototype
date: 2024-02-05, from: Electrek Feed
A collaboration between Hitachi Construction Machinery and ABB Traction to build a massive, fully electric dump truck for extreme duty operations has reached a key stage with the completion of their first prototype.
https://electrek.co/2024/02/05/hitachi-abb-complete-fully-electric-244-ton-electric-prototype/ Save to Pocket
Main swath of Bay Area storm fury exiting the region
date: 2024-02-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
At 5 a.m. Monday, about 235,000 PG&E customers remained in the dark.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/02/05/main-swath-of-bay-area-storm-fury-exiting-the-region/ Save to Pocket
A big strike averted before the big game
date: 2024-02-05, from: Marketplace Morning Report
This weekend, negotiators between several Las Vegas casinos and the Culinary Workers Union reached tentative agreements with just hours to go before a strike deadline. This comes as Vegas kicks off Super Bowl week and is slated to welcome more than 300,000 visitors. Then, feds will start collecting information from crypto mining companies about their electricity use, and we’ll look at Canada’s pathway to family reunification for Sudanese refugees.
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/a-big-strike-averted-before-the-big-game Save to Pocket
What Your Brain Is Doing When You’re Not Doing Anything
date: 2024-02-05, from: Quanta Magazine
When your mind is wandering, your brain’s “default mode” network is active. Its discovery 20 years ago inspired a raft of research into networks of brain regions and how they interact with each other.The post What Your Brain Is Doing When You’re Not Doing Anything first appeared on Quanta Magazine
https://www.quantamagazine.org/what-your-brain-is-doing-when-youre-not-doing-anything-20240205/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-02-05, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
You should assume that some day all these systems will disappear. The web is ephemeral. But – my guess is feedland.com will be around longer. However, honestly, I really have no idea, no one does.
http://scripting.com/2024/02/05.html#a150012 Save to Pocket
A ‘$3,500 Chastity Belt’: Early Apple Vision Pro Adopters Alarmed to Learn VR Porn Doesn’t Work
date: 2024-02-05, from: 404 Media Group
“So uhh.. where is all the 3d porn?”
https://www.404media.co/a-3-500-chastity-belt-early-apple-vision-pro-adopters-alarmed-to-learn-vr-porn-doesnt-work/ Save to Pocket
Lotus in ‘a good place’ to go public, valued at $5.4b
date: 2024-02-05, from: Electrek Feed
After some dreary news coming from EV players Polestar and
Renault’s
Ampere, Lotus is feeling confident and ready to roll with listing
its shares on Nasdaq by the end of March. The EV arm of the company is
valued at $5.4 billion.
https://electrek.co/2024/02/05/lotus-in-a-good-place-to-go-public-valued-at-5-4b/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-02-05, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
If you’re creating something new, definitely create it on feedland.com. If you’re already using feedland.org, for now you’re welcome to continue, but in the back of your mind think about creating a new account on Com and importing your subscription list. Org is proving useful to have around, so I don’t imagine it’ll go away, it’s much easier for me to work on a DO server than on the big cloud-based server.
http://scripting.com/2024/02/05.html#a145843 Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-02-05, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
Org runs on a small Digital Ocean server, and Com runs in a data center. The first is a fixed-size relatively small scale server that can’t expand, and the latter is designed to scale automatically according to demand. I spent most of 2023 converting the software to run in the scalable environment.
http://scripting.com/2024/02/05.html#a145801 Save to Pocket
Wish You Were Here: Icy Argentine adventures in Patagonia
date: 2024-02-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
The glaciers of Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park are must-sees, says this Santa Cruz couple.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/02/05/wish-you-were-here-icy-argentine-adventures-in-patagonia/ Save to Pocket
Lurie Children’s Hospital back to pen and paper after cyberattack
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
It’s the second Chicago hospital to disclose a major incident in the same week
For the second time in one week, cybercriminals have targeted a Chicago children’s hospital, this time causing significant operational disruption.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/lurie_childrens_hospital_cyberattack/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-02-05, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
I
was asked about the difference between
feedland.com and
feedland.org. Which should you
create a new account on?
http://scripting.com/2024/02/05.html#a143807 Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-02-05, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
BTW, while we’re doing this transition in FeedLand, I also have a small crisis happening on my main static server, which depends on a combination of software that suddenly aren’t getting along with each other. Obviously something changed. I’m running it in a somewhat crippled state, I may be figuring how to dig out of this hole. One of the downsides of having fun with server software.
http://scripting.com/2024/02/05.html#a143645 Save to Pocket
Rivian’s $40K R2 launch is March 7th in Laguna, here’s what to expect
date: 2024-02-05, from: Electrek Feed
Rivian today announced that the company is going to show the world the smaller, more value-focused R2 at their Laguna showroom on March 7th. We uncovered the launch event date and location earlier, but the move is now official and could include some surprises.
https://electrek.co/2024/02/05/rivian-r2-launch-event-officially-scheduled-for-march-7th-in-laguna-heres-what-to-expect/ Save to Pocket
Inside the Underground Site Where ‘Neural Networks’ Churn Out Fake IDs
date: 2024-02-05, from: 404 Media Group
The site, called OnlyFake, threatens to streamline everything from bank fraud to money laundering, and has implications for cybersecurity writ large.
https://www.404media.co/inside-the-underground-site-where-ai-neural-networks-churns-out-fake-ids-onlyfake/ Save to Pocket
Paris Is Waging War on SUVs
date: 2024-02-05, from: Heatmap News
Current conditions: Wildfires have killed at least 110 people in Chile • Large parts of Australia are bracing for another sweltering heat wave • Severe snow is disrupting travel in China ahead of this weekend’s Lunar New Year holiday.
THE TOP FIVE
- Atmospheric river drenches California
A powerful atmospheric river is slamming Southern California, bringing record-breaking rainfall, high winds, severe flooding, and mudslides. Flash flood warnings were issued for Los Angeles and surrounding counties, where rivers swelled and streets were submerged. Officials called the event “one of the most dramatic weather days in recent memory.” More than 550,000 customers were without power as of Monday morning. Here are some numbers that may help put this historic storm in context
- More than 11 million people in the state were at risk of “life-threatening flooding.”
- States of emergency were issued in eight counties, covering some 20 million people.
- The National Weather Service issued a hurricane force wind warning in San Francisco for the first time in decades.
- Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for parts of Santa Barbara, San José, Los Angeles, and Ventura County
- Long Beach could get a year’s worth of rain just this week
- Parts of Los Angeles are forecast to receive half their total annual precipitation by Tuesday. Pasadena was expecting 10 inches of rain.
Scientists say climate change is making atmospheric rivers more severe. The current El Nino weather pattern is also “supercharging” the systems.
Flooded
streets in Santa
BarbaraImage:
Mario Tama/Getty Images
- Paris votes to make SUV drivers pay more for parking
Parisians voted in favor of tripling parking fees for “bulky, polluting” SUVs to 18 euros ($19) per hour on Sunday. The fees won’t apply to city residents or taxis but instead target out-of-towners. The new rule, which could come into place in September, is part of an ongoing effort to make the city’s streets friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists. It’s also an attempt to improve air quality, but hybrid and electric vehicles aren’t exempt: Combustion-engine and hybrid SUVs weighing more than 1.6 tons will be subject to the fee, and so will EVs over 2 tons. Last year, the city voted to get rid of e-scooters. “Parisians have made a clear choice … other cities will follow,” said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. While 54.5% of voters approved the measure, turnout was very low, at just 5.7%.
- Border security bill includes some funding for nuclear power
Senators on Sunday unveiled a long-awaited immigration bill aimed at reducing illegal border crossings. The measure also sends additional aid money to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. One eagle-eyed energy expert also spotted some energy funding in the text:
X/XanFishman
- There may be ‘no right answer’ to LNG climate question
Just how bad is liquified natural gas (LNG) for the
climate? That’s the question of the hour. President Biden recently
paused new LNG export terminals until the Energy Department can provide
some insight. But in the meantime, Heatmap’s Matthew Zeitlin
did his own
investigation
into the quandary and found that the answer is complicated and dependent
on a number of ever-evolving factors, including the global energy mix
and emissions levels. “The climate impact of U.S. LNG depends on what it
replaces in countries — whether those alternatives have more or less
emissions than U.S. LNG,” Arvind Ravikumar, a leading scholar on natural
gas and energy policy, told Zeitlin. Indeed, in some cases, natural gas
can replace coal and help reduce emissions. “There’s no right answer,”
Ravikumar said. “It depends on who buys, what time frame, which country,
and how are they using LNG.”
In a world that comes in under 1.5
degrees of warming, the emissions reductions from coal-to-gas switching
peter out after 2035, Zeitlin said. If we don’t hit our Paris Agreement
targets, or if developing countries prioritize cheap, available energy,
then LNG export capacity turns from a potential “stranded asset” into an
insurance policy. The DoE certainly has its work cut out.
- What if a heat wave strikes the Paris Olympics?
The organizers behind the 2024 Paris Olympics are accounting for the possibility of a heat wave coinciding with the event, according to a report from AFP. “Heat waves and extreme weather events are factors that we take into account and that we are preparing for as much as possible, in order to take necessary action,” a spokesperson said. Options include adjusting the times for some sporting events to avoid the hottest hours of the day. The athletes’ village is not air-conditioned, but organizers will offer portable A/C units. A recent study published in the journal Npj Climate and Atmospheric Science warned that there’s a decent chance Paris could experience a two-week summer heatwave worse than the one that killed 15,000 people in 2003. The city has seen blistering temperatures in recent years, and set a record high of 108.7 degrees Fahrenheit in 2019.
THE KICKER
Faced with lackluster customer demand, some plant-based meat companies are considering adding a surprising ingredient to their products: animal fat.
https://heatmap.news/climate/paris-suv-parking-fee Save to Pocket
Oracle database deal in Azure comes with a health warning from licensing experts
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Five months after cloud love-in, critics worry about costs of deploying Oracle hardware and DBs in Microsoft’s cloud
As the dust settles on Microsoft’s decision to house Oracle hardware in its datacenters, experts keeping a close eye on Big Red’s commercials are warning customers to tread carefully when choosing the transition.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/oracle_database_deal_in_azure/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-02-05, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
Everyone’s watching and listening to Fast Car this morning. It’s a time capsule for so many of us. 1988. A window back to good times.
http://scripting.com/2024/02/05.html#a140752 Save to Pocket
AG petitions SCOTUS to review Guam Supreme Court decision on abortion ban
date: 2024-02-05, from: Guam Daily Post
As indicated late last year in a filing at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Office of the Attorney General has now filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court of the United States regarding…
https://www.postguam.com/news/ag-petitions-scotus-to-review-guam-supreme-court-decision-on-abortion-ban/article_c564e026-c3f7-11ee-989f-7fdcb98ef33b.html Save to Pocket
Mercedes eSprinter first drive: here’s the deal – it’s a van, but it’s electric
date: 2024-02-05, from: Electrek Feed
Mercedes invited us out to drive the new eSprinter, the electric version of Mercedes’ cargo van, and if there’s one thing I want you to understand about it is: it’s a van, but it’s electric.
https://electrek.co/2024/02/05/mercedes-esprinter-first-drive-heres-the-deal-its-a-van-but-its-electric/ Save to Pocket
Drug dealing suspect accused of selling meth ‘daily since 1985’
date: 2024-02-05, from: Guam Daily Post
Two individuals who were allegedly dealing methamphetamine have been arrested following information the Guam Police Department received from an informant.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/drug-dealing-suspect-accused-of-selling-meth-daily-since-1985/article_07d49ca6-c300-11ee-9eed-c3df9e9e93bf.html Save to Pocket
2 veterans graduate from treatment court
date: 2024-02-05, from: Guam Daily Post
Two individuals graduated from the Veterans Treatment Court in the Superior Court of Guam.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/2-veterans-graduate-from-treatment-court/article_77352cb4-c3c3-11ee-822e-eb2728c6f112.html Save to Pocket
Judiciary to hold 2 magistrate hearings per day at AG request
date: 2024-02-05, from: Guam Daily Post
The Judiciary of Guam will hold two magistrate hearings a day following a request from Attorney General Douglas Moylan sent last week.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/judiciary-to-hold-2-magistrate-hearings-per-day-at-ag-request/article_f2313b38-c3b9-11ee-bafe-7b5ed183431f.html Save to Pocket
Court adopts NextGen Bar exam
date: 2024-02-05, from: Guam Daily Post
The Supreme Court of Guam has adopted the NextGen Bar Examination, which will first be administered in July 2026.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/court-adopts-nextgen-bar-exam/article_a86f465c-c3c8-11ee-beca-cbcd8e2c0679.html Save to Pocket
Missile defense tech is ‘not ready for prime time’
date: 2024-02-05, from: Guam Daily Post
The Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation has released its latest annual report summarizing the operational test and evaluation activities of the Department of Defense in 2023. The report partly discusses the proposed missile defense system for Guam,…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/missile-defense-tech-is-not-ready-for-prime-time/article_129d6ad2-c3c3-11ee-ab7f-a78dbe0993a2.html Save to Pocket
Delegate to AG: Ask if new DUI act applies to COFA migrants
date: 2024-02-05, from: Guam Daily Post
Guam Del. James Moylan has asked Attorney General Douglas Moylan to look into whether the definition of “alien” as used in H.R. 6976, the Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act, would apply to migrants living in Guam through the compacts…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/delegate-to-ag-ask-if-new-dui-act-applies-to-cofa-migrants/article_29b6ff00-c3d5-11ee-b7a1-4f96d7e5e2e6.html Save to Pocket
Head Start: Progress in meeting its federal compliance deadlines
date: 2024-02-05, from: Guam Daily Post
Head Start program officials told the legislative committee on education that there’s been progress in correcting safety and supervision deficiencies found by a federal review team.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/head-start-progress-in-meeting-its-federal-compliance-deadlines/article_80161266-c3c4-11ee-a896-7fd5f7c8516c.html Save to Pocket
Man pleads guilty to 2021 Dededo shooting
date: 2024-02-05, from: Guam Daily Post
A man pleaded guilty to a 2021 shooting, which was the result of a dispute over the victim owing $700 in a game of darts.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/man-pleads-guilty-to-2021-dededo-shooting/article_51640510-c3b8-11ee-ac18-2b6e523875b3.html Save to Pocket
Hyundai to launch a new electric mini-SUV at €20K
date: 2024-02-05, from: Electrek Feed
Hyundai is prepping an entry-level electric mini-SUV called Casper
to take on rivals Dacia Spring and Citroën’s ë-C3 in Europe. The best
part, the price is aimed at that elusive yet coveted €20,000 range
(about $21.5K).
https://electrek.co/2024/02/05/hyundai-to-launch-a-new-electric-mini-suv-at-e20k/ Save to Pocket
Pluralistic: How I got scammed (05 Feb 2024)
date: 2024-02-05, from: Cory Doctorow’s blog
Today’s links How I got scammed: And why AI will make it worse. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. This day in history: 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019, 2023 Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading How I got scammed (permalink) I wuz robbed. More specifically, I was tricked by a phone-phisher pretending to be from my bank, and he convinced me to hand over my credit-card number, then did $8,000+ worth of fraud with it before I figured out what happened. And then he tried to do it again, a week later! Here’s what happened. Over the Christmas holiday, I traveled to New Orleans. The day we landed, I hit a Chase ATM in the French Quarter for some cash, but the machine declined the transaction. Later in the day, we passed a little credit-union’s ATM and I used that one instead (I bank with a one-branch credit union and generally there’s no fee to use another CU’s ATM). A couple days later, I got a call from my credit union. It was a weekend, during the holiday, and the guy who called was obviously working for my little CU’s after-hours fraud contractor. I’d dealt with these folks before – they service a ton of little credit unions, and generally the call quality isn’t great and the staff will often make mistakes like mispronouncing my credit union’s name. That’s what happened here – the guy was on a terrible VOIP line and I had to ask him to readjust his mic before I could even understand him. He mispronounced my bank’s name and then asked if I’d attempted to spend $1,000 at an Apple Store in NYC that day. No, I said, and groaned inwardly. What a pain in the ass. Obviously, I’d had my ATM card skimmed – either at the Chase ATM (maybe that was why the transaction failed), or at the other credit union’s ATM (it had been a very cheap looking system). I told the guy to block my card and we started going through the tedious business of running through recent transactions, verifying my identity, and so on. It dragged on and on. These were my last hours in New Orleans, and I’d left my family at home and gone out to see some of the pre-Mardi Gras krewe celebrations and get a muffalata, and I could tell that I was going to run out of time before I finished talking to this guy. “Look,” I said, “you’ve got all my details, you’ve frozen the card. I gotta go home and meet my family and head to the airport. I’ll call you back on the after-hours number once I’m through security, all right?” He was frustrated, but that was his problem. I hung up, got my sandwich, went to the airport, and we checked in. It was total chaos: an Alaska Air 737 Max had just lost its door-plug in mid-air and every Max in every airline’s fleet had been grounded, so the check in was crammed with people trying to rebook. We got through to the gate and I sat down to call the CU’s after-hours line. The person on the other end told me that she could only handle lost and stolen cards, not fraud, and given that I’d already frozen the card, I should just drop by the branch on Monday to get a new card. We flew home, and later the next day, I logged into my account and made a list of all the fraudulent transactions and printed them out, and on Monday morning, I drove to the bank to deal with all the paperwork. The folks at the CU were even more pissed than I was. The fraud that run up to more than $8,000, and if Visa refused to take out it of the merchants where the card had been used, my little credit union would have to eat the loss. I agreed and commiserated. I also pointed out that their outsource, after-hours fraud center bore some blame here: I’d canceled the card on Saturday but most of the fraud had taken place on Sunday. Something had gone wrong. One cool thing about banking at a tiny credit-union is that you end up talking to people who have actual authority, responsibility and agency. It turned out the the woman who was processing my fraud paperwork was a VP, and she decided to look into it. A few minutes later she came back and told me that the fraud center had no record of having called me on Saturday. “That was the fraudster,” she said. Oh, shit. I frantically rewound my conversation, trying to figure out if this could possibly be true. I hadn’t given him anything apart from some very anodyne info, like what city I live in (which is in my Wikipedia entry), my date of birth (ditto), and the last four digits of my card. Wait a sec. He hadn’t asked for the last four digits. He’d asked for the last seven digits. At the time, I’d found that very frustrating, but now – “The first nine digits are the same for every card you issue, right?” I asked the VP. I’d given him my entire card number. Goddammit. The thing is, I know a lot about fraud. I’m writing an entire series of novels about this kind of scam: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865878/thebezzle And most summers, I go to Defcon, and I always go to the “social engineering” competitions where an audience listens as a hacker in a soundproof booth cold-calls merchants (with the owner’s permission) and tries to con whoever answers the phone into giving up important information. But I’d been conned. Now look, I knew I could be conned. I’d been conned before, 13 years ago, by a Twitter worm that successfully phished out of my password via DM: https://locusmag.com/2010/05/cory-doctorow-persistence-pays-parasites/ That scam had required a miracle of timing. It started the day before, when I’d reset my phone to factory defaults and reinstalled all my apps. That same day, I’d published two big online features that a lot of people were talking about. The next morning, we were late getting out of the house, so by the time my wife and I dropped the kid at daycare and went to the coffee shop, it had a long line. Rather than wait in line with me, my wife sat down to read a newspaper, and so I pulled out my phone and found a Twitter DM from a friend asking “is this you?” with a URL. Assuming this was something to do with those articles I’d published the day before, I clicked the link and got prompted for my Twitter login again. This had been happening all day because I’d done that mobile reinstall the day before and all my stored passwords had been wiped. I entered it but the page timed out. By that time, the coffees were ready. We sat and chatted for a bit, then went our own ways. I was on my way to the office when I checked my phone again. I had a whole string of DMs from other friends. Each one read “is this you?” and had a URL. Oh, shit, I’d been phished. If I hadn’t reinstalled my mobile OS the day before. If I hadn’t published a pair of big articles the day before. If we hadn’t been late getting out the door. If we had been a little more late getting out the door (so that I’d have seen the multiple DMs, which would have tipped me off). There’s a name for this in security circles: “Swiss-cheese security.” Imagine multiple slices of Swiss cheese all stacked up, the holes in one slice blocked by the slice below it. All the slices move around and every now and again, a hole opens up that goes all the way through the stack. Zap! The fraudster who tricked me out of my credit card number had Swiss cheese security on his side. Yes, he spoofed my bank’s caller ID, but that wouldn’t have been enough to fool me if I hadn’t been on vacation, having just used a pair of dodgy ATMs, in a hurry and distracted. If the 737 Max disaster hadn’t happened that day and I’d had more time at the gate, I’d have called my bank back. If my bank didn’t use a slightly crappy outsource/out-of-hours fraud center that I’d already had sub-par experiences with. If, if, if. The next Friday night, at 5:30PM, the fraudster called me back, pretending to be the bank’s after-hours center. He told me my card had been compromised again. But: I hadn’t removed my card from my wallet since I’d had it replaced. Also, it was half an hour after the bank closed for the long weekend, a very fraud-friendly time. And when I told him I’d call him back and asked for the after-hours fraud number, he got very threatening and warned me that because I’d now been notified about the fraud that any losses the bank suffered after I hung up the phone without completing the fraud protocol would be billed to me. I hung up on him. He called me back immediately. I hung up on him again and put my phone into do-not-disturb. The following Tuesday, I called my bank and spoke to their head of risk-management. I went through everything I’d figured out about the fraudsters, and she told me that credit unions across America were being hit by this scam, by fraudsters who somehow knew CU customers’ phone numbers and names, and which CU they banked at. This was key: my phone number is a reasonably well-kept secret. You can get it by spending money with Equifax or another nonconsensual doxing giant, but you can’t just google it or get it at any of the free services. The fact that the fraudsters knew where I banked, knew my name, and had my phone number had really caused me to let down my guard. The risk management person and I talked about how the credit union could mitigate this attack: for example, by better-training the after-hours card-loss staff to be on the alert for calls from people who had been contacted about supposed card fraud. We also went through the confusing phone-menu that had funneled me to the wrong department when I called in, and worked through alternate wording for the menu system that would be clearer (this is the best part about banking with a small CU – you can talk directly to the responsible person and have a productive discussion!). I even convinced her to buy a ticket to next summer’s Defcon to attend the social engineering competitions. There’s a leak somewhere in the CU systems’ supply chain. Maybe it’s Zelle, or the small number of corresponding banks that CUs rely on for SWIFT transaction forwarding. Maybe it’s even those after-hours fraud/card-loss centers. But all across the USA, CU customers are getting calls with spoofed caller IDs from fraudsters who know their registered phone numbers and where they bank. I’ve been mulling this over for most of a month now, and one thing has really been eating at me: the way that AI is going to make this kind of problem much worse. Not because AI is going to commit fraud, though. One of the truest things I know about AI is: “we’re nowhere near a place where bots can steal your job, we’re certainly at the point where your boss can be suckered into firing you and replacing you with a bot that fails at doing your job”: https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/15/passive-income-brainworms/#four-hour-work-week I trusted this fraudster specifically because I knew that the outsource, out-of-hours contractors my bank uses have crummy headsets, don’t know how to pronounce my bank’s name, and have long-ass, tedious, and pointless standardized questionnaires they run through when taking fraud reports. All of this created cover for the fraudster, whose plausibility was enhanced by the rough edges in his pitch – they didn’t raise red flags. As this kind of fraud reporting and fraud contacting is increasingly outsourced to AI, bank customers will be conditioned to dealing with semi-automated systems that make stupid mistakes, force you to repeat yourself, ask you questions they should already know the answers to, and so on. In other words, AI will groom bank customers to be phishing victims. This is a mistake the finance sector keeps making. 15 years ago, Ben Laurie excoriated the UK banks for their “Verified By Visa” system, which validated credit card transactions by taking users to a third party site and requiring them to re-enter parts of their password there: https://web.archive.org/web/20090331094020/http://www.links.org/?p=591 This is exactly how a phishing attack works. As Laurie pointed out, this was the banks training their customers to be phished. I came close to getting phished again today, as it happens. I got back from Berlin on Friday and my suitcase was damaged in transit. I’ve been dealing with the airline, which means I’ve really been dealing with their third-party, outsource luggage-damage service. They have a terrible website, their emails are incoherent, and they officiously demand the same information over and over again. This morning, I got a scam email asking me for more information to complete my damaged luggage claim. It was a terrible email, from a noreply@ email address, and it was vague, officious, and dishearteningly bureaucratic. For just a moment, my finger hovered over the phishing link, and then I looked a little closer. On any other day, it wouldn’t have had a chance. Today – right after I had my luggage wrecked, while I’m still jetlagged, and after days of dealing with my airline’s terrible outsource partner – it almost worked. So much fraud is a Swiss-cheese attack, and while companies can’t close all the holes, they can stop creating new ones. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to post about it whenever I get scammed. I find the inner workings of scams to be fascinating, and it’s also important to remind people that everyone is vulnerable sometimes, and scammers are willing to try endless variations until an attack lands at just the right place, at just the right time, in just the right way. If you think you can’t get scammed, that makes you especially vulnerable: https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security (Image: Cryteria, CC BY 3.0, modified) Hey look at this (permalink) Online anonymity: study found ‘stable pseudonyms’ created a more civil environment than real user names https://theconversation.com/online-anonymity-study-found-stable-pseudonyms-created-a-more-civil-environment-than-real-user-names-171374 (h/t Kottke) How to Take Back the Internet https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/cory-doctorow-how-to-take-back-the-internet/ we’ve found it folks: mcmansion heaven https://mcmansionhell.com/post/741171396971053056/weve-found-it-folks-mcmansion-heaven This day in history (permalink) #20yrsago Itunes blocks you from sharing music with YOURSELF, on your own computer https://web.archive.org/web/20041009202513/http://www.raelity.org/computers/operating_systems/apple/mac_os_x/apps/itunes_single_instance.html #20yrsago How fanfic makes kids into better writers (and copyright victims) https://www.technologyreview.com/2004/02/06/40304/why-heather-can-write/ #20yrsago Apple selling DRM’ed silence at $0.99 a pop http://www.appleturns.com/scene/?id=4490 #20yrsago RIP Disney World’s designer, John Hench https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/feb/13/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries1 #20yrsago Worst ToS on the entire Internet https://web.archive.org/web/20040304015054/https://research.yale.edu/lawmeme/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1319 #20yrsago Steve Jobs for Disney CEO? https://web.archive.org/web/20040430133708/http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/main_news.cfm?NewsID=7861 #15yrsago House of Lords damns British surveillance society https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/feb/06/surveillance-freedom-peers #15yrsago Scientist who criticised DJ for vaccination scare talk gets copyright threat https://www.badscience.net/2009/02/legal-chill-from-lbc-973-over-jeni-barnetts-mmr-scaremongering/ #15yrsago Ooh-De-Lally song from Disney’s Robin Hood goes to the Tower of Babel https://waxy.org/2009/02/robin_hoods_oo_de_lally_translated/ #15yrsago Mystery maple syrup stink of New York revealed https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/uncovering-the-source-of-the-mysterious-syrup-odor/ #15yrsago UK copyright law in verse https://jergames.blogspot.com/2009/02/uk-copyright-law-in-verse.html #15yrsago A moving eulogy for a father https://scottedelman.livejournal.com/116341.html #15yrsago Flashmob of ATM crooks scores $9 million in 49 cities https://web.archive.org/web/20090205214559/http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/090202_FBI_Investigates_9_Million_ATM_Scam #15yrsago Internet not full of pedos, the statistical edition https://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2009/02/06/doing_the_math.html #10yrsago Turks bid farewell to the Internet in the face of brutal censorship/surveillance law https://medium.com/@ahmetasabanci/saying-goodbye-to-internet-in-turkey-33d805b98f6c #10yrsago Middle class brands collapse, 1% brands thrive https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/business/the-middle-class-is-steadily-eroding-just-ask-the-business-world.html #10yrsago How UK spies committed illegal DoS attacks against Anonymous https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/war-anonymous-british-spies-attacked-hackers-snowden-docs-show-n21361 #10yrsago Toronto’s reference library gets a makerspace https://web.archive.org/web/20140209061223/http://torontoist.com/2014/02/reference-library-unveils-3d-printers-is-cooler-than-indigo/ #10yrsago Toxic Avenger’s brilliant rant about the importance of Net Neutrality https://www.techdirt.com/2014/02/05/innovation-our-better-future-depend-preserving-net-neutrality/ #10yrsago Kim Stanley Robinson on science fiction and California: “California is a terraformed space” https://boomcalifornia.org/2014/01/27/kim-stanley-robinson/ #10yrsago Bruce Sterling on making the Internet safe for freedom and art https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dacKWLGZklM #10yrsago DEA reveals “parallel construction” techniques the “taint team” uses to disguise its reliance on NSA surveillance data https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2014/feb/03/dea-parallel-construction-guides/ #10yrsago Documenting the NYC snowpocalypse’s neckdowns: latent traffic calming revealed by climate and crowds https://vimeo.com/12796677 #10yrsago Reporters document Sochi’s Potemkin hotels https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/02/04/journalists-at-sochi-are-live-tweeting-their-hilarious-and-gross-hotel-experiences/ #10yrsago The Haunted Mansion, the Haunting, and “Boo” vs “Brr” in spook-house design https://longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com/2014/01/unseen-twists-and-turns-in-corridor-of.html #5yrsago Houseplant patent EULA: “Asexual reproduction using scions, buds or cutting is strictly prohibited” https://www.reddit.com/r/Anticonsumption/comments/an923y/houseplant_drm/ #5yrsago As the German Government Abandons Small Businesses, the Worst Parts of the EU Copyright Directive Come Roaring Back, Made Even Worse https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/01/german-government-abandons-small-businesses-worst-parts-eu-copyright-directive #5yrsago Toronto cops can frequently get your public transit history without a warrant https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/metrolinx-continues-to-share-presto-users-data-without-requiring-warrants/article_b18dbac7-67ba-565b-805d-59dcd65dc103.html #5yrsago Any sincere theory of property rights would bankrupt the energy sector https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/02/if-property-rights-were-real-climate-destroying-companies-would-be-sued-out-of-existence #5yrsago During a secret meeting, a top Pelosi health aide told medical insurers that there was no need to worry about Medicare for All passing https://theintercept.com/2019/02/05/nancy-pelosi-medicare-for-all/ #5yrsago If you work for a living, America taxes you at double the rate of wealthy investors with “unearned income” https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2017-09-12/why-american-workers-pay-twice-as-much-in-taxes-as-wealthy-investors #5yrsago Father of Parkland victim responds to Louis CK’s jokes with a “standup set” of his own https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TERPmtOw1e0 #5yrsago Appeals court to Donald Trump’s FCC: “Drop dead.” https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/02/ajit-pai-loses-in-court-judges-overturn-gutting-of-tribal-broadband-program/ #5yrsago Consultants will train the crew of your super-yacht to take care of your fine art collection https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/feb/02/cornflakes-on-the-basquiat-perils-of-superyacht-art #5yrsago One of pharma’s most notorious gougers is going bankrupt, but 2019 is a banner year for shkreli-grade pharmaceutical price-hikes https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/02/infamous-pharma-company-declares-bankruptcy-after-3900-price-hike/ #5yrsago Chasing down that list of potential Predpol customers reveals dozens of cities that have secretly experimented with “predictive policing” https://www.vice.com/en/article/d3m7jq/dozens-of-cities-have-secretly-experimented-with-predictive-policing-software #5yrsago Amazon is using purchase data to sell targeted ads, which is creepy, but not because they’ve invented a mind-control ray https://memex.craphound.com/2019/02/06/amazon-is-using-purchase-data-to-sell-targeted-ads-which-is-creepy-but-not-because-theyve-invented-a-mind-control-ray/ #5yrsago The next Firefox will block all autoplayed audio, video https://hacks.mozilla.org/2019/02/firefox-66-to-block-automatically-playing-audible-video-and-audio/ #5yrsago RIP, author Carol Emshwiller https://locusmag.com/2019/02/carol-emshwiller-1921-2019/ #5yrsago Washington State sheriff used courtroom camera to zoom in on defense attorney and juror’s private notes https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/san-juan-sheriffs-use-of-courtroom-camera-to-view-jurors-notebook-lawyers-notes-sparks-outrage-and-dismissal-of-criminal-case/ #5yrsago Lawsuit says that America’s “break even” court records website shouldn’t be making 98%+ profits https://www.techdirt.com/2019/02/06/multiple-parties-including-author-law-governing-pacer-ask-court-to-stop-pacers-screwing-taxpayers/ #5yrsago Fox News blames schools teaching “fairness” for support for a tax on the super-rich https://www.reddit.com/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/annfs6/fox_news_blames_public_support_of_wealth_tax/ #1yrago Bruce Schneier’s “A Hacker’s Mind” https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/06/trickster-makes-the-world/#power-play #1yrago Higher interest rates increase both the monetary supply and inflation https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/04/if-i-was-a-horse/#friedman-was-a-dolt #1yrago Small Government https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/05/small-government/ #1yrago When Facebook came for your battery, feudal security failed https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/05/battery-vampire/#drained 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: My Marshall McLuhan Lecture on enshittification from Berlin’s transmediale conference https://craphound.com/news/2024/02/05/my-marshall-mcluhan-lecture-on-enshittification-from-berlins-transmediale-conference/ Upcoming appearances: * The Bezzle at Weller Book Works (Salt Lake City), Feb 21 https://www.wellerbookworks.com/event/store-cory-doctorow-feb-21-630-pm * 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 * Media Ecology Association keynote, Jun 6-9 (Amherst, NY) https://media-ecology.org/convention 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/2024/02/05/cyber-dunning-kruger/ Save to Pocket
Tesla brings back FSD and free Supercharging transfer despite what Elon said
date: 2024-02-05, from: Electrek Feed
Tesla is bringing back the capacity to transfer your Full Self-Driving package and/or free Supercharging on a new vehicle despite Elon Musk saying it would be a one-time deal in the past.
https://electrek.co/2024/02/05/tesla-brings-back-fsd-free-supercharging-transfer-despite-what-elon-said/ Save to Pocket
The best way to start your morning is by watching Tracy Chapman…
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: Jason Kittke’s blog
https://kottke.org/24/02/0043915-the-best-way-to-start Save to Pocket
SIMA Takes Over QJ Motor Distribution In France, Key European Markets
date: 2024-02-05, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
The Chinese manufacturer aims to attract more riders into the fold with its wide selection of models.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/707299/sima-qjmotor-distibution-europe/ Save to Pocket
Atos talks to banks over refinancing after rights issue falls through
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Shares in French IT giant plummet 25%
Ailing tech integrator Atos is in talks with creditors on refinancing options for debt following the cancellation of its €720 million ($774 million) rights issue and ongoing uncertainty over efforts to split the company to secure its future.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/atos_refinancing_negotiations/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-02-05, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Apple Gave Us No Good Reason to Buy the Vision Pro.
https://www.businessinsider.com/no-good-reason-to-buy-apple-ar-rvision-pro-2023-6?s=09 Save to Pocket
Here are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in February 2024
date: 2024-02-05, from: Electrek Feed
Here at Electrek, we’ve spent countless hours doing detailed hands-on testing of hundreds of electric bikes. Through thousands of miles of riding, we’ve learned these e-bikes inside and out, top to bottom and front to back. That dedication to real-world e-bike testing has helped us find the best electric bicycles on the market for just about any budget.
Below are some of the top e-bikes we’ve hand-tested for every price range, current as of February 2024. It may not feel like it, but spring is just around the corner (in the Northern Hemisphere) and riding season will soon be upon us. Thanks to an ultra-competitive e-bike selling year in 2023, we’ve still got great sales going into 2024. So check out the awesome e-bikes below, any one of which could become your next electric bike.
https://electrek.co/2024/02/05/here-are-the-best-electric-bikes-you-can-buy-at-every-price-level/ Save to Pocket
We’re All Fakes Here
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: One Foot Tsunami
https://onefoottsunami.com/2024/02/05/were-all-fakes-here/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-02-05, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
How Donald Trump reduced the GOP to groveling sycophants.
https://www.salon.com/2024/02/04/how-donald-reduced-the-to-groveling-sycophants/ Save to Pocket
China Plug-In Car Sales Hit A New 8 Million Record In 2023
date: 2024-02-05, from: Inside EVs News
December was a record high with nearly one million new plug-in car registrations.
https://insideevs.com/news/707264/china-plugin-car-sales-2023/ Save to Pocket
LA County Board of Supervisors: Who’s Running In The March 5 Primary Election And Why It Matters
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The LAist
The winners of Districts 2, 4 and 5 will join a five-member board that oversees a county of about 10 million residents, more than the population of most states.
https://laist.com/news/politics/2024-election-california-primary-los-angeles-county-supervisors-districts Save to Pocket
How And Why LAist Goes Big On Our Voter Game Plan
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The LAist
We’re never going to tell you who to vote for. We just want to give you the information you need to make a vote that aligns with your beliefs.
https://laist.com/news/politics/how-and-why-laist-goes-big-on-our-voter-game-plan Save to Pocket
Fact Or Fiction? Hollywood’s Madams In The Golden Age
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The LAist
Sex and the studios were once a dangerous pair.
https://laist.com/news/la-history/hollywood-madams-golden-age-sex-workers Save to Pocket
When a Fed chair goes on national TV
date: 2024-02-05, from: Marketplace Morning Report
“Prudent” was the watchword from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in an interview last night with “60 Minutes.” Powell said the Federal Reserve isn’t in a rush to cut interest rates and that, as usual, the timing of any potential rate cuts depends on the data. Plus, we’ll provide a taste of some of the rich sounds from a Minnesota brewery that helps support music education.
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/when-a-fed-chair-goes-on-national-tv Save to Pocket
Parisians say ‘oui’ to new SUV parking fees
date: 2024-02-05, from: Marketplace Morning Report
From the BBC World Service: Residents of Paris vote to triple parking fees for SUVs, but only if they’re brought from outside the city. We’ll hear more about the change. But first, revenues from Egypt’s Suez Canal were nearly halved in January. And later, are the terms of Canada’s Sudanese family reunification plan too difficult for families to meet?
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/parisians-say-oui-to-new-suv-parking-fees Save to Pocket
Survey: Over half of undergrads in UK are using AI in university assignments
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Plus: Another lawyer is in trouble for citing fake cases hallucinated by ChatGPT, and more
AI In Brief More than half of undergraduates in the UK are using AI to complete their assignments, according to a study conducted by the Higher Education Policy Institute.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/ai_in_brief/ Save to Pocket
Protect Cyclists on Foothill
date: 2024-02-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Early morning on Foothill I passed youngsters on e-bikes riding to school at La Colina. In and out of the shadows, visibility is not great.
The post Protect Cyclists on Foothill appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/02/05/protect-cyclists-on-foothill/ Save to Pocket
People’s CDC COVID-19 Weather Report
date: 2024-02-05, from: Peoples CDC blog
This is the @PeoplesCDC weekly update for February 5, 2024! This Weather Report from the People’s CDC sheds light on the ongoing COVID situation in the US.
https://peoplescdc.org/2024/02/05/peoples-cdc-covid-19-weather-report-67/ Save to Pocket
Ceci N’est Pas une Current-Events Post
date: 2024-02-05, from: Ayjay blog
No no no, this is not at all about a current controversy. Hang in there, you’ll see what I mean. Recently some people — including grifters, but also a few people who want to have a reputation for responsible thinking and writing — have been promoting a re-interpretation of the death of George Floyd, an […]
https://blog.ayjay.org/ceci-nest-pas-une-current-events-post/ Save to Pocket
IPv4 address rentals to mint millions of dollars for AWS
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
You were warned
AWS could rake in between $400 million and $1 billion a year from charging customers for public IPv4 addresses while migration to IPv6 remains slow.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/aws_ipv4_cash/ Save to Pocket
New Trek Marlin+ Is A Versatile E-MTB That Won’t Break The Bank
date: 2024-02-05, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
It follows the ethos of its non-electric sibling, rocking components from Shimano and Bosch.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/707298/trek-marlin-plus-emtb-launch/ Save to Pocket
MacQuadra PiSCSI | #MagPiMonday
date: 2024-02-05, from: Raspberry Pi News (.com)
Reviving a beloved Apple Mac with a view to retro gaming led one computing fan to embrace Raspberry Pi-based emulation.
The post MacQuadra PiSCSI | #MagPiMonday appeared first on Raspberry Pi.
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/macquadra-piscsi-magpimonday/ Save to Pocket
Rocket Lab is a David among Goliaths in the space race
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
CEO Peter Beck on the future of commercial launches and not raining debris over national reserves
Interview Rocket Lab is a relatively small player in a launcher marketplace dominated by governments and billionaires. However, despite some notable anomalies, the company is starting 2024 with a packed schedule and grand plans for the future.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/rocket_lab_peter_beck_interview/ Save to Pocket
Paris votes to triple SUV parking fees – and this includes electric ones
date: 2024-02-05, from: Electrek Feed
Parisians have voted to triple the parking costs for SUVs – including heavier electric ones and hybrids. This Sunday, the city held a referendum, with Parisians voting 56.6% in favor of increased parking fees for SUVs and heavy sedans, of all varieties.
https://electrek.co/2024/02/05/paris-votes-to-triple-suv-parking-fees-and-this-includes-electric-ones/ Save to Pocket
Whether to move off Oracle is the $100M+ question for Europe’s largest public body
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
After car-crash implementation, Birmingham City Council must weigh up options after current problems are fixed
Auditors of Europe’s largest local government body say it’s time to decide whether to grind on with a rollout of Oracle – an ERP project set to be five times over-budget and which has shattered the council’s financial reporting – or choose another system.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/oracle_birmingham_chaos/ Save to Pocket
Powell: Federal Reserve on track to cut rates this year with inflation slowing and economy healthy
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>WASHINGTON — Chair Jerome Powell said in an interview broadcast Sunday night that the Federal Reserve remains on track to cut interest rates three times this year, a move that’s expected to begin as early as May.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/nation-world-news/powell-federal-reserve-on-track-to-cut-rates-this-year-with-inflation-slowing-and-economy-healthy/ Save to Pocket
GOP governors back at Texas border to keep pressure on Biden over migrant crossings
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>EAGLE PASS, Texas — As more than a dozen Republican governors gathered Sunday on the Texas border, Kyle Willis was across the river in Mexico considering his next move to enter the U.S.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/nation-world-news/gop-governors-back-at-texas-border-to-keep-pressure-on-biden-over-migrant-crossings/ Save to Pocket
Obituaries for February 5
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Jimmy K.C. Carmichael, 34, of Hilo died Jan. 16 at Hilo Medical Center. Born in Kailua-Kona, he was a county maintenance worker. Celebration of life at a later date in Kona. Condolences cards to: Valerie Albo, 242 Punahele St., Hilo, Hi 96720. survived by son, William Enos; mother, Valerie Albos of Hilo; brother, Jeffery ((Vanasa) Delatorre; sister, Pauline Camichael (Tom) Shopay of Kailua-Kona, a niece, aunts, uncles and cousins. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/obituaries/obituaries-for-february-5-9/ Save to Pocket
At least 28 people died when shelling hit a bakery in Russian-occupied Ukraine
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Moscow-installed officials say Ukrainian shelling killed at least 28 people at a bakery in the Russian-occupied city of Lysychansk. </p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/nation-world-news/at-least-28-people-died-when-shelling-hit-a-bakery-in-russian-occupied-ukraine/ Save to Pocket
Biden warns of a ‘nightmare’ future for the country if Trump should win again, and lists reasons why
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>LAS VEGAS — President Joe Biden on Sunday ticked through a list of reasons he says a second Donald Trump presidency would be a “nightmare” for the country as he urged Nevada Democrats to vote for him in the state’s presidential primary this week and for his party at large in November.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/nation-world-news/biden-warns-of-a-nightmare-future-for-the-country-if-trump-should-win-again-and-lists-reasons-why/ Save to Pocket
How Donald Trump went from a diminished ex-president to the GOP’s dominant front-runner
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>NASHUA, N.H. — When he left the White House, Donald Trump was a pariah.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/nation-world-news/how-donald-trump-went-from-a-diminished-ex-president-to-the-gops-dominant-front-runner/ Save to Pocket
Senators release a $118B border security package as the House speaker declares it ‘dead on arrival’
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>WASHINGTON — Senators on Sunday released a highly anticipated $118 billion package that pairs border enforcement policy with wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies, but it quickly ran into a wall of opposition from top House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/nation-world-news/senators-release-a-118b-border-security-package-as-the-house-speaker-declares-it-dead-on-arrival/ Save to Pocket
Police seek driver in fatal hit-and-run in Ka‘u
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Hawaii Island police are searching for the driver of an unknown vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run collision in Ka‘u early Sunday morning, in which a 25-year-old Kealakekua man died, according to reports. The collision took place on Mamalahoa Highway (Highway 11), near the intersection of Kaalualu Road in Naalehu.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/hawaii-news/police-seek-driver-in-fatal-hit-and-run-in-kau/ Save to Pocket
Judge maintains bail for man accused of meth distribution
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>A judge has refused a request by a 56-year-old Pahoa man accused of attempting to distribute methamphetamine at the Mo‘oheau Bus Terminal in downtown Hilo to be freed without monetary bail.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/hawaii-news/judge-maintains-bail-for-man-accused-of-meth-distribution/ Save to Pocket
NFC outlasts AFC in Pro Bowl Games showcasing soon-to-be Olympic sport of flag football
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>ORLANDO, Fla. — All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill catching a pass over the middle and flashing world-class speed on the way to scoring a touchdown.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/sports/nfc-outlasts-afc-in-pro-bowl-games-showcasing-soon-to-be-olympic-sport-of-flag-football/ Save to Pocket
UH-Hilo baseball narrowly drops season opener to Cal State LA
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>WAIPAHU, Oahu – The Vulcans capitalized with a three-run sixth inning to jump ahead, but the Golden Eagles later managed to string together five singles to plate three runs as the UH-Hilo Baseball team fell, 4-3, to Cal State Los Angeles Friday afternoon in its season opener as part of the Oahu Baseball Classic at the Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/sports/uh-hilo-baseball-narrowly-drops-season-opener-to-cal-state-la/ Save to Pocket
Cowboys reign supreme, defeat KS-Hawai‘i
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Kohala High’s boys varsity basketball team ended the regular season as the only undefeated team on the isle — dealing KS-Hawai‘i its first loss of the season, 57-49, on Saturday night in Kea‘au.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/sports/cowboys-reign-supreme-defeat-ks-hawaii/ Save to Pocket
Bradley Beal scores 43 points in Washington return to help Suns rout Wizards, 140-112
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Bradley Beal scored a season-high 43 points in his return to Washington and the Phoenix Suns routed the Wizards 140-112 on Sunday.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/sports/bradley-beal-scores-43-points-in-washington-return-to-help-suns-rout-wizards-140-112/ Save to Pocket
Taylor Swift announces new album, ‘Tortured Poets Department’ at 2024 Grammy Awards
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift used her 13th Grammy win on Sunday to announced her new album, “Tortured Poets Department,” will arrive April 19.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/nation-world-news/taylor-swift-announces-new-album-tortured-poets-department-at-2024-grammy-awards/ Save to Pocket
Biden’s got a good-news deficit. What will turn it around?
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>If President Joe Biden’s reelection hinged on the state of the economy, he’d be a good bet, or at least a better one. Instead, it’s voters’ perception of the economy that matters. Which is a big reason the president is struggling as his campaign against presumptive rival Donald Trump gets underway.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/opinion/bidens-got-a-good-news-deficit-what-will-turn-it-around/ Save to Pocket
Israel’s war on Gaza is starving mothers
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Restricting food aid has become a key strategy in Israel’s assault on Gaza. With Israel withholding food and water supplies, the 180 mothers who give birth every day in Gaza are starving along with their infants. The most vulnerable in Gaza, including pregnant people, mothers and children, are bearing the brunt of the war.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/opinion/israels-war-on-gaza-is-starving-mothers/ Save to Pocket
Forest fires rage on in central Chile killing at least 99 people over 3 days
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>SANTIAGO, Chile — Firefighters wrestled Sunday with massive forest fires that broke out in central Chile two days earlier, as officials extended curfews in cities most heavily affected by the blazes and said at least 99 people were killed.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/05/nation-world-news/forest-fires-rage-on-in-central-chile-killing-at-least-99-people-over-3-days/ Save to Pocket
How Bad Is LNG for the Climate, Really?
date: 2024-02-05, from: Heatmap News
President Biden’s decision to pause approving liqueified natural gas export terminals until it can better study their climate effects — functionally delaying or even outright preventing their construction — got real political, real fast. Almost immediately, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin called for a hearing on the president’s decision-making.
“If the Administration has the facts to prove that additional LNG export capacity would hurt Americans, they must make that information public and clear,” he said in a statement last week. “But if this pause is just another political ploy to pander to keep-it-in-the-ground climate activists at the expense of American workers, businesses and our allies in need, I will do everything in my power to end this pause immediately.”
While Senator Manchin is not exactly the administration’s biggest fan lately, he’s also asking some pretty interesting questions. One of the animating ideas of the past few months in climate politics has been the argument that LNG (and maybe even pipeline gas) are in fact far worse than the global climate even than coal, which has long been assumed to be the dirtiest, most carbon-intensive fossil fuel around. That view is based on research by Cornell University scientist Robert Howarth and has been expounded by climate advocates and elected officials alike.
But that research has not yet passed through peer review. Even if it had, Howarth’s past research has gotten criticism from other climate scientists for using some idiosyncratic assumptions that yield more dramatic results.
Make no mistake, meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement and holding global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels requires winding down our use of fossil fuels as quickly as possible. If we meet those goals, the natural gas export terminals delayed by the Biden administration’s decision will likely go dormant well before the end of their expected lifespans. But it’s not the case that in all possible worlds, continuing or even expanding natural gas production and exports would actually be worse for the climate.
The basic physics of coal emissions versus LNG emissions are just part of the equation. When it’s burned, natural gas releases carbon dioxide, the primary source of human-caused climate change, albeit less carbon dioxide than coal. But natural gas is itself mostly methane, CH4, which traps far more heat than CO2 when it leaks from wells, pipelines, and production facilities. (LNG is also much more energy-intensive to extract, produce, and store than regular natural gas, since it has to be cooled to -260 degrees Fahrenheit, sailed across the ocean and then “regasified” and shipped via pipeline on the other side.) While CH4 is more potent than CO2 from a warming perspective, it also breaks down much more quickly in the atmosphere, which means the warming effect doesn’t last as long.
How to think about LNG’s effect on overall emissions, then, largely depends on how much you think each of these factors matters. “Only if we assume high methane leakage rates and a 20-year global warming potential is natural gas worse than coal, and such assumptions are likely unrealistic,” wrote Carnegie Mellon energy systems researcher Paulina Jaramillo in an essay titled, aptly, “Navigating the LNG Dilemma.”
Absolute emissions aren’t even what we should be asking about, Arvind Ravikumar, a professor at the University of Texas and a leading scholar on natural gas and energy policy, told me. “The climate impact of U.S. LNG depends on what it replaces in countries — whether those alternatives have more or less emissions than U.S. LNG.”
When the United States stepped in to replace much of the gas the European Union would otherwise buy from Russia with LNG, Ravikumar explained, it likely reduced overall emissions because of lower methane emissions from the U.S. gas industry. Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia supplied about 155 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe; by 2022, that was down to around 80 billion cubic meters. That’s a lot of energy to replace. In that time, the U.S. more than doubled its LNG exports to Europe, which has guaranteed demand of at least 50 billion cubic meters from the U.S. through 2030.
Had the U.S. not ramped up its LNG exports, boosters argue, these countries might not have had a viable alternative and might have turned to coal, instead. But that won’t be the case in every single possible future scenario. “There’s no right answer,” Ravikumar told me. “It depends on who buys, what time frame, which country, and how are they using LNG.”
There’s at least one clear case study of the coal-to-gas switch working to lower emissions: the United States itself.
In 2007, the U.S. was consuming just over 1 billion tons of coal for electricity; by 2016 that had declined to 679 million, and by 2022 to just under 500 million — in other words, by more than half. In that same time, natural gas use for electricity grew from 7 trillion cubic feet in 2007 to 10 trillion cubic feet in 2016 to 12 trillion cubic feet in 2022.
U.S. greenhouse gas emissions have dropped more than 15% since 2007 to even below their 1992 levels, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Rhodium Group. The drop in emissions has been going on since 2010, which the EPA attributes, in part, to “the growing use of natural gas and renewables to generate electricity in place of more carbon-intensive fuels.”
As climatologist Zeke Hausfather put it in an earlier commentary on an earlier Howarth paper, “While it isn’t responsible for the majority of emissions reductions, natural gas replacing coal is the largest single driver.”
Much of the conceptual infrastructure on which climate policy operates relies on estimating what the world will be like in the future — not just figuring out the effects of different levels of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, but also figuring out different likely pathways for the evolution of those emissions over time.
This works in both directions — asking how specific projects either reduce or lower emissions, and asking about what an energy system would look like in a world where emissions have been reduced enough to avoid certain levels of temperature increases. And that’s really where the rubber meets the road.
In a scenario where the world hits its Paris Agreement goals, there would not be the coal-to-gas switching envisioned by LNG advocates precisely because there would be very little coal still being used to generate electricity. The fear, then, is that LNG terminals would either become stranded assets, capital investments that wind up becoming liabilities; or that, once they’re in operation, the companies behind them would use their political and economic leverage — not to mention just the power of inertia — to keep enough natural gas in the global energy system to be profitable.
“Either you’re building and planning to shut it down early,” Hausfather told me, “or you’re building something that’s going to be inconsistent with the world we’re aiming to have under our climate targets.”
In a Paris-compliant world, almost 90% of the world’s coal reserves and over half of the natural gas and oil reserves will stay in the ground, according to researchers from University College London. They estimate that in order to meet the Paris targets, gas production would “see rapid decline” from 2020 to 2050 and would be eliminated as a fuel for electricity generation by 2040, with accompanying “low utilization rates of infrastructure, and limited prospect for future additional liquefaction capacity” for exports.
In other words, in a world that comes in under 1.5 degrees of warming, the emissions reductions from coal-to-gas switching peter out after 2035; with 2 degrees of warming it’s around 2040 to 2045 — in any case, beyond the planned life of the export terminals that the Biden administration’s decision affects.
But how much LNG export capacity the United States builds up in the next decade is only a tiny part of the overall emissions picture now, in 2035, or in 2050. “This is the issue with regulating at a project level in general,” energy consultant Sean Smillie told me. “The decision of any given project in the scheme of global emissions is small. For me, that points to the fact that we’re trying to regulate climate change — which is a systemic issue — at the project level, and that’s a very hard thing to do.”
The biggest question is just how energy systems overseas evolve — and what role LNG exports play in that determination. The European Union is about to decide whether to reduce its net collective emissions 90% from 1990 levels by 2040, on their way to zero by 2050, which would signal a sharp reduction in demand coming from that part of the world. Meanwhile, for U.S. LNG export projects currently in the permitting pipeline, Asian countries are contracted to receive a much bigger share, according to a Public Citizen analysis. Bloomberg reports that those buyers have started looking elsewhere — including to Russia.
But what if we don’t hit our Paris Agreement targets, as the United Nations and Bill Gates agree we’re increasingly unlikely to do? What if developing countries prioritize cheap, available energy (like India’s growing coal production) over climate goals? In that case, Ravikumar argues, then LNG export capacity turns from a potential “stranded asset” into an insurance policy.
“The way to think about LNG in the longer term is the insurance against a 3 [degrees of warming] world,” Ravikumar told me. If we fail at taking quick action to change our systems from carbon-polluting to zero-carbon energy, we might still be doing some coal-to-gas switching by 2050.
“It’s hard to say for certain that we will or not need the LNG export terminals by 2050 and 2060,” Elan Sykes, an energy policy analyst at the Progressive Policy Institute and an opponent of the Biden administration’s decision, told me. “Absent aggressive foreign policy measures [like] a Green Marshall Plan for worldwide clean energy, it’s hard to imagine a world where LNG doesn’t provide” some value, whether from continuing to help reduce emissions or simply maintaining a reliable supply of energy, he said.
Modelers are good at figuring out what the energy mix of a 1.5, 2, or 3-degree world would look like. They’re less good at predicting how that energy mix will evolve over time in the world we actually live in — and it’s in that world that the Biden administration will have to decide whether more LNG exports will serve the public interest.
The job isn’t just to make decisions for an ideal world. As Hausfather told me, it’s “aiming at the best versus mitigating the worst.”
With reporting by Emily Pontecorvo.
https://heatmap.news/climate/lng-exports-pause-biden-emissions Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-02-05, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
“A public park with a small marketplace on one side is surrounded by a courthouse, a playing field, businesses, and a radio station. In the marketplace wander male and female reporters, some taking notes, some with cameras.”
https://doc.searls.com/news-commons/ Save to Pocket
@Tomosino’s Mastodon feed (date: 2024-02-05, from: Tomosino’s Mastodon feed)
Seeing some of the apple headsets on social media and I’m struggling to decide if my automatic reactions are genuine, fair, and kind. My first thoughts are quite negative. Is it because I have a prejudice against Apple? Or against augmented reality it whatever new term is getting pushed? Does it look ridiculous because I’m judging people against a deep seeded set of cultural norms I should be questioning? I’m really not sure.
https://tilde.zone/@tomasino/111878228536034873 Save to Pocket
That’s not the web you’re browsing, Microsoft. That’s our data
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
The one thing you don’t want your data security to be is, er, edgy
Opinion Are you a Windows user? How many spoons do you own? Have you counted them lately? The reason we ask is due to the old adage, “the louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.” When it comes to the tech giants, they like to talk about their commitment to data security a whole lot, but by Jiminy they like rifling through your cutlery drawer while they’re doing it.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/opinion_column/ Save to Pocket
Why I preach to the choir
date: 2024-02-05, from: Robert Reich on Substack
Friends, Several of you have asked me why I spend so much time and energy on this letter, which is read mainly (if not exclusively) by people who already share my views and values. “Why are you preaching to the choir?” you ask. “Wouldn’t your efforts be more useful if you tried to convince people who aren’t already convinced?”
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/why-i-preach-to-the-choir Save to Pocket
Disquieting fact of the day?
date: 2024-02-05, from: Status-Q blog
Taylor Swift sells more music than the entire categories of jazz or classical. FT – 5/2/24
https://statusq.org/archives/2024/02/05/11934/ Save to Pocket
Classifieds – February 5, 2024
date: 2024-02-05, 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 – February 5, 2024 appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/02/05/classifieds-february-5-2024/ Save to Pocket
Developer’s default setting created turbulence in the flight simulator
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
What is it? It’s an instrument used to train pilots, but that’s not important right now
who, me? Welcome once again, gentle reader, to another instalment of Who, Me? – the Monday missive in which Reg readers share stories of occasions on which their prowess didn’t quite meet tech repair challenges.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/who_me/ Save to Pocket
Today in SCV History (Feb. 5)
date: 2024-02-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
1921 – After leasing since 1918, William S. Hart purchases the Horseshoe Ranch in Newhall from Babcock Smith. [story
https://scvnews.com/today-in-scv-history-feb-5/ Save to Pocket
Business is booming on and off the field
date: 2024-02-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Sport icons make waves in business as they venture into entrepreneurship.
The post Business is booming on and off the field appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/02/05/business-is-booming-on-and-off-the-field/ Save to Pocket
Men’s basketball blows out Oregon State, ends six-game skid
date: 2024-02-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
USC picked up its first win in almost a month, keeping hope alive for a late-season run.
The post Men’s basketball blows out Oregon State, ends six-game skid appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/02/05/mens-basketball-blows-out-oregon-state-ends-six-game-skid/ Save to Pocket
Our course unit system is problematic
date: 2024-02-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The number of units we earn doesn’t always reflect the difficulty of our classes.
The post Our course unit system is problematic appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/02/05/our-course-unit-system-is-problematic/ Save to Pocket
An ode to some of my favorite buildings at USC
date: 2024-02-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Some of the University’s best buildings are worth reflecting on.
The post An ode to some of my favorite buildings at USC appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/02/05/an-ode-to-some-of-my-favorite-buildings-at-usc/ Save to Pocket
Cube SC hosts speedcubing competition
date: 2024-02-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Two hundred students came to Cube SC’s first cubing competition on Saturday.
The post Cube SC hosts speedcubing competition appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/02/05/cube-sc-hosts-speedcubing-competition/ Save to Pocket
‘Scene Shift’ opens at Fisher Museum
date: 2024-02-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The gallery’s immersive exploration of scenic design is on display until April 6.
The post ‘Scene Shift’ opens at Fisher Museum appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/02/05/scene-shift-opens-at-fisher-museum/ Save to Pocket
Club men’s soccer makes comeback at Felix Field
date: 2024-02-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The Trojans rallied back late to level Cal Poly at 4 goals apiece in its home season opener.
The post Club men’s soccer makes comeback at Felix Field appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/02/05/club-mens-soccer-makes-comeback-at-felix-field/ Save to Pocket
Google flushes cached search results forever
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Chap in charge hopes the Internet Archive is willing to pipe in historical search results as a substitute
Google has stopped offering links to cached versions of web pages alongside search results.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/google_cache_flushed/ Save to Pocket
Class of 2028 acceptance rate expected to be 9.2%, yet another record low
date: 2024-02-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The Daily Trojan has obtained an email sent to school counselors by Director of Undergraduate Admission Kirk Brennan, offering details on acceptance rates that have yet to be released publicly.
The post Class of 2028 acceptance rate expected to be 9.2%, yet another record low appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/02/04/usc-acceptance-rate-class-of-2028-expected-9-2-record-low/ Save to Pocket
Taylor Swift Wins Album of the Year At The Grammy Awards for 4th Time
date: 2024-02-05, from: VOA News USA
LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift won album of the year at the Grammy Awards for “Midnights,” breaking the record for most wins in the category with four.
She began her speech by thanking her producer and friend Jack Antonoff and added, “I would love to tell you this is the happiest moment of my life,” she told the crowd, but said she feels this happy when she creates music and plays shows.
Earlier in the night, Taylor Swift used her 13th Grammy win on Sunday to announce her new album, “Tortured Poets Department,” will arrive April 19.
“I know that the way that the Recording Academy voted is a direct reflection of the passion of the fans,” she said while accepting the best pop vocal album award. “So, I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years which is that my brand-new album comes out April 19. It’s called ‘The Tortured Poets Department.’ I’m gonna go and post the cover right now backstage.”
One of the night’s biggest awards, record of the year, went to Miley Cyrus for “Flowers,” her second-ever Grammy and second of the night.
“This award is amazing. But I really hope that it doesn’t change anything because my life was beautiful yesterday,” she said in her speech.
Victoria Monét won best new artist.
“Thank you to the champagne-servers tonight,” Monét started her acceptance speech. “Thanks to my mom, a single mom raising this really bad girl.” Then she started to cry, telling the room that this award was “15 years in the making.”
Billie Eilish won song of the year for writing the “Barbie” hit, “What Was I Made For?”
“Thank you to Greta Gerwig for making the best movie of the year,” Eilish said during her acceptance speech.
It was just one of several standout moments from Sunday’s show, broadcast live from Cypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.
Karol G made Grammy history Sunday by becoming the first female performer to win best música urbana album for her blockbuster “Mañana Será Bonito” record.
“This is my first time at the Grammys,” she told the audience in English. “And this is my first time holding my own Grammy.”
Performances were many. Olivia Rodrigo brought her bloodsucking ballad “vampire” – or in this case, bloodletting, as red liquid dripped from the walls behind her. Joni Mitchell, 80, made Grammy history by performing “Both Sides Now” from her 1969 album “Clouds”; Travis Scott did a medley of “My Eyes,” “I Know?,” and “Fein.” Burna Boy was joined by Brandy and 21 Savage and did “On Form,” “City Boys,” and “Sittin’ on Top of the World.”
A long and touching In Memoriam segment celebrated many of the musical greats lost in the year. Stevie Wonder performed “For Once in My Life” and “The Best Is Yet To Come” in honor of Tony Bennett; Annie Lennox delivered “Nothing Compares 2 U” for Sinéad O’Connor. “Artists for ceasefire, peace in the world,” Lennox said at the end of the song, her fist extended in the air.
Jon Batiste did a medley of “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean On Me,” and finally “Optimistic” with Ann Nesby for the late great music exec Clarence Avant. Oprah introduced a fiery Tina Turner tribute of “Proud Mary” by Fantasia Barrino and Adam Blackstone.
SZA also took the stage – performing a medley of her larger-than-life hits “Snooze” and “Kill Bill,” joined by dancers wielding katanas.
Later, she’d take home the trophy for best R&B song — for “Snooze,” handed to her by Lizzo. SZA ran to the stage and gave a charming, out of breath speech because she was “changing, and then I took a shot,” before starting to tear up and saying, “Hi Taylor… I’m not an attractive crier. Have a good evening.”
Mariah Carey presented the night’s first award, for best pop solo performance, to Miley Cyrus for “Flowers.” It was also the singer’s first-ever Grammy.
Afterward, Luke Combs’ delivered a heartfelt rendition of “Fast Car” with Tracy Chapman – his cover of the Chapman classic has dominated country radio and won him song of the year at the 2023 CMAs. In 1989, Chapman won best pop vocal performance, female for the song.
Dua Lipa opened the show with a high-octane medley: first, a tease of her forthcoming single, “Training Season,” then, her most recent single, “Houdini,” and finally, her disco-pop “Barbie” hit “Dance the Night.”
Eilish and Finneas brought their “Barbie” ballad to the Grammys stage with live string accompaniment, the second of two songs from the blockbuster film in one hour. They were followed by Cyrus, who performed “Flowers” for the first time live on television – moments after receiving her first Grammy.
“Why are you acting like you don’t know this song?” she teased the crowd — John Legend and wife Chrissy Teigen were among those in the audience who got up to dance — and later cheered mid-song, “I just won my first Grammy!”
Four-time Grammy host — and two time nominee — Trevor Noah greeted an excited crowd, starting things off with a kiss on the cheek from Meryl Streep. “The Grammys are gonna win as Oscar,” he joked about the moment.
Best country album went to Lainey Wilson for “Bell Bottom Country,” — her very first Grammy — as presented by Kacey Musgraves. “I’m a fifth-generation farmer’s daughter,” she told the crowd, adding that she’s a “songwriting farmer,” and that’s where the musical magic came from.
Jay-Z was awarded the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award and used his speech to talk about the hip-hop greats that came before him – and heavily suggesting at the Grammys history of placing rap on the backburner – or at the very least, not in the televised version of the show. (This year, there were no rap categories on screen, but two pop, one Latin, one country and one R&B.)
“We want you all to get it right,” he said. “At least get it close to right,” before switching focus to Beyoncé. “Most Grammys, never won album of the year. How does that work?”
Bridgers took an early lead at the Grammys, quickly winning four trophies ahead of the main telecast, with her and her boygenius bandmates bringing an infectious energy to the Premiere Ceremony.
Songwriter Justin Tranter gave her the first award Sunday, best pop duo/group performance, which went to SZA and Bridgers for “Ghost in the Machine.”
Jack Antonoff took home producer of the year, non-classical for a third year in a row, tying Babyface as the only other producer to do so consecutively. “You need the door kicked open for you,” he said in his acceptance speech. “Taylor Swift kicked that (expletive) door open for me,” referencing their work together.
The first of three new categories in 2024, best pop dance recording, was given out shortly afterward and went to Kylie Minogue for “Padam Padam” — her first win in 18 years.
About 80 Grammys were handed out pre-broadcast. Regional Mexican star Peso Pluma won his first Grammy for his first and only nomination, for best música Mexicana album for his “Genesis.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/taylor-swift-wins-album-of-the-year-at-the-grammy-awards-for-4th-time/7471007.html Save to Pocket
Routines
date: 2024-02-05, from: Manu - I write blog
They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I found the inverse of that to also be true for my life. Doing things differently day after day and expecting the same–positive–outcome.
I’m the product of two terrible traits: I’m a morning person but I also lack self-discipline. And that means keeping a morning routine is incredibly hard for me. And yet, every time I manage to do that I feel really well. My mind is in a much better place when I wake up at 6 am or even 5 am. I feel a lot better when I’m out in nature with the sun rising. I know it. I’m aware of all this. And yet keeping a morning routine is incredibly hard. I’m getting better at it though so I’m pleased with that.
Learning how my mind works is a fun process. You’re tempted to think you just know yourself and yet there’s always a new discovery waiting behind the corner. Thankfully I have my whole life to figure this stuff out.
https://manuelmoreale.com/@/page/mMV5P5eYyTQ6Q0C7 Save to Pocket
On NetNewsWire Not Being on Vision Pro
date: 2024-02-05, from: NetNewsWire
On his blog, Brent writes about why NetNewsWire isn‘t available — at least not yet — on Vision Pro, and what would have to happen to get it there.
https://netnewswire.blog/2024/02/04/on-netnewswire-not.html Save to Pocket
Why NetNewsWire Isn’t Available for Vision Pro
date: 2024-02-05, from: Innessential (Brint Simmons’ blog)
I’ve been getting questions about NetNewsWire’s unavailability on Vision Pro. Why isn’t it there? When might it be there?
Here’s the scoop:
I consider it risky to support an app running on a device I don’t own. Imagine writing a Mac or iPhone app and not actually running it on one of those machines — you wouldn’t.
I realize that the app would act as if it were running on an iPad — but the Vision Pro is not really an iPad. It’s a device with very different interactions from the direct manipulation we’re used to on iPad. And the compatibility mode is a new thing because this device is a new thing — we don’t know how well it works and what the gotchas might be.
I could test it on the simulator, sure, but the simulator is a convenience for developers. It’s no replacement for running it on a real device.
And, yes, the app is open source, which could mean that other developers with a Vision Pro could help support it — but it’s important to remember that I’m the only person who has to support it. The NetNewsWire team is awesome, but I’m the one on the line for this.
So I want to be careful and go slowly, because if I made it available it would be extremely difficult to reverse the decision and take it away, even with an excellent reason.
I’m hoping that a consensus will form among developers that running apps on Vision Pro as iPad apps is fine, that it’s a cakewalk. If that happens, I’d go ahead and do it too. But it’s too soon for us to know that.
PS Why don’t I have a Vision Pro? I’m sure it’s an incredible technical achievement and an amazing experience — and pretty damn wonderful in just about every way — but it’s just not my thing. I like reading and writing mostly, plus making apps for reading and writing. My personal future of computing has been here for all these years — the Mac.
PPS Eventually the price will come down to where I’d consider buying one as a test device and for a little fun — but that may be a few years away. I’m hoping that we’ll find, sooner than that, that running as iPad on Vision Pro is a-okay.
https://inessential.com/2024/02/04/why_netnewswire_isnt_available_for_vision_pro Save to Pocket
Deepfake CFO tricks Hong Kong biz out of $25 million
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Recordings of past vidchats suspected as source of fakery – so there’s another class of data you need to lock down
A Hong Kong-based finance professional at a multinational was reportedly swindled out of $25 million (HK$200 million) of company money when scammers created a deepfake of his London-based chief financial officer in a video conference call.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/hong_kong_deepfaked_cfo/ Save to Pocket
Global energy demand could be lower in 2050, despite the world getting richer
date: 2024-02-05, from: Hannah Richie at Substack
Decarbonisation will lead to major efficiency gains. This could reduce final energy demand while ‘energy services’ continue to increase.
https://www.sustainabilitybynumbers.com/p/iea-energy-scenarios Save to Pocket
February 4, 2024
date: 2024-02-05, from: Heather Cox Richardson blog
On February 4, 1870, the Chicago Tribune announced: “The rebellion may now be regarded as over and the great war finished.” Referring to the Civil War, which had ended just five years before, the paper’s editor explained: “That rebellion was undertaken to preserve and perpetuate human slavery, and, within ten years from the date of the first secession ordinance, the great struggle has been terminated in the adoption of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments….”
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-4-2024 Save to Pocket
Two of India’s most prominent startup tech giants are in deep trouble
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Paytm’s bank has been locked out, edtech darling Byju’s faces bankruptcy
Two of India’s tech leaders, both of which have been widely hailed as exemplars of local entrepreneurialism, are in deep trouble.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/india_paytm_byjus_in_trouble/ Save to Pocket
Computing in 2023
date: 2024-02-05, from: Jirka’s blog
Logout asked on his Czech blog (he does it every year) about current computing environment of people.
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20240205-0440_Computing_in_2023 Save to Pocket
Alive
date: 2024-02-05, from: Jirka’s blog
At least sort of. It seems January 2024 is the first month without any post since I have use the gopher.
http://jirka.1-2-8.net/20240205-0440_Alive Save to Pocket
Santa Barbara Residents Evacuate from Downtown Homes as February Storm Floods Waterways, Roads, and Airport
date: 2024-02-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County due to the major storm.
The post Santa Barbara Residents Evacuate from Downtown Homes as February Storm Floods Waterways, Roads, and Airport appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/02/04/santa-barbara-residents-evacuate-from-downtown-homes-as-february-storm-floods-waterways-roads-and-airport/ Save to Pocket
Hart alumni baseball game downsized, moved inside due to weather
date: 2024-02-05, from: The Signal
Stormy weather failed to dampen the enthusiasm of those who had gathered for Hart High School’s annual alumni baseball game on Sunday. Several generations of Hart Indians and their families visited the school to take part in the yearly tradition, although the rain forced the game to be reimagined. “Today is a little bit different […]
The post <strong>Hart alumni baseball game downsized, moved inside due to weather</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/02/hart-alumni-baseball-game-downsized-moved-inside-due-to-weather/ Save to Pocket
SBF likely off the hook for misplaced FTX funds after cops bust SIM swap ring
date: 2024-02-05, updated: 2024-02-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
PLUS: more glibc vulns discovered; DraftKings hacker sentenced; and a hefty dose of critical vulnerabilities
Infosec In Brief The recent indictment of a massive SIM-swapping ring may mean convicted crypto conman Sam Bankman-Fried is innocent of at least one allegation still hanging over his head: The theft of more than $400 million in crypto hacked from wallets belonging to his crypto firm, FTX, just before it declared bankruptcy.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/sbf_off_the_hook_for/ Save to Pocket
Grateful for Supervisor Hartmann
date: 2024-02-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
I am deeply grateful to have Joan Hartmann fighting for me and my community on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.
The post Grateful for Supervisor Hartmann appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/02/04/grateful-for-supervisor-hartmann/ Save to Pocket
US Senate Releases Security Bill Including Ukraine, Israel Aid
date: 2024-02-05, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-senate-unveils-118-billion-bipartisan-bill-to-tighten-border-security-aid-ukraine-and-israel/7470928.html Save to Pocket
Monday 5 February, 2024
date: 2024-02-05, from: John Naughton’s online diary
Vernacular architecture, English style Somewhere in Cambridgeshire Quote of the Day ”One afternoon, when I was four years old, my father came home, and he found me in the living room in front of a roaring fire, which made him … Continue reading
https://memex.naughtons.org/monday-5-february-2024/39098/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-02-05, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
I'm reading about discussion in Congress regarding exempting newspaper publishers from antitrust so they can address the threat of new technology. "Our chief interest is to keep newspapers alive," says the legislator. The date: 1963. The technology: television.
https://bsky.app/profile/jeffjarvis.bsky.social/post/3kkmhoetxzs2g Save to Pocket
ASEAN bloc to build submarine cable network, link government apps
date: 2024-02-04, updated: 2024-02-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
PLUS: TikTok returns to Indonesian e-commerce; Chinese giants’ EV battery swap scheme; India drops mobile tariffs
APAC in Brief The eleven-nation ASEAN bloc has decided to create a regional network of submarine cables, and to push for interoperability of member governments’ digital infrastructure.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/04/apac_in_brief/ Save to Pocket
New York to Host 2026 Soccer World Cup Final
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
Miami, Florida — The 2026 World Cup final will be held at MetLife Stadium in New York-New Jersey, organizers FIFA announced Sunday.
The New York bid held off a strong challenge from Dallas to secure the July 19 game, the culmination of the expanded 48-team tournament being co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The competition will kick-off with the opening game at Mexico City’s iconic Azteca Stadium on June 11.
Atlanta and Dallas will host the semi-finals while the third-place game will be played in Miami.
The quarter-final games will take place in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami and Boston.
A total of 16 cities across the three countries will host games, while the bulk of the matches will be held in the U.S.
The 1994 World Cup was also held in the United States and the final took place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, near Los Angeles.
New York hosted games at that tournament at the old Giants Stadium, which was later demolished to make way for MetLife, which opened in 2010.
The decisions were announced on a live television broadcast in North America that featured FIFA President Gianni Infantino alongside comedian and actor Kevin Hart, rapper Drake and celebrity Kim Kardashian.
The 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium, across the Hudson River from New York in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is the home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets but has held several international football games, including the final of the 2016 Copa America tournament.
The New York bid had lobbied hard on the city’s experience at hosting major international events and its position as a global city with easy transportation connections for fans.
Dallas had hoped that AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas, home to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, would benefit from having a roof to protect the game from the elements.
There is some compensation for Dallas with the venue being given nine total games — the most of any venue.
Los Angeles had also thrown a hat into the ring, but the attempt struggled amid disagreements with FIFA about tournament upgrades needed to NFL venue SoFi Stadium.
The Azteca will become the first stadium to host World Cup tournament games in three separate editions after 1970 and 1986.
The venue hosted the finals of the 1970 and 1986 tournaments.
The World Cup will take place during celebrations of the 250th anniversary of American independence.
A round-of-16 game will be held on July 4, Independence Day, in Philadelphia, where the U.S. Declaration of Independence was signed.
The United States will kick off group stage competition at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 12 and will also play in Seattle.
Toronto was selected to host the first game for the Canadian team. Vancouver is the other Canadian venue which will host the squad.
The expansion of the tournament to 48 teams from 32 means there will be an additional 24 matches, making up 104 games across the 16 chosen venues.
The tournament will take 12 groups of four teams, with the top two going through and the eight best third-placed teams.
From there, the competition is a straight knock-out format with the finalists having to play eight games rather than the previous seven.
The 16 host cities for the tournament are: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York-New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver.
https://www.voanews.com/a/new-york-to-host-2026-soccer-world-cup-final/7470593.html Save to Pocket
One transported following two-vehicle collision on I-5
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Signal
One person was transported to the hospital with minor injuries following a two-vehicle collision on the Highway 14 southbound next to the Interstate 5 truck route, according to the California Highway Patrol. “CHP and the L.A. County Fire Department received a call of a multi-vehicle collision with one vehicle overturned,” said CHP Officer Michael Nasir. […]
The post One transported following two-vehicle collision on I-5 appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/02/one-transported-following-two-vehicle-collision-on-i-5/ Save to Pocket
US Combines Military Might, Diplomacy to Contain Middle East Tensions
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
With both a show of military might and a stronger push for a diplomatic solution, the United States is trying to contain a broader war in the Middle East. With the backdrop of Israel’s war against Hamas, Iran-backed forces in the region are committed to continuing their attacks against Western interests. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-combines-military-might-diplomacy-to-contain-middle-east-tensions/7470583.html Save to Pocket
More rain, wind gusts expected early this week
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Signal
Heavy rain and gusts of wind as high as 70 mph are expected this week for the Santa Clarita Valley, according to National Weather Service officials. The heaviest rains are expected to be Sunday night into Monday morning, said Ryan Kittell, meteorologist with NWS. “There will be some breaks after tomorrow but still expect rain […]
The post More rain, wind gusts expected early this week appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/02/more-rain-wind-gusts-expected-early-this-week/ Save to Pocket
Biden Sets Sights On Las Vegas Before Nevada’s Primary
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
Reno, Nevada — President Joe Biden’s latest campaign swing is taking him across the country to Nevada, where the “first-in-the-West” primaries are underway with early and absentee voting. But the Democrat and his team are also using the visit to shore up support for the general election in November.
Biden was arriving in Las Vegas on Sunday for appearances through Monday after spending part of the weekend in California.
The president last visited Nevada in December, when he highlighted more than $8 billion in federal funding for passenger rail projects nationwide. On Sunday, Biden plans to meet with voters in the city’s majority-Black Historic Westside and speak with community leaders about infrastructure investments.
Michael Tyler, a spokesperson for Biden’s reelection campaign, said the president will rally supporters to vote in Tuesday’s primary and help build momentum for the fall, in what is shaping up to be a rematch of the 2020 contest against Republican Donald Trump.
In Tuesday’s primary, Biden faces only token opposition from author Marianne Williamson and a handful of relatively unknown challengers. He won Nevada in November 2020 by fewer than 3 percentage points.
The state known largely for its casino and hospitality industries is synonymous with split-ticket, hard-to-predict results. It has a transient, working-class population and large Latino, Filipino and Chinese American and Black communities. There is a stark rural-urban divide, with more than 88% of Nevada’s active registered voters — and much of its political power — in the two most populous counties, which include the Las Vegas and Reno metro areas.
In 2022, Democrats successfully defended their U.S. Senate seat and lost the governor’s office. The six constitutional officers elected statewide are split evenly among Democrats and Republicans.
The narrow victory of U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto helped Democrats keep control of the Senate for the remainder of Biden’s current term.
Working in Biden’s favor this year is the vast Democratic operation built by the late U.S. Sen. Harry Reid. The “Reid Machine” has for years trained operatives and retained organizers and is partially why, despite Nevada’s status as a purple state, Democrats have won every presidential election here since 2008.
But early signs show Biden could have more ground to make up than in past races. Voters are largely dissatisfied with the likely Biden-Trump rematch. A New York Times/Siena poll from November shows that Biden’s approval rating is 36% in Nevada.
“I know from my reelection, the issues that matter to Nevadans are still those kitchen table issues,” Cortez Masto said in an interview.
Biden has built his reelection campaign around the theme that Trump presents a dire threat to U.S. democracy and its founding values. The president also has championed the defense of abortion rights, recently holding his first big campaign rally, in Virginia, where the issue energized Democrats who won control of the state’s House of Delegates.
Biden also promotes his handling of the economy, arguing that his policies have created millions of jobs, combated climate change and improved American competitiveness overseas. But polls show that many voters aren’t giving his administration credit.
The Democratic National Committee last week announced a six-figure ad buy in Nevada and South Carolina, where Biden won the leadoff primary Saturday. The ads are meant to boost enthusiasm among Black, Asian and Latino voters statewide, including radio, television and digital ads in Spanish, Chinese and Tagalog, and a billboard in Las Vegas’ Chinatown.
As early voting began last weekend in Nevada, Trump asserted without evidence during a campaign rally in Las Vegas that he was the victim of the Biden administration’s weaponizing law enforcement against him. Trump has been indicted four times and faces 91 felonies.
About a mile away, Harris warned union leaders at a get-out-the-vote rally that Trump “made clear his fight is not for the people. His fight is for himself.”
Dan Lee, an associate professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said that for Biden, “the map says he has to hold on to Nevada.”
The Republican primary is also Tuesday, but the state Republican Party is holding caucuses Thursday to allocate delegates. Trump is competing in the caucuses; rival Nikki Halley opted to stay on the nonbinding primary ballot.
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Raymond Wong Figured Out How to Detach the Vision Pro Battery Pack Cable
date: 2024-02-04, updated: 2024-02-04, from: Daring Fireball
https://twitter.com/raywongy/status/1752787114071298255 Save to Pocket
Messi, Beckham Booed After Argentine Star Sits Out Hong Kong Exhibition
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
Hong Kong — Lionel Messi and Inter-Miami co-owner David Beckham were booed Sunday and angry fans demanded refunds after the Argentina superstar sat out the team’s pre-season friendly match in Hong Kong.
The city government said organizers owed fans an explanation after the match, in which the visitors beat a Hong Kong select XI by four goals to one.
The World Cup-winning captain, Messi, who has a hamstring strain, stayed rooted to the bench throughout.
That brought a show of anger from the near-capacity crowd of 38,323, who had paid upwards of 1,000 Hong Kong dollars ($125) to see their hero, and in many cases five times that amount.
Halfway through the second half, chants of “We want Messi” rose around the Hong Kong Stadium from fans desperate to see the greatest footballer of his generation in the much-hyped exhibition game.
The booing became louder during the last 10 minutes when it became clear that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would not make even the briefest of cameos.
The jeers rose to a crescendo at the final whistle, and Beckham was drowned out by booing as he tried to thank the crowd for “their incredible support” while fans signaled their anger with thumbs-down gestures.
“I’m just really disappointed,” football fan Jonathan Wong told AFP. “Everyone is here to see Messi, so I feel a bit cheated.
“Without him it’s just like another regular Hong Kong Premier League match, where a ticket only costs HK$80 ($10). This time we paid HK$5,000 ($639).”
Miami coach Gerardo Martino said the club’s medical team had taken the decision after an assessment Sunday morning.
“We understand the disappointment of the fans for the absence of Leo (Messi),” Martino told reporters.
“We understand a lot of fans are very disappointed and we ask for their forgiveness.
“We wish we could have sent Leo on for at least a while, but the risk was too big.”
The 36-year-old Messi played just six minutes in Miami’s last match, in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, and now faces a race against time to be fit for the new MLS season that starts on February 21.
Bitter end to ‘Messi mania’
It was a bitter end to days of Hong Kong “Messi mania.”
Tens of thousands turned up Saturday just to watch him train, when he did little more than jog and stretch.
The team hotel was besieged by hundreds of fans trying to glimpse their hero, and a traditional junk boat was cruising around Victoria harbor with Messi’s face plastered across its sails.
Messi shirts had been flying off the shelves after tickets for the match sold out in an hour when they went on sale in December.
Echoing the fans’ anger, the Hong Kong government said it could withdraw 16 million Hong Kong dollars ($2 million) of funding to the organizers that helped bring Inter Miami to the city.
“The organizer owes all football fans an explanation,” it said.
In a statement, organizers of the event — dubbed “Tatler XFEST” — expressed their “extreme disappointment” that neither Messi nor his Uruguayan teammate Luis Suarez took part in the match.
“Despite some news reports, Tatler did not have any information about the non-participation of Messi or Suarez prior to kick off,” they said.
In addition to the missing illustrious South American duo, Miami’s starting line-up featured neither of their other former Barcelona stars, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Robert Taylor opened the scoring for the MLS side in the 40th minute with a delightful right-foot curling shot from the left-hand edge of the box.
Two minutes later Hong Kong’s Henri Anier laced a left-foot finish home to make it 1-1.
Miami regained the advantage after half-time when Lawson Sunderland found the target from close range, and Leonardo Campana increased the lead in the 56th minute.
Busquets and Alba finally appeared from the bench after 62 minutes, to a smattering of cheers.
Ryan Sailor rounded off the scoring for Miami in the 85th minute with a glancing header.
It was Miami’s first win in five matches on their globe-trotting pre-season tour, which heads to Japan for a friendly game against Vissel Kobe on Wednesday.
https://www.voanews.com/a/messi-beckham-booed-after-argentine-star-sits-out-hong-kong-exhibition/7470573.html Save to Pocket
2024-02-03 Wieder im Wallis
date: 2024-02-04, from: Alex Schroeder’s Blog
2024-02-03 Wieder im Wallis
Hier oben ist der Schnee nicht schlecht. #Pictures
Today we went running but it was so steep that we rarely did run. It was more of a speed hike. 😅
https://alexschroeder.ch/view/2024-02-03-wallis Save to Pocket
Iran Says Yemen Strikes ‘Contradict’ US, UK Policy
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
Tehran, Iran — Iran on Sunday denounced the latest U.S. and U.K. strikes on targets in Yemen saying they “contradict” their declared intention of avoiding a wider Middle East conflict.
These attacks are “in clear contradiction with the repeated claims of Washington and London that they do not want the expansion of war and conflict in the region,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, said in a statement.
He accused the United States and Britain of “fueling chaos, disorder, insecurity and instability” by supporting Israel in its war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Further strikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in response to the group’s attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea is “a threat to international peace and security,” Kanaani said.
On Saturday the U.S. and the U.K. struck dozens of targets in Yemen over Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, which the rebels say are in solidarity with Palestinians in war-battered Gaza.
The previous day, the U.S. military struck targets in Syria and Iraq, in retaliation for a January 28 drone attack on a base in Jordan that killed three U.S. soldiers.
President Joe Biden has blamed “radical Iran-backed militant groups” for that attack but said the United States does not seek a wider conflict in the Middle East.
“I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That’s not what I’m looking for,” Biden said on Tuesday.
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-says-yemen-strikes-contradict-us-uk-policy/7470551.html Save to Pocket
Criminal case dismissed against George Tyndall
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
George Tyndall died of natural causes in October 2023 while awaiting trial.
The post Criminal case dismissed against George Tyndall appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/02/04/criminal-case-dismissed-against-george-tyndall/ Save to Pocket
Documentary About Holocaust Photographer Captures Images of Jewish Life
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
A new documentary called “Vishniac” tells the story of 20th century Jewish photographer Roman Vishniac, who was born in Russia, escaped the Holocaust, and eventually settled in America. His iconic photographs later helped inform the movie “Schindler’s List.” Anna Nelson has this report, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by: Elena Matusovsky, Natalia Latukhina.
https://www.voanews.com/a/documentary-about-holocaust-photographer-captures-images-of-jewish-life/7470545.html Save to Pocket
Baby Great White Shark Spotted in Wild for First Time Ever off Santa Barbara Coast, Researchers Believe
date: 2024-02-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Rare footage of newborn shark may be the key to “one of the holy grails of shark science.”
The post Baby Great White Shark Spotted in Wild for First Time Ever off Santa Barbara Coast, Researchers Believe appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/02/04/baby-great-white-shark-spotted-in-wild-for-first-time-ever-off-santa-barbara-coast-researchers-believe/ Save to Pocket
‘Argylle,’ With Checkered Reviews, Flops With $18M for Big-Budget Apple Release
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
New York — Apple has had its first box office flop.
“Argylle,” the $200-million star-studded spy thriller from Apple Studios, debuted with $18 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. The film, directed by Matthew Vaughn, managed to lead the weekend box office, but still found little interest from moviegoers.
Although Apple has been in the original film business since 2019 and won the Oscar for best picture with 2021’s “CODA,” the company has only recently produced its own lineup of big-budget releases. The first two — Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” — could be called successful.
“Killers of the Flower Moon,” though not profitable with $156 million in global sales, was one of the most celebrated films of 2023 and is nominated for 10 Academy Awards. “Napoleon,” released in November, has raked in $219 million worldwide — also not enough to turn a profit. But both films raised Apple’s reputation as a home to top directors and prestige filmmaking.
The same can’t be said for “Argylle,” a twisty thriller starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell and Henry Cavill. The movie was badly dinged by critics, who gave it a Rotten Tomatoes score of 35% “fresh.” Ticket buyers also gave it a thumbs down, with a C+ CinemaScore.
Apple has paired with traditional studios for each of those releases. Universal Pictures handled the rollout of “Argylle,” which opened in 3,605 North American venues and took in an additional $17.3 million in 78 international markets. Paramount handled “Killers of the Flower Moon,” while Sony steered “Napoleon.”
“Argylle,” with “Kingsman” director Vaughn at the helm, was made with aspirations of starting a new franchise. But one of its biggest talking points ahead of its release was conjecture that Taylor Swift might have been involved with the movie thanks to the prominent presence of argyle patterns and a cat in the promotional materials. Despite plenty of online discussion, Swift had no involvement in the film.
Second place on the weekend went to the Christian drama series “The Chosen.” The first three episodes of the fourth season of the series, which dramatizes the life of Jesus, played in 2,263 theaters. The Angel Studios release grossed $6 million Friday through Sunday.
On another quiet weekend in cinemas, the rest of ticket sales went mainly to holdovers and awards contenders.
Warner Bros.’ “Wonka,” in its eighth week, crossed $200 million domestically. After four weeks in theaters, Paramount’s “Mean Girls” crossed $100 million. “The Beekeeper,” from the Amazon MGM, neared $50 million in its fourth week.
Although many Oscar contenders hit theaters months ago, the top choices of those in theaters remain Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction” ($15 million thus far for MGM), starring Jeffrey Wright, and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” ($28.2 million, plus $40.1 million overseas), starring Emma Stone.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
“Argylle,” $18 million.
“The Chosen,” $6 million.
“The Beekeeper,” $5.3 million.
“Wonka,” $4.8 million.
“Migration,” $4.1 million.
“Mean Girls,” $4 million.
“Anyone But You,” $3.5 million.
“American Fiction,” $2.3 million.
“Poor Things,” $2.1 million.
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” $2 million.
https://www.voanews.com/a/argylle-with-checkered-reviews-flops-with-18m-for-big-budget-apple-release/7470527.html Save to Pocket
Second Powerful Storm Blows Into California With High Winds, Heavy Rain
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
Los Angeles — The second of back-to-back atmospheric rivers battered California on Sunday, flooding roadways and knocking out power to more than 355,000 people and prompting a rare warning for hurricane-force winds as the state braced for what could be days of heavy rains.
The storm inundated streets and brought down trees and electrical lines across the San Francisco Bay Area, where winds topped 96 kph (60 mph) in some areas. Gusts exceeding 128 kph (80 mph)were recorded in the mountains.
In Southern California, officials warned of potentially devastating flooding and ordered evacuations for canyons that burned in recent wildfires that are at high risk for mud and debris flows.
Customers called the Santa Barbara Home Improvement Center inquiring about sandbags, flashlights and generators, said assistant manager Lupita Vital. Sandbags sold out on Saturday, so people were buying bags of potting soil and fertilizer instead, she said.
“People are trying to get anything they can get that’s heavy to use it as, you know, protection for their doors and everything,” Vital said Sunday.
“This storm is predicted to be one of the largest and most significant in our county’s history, and our goal is to get through it without any fatalities or any serious injuries,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown told reporters Saturday. Classes were canceled Monday for schools across the county, which was devastated by mudslides caused by powerful storms in 2018.
Strong winds and heavy rain brought treacherous conditions to the coastal city of Ventura, west of Los Angeles, said Alexis Herrera, who was trying to bail out his sedan which was filled with floodwater. “All the freeways are flooded around here,” Herrera said in Spanish. “I don’t know how I’m going to move my car.”
Nearly 356,000 customers were without electricity statewide, with most of the outages concentrated in coastal regions, according to poweroutage.us.
Six San Francisco Bay Area counties were at low risk of waterspouts coming ashore and becoming tornadoes, said the Storm Prediction Center. The last time the center forecasted a tornado risk in the region was in February 2015, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Palisades Tahoe, a ski resort about 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of San Francisco, said it was anticipating the heaviest snowfall yet this season, with accumulations of 15 centimeters (6 inches) per hour for a total of up to 60 centimeters (2 feet). Heavy snow was possible into Monday throughout the Sierra Nevada.
Much of the state had been drying out from the system that blew in last week, causing flooding and dumping welcome snow in mountains. The latest storm, also called a “Pineapple Express” because its plume of moisture stretches back across the Pacific to near Hawaii, arrived offshore in Northern California on Saturday, when most of the state was under some sort of wind, surf or flood watch.
The weather service on Sunday issued a rare “hurricane force wind warning” for the Central Coast, with wind gusts of up to 148 kph (92 mph) possible from the Monterey Peninsula to the northern section of San Luis Obispo County.
The rain forced organizers to postpone the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in Monterey County until Monday.
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services activated its operations center and positioned personnel and equipment in areas most at risk.
Meanwhile, Southern California was at risk of substantial flooding beginning late Sunday because of how slow the system was moving, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist at the weather service’s Los Angeles-area office.
“The core of the low pressure system is very deep, and it’s moving very slowly and it’s very close to us. And that’s why we have those very strong winds. And the slow nature of it is really giving us the highest rainfall totals and the flooding risk,” he said at a Sunday briefing.
Evacuation orders and warnings were in effect for mountain and canyon areas of Monterey, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties. LA County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath urged residents near wildfire burn areas of Topanga and Soledad canyons to heed orders to get out ahead of possible mudslides.
“If you have not already left, please gather your family, your pets, your medications and leave immediately,” Horvath said at a Sunday briefing. The county set up shelters where evacuees can spend the night.
The storm was expected to move down the coast and bring heavy rain, possible flash-flooding and mountain snow to the Los Angeles area late Sunday, before moving on to hammer Orange and San Diego counties on Monday.
“This is a dangerous system with major risks to life and property,” the weather service’s Los Angeles office said. “Residents should heed any evacuation orders. Stay off the roads, especially the freeways, this afternoon through at least Monday morning.”
Organizers of the Grammy Awards in downtown Los Angeles were hoping the Sunday evening show would end before the fiercest rain moved in.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second-largest, said it was planning to open schools as usual Monday. The decision would be reevaluated at 6 a.m. Monday, said Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
The weather service forecast up to 20 cm (8 inches) of rainfall across Southern California’s coastal and valley areas, 35 cm (14 inches) possible in the foothills and mountains. Heavy to moderate rain is expected in Southern California until Tuesday.
“Even if the rain does start to let up on Monday morning, just the sheer amount of rain overnight will cause lingering flooding issues into the morning hours,” said Kittell.
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Update: Flash Flood Warning Issued for Southern Santa Barbara County
date: 2024-02-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
National Weather Service warns conditions will worsen through Sunday night as the threat of debris flows and flooding increases.
The post Update: Flash Flood Warning Issued for Southern Santa Barbara County appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/02/04/early-effects-of-storm-in-santa-barbara-downed-trees-cachuma-flood-gates-opened/ Save to Pocket
@Ayjay blog (date: 2024-02-04, from: Ayjay blog)
The architectural drawings of Richard of St. Victor
https://blog.ayjay.org/45990-2/ Save to Pocket
How to understand the politics of Israel and Palestine?
date: 2024-02-04, from: Robert Reich on Substack
How to teach and how to learn about a tragedy. An open society sees truth as process and method — more verb than noun.
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Cantando: Top Songs from 1994
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Sundail (CSUN student paper)
The 90’s saw a mainstream love for R&B and romantic ballads. Billboard listed the following songs as the year-end top five of 1994, the year of the earthquake. As the forefront of American music charts, success on Billboard translates to widespread popularity in the States. Before people streamed music on Spotify, high charting songs reached…
https://sundial.csun.edu/178107/print-editions/print-stories/cantando-top-songs-from-1994/ Save to Pocket
Red Cross, Ventura County HSA Open Evacuation Shelter at Ventura College as Major Storm Impacts Pacific Coast
date: 2024-02-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
VENTURA, FEBRUARY 4, 2024 – In coordination with Ventura County Human Services Agency and emergency officials, the American Red Cross Pacific
The post Red Cross, Ventura County HSA Open Evacuation Shelter at Ventura College as Major Storm Impacts Pacific Coast appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/02/04/red-cross-ventura-county-hsa-open-evacuation-shelter-at-ventura-college-as-major-storm-impacts-pacific-coast/ Save to Pocket
Splish Splash: Stanford gets thrashed
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Women’s swim surpassed Stanford in the relay for the first time since 1999.
The post Splish Splash: Stanford gets thrashed appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/02/04/splish-splash-stanford-gets-thrashed/ Save to Pocket
6 Shoes, $8 Million: Auction of Michael Jordan’s Sneakers Sets Record
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
New York — A collection of sneakers that superstar Michael Jordan wore as he and the Chicago Bulls won six NBA championships has fetched $8 million at auction, setting a record for game-worn sneakers, Sotheby’s said.
The six Air Jordan shoes — one apiece from the last games of the 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998 championship series — sold Friday. Sotheby’s dubbed it the “Dynasty Collection.”
“Serving as both a reminder of Michael Jordan’s lasting impact on the world and a tangible expression of his recognized legendary status, its significance is further validated by this monumental result,” Brahm Wachter of Sotheby’s said in a statement. Wachter oversees modern collectables for the auction house.
Sotheby’s didn’t identify the buyer and described the seller only as “a private American collector” who obtained them from a longtime Bulls executive.
Jordan first gave a sneaker to the executive after the championship-winning game in 1991 and continued the tradition afterward, according to Sotheby’s. The auction lot included photos of Jordan wearing a single shoe as he celebrated the 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1998 wins.
A five-time league MVP and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Jordan was so singular a
player that then-NBA Commissioner David Stern in 1992 called him “the standard by
which basketball excellence is measured.” The NBA renamed its MVP trophy for Jordan in 2022.
He also helped shake up the athletic shoe industry and supercharge sneaker culture by teaming up with Nike to create Air Jordans in the mid-1980s.
The pair he wore in the second game of the 1998 NBA Finals was sold through Sotheby’s last April for $2.2 million, a record for a pair of sneakers. The highest auction price for any Jordan memorabilia was $10.1 million for his jersey from the first game at that series, according to Sotheby’s, which sold in 2022.
An unused ticket to Jordan’s 1984 debut with the Bulls was sold through Heritage Auctions in 2022 for $468,000 — over 55,000 times the face value.
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When looked at carefully, OpenAI’s new study on GPT-4 and bioweapons is deeply worrisome
date: 2024-02-04, from: Gary Marcus blog
Why you should be worried
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/when-looked-at-carefully-openais Save to Pocket
Updated FreeDOS Help 1.10
date: 2024-02-04, from: FreeDOS News
Willi has updated the new version of the FreeDOS Help. This is the content of the main Help system, not the HTML Help viewer. This is a completely new Help that has been rewritten from scratch. Willi is asking for help in finding issues with the new Help and is asking for the community to help check it, specifically for: legal comments, grammar, technical content. You can find a live online version at FreeDOS Help 1.10. If you want to download a zip file for offline viewing, go to Willi’s website and click on “freedos-hilfe” to download the zip file.
https://sourceforge.net/p/freedos/news/2024/02/updated-freedos-help-110/ Save to Pocket
Holocaust survivor event postponed due to weather
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Signal
Holocaust survivor Joe Alexander has postponed his visit to the Santa Clarita Valley to Feb. 25, according to the Chabad of SCV website. He was scheduled to share about his experiences at the Hart High School auditorium today from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Due to inclement weather, Alexander decided to postpone the scheduled event […]
The post Holocaust survivor event postponed due to weather appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/02/holocaust-survivior-event-postponed-due-to-weather/ Save to Pocket
Tackling Homelessness in Santa Clarita
date: 2024-02-04, from: City of Santa Clarita
Tackling Homelessness in Santa Clarita By City Manager Ken Striplin Around the country, homelessness is on the rise and unfortunately, Santa Clarita is not immune. That is why the City, in collaboration with local agencies and organizations, have been working together to address this challenge and help the most vulnerable members of our community. Much […]
The post Tackling Homelessness in Santa Clarita appeared first on City of Santa Clarita.
https://santaclarita.gov/blog/2024/02/04/tackling-homelessness-in-santa-clarita/ Save to Pocket
Rivian tops Consumer Reports ‘most loved’ ranks after its reviewers derided it
date: 2024-02-04, from: Electrek Feed
Consumer Reports is out with its annual owner satisfaction survey, showing Rivian to be far and away the most-loved car brand according to owners. The rating comes soon after Consumer Reports strangely listed the R1S as one of its “least favorite cars we tested in 2023.”
https://electrek.co/2024/02/04/rivian-tops-consumer-reports-most-loved-ranks-after-its-reviewers-derided-it/ Save to Pocket
Oklahoma’s Oldest Native American School Threatened by Debts, Disrepair
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
MUSKOGEE, Oklahoma — The hallways of Bacone College are cold and dark. In the main hall, there are no lectures to be heard, only the steady hum of the space heater keeping the administrative offices warm.
Students aren’t attending classes here this semester but work still needs to be done. In the college’s historic buildings, there are leaks to plug, mold to purge and priceless works of Native American art to save from ruin. Not to mention devising a plan to keep the college from shuttering for good. It’s a daunting task for the nine remaining employees.
But on this rainy December morning, the college’s president is running a DoorDash order. “If we have the money, we can pay,” Interim President Nicky Michael said regarding salaries.
Founded in 1880 as a Baptist missionary college focused on assimilation, Bacone College transformed into an Indigenous-led institution that provided an intertribal community, as well as a degree. With the permission of the Muscogee Nation Tribal Council, Bacone’s founders used a treaty right to establish the college at the confluence of three rivers, where tribal nations had been meeting for generations.
Throughout the 20th century, the center of this was Bacone’s Native American art program, which produced some of the most important Indigenous artists of their time, including Woody Crumbo, Fred Beaver, Joan Hill and Ruthe Blalock Jones.
They and their contemporaries pushed the boundaries of what was considered “Native American art.” During a period of intense hostility against tribal sovereignty by the U.S., Bacone became defined by the exchange of ideas its Native faculty and students created and represented a new opportunity for Indigenous education and academic thought.
“Bacone was the only place in the world where that could happen for Native people,” said Robin Mayes, a Cherokee and Muscogee man who attended Bacone in the ’70s and taught silversmithing there in the ’90s. “It’s a tragedy to think that it’s going to be discontinued.”
For decades, the college has been plagued by poor financial choices and inconsistent leadership, triggering flashpoints between administration, students and staff over the mission and cultural direction of the college.
Some have accused recent administrations of embezzlement, fraud and intimidation, resulting in multiple lawsuits. Students expressed frustration with a lack of resources and cultural competency among some school leaders. The college also has had trouble maintaining its accreditation.
Last year, a lawsuit crippled Bacone’s finances. Ultimately, Michael made the decision to suspend classes for the spring semester. She hopes the deferment is temporary, but if the college can’t muster up millions of dollars, Oklahoma’s oldest continually operating college likely will close its doors.
“It has endured for over 140 years through terrible decisions,” said Gerald Cournoyer, an instructor who was hired in 2019 to restart the college’s art program.
“Providing oversight for Bacone has been a struggle because of the leadership or lack thereof,” said Cournoyer, who also is a renowned Lakota artist. Some presidents focused time and money on athletic programs, others on Bacone’s Baptist missionary roots. “When you put absolutely no money, nothing, not $20, not $10, into your fundraising efforts, this is what you get.”
During the time Patti Jo King was the director of the Center for American Indians at Bacone from 2012 to 2018, leadership wanted to build a state-of-the-art museum to replace the 80-year-old building housing many priceless pieces of Native art.
“We didn’t even have the money to keep it open seven days a week,” said King, now a retired Cherokee professor, writer and academic.
Even when she first arrived on campus, King said Bacone’s financial debts already had caught up to it. The student dorms didn’t have hot water, staff were severely underpaid and graduation rates among the college’s remaining students were low.
Still, she and other faculty endeavored to make it a place where Native students could find community, but Bacone’s old problems never went away. Like Cournoyer, after years of working toward rebuilding, she left in frustration.
Today, the old museum is empty. Its artifacts were moved to another location so they wouldn’t be exposed to extreme temperatures.
The remaining staff act as caretakers of the historic stone buildings that predate Oklahoma, themselves important pieces of the past. In the museum, Ataloa Lodge, the fireplace is made of stones sent to the college from Indigenous communities across the country: one from the birthplace of Sequoyah, one from the grave of Sitting Bull, another from the field where Custer died. Five hundred in all, each stone a memory.
Michael, the interim president, and others have been cleaning up buildings in hopes they might soon host graduation banquets and student gatherings. Other staff chase off looters. Rare paintings still hang across campus, including pieces by members of the Kiowa Six, who became internationally famous a century ago, and Johnnie Diacon, a Muscogee painter and alumnus whose work can be seen in the background of several episodes of the television show Reservation Dogs.
A few years ago, experts from a museum in Tulsa warned that many of the paintings are contaminated with mold, which will spread to other nearby works of art. Leslie Hannah, a Cherokee educator who sits on the college’s board of trustees, said he’s concerned, but the cost of restoring them falls far down the list, behind broken gas lines, flooded basements and a mountain of debt.
Bacone’s current financial crisis stems partially from a lawsuit brought by Midgley-Huber Energy Concepts, a Utah-based heating and air company that sued the college over more than $1 million in unpaid construction and service fees. Twice last year, the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office put Bacone’s property up for sale to settle the debt. Both times the auction was called off, most recently in December.
MHEC owner Chris Oberle told KOSU last month that he intended to purchase the historic property. Attorneys for MHEC have not returned repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press.
Alumni have called the validity of any sale of the property into question, pointing to the
treaty right that established the campus and its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Attorneys for the college declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.
Michael said she doesn’t know what stalled the auction, but she is grateful for more time to try to save Bacone.
https://www.voanews.com/a/oklahoma-s-oldest-native-american-school-threatened-by-debts-disrepair-/7470452.html Save to Pocket
US Strikes Houthi Missiles in Yemen
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-vows-further-action-against-iran-backed-attackers-in-middle-east-/7470439.html Save to Pocket
Deepfaked Shit is Getting Real
date: 2024-02-04, from: Gary Marcus blog
An entire cast of deepfaked people—include a deepfaked CFO—scammed a company out $25 million.
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/deepfaked-shit-is-getting-real Save to Pocket
ZOE International gives presentation on human trafficking at NorthPark Community Church
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Signal
Human trafficking has become more sophisticated — and it happens closer to home than you think. That was the message from Ester Yu, ZOE International assistant western regional director, who sat down with NorthPark Community Church pastor Robert Cavin during the church’s service on Jan. 28 to give a presentation on her organization’s mission and […]
The post <strong>ZOE International gives presentation on human trafficking at NorthPark Community Church</strong> appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/02/zoe-international-gives-presentation-on-human-trafficking-at-northpark-community-church/ Save to Pocket
Chris Potter Has Died
date: 2024-02-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Renowned Santa Barbara artist and community connector leaves a legacy of art and love.
The post Chris Potter Has Died appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/02/04/chris-potter-has-died/ Save to Pocket
House Republicans Announce Bill With Military Aid for Israel, Not Ukraine
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
Washington — House Republicans will move forward with a $17.6 billion package that provides military aid to Israel and replenish U.S. weapons, but leaves out more help for Ukraine, underscoring the challenges facing supporters of a comprehensive national security package that would also include billions of dollars for immigration enforcement.
The move gives Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans the chance to show support for Israel even though there is little chance the Senate will go along. Meanwhile, text of a broader Senate compromise is expected to be released this weekend and a key test vote on that package will be held during the week.
Johnson said that Senate leadership is aware that by failing to include the House in their negotiations, they have eliminated the ability for swift consideration of any legislation.
“As I have said consistently for the past three months, the House will have to work its will on these issues and our priorities will need to be addressed,” Johnson said in a letter to colleagues.
The House has already approved a nearly $14.5 billion military aid package in November for Israel that the Senate declined to take up. Republicans also insisted it be paid for with cuts elsewhere. The bill targeted the Internal Revenue Service for cuts, though the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said doing so would end up costing the federal government a net $12.5 billion because of lost revenue from tax collections.
The tactic of including IRS cuts also turned it into a more partisan, 226-196 vote. Johnson said in his letter to colleagues that removing the offsets should allow for swift passage of the Israel aid.
“During debate in the House and in numerous subsequent statements, Democrats made clear that their primary objection to the original House bill was with its offsets,” Johnson said. “The Senate will no longer have excuses, however misguided, against swift passage of this critical support for our ally.”
Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., released the text of the military assistance bill for Israel. It would provide $4 billion to replenish missile defense systems and $1.2 billion to counter short-range rockets and mortar threats. There’s also funding for the procurement of advanced weapons systems and to enhance the production of artillery and other munitions.
To ensure the support does not compromise U.S. readiness, it includes $4.4 billion to replenish U.S. stocks of weapons provided to Israel. There’s also $3.3 billion for current U.S. military operations in the region.
https://www.voanews.com/a/house-republicans-announce-bill-with-military-aid-for-israel-not-ukraine-/7470387.html Save to Pocket
Footage on Stolen Memory Card Is Key to Alaska Murder Trial
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A woman with a lengthy criminal history including theft, assault and prostitution got into a truck with a man who had picked her up for a “date” near downtown Anchorage. When he left her alone in the vehicle, she stole a digital memory card from the center console.
Now, more than four years later, what she found on that card is key to a double murder trial set to begin this week: gruesome photos and videos of a woman being beaten and strangled at a Marriott hotel, her attacker speaking in a strong accent as he urged her to die, her blanket-covered body being snuck outside on a luggage cart.
“In my movies, everybody always dies,” the voice says on one video. “What are my followers going to think of me? People need to know when they are being serial-killed.”
About a week after she took the SD card, the woman turned it over to police, who said they recognized the voice as that of Brian Steven Smith, now 52, a South Africa native they knew from a prior investigation, court documents say.
Smith has pleaded not guilty to 14 charges, including first- and second-degree murder, sexual assault and tampering with evidence, in the deaths of Kathleen Henry, 30, and Veronica Abouchuk, who was 52 when her family reported her missing in February 2019, seven months after they last saw her.
Henry and Abouchuk were both Alaska Native women who had experienced homelessness. They were from small villages in western Alaska, Henry from Eek and Abouchuk from Stebbins.
Authorities say Henry was the victim whose death was recorded at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott, a hotel in midtown Anchorage. Smith was registered to stay there from Sept. 2 to Sept. 4, 2019; the first images showing her body were time-stamped at about 1 a.m. on Sept. 4, police said.
The last images on the card were taken early on Sept. 6 and showed Henry’s body in the back of a black pickup, according to charging documents. Location data showed that at the time the photo was taken, Smith’s phone was in the area of Rainbow Valley Road, along the Seward Highway south of Anchorage, the same area where Henry’s body was found several weeks later, police said.
As detectives interrogated Smith about the Marriott case, authorities said, he offered up more information to police who escorted him to a bathroom: He had killed another woman, and he went on to identify her — Abouchuk — from a photo and to provide the location of her remains, along the Old Glenn Highway north of Anchorage.
“With no prompting, he tells the troopers in the bathroom, ‘I’m going to make you famous,’” District Attorney Brittany Dunlop said during a court hearing last week. “He comes back in and says … ‘You guys got some more time? You want to keep talking?’ And then discloses this other murder.”
Alaska State Troopers in 2018 incorrectly identified another body as that of Abouchuk, because Abouchuk’s ID had been discovered with it, for reasons that remain unclear. But with the information Smith provided, investigators re-examined the case and used dental records to confirm a skull with a bullet wound found in the area Smith identified was Abouchuk’s, authorities have said.
Smith’s attorney, Timothy Ayer, unsuccessfully sought to have the digital memory card’s evidence — or even mention of it — excluded at trial. The woman who turned in the card initially claimed she had simply found it on the street, and it wasn’t until a second interview that she confessed she had stolen the card from Smith’s truck while he tried to get money from an ATM and she had it for a week before giving it to police, he said.
For that reason, he argued, prosecutors would not be able to demonstrate the provenance of the 39 photos and 12 videos, establish whether they were originals or duplicates, or say for sure whether they had been tampered with.
“The state cannot produce a witness to testify that the video fairly and accurately depicts any act that actually happened,” Ayer wrote.
However, Third Judicial District Judge Kevin Saxby ruled late Friday that the woman can testify about her possession of the card until she handed it over to police and that the recordings can be properly authenticated.
Henry’s family has not spoken publicly about her death and efforts to reach relatives have not been successful. Abouchuk’s family has not returned messages from The Associated Press.
“These were two Alaska Native women,” Dunlop, then the assistant district attorney, said in 2019 after Smith was charged. “And I know that hits home here in Alaska, and we’re cognizant of that. We treat them with dignity and respect.”
Authorities said Smith, who is in custody at the Anchorage Correctional Facility, came to Alaska in 2014 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen the same month Henry was killed.
In a 2019 letter to the AP, he declined to discuss the case. He added that he was doing well: “I have lost weight, I have much less stress and I am sober.”
His wife, Stephanie Bissland of Anchorage, and a sister acting as a family spokesperson in South Africa, both declined to comment until after the trial.
The trial, expected to last three to four weeks, was scheduled to begin Monday with jury selection.
Prosecutors had suggested the possibility of closing the courtroom to prevent the gruesome videos from being seen by the public. The Associated Press, the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska’s News Source and Alaska Public Media objected to any such move in a letter to the court’s presiding judge.
Afterward, Saxby said he has no intention of keeping the public from the courtroom, but safeguards will be in place to prevent those in the gallery or watching the trial’s livestream from seeing them.
https://www.voanews.com/a/footage-on-stolen-memory-card-is-key-to-alaska-murder-trial-/7470380.html Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-02-04, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
A Node package that reads RSS, Atom and RDF feeds and calls back with a simple, consistent JavaScript object.
https://github.com/scripting/reallysimple Save to Pocket
Orange Pi Neo is a Linux handheld gaming PC with Ryzen 7 7840U
date: 2024-02-04, from: Liliputing
Last year we learned that the company behind the Orange Pi line of single-board computers planned to branch out into the handheld gaming PC market. This week at FOSDEM in Belgium, developers from the Manjaro Linux team are showing off the first Orange Pi handheld running their GNU/Linux-based operating system. The Orange Pi Neo has a […]
The post Orange Pi Neo is a Linux handheld gaming PC with Ryzen 7 7840U appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/orange-pi-neo-is-a-linux-handheld-gaming-pc-with-ryzen-7-7840u/ Save to Pocket
Gerrymandering
date: 2024-02-04, from: Chris Coyier blog
Gerrymandering is a political technique where voting districts are drawn to advantage one group over another. In practice, it looks incredibly silly. There are geographical districts that make no sense whatsover, snaking through territory with no other purpose than to bring power to some in-group. An example is an area having some large population of […]
https://chriscoyier.net/2024/02/04/gerrymandering/ Save to Pocket
2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ Range, Specs And Pricing Overview
date: 2024-02-04, from: Inside EVs News
Cadillac estimates that range will be about 450 miles, using more than 200 kWh of energy.
https://insideevs.com/news/707249/2025-cadillac-escalade-iq-specs-pricing-overview/ Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-02-04, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
One of the cool things about being a programmer is that you can decide to run code that you know has zero chance of working. “Let all hell break loose,” a programmer can be heard to say quietly before clicking the Run button. Very few design professions get to do this, I imagine, unless they’re psychotic.
http://scripting.com/2024/02/04.html#a142504 Save to Pocket
David Hegg | Yes, You Need to Vote
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Signal
By David Hegg With just over a month until primary elections here in our state, and with November already staring us in the face, it’s time to talk about voting choices. No, you won’t find endorsements in this column but what I will do is suggest some strategies for getting factual information and making wise […]
The post David Hegg | Yes, You Need to Vote appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/02/david-hegg-yes-you-need-to-vote/ Save to Pocket
Brian Richards | Are They Confused?
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Signal
Recently Thomas Oatway submitted his weekly screed on his irrational fear of President Donald Trump being reelected. In his (Jan. 27) letter he seems to acknowledge that certain demographics that were/are traditionally Democrat voters aren’t feeling the love as much this time around. In the case of one demographic, he even said: “Hispanics, who should […]
The post Brian Richards | Are They Confused? appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/02/brian-richards-are-they-confused/ Save to Pocket
Diane Zimmerman | Offended by Treatment
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Signal
Re: College of the Canyons Independent Citizens Bond Oversight Committee meeting, Jan. 10. Agenda Item 3: ACTION 3.1 Financial; “Acceptance of Measure E General Obligation Bond Finance Audit and Performance Audit for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2023” — Brandon Harrison, Eide Bailly LLP. Brandon had started his slide show on the big screen […]
The post Diane Zimmerman | Offended by Treatment appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/02/diane-zimmerman-offended-by-treatment/ Save to Pocket
California Ranks High Worldwide for Rapidly Depleted Groundwater
date: 2024-02-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Researchers found that the world’s most rapidly declining basins are in farm regions, including Santa Barbara County’s Cuyama Valley.
The post California Ranks High Worldwide for Rapidly Depleted Groundwater appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/02/04/california-ranks-high-worldwide-for-rapidly-depleted-groundwater/ Save to Pocket
Additional payouts create doubt with land bank bill, land exchange option discussed
date: 2024-02-04, from: Guam Daily Post
The Guam Ancestral Lands Commission may need to pay out $7 million per year to compensate claimants for ancestral property kept by the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority at Tiyan under the proposal to amend the mandate for the…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/additional-payouts-create-doubt-with-land-bank-bill-land-exchange-option-discussed/article_30a137a0-c0d2-11ee-9e33-af0d1a5ab9ff.html Save to Pocket
Opposition, support heard on bill seeking to ban flavored tobacco
date: 2024-02-04, from: Guam Daily Post
Lawmakers heard extensive testimony on the proposal to ban flavored tobacco products on Guam during a public hearing Friday. While health professionals and organizations testified in favor of the measure, some recommending amendments, the measure also drew significant opposition from…
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/opposition-support-heard-on-bill-seeking-to-ban-flavored-tobacco/article_3cef836a-c157-11ee-8d29-5bc81d7f1a56.html Save to Pocket
4 men charged with rioting, public drunkenness
date: 2024-02-04, from: Guam Daily Post
Four men, allegedly drunk and armed with baseball bats, machetes and pipes, were arrested on suspicion of rioting early Saturday morning.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/4-men-charged-with-rioting-public-drunkenness/article_7f88c9aa-c2f3-11ee-bca0-f78014be567c.html Save to Pocket
Man charged with 2020 rape of teen
date: 2024-02-04, from: Guam Daily Post
Nathan Benevente Alfonso, 22, stands accused of raping a girl when she was 15 years old.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/man-charged-with-2020-rape-of-teen/article_738b2330-c2eb-11ee-b237-8352f223dea9.html Save to Pocket
Doctor calls GMH statements ‘defamatory’
date: 2024-02-04, from: Guam Daily Post
Local OB-GYN Dr. Thomas Shieh told The Guam Daily Post that certain statements made by the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority in a press release about the availability of first line pain medication are defamatory.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/doctor-calls-gmh-statements-defamatory/article_d7519970-c224-11ee-ab67-9f9e6d844c95.html Save to Pocket
More public school students are returning to 5 days of instruction
date: 2024-02-04, from: Guam Daily Post
More Guam public school students are headed back to the classroom full-time, a return to their home campuses for some, and the end of alternating schedules for others.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/more-public-school-students-are-returning-to-5-days-of-instruction/article_95cb3c74-c245-11ee-bb55-5b7963c40792.html Save to Pocket
A New ’Joy‘ in Jazz
date: 2024-02-04, from: Dan Rather’s Steady
Samara Joy has been called the new voice of jazz, a vocal phenom, a savior of the genre. This young lady is “joy” personified and today’s reason to smile, from her stunning jazz singing to her megawatt smile. The 24-year-old jazz sensation from the Bronx surprised a lot of people at last year’s Grammy Awards when she won not only Best Jazz Vocal Album but also Best New Artist, an award given only three times to a jazz artist. She will be back at the Grammys tonight as a presenter and again as a nominee. Take a listen to her incredible improvisation on the Grammy-nominated song “Tight.”
https://steady.substack.com/p/a-new-joy-in-jazz Save to Pocket
A Brief History Of How Los Angeles Became A Land Of Billboard Lawyers
date: 2024-02-04, updated: 2024-02-04, from: The LAist
The latest entrant to this crowded, crowded field is Anh Phoong, hailing from Sacramento. You may have seen her blue and yellow billboards around town.
https://laist.com/news/la-history/how-los-angeles-become-a-land-of-billboard-lawyers Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-02-04, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
The pros and cons of pre-ground cannabis, per ChatGPT.
http://scripting.com/2024/02/04.html#a125630 Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s Scripting News (date: 2024-02-04, from: Dave Winer’s Scripting News)
Wellll, the Lakers beat the Knicks last night. No joy in Mudville.
http://scripting.com/2024/02/04.html#a125007 Save to Pocket
Can Taylor Swift Make Voting Cool?
date: 2024-02-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The right going after Taylor Swift and pro football is very analogous to what stopped the movement cold almost two decades ago.
The post Can Taylor Swift Make Voting Cool? appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/02/04/can-taylor-swift-make-voting-cool/ Save to Pocket
2024 Grammys: SZA, Phoebe Bridgers, Victoria Monet Leading Nominations
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
LOS ANGELES — The 66th Grammy Awards are set to take place Sunday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and there’s a lot to be excited about.
Women outpace men in the major categories, so expect to see a spotlight on its female nominees.
“That’s the same throughout the show, really — it’s dominated by women,” Grammys executive producer Ben Winston told The Associated Press. “That is something we’re really celebrating,” his fellow EP Raj Kapoor added. “It’s almost unprecedented.”
Comedian Trevor Noah will host for a fourth year in a row, history could be made, and unlike those other award shows, the Grammys double as a concert featuring the biggest artists in the world.
How to watch
The main show will air live on CBS and Paramount+ beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern. Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers can watch live and on demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers won’t be able to stream the ceremony until the next day.
E! will broadcast its “Live From E!: Countdown to the Grammys” show, with a mix of fashion coverage and celebrity interviews starting at 6 p.m. Eastern, hosted by Laverne Cox and comedian Heather McMahan.
The Associated Press will also stream a three-hour red carpet show with interviews and fashion footage. It will be streamed on YouTube, Twitter and the AP’s website beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern.
THE NOMINEES
SZA is the lead contender with nine nominations, followed closely by Victoria Monet and Phoebe Bridgers with seven. Bridgers’ band boygenius has six, as does Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Brandy Clark, Batiste and producer Jack Antonoff.
“Barbie” fans have a reason to celebrate. Just like its performance at the box office, the film will make its presence known at the Grammys: Music from the hit film’s soundtrack earned 11 nominations, including nabbing four of the five slots in the visual media song category.
There are a few history-making opportunities as well: A Black woman hasn’t won album of the year since 1999, when “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” was awarded the top prize. This year, SZA or Janelle Monae could change that.
If Taylor Swift takes home album of the year, she breaks the record of the artist with the most wins, ever, with four. Lana Del Rey and Miley Cyrus may win their first Grammys.
If Victoria Monet’s “Hollywood” wins best traditional R&B performance, her 2-year-old daughter Hazel will become the youngest Grammy winner. Karol G could become the first female artist to ever win in the best música urbana album category if she wins for “Mañana Será Bonito.” Jack Antonoff could tie Babyface as the producer with the most consecutive wins in the producer of the year, non-classical category with a third win in 2024.
WHO WILL PERFORM?
A lot of people! The list includes: SZA, a first-ever Grammys performance from Joni Mitchell, and five-time Grammy winner and 23-time nominee Billy Joel.
The lineup includes Grammy winners and current nominees Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, Burna Boy, Luke Combs and Travis Scott.
For more coverage of this year’s Grammy Awards, visit https://apnews.com/hub/grammy-awards
https://www.voanews.com/a/taylor-swift-chases-album-of-year-record-at-female-focused-grammys-/7470188.html Save to Pocket
A Toxic Anniversary
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Lever News
At the one-year mark of the East Palestine derailment disaster, only one thing has changed: There’s more lobbying than ever to stop reforms.
https://www.levernews.com/east-palestine-a-toxic-anniversary/ Save to Pocket
Escapes that take your breath away: Indulge with your sweetheart in a Valentine’s vacation
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>When it comes to sharing Valentine’s Day with your one true love, don’t think diamonds and hearts and fancy gourmet restaurants. Instead, think getaway, as in it’s the one time of the year to get away from it all and indulge (read: splurge) in one or two or all of the world’s most luxurious hotels. Instead of a dozen roses, here are a dozen romantic escapes scattered from one corner of the world to the other to treat your sweetie.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/features/escapes-that-take-your-breath-away-indulge-with-your-sweetheart-in-a-valentines-vacation/ Save to Pocket
The fine and the dandies meet in Florence
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>FLORENCE, Italy — The small, tan taxi hurtled down a Florentine side street too narrow for baton twirling. My driver sliced over the Arno River on one of the city’s short stone bridges, arriving quickly below the Fortezza da Basso — a 14th century fortress spliced into the former city walls and now looming over the opposite bank like a hibernating bear blocking the road.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/features/the-fine-and-the-dandies-meet-in-florence/ Save to Pocket
UH schools help battle ‘period poverty’
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>University of Hawaii schools are doing their part to battle “period poverty” by providing access to free menstrual products for students.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/hawaii-news/uh-schools-help-battle-period-poverty/ Save to Pocket
‘On to the next act’: Artist puts Volcano Village landmark up for sale
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>After owning and growing his iconic business at the end of Old Volcano Road for 18 years, Ira Ono is selling Volcano Garden Arts.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/hawaii-news/on-to-the-next-act-artist-puts-volcano-village-landmark-up-for-sale/ Save to Pocket
‘Safe Spaces’ plan underway: County officials eyeing possible sites for homeless camps
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Homeless individuals could begin congregating in Hawaii County-authorized “Safe Spaces” in Hilo and Kailua-Kona under a new housing initiative.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/hawaii-news/safe-spaces-plan-underway-county-officials-eyeing-possible-sites-for-homeless-camps/ Save to Pocket
At least 46 reported dead in Chile as forest fires move into densely populated central areas
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>VIÑA DEL MAR, Chile — Intense forest fires burning around a densely populated area of central Chile have caused at least 46 deaths, Chile’s pesident said Saturday evening, and officials said at least 1,100 homes had been destroyed.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/nation-world-news/at-least-46-reported-dead-in-chile-as-forest-fires-move-into-densely-populated-central-areas/ Save to Pocket
Another ‘Pineapple Express’ storm is expected to wallop California
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>LOS ANGELES — Another potentially dangerous “Pineapple Express” storm was expected to hit California late Saturday, bringing the threat of flooding and mudslides over the next couple of days.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/nation-world-news/another-pineapple-express-storm-is-expected-to-wallop-california/ Save to Pocket
Resolution calls for updated lava zones map
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>A state senator from Puna has penned a resolution urging the U.S. Geological Survey to update its lava-flow hazard map of Hawaii Island.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/hawaii-news/resolution-calls-for-updated-lava-zones-map/ Save to Pocket
Israel issues its most detailed warning yet to Hezbollah, while the war in Gaza marks 4 months
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israel’s military on Saturday issued its most detailed warning yet to Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon that it would be “ready to attack immediately” if provoked, as it recounted its actions along the northern border during four months of war in Gaza and made a rare acknowledgement of dozens of airstrikes inside Syria against the militant group.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/nation-world-news/israel-issues-its-most-detailed-warning-yet-to-hezbollah-while-the-war-in-gaza-marks-4-months/ Save to Pocket
US, Britain strike Yemen’s Houthis in a new wave, retaliating for attacks by Iran-backed militants
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>WASHINGTON — The United States and Britain struck 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday in a second wave of assaults meant to further disable Iran-backed groups that have relentlessly attacked American and international interests in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. But Washington once more did not directly target Iran as it tries to find a balance between a forceful response and intensifying the conflict.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/nation-world-news/us-britain-strike-yemens-houthis-in-a-new-wave-retaliating-for-attacks-by-iran-backed-militants/ Save to Pocket
Obituaries for February 4
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Reginald Franklin Gomes, 85, of Kailua-Kona died Jan. 18 at home. Born in Hilo, he was a pipe fitter, for Royal Construction, Kiewit Pacific, Goodfellow Brothers and Isemoto Contractors, member of Hawaii Laborers Union, NRA, Kona Horseshoe Pitchers Club and St. Michael’s Catholic Church, and Hawaii Army National Guard veteran. Visitation 9:15-10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 9 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Kailua-Kona. Mass at 10 a.m. Burial to follow at Kona Memorial Park in Holualoa. Casual attire; flowers welcome. Survived by sons, Stanley Gomes and Benjamin Palani (Robyn Scott) Gomes of Kailua-Kona; daughters, Wendy (Michael) Martinez of Kapaa, Kauai, Linda (James) Taketa and Cindy (Stanford) Santiago of Kailua-Kona; brother, Roland Gomes of Nevada; sister, Joshlyn LaBarr of Oregon; sisters-in-law, Gloria Gomes and Mary Gomes of California; 11 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/obituaries/obituaries-for-february-4-7/ Save to Pocket
The RNC chairwoman calls for unity as the party faces a cash crunch and attacks by some Trump allies
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Facing a cash crunch and harsh criticism from a faction of far-right conservatives, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Friday called for the party to unite behind the goal of defeating President Joe Biden.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/nation-world-news/the-rnc-chairwoman-calls-for-unity-as-the-party-faces-a-cash-crunch-and-attacks-by-some-trump-allies/ Save to Pocket
Your Views for February 4
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Make chem attacks
Class A felonies</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/opinion/your-views-for-february-4-6/ Save to Pocket
Biden has only himself to blame for border fiasco
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Faced with an obvious political crisis — a recent CBS News poll found that 70% of respondents disapproved of President Joe Biden’s border policies — the White House and Democrats have reached the pinnacle of desperation: They’re trying to pin blame for the immigration fiasco on House Republicans.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/opinion/biden-has-only-himself-to-blame-for-border-fiasco/ Save to Pocket
Society needs to take a breather
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>Patience is a virtue. It’s a simple refrain I learned well in Mrs. Campbell’s class — rather than read the instructions on a pop quiz, I rushed to start answering the questions. Turns out I missed three bonus points for simply writing my name on the back of the page rather than the front. Speed, though, has become the dominant social, political and economic norm.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/opinion/society-needs-to-take-a-breather/ Save to Pocket
Volcano Watch: Mauna Loa 2022: a retrospective on the early hours of the eruption
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>In the late hours of Nov. 27, 2022, Mauna Loa began erupting. Lava was visible on the west side of the Island of Hawaii, from Kailua-Kona to Waikoloa. Social media was ablaze with pictures and commentary of lava flows descending the west flank toward communities.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/community/volcano-watch-mauna-loa-2022-a-retrospective-on-the-early-hours-of-the-eruption/ Save to Pocket
Regular season hoops end, playoffs loom
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The final regular season BIIF boys basketball games were played this week, setting the stage for the upcoming KTA/BIIF championship.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/sports/regular-season-hoops-end-playoffs-loom/ Save to Pocket
Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner shine in NHL All-Star 3-on-3 on home ice in Toronto
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>TORONTO — Auston Matthews and his Toronto Maple Leafs teammates soaked in the spotlight of NHL All-Star Weekend as the hometown fan favorites, and they gave the crowd the ending it wanted.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/sports/maple-leafs-auston-matthews-and-mitch-marner-shine-in-nhl-all-star-3-on-3-on-home-ice-in-toronto/ Save to Pocket
KSH FALLS IN PK SHOOTOUT
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The Kamehameha Schools - Hawai‘i girls soccer team fell just short in the HHSAA DII state championship, losing 1-0 to Pac-Five in a penalty kick shootout after two regulation periods and two overtimes without a score on Saturday night in Waipahu, O‘ahu.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/sports/ksh-falls-in-pk-shootout/ Save to Pocket
Memories of Billy Kenoi: Pop Warner shenanigans
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>The former Big Island Mayor, the late Billy Kenoi, served as a chain crew member during the 2013 Pop Warner football semifinals at Hualani Park in Keaukaha, leaving an indelible mark of humor on the game. In a pivotal moment during Panaewa Alii’s triumph over the Westside Eagles in the fourth quarter, Kenoi’s son, Justin Kenoi, intercepted the ball around the 5-yard line and dashed towards the end zone.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/sports/memories-of-billy-kenoi-pop-warner-shenanigans/ Save to Pocket
Ohtanimania descends on Dodger Stadium as fans get first glimpse of 2-way superstar in blue
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtanimania descended on Dodger Stadium on Saturday, with fans getting their first in-person glimpse of the two-way superstar wearing blue.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/sports/ohtanimania-descends-on-dodger-stadium-as-fans-get-first-glimpse-of-2-way-superstar-in-blue/ Save to Pocket
Stephen Curry scores season-high 60 points in Warriors’ 141-134 OT loss to Hawks
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>ATLANTA — Another loss for Golden State drained the joy out of Stephen Curry’s second career 60-point game.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/sports/stephen-curry-scores-season-high-60-points-in-warriors-141-134-ot-loss-to-hawks/ Save to Pocket
The New America’s Team: How the Chiefs have become the new ‘it team’ in professional sports
date: 2024-02-04, from: Hawaii Tribune Harold
<p>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The polarizing moniker is still applied to the Dallas Cowboys these days, regardless of whether it rings as true as it did during their 1990s heyday, when Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith led them to three Super Bowl titles in a four-year span.</p>
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2024/02/04/sports/the-new-americas-team-how-the-chiefs-have-become-the-new-it-team-in-professional-sports/ Save to Pocket
Sunday caption contest: Grandchild’s curiosity
date: 2024-02-04, from: Robert Reich on Substack
And last week’s winner
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-caption-contest-grandchilds Save to Pocket
Republican Governors, National Guard and the Texas Border: What to Know
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
AUSTIN, Texas — As Republicans cheer on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s escalating feud with the Biden administration over immigration enforcement, some governors are considering deploying National Guard members to the border — again.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday was among the first to commit more personnel to Texas, announcing he would send hundreds of additional guard members as tensions grow between state authorities and the U.S. government over who has the power to enforce immigration policies, where and how.
Republicans say tougher actions along the border are needed in response to record levels of illegal crossings, but sending guard members to the border is not new.
DeSantis is one of more than a dozen Republican governors who have sent state National Guard units to the southern border since 2021. His latest deployment comes as Texas continues to deny U.S. Border Patrol agents entry to a popular crossing spot for migrants in the border city of Eagle Pass.
Here’s what to know about National Guard on the border to date:
What is happening at the Texas border?
At the center of the clash between Texas officials and the federal government is Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, which has become one of the busiest locations for people attempting to cross into the U.S. illegally from Mexico. Earlier this month, troops from the Texas National Guard seized the park and began turning away federal immigration authorities despite pleas from U.S. government officials.
Immigration enforcement is typically a federal responsibility.
Abbott has said he will continue implementing new immigration measures, calling it a “constitutional right to self-defense.” Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal agents were allowed to remove razor wire placed by Texas officers along the border with Mexico, including in Shelby Park.
Texas has since installed more razor wire in Eagle Pass, which was not prohibited under the Supreme Court’s order. The Biden administration has argued that the wiring makes it difficult and dangerous for federal agents to perform their duties.
Other measures taken by Abbott as part of his border security initiative include a floating barrier installed in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, which has also been challenged by federal officials.
Who is sending guard members?
Florida has already sent more than 1,000 guard members, troopers and other officers to the Texas border since last May, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
At least a dozen governors have sent deployments ranging in size from a few dozen guard members to more than 100, including those of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Virginia and West Virginia.
South Dakota GOP Gov. Kristi Noem was the first to send 50 guard members to Texas in 2021, which were paid for by a private Republican donor who offered $1 million to make the mission possible. Two years later, she deployed at least 50 more.
Some governors have also looked beyond the National Guard, including Idaho Gov. Brad Little, who said last week he would send additional members of the state police to Texas.
What do they do?
The most recent guard deployments have been in support of Abbott’s border mission known as Operation Lone Star, which began shortly after President Joe Biden took office.
Many have been used for surveillance, such as spotting illegal crossings. Migrants are then turned over to federal immigration authorities, although Abbott has also empowered Texas National Guard members to arrest migrants on misdemeanor trespassing charges in some areas. National Guard members have also installed barricades and razor wire.
After Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds sent more than 100 Guard members and more than 30 state police to Texas last year, she credited the deployments with being directly involved in dozens of human smuggling cases and arrests.
But South Dakota records show that some days troops had little to do. During a rushed deployment of Texas National Guard members at the start of the mission, some also complained of low morale and uneventful patrols.
Trespassing arrests have been a key part of Abbott’s nearly $10 billion border mission, but may soon be phased out under a new state law, set to take effect in March, which allows police anywhere in Texas to arrest migrants who are suspected of entering the U.S. illegally.
How else is the National Guard used?
Not all National Guard members are helping Texas.
In Massachusetts, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey activated hundreds of guard members last August to aid with an influx of migrants. The members helped coordinate food, transportation, medical care and other basic needs at shelters and hotels.
National Guard members from across the country are also in Texas helping with the border security operations under the command of federal authorities, including from states that have not deployed soldiers to help with Operation Lone Star.
https://www.voanews.com/a/republicans-governors-national-guard-and-the-texas-border-what-to-know-/7467727.html Save to Pocket
Native American Tribe Sues to Get Remains of 2 Who Died at Boarding School
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/native-american-tribe-sues-to-get-remains-of-2-who-died-at-boarding-school-/7467694.html Save to Pocket
Crane Who Fell for Keeper Dies at 42
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — One of the great interspecies love stories of our time has come to an end.
Walnut, a white-naped crane and internet celebrity, has died at age 42. She is survived by eight chicks, the loving staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and by Chris Crowe, a human zookeeper whom Walnut regarded as her mate for nearly 20 years.
“Walnut was a unique individual with a vivacious personality,” Crowe said, in a statement released by the National Zoo. “I’ll always be grateful for her bond with me.”
The tale of Walnut (and Chris) has inspired internet fame and the occasional love song. It dates back to the bird’s 2004 arrival at the institute’s campus in Front Royal, Virginia.
The chick of two wild cranes who had been brought to the U.S. illegally and were later rescued by the International Crane Foundation, Walnut was hand-raised by people and bonded with her human caretakers. That preference continued when she came to the institute; she showed no interest in breeding and even attacked male crane suitors.
But white-naped cranes are considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Today, fewer than 5,300 remain in their native habitats in Mongolia, Siberia, Korea, Japan and China due to habitat loss, pollution, nest predation and poaching. And as the offspring of two wild-caught cranes, Walnut’s genes were not represented in U.S. zoos. So convincing Walnut to breed was regarded as a priority.
In stepped Crowe, who, according to a zoo statement, won her over by “observing and mimicking” the institute’s male white-naped cranes’ actions during breeding season.
Videos show Crowe offering Walnut food as well as grass and leaves for nest-building materials. When he flaps his arms in front of her, the tall majestic bird flaps excitedly in response and dances in a half-circle with her head bobbing. Once Crowe had gained her trust, he was able to artificially inseminate her using sperm from a male crane.
The unique arrangement proved wildly successful, and Walnut had eight chicks. The fertilized eggs were given to other white-napped crane pairs who tended to them as their own. Of the eight white-napped cranes currently living at the institute, one is Walnut’s chick and another is her grand-chick.
The relationship also seems to have been beneficial for Walnut’s health; at 42, she nearly tripled the median life expectancy of 15 years for white-naped cranes in human care.
Walnut was born in Wisconsin in the summer of 1981. She was named after a local Wisconsin restaurant’s popular walnut pie dessert.
Starting on the morning of Jan. 2, keepers noticed that Walnut wasn’t eating or drinking. Not even offers of her favorite treats — frozen-thawed mice, peanuts and mealworms — couldn’t spark her appetite. Veterinarians administered fluids and antibiotics and drew blood for analysis. But her health continued to decline and Walnut was eventually hospitalized. She died peacefully, surrounded by an animal care team; an autopsy revealed the cause of death to be renal failure.
“She was always confident in expressing herself, an eager and excellent dancer, and stoic in the face of life’s challenges,” Crowe said. “Walnut’s extraordinary story has helped bring attention to her vulnerable species’ plight. I hope that everyone who was touched by her story understands that her species’ survival depends on our ability and desire to protect wetland habitats.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/crane-who-fell-for-keeper-dies-at-42-/7467687.html Save to Pocket
Who Freed Flaco? Owl’s Escape From New York Zoo Remains a Mystery
date: 2024-02-04, from: VOA News USA
new york — This New York love story begins with a criminal act of sabotage.
Under cover of darkness a year ago Friday, someone breached a waist-high fence and slipped into the Central Park Zoo. Once inside, they cut a hole through a steel mesh cage, freeing a majestic Eurasian eagle-owl named Flaco who had arrived at the zoo as a fledgling 13 years earlier.
Immediately, Flaco fled the park, blinking his big orange eyes at pedestrians and police on Fifth Avenue before flying off into the night.
In the year since his dramatic escape, Flaco has become one of the city’s most beloved characters. By day he lounges in Manhattan’s courtyards and parks or perches on fire escapes. He spends his nights hooting atop water towers and preying on the city’s abundant rats.
To the surprise of many experts, Flaco is thriving in the urban wilds. An apex predator with a nearly 6-foot (2-meter) wingspan, he has called on abilities some feared he hadn’t developed during a lifetime in captivity, gamely exploring new neighborhoods and turning up unexpectedly at the windows of New Yorkers.
“He was the underdog from the start. People did not expect him to survive,” said Jacqueline Emery, one of several birders who document the owl’s daily movements and share them online with his legions of admirers. “New Yorkers especially connect to him because of his resilience.”
But as Flaco enters his second year in the spotlight, it can be easy to forget that his freedom is the result of a crime, one that has improbably remained unsolved.
‘This was a crime’
The break-in happened steps from the shared headquarters of the New York City Parks Department and the Central Park Zoo, in the vicinity of at least one surveillance camera.
But if they have collected any evidence on a potential suspect, police and zoo authorities have declined to share it. Since the zoo suspended efforts to re-capture Flaco in February 2023, there has been no public information about the crime.
Privately, the zoo has sought to soften descriptions of Flaco’s former living conditions, in a minivan-sized structure decorated with a painted mountain vista, barely twice the width of Flaco’s extended wings.
In internal emails obtained through a Freedom of Information request, zoo officials urged the Parks Department not to publicly describe Flaco as “raised in captivity.” Likewise, the term “escape” should be avoided.
“That puts the blame on the animal rather than the perpetrator,” the zoo’s then-communications director, Max Pulsinelli, wrote in one email. “This was a crime.”
In the absence of official information, theories of the crime abound — a youthful prank, perhaps, or an attempted owl heist gone awry? For many invested in Flaco’s fate, the most plausible explanation is that he was freed for ideological reasons.
Proponents of the animal liberation theory point to the seemingly targeted nature of the crime, as well as the limitations of the owl’s modest enclosure.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it was someone who loved Flaco and wanted him free,” said Nicole Barrantes, a wildlife campaign manager with World Animal Protection, who started a petition against Flaco being returned to the zoo. “His habitat was ridiculous. It was the saddest thing ever.”
Break-ins and vandalism have long been tactics some activists have used to free animals. Such actions are often made public by the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, an anonymous online database.
The group’s spokesperson, Jerry Vlasak, said no one had come forward to claim responsibility for Flaco’s escape. “We never received a communique,” he said. “But we’re certainly glad it happened.”
A spokesperson for the Wildlife Conservation Society, which has operated the zoo since 1988, did not respond to the claims that Flaco’s zoo habitat was inadequate.
“This was a criminal act that jeopardized the safety of the bird,” the zoo said in a statement, adding that they are continuing to monitor reports of Flaco’s activity and wellbeing and are “prepared to resume recovery efforts if he shows any sign of difficulty or distress.”
Threats in the city
Even with his proficient hunting skills, Flaco faces many threats in the city, including a grave risk of consuming rodenticide through a poisoned rat. In 2021, another beloved Central Park owl, Barry, was fatally struck by a truck after ingesting a lethal dose of rat poison that may have impaired her flying.
“All the hazards are still there,” cautioned Suzanne Shoemaker, the director of the Owl Moon Raptor Center in Maryland. “He’s shown some good instincts to be able to make it this far. He’s also lucky.”
Flaco spent his initial months of freedom mostly in Central Park, which is loaded with wildlife, but has lately preferred more urban sections of Manhattan. There has been some speculation that he has been looking for a mate, though he most certainly won’t find one. Eurasian eagle owls aren’t native to North America.
Stories of zoo animals breaking loose in the middle of the country’s densest city have long captured the public imagination, while often ushering in calls for reforms.
Following a series of bird thefts and “senseless” animal beatings in the 1970s, administrators ordered immediate security upgrades and the redesign of some pens at the zoo, which the city’s parks commissioner at the time described as “Rikers Island for animals” because of poor living conditions.
A few years later, when a group of vandals made off with a boa constrictor and a parrot named “Peanuts,” officials accused the perpetrators of stealing the animals for “voodoo rites.”
Since those days the zoo has been substantially redesigned.
Wildlife groups have long warned that owls can be used as sacrifices in certain religious ceremonies — particularly birds like Flaco, who boasts prominent ear tufts. The Eurasian eagle-owl is also commonly used in falconry, selling for as much as $3,000.
But while some have suggested Flaco was targeted for either financial or spiritual purposes, such speculation would seem undermined by the fact that he emerged from his damaged cage and into the bustling cityscape unscathed.
On a recent night on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, one of the Flaco’s most dedicated observers, David Barrett, struck an ambivalent tone when asked how New Yorkers should think about the crime that made him an avian celebrity.
“To me, the folk hero is Flaco,” said Barrett, who runs the X account Manhattan Bird Alert, documenting the bird’s whereabouts in real time. “It’s an amazing thing: He lives his whole life in captivity and in a matter of days he taught himself to fly and to hunt rats.”
Tuning his ears skyward, Barrett listened for the signature hoot that had echoed across Broadway on so many recent nights.
“It’s not our business to try to solve crimes,” he said. “We’re just glad he’s here.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/who-freed-flaco-one-year-later-celebrity-owl-s-escape-from-central-park-zoo-remains-a-mystery-/7467661.html Save to Pocket
Today in SCV History (Feb. 4)
date: 2024-02-04, from: SCV New (TV Station)
1822 – Surveyor Edward F. Beale born in Washington, D.C.; cut through Newhall Pass 40 years later, assembled 270,000-acre Tejon Ranch. [story
https://scvnews.com/today-in-scv-history-26/ Save to Pocket
It’s JuJu’s world and we’re just living in it
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Watkins’ historic 51 piece against Stanford set a slew of WBB scoring records.
The post It’s JuJu’s world and we’re just living in it appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/02/04/its-jujus-world-and-were-just-living-in-it/ Save to Pocket
Measles found in person who visited Northridge
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Sundail (CSUN student paper)
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported that a person who flew into Los Angeles on an international flight from Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan. 25 has contracted the measles. The person landed at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) around 5 p.m., and then visited the Chick-Fil-A in Northridge, located on Devonshire St.,…
https://sundial.csun.edu/178128/news/measles-found-in-person-who-visited-northridge/ Save to Pocket
February 3, 2024
date: 2024-02-04, from: Heather Cox Richardson blog
Another marker for today: Yesterday, after the U.S. military’s strike on more than 85 targets at four facilities in Syria and three in Iraq used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the militant groups it sponsors, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby was clear that there would be additional responses to the attacks on U.S. troops.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-3-2024 Save to Pocket
Why I want to repeal the Second Amendment
date: 2024-02-04, updated: 2024-02-04, from: Ron Garret
About three years ago I wrote a blog post calling for the repeal of the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. I hope it goes without saying that I did not (and do not) harbor any illusions about this actually happening any time soon. I wrote it in a fit of frustration at having to watch over and over again the futile ritual that America goes through every time
https://blog.rongarret.info/2024/02/why-i-want-to-repeal-second-amendment.html Save to Pocket
Resolving ‘Temporary failure in name resolution’ on Pi OS 12 Bookworm
date: 2024-02-04, from: Jeff Geerling blog
Resolving ‘Temporary failure in name resolution’ on Pi OS 12 Bookworm
<div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Raspberry Pi OS version 12 (based on Debian 12 Bookworm) uses NetworkManager instead of dhcpcd for managing network connections, DNS resolution settings, DHCP, etc.</p>
I’ve already mentioned
using
nmcli and nmtui for managing WiFi
settings, but I ran into a strange issue after installing Docker on
a fresh Raspberry Pi OS installation today. Suddenly DNS stopped
working.
Trying to ping anything on the Internet gave me:
$ ping www.google.com
ping: www.google.com: Temporary failure in name resolution
As always,
It
was DNS. It was like DNS just gave up the ghost! Trying to change
settings via nmtui seemed to not work (I tried DHCP for
IPv4 with manual DNS, and that wasn’t working).
Luckily, I found this
post and followup comments mentioning the proper nmcli
incantation to override DNS settings for an interface, so here it is
(assuming built-in Ethernet):
<span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Jeff Geerling</span></span>
https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2024/resolving-temporary-failure-name-resolution-on-pi-os-12-bookworm Save to Pocket
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-02-04, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
GPT getting stuck with multi-step instructions.
https://community.openai.com/t/gpt-getting-stuck-with-multi-step-instructions/613209 Save to Pocket
Hart baseball and softball opening ceremonies celebrates a new generation of athletes
date: 2024-02-04, from: The Signal
Excited children of all ages wore jerseys to represent their teams during the William S. Hart Baseball and Softball 70th Anniversary Opening Ceremonies on Saturday afternoon. With a variety of food trucks, attendees in the stands singing along to a “Sweet Caroline” and an overall upbeat atmosphere at Valencia High School, families watched every team […]
The post Hart baseball and softball opening ceremonies celebrates a new generation of athletes appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/02/hart-baseball-and-softball-opening-ceremonies-celebrates-a-new-generation-of-athletes/ Save to Pocket
Discussing Forth, C, CGI, Python, Go, and AWK on “Stray Pointers”
date: 2024-02-04, from: Ben Hoyt’s Tech Writing
This is a transcription of Jim Lawless’s interview with Ben Hoyt on his Stray Pointers podcast. We discuss Forth, C, CGI, Python, Go, and AWK.
https://benhoyt.com/writings/stray-pointers-interview/ Save to Pocket
Over the edge: the use of design tactics to undermine browser choice
date: 2024-02-04, from: OS News
In order to be able to choose their own browser, people must be free to download it, easily set it to default and to continue using it – all without interference from the operating system. Windows users do not currently enjoy this freedom of choice. To investigate Microsoft’s tactics and the impact on consumers, Mozilla commissioned Harry Brignull and Cennydd Bowles, independent researchers and experts in harmful design. Today, the researchers have published a report detailing how Microsoft prevents effective browser choice on Windows. In the report, they document how Microsoft places its own browser — Edge — at the center of its operating system and weaponizes Windows’ user interface design to undermine people selecting rival browsers. ↫ Mozilla Research We all already know Microsoft does these things, and of course, a study paid for by Mozilla agreeing with Mozilla is not exactly earth-shattering, but stuff like this is important for aiding in convincing regulators to do something about this stuff. It simply shouldn’t be legal to employ all kinds of nasty tricks and dark patterns to force people to use a certain browser.
https://www.osnews.com/story/138516/over-the-edge-the-use-of-design-tactics-to-undermine-browser-choice/ Save to Pocket
Niri: a scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor.
date: 2024-02-04, from: OS News
Niri is a scrollable, tiling window manager for Wayland. What does it mean for a tiling window manager to be scrollable? Windows are arranged in columns on an infinite strip going to the right. Opening a new window never causes existing windows to resize. Every monitor has its own separate window strip. Windows can never “overflow” onto an adjacent monitor. Workspaces are dynamic and arranged vertically. Every monitor has an independent set of workspaces, and there’s always one empty workspace present all the way down. ↫ Niri’s GitHub page Definitely an intriguing idea.
https://www.osnews.com/story/138514/niri-a-scrollable-tiling-wayland-compositor/ Save to Pocket
Full Circle Weekly News 351
date: 2024-02-04, from: Full Circle Magazine
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Cryptsetup 2.7, with support for OPAL hardware disk encryption:
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Final performance optimization and interface polish in KDE 6:
Credits
- Host: @bardictriad, @zaivala
- Bumper: Canonical
- Theme Music: From The Dust - Stardust
- https://soundcloud.com/ftdmusic
- CC BY 4.0
https://fullcirclemagazine.org/podcasts/podcast-351/ Save to Pocket