News gathered 2024-05-22
(date: 2024-05-22 09:27:43)
Simply NUC unveils extremeEDGE Servers (Small fanless PCs built for edge computing)
date: 2024-05-22, from: Liliputing
Small desktop computer company Simply NUC has unveiled a new line of products designed for use as small, silent edge computing devices. The new Simply NUC extremeEdge Servers come with a choice of low-power Intel chips, AMD Ryzen Embedded processors, or Ryzen up to a Ryzen 7 7840U/8840U processor. Each model has at least two 2.5 […]
The post Simply NUC unveils extremeEDGE Servers (Small fanless PCs built for edge computing) appeared first on Liliputing.
Former Oakland police chief LeRonne Armstrong to run for City Council
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
The ex-chief, a 24-year veteran of the Oakland Police Department, will run for office in the government that he is currently suing for wrongful termination.
Florida judge hears Trump bid to dismiss documents charges
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
Miami, Florida — A Florida judge was holding a hearing Wednesday on a bid by former U.S. President Donald Trump to dismiss the charges he faces for allegedly mishandling classified documents.
The hearing is being held in Fort Pierce, Florida, before District Judge Aileen Cannon, who has already indefinitely postponed Trump’s criminal trial in that case.
Trump, who is seeking to recapture the White House in November, and a co-defendant, his valet Walt Nauta, have filed separate motions with Cannon seeking to have the case thrown out.
Trump pleaded not guilty in Florida in June to the federal charges of unlawfully retaining national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements.
He kept the classified files — which included records from the Pentagon, CIA and National Security Agency — unsecured at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and thwarted official efforts to retrieve them, according to the indictment.
Trump — who is currently on trial in New York, accused in a separate case of falsifying business records to pay hush money to a porn star — is not expected to attend Wednesday’s proceedings.
The dismissal motion is the latest of several that Trump’s lawyers have unsuccessfully filed with Cannon in a bid to have the charges tossed out.
The hearing is the first in the case since Cannon, on May 7, indefinitely postponed Trump’s trial, which had been scheduled to begin this month.
Cannon, a Trump appointee, said the planned May 20 start date was not possible because of the number of pretrial motions before the court.
The postponement was a major setback for special counsel Jack Smith, who brought the charges against Trump, and makes it unlikely the case will be heard before the presidential election — now less than six months away.
Trump’s attorneys have sought to delay his various criminal cases until after the election, when Trump could potentially have the federal charges against him dropped if he wins.
In addition to the New York and Florida cases, Trump has also been charged in Washington and Georgia with trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden, his likely November opponent.
https://www.voanews.com/a/florida-judge-hears-trump-bid-to-dismiss-documents-charges/7622617.html
IBM Thinkpad 700C Disassembly
date: 2024-05-22, from: Tilde.news
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/IBM+Thinkpad+700C+Disassembly/173038
Quakes blow extra-time lead, lose to Sacramento in U.S. Open Cup
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
The Earthquakes went ahead in the first half of extra time, only to give up two goals in two minutes.
NASA’s Psyche Fires Up Its Sci-Fi-Worthy Thrusters
date: 2024-05-22, from: NASA breaking news
The spacecraft already is beyond the distance of Mars and is using ion propulsion to accelerate toward a metal-rich asteroid, where it will orbit and collect science data. NASA’s Psyche spacecraft passed its six-month checkup with a clean bill of health, and there’s no holding back now. Navigators are firing its futuristic-looking electric thrusters, which […]
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/psyche-mission/nasas-psyche-fires-up-its-sci-fi-worthy-thrusters/
Los Gatos voters to decide on one-eighth cent sales tax hike in November
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
Council authorizes next steps for ballot measure.
Judge in Tennessee blocks effort to put Elvis Presley’s former home Graceland up for sale
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Tennessee judge on Wednesday blocked the auction of Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley, by a company that claimed his estate failed to repay a loan that used the property as collateral.
Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins issued a temporary injunction against the proposed auction that had been scheduled for Thursday this week. Jenkins’ injunction essentially keeps in place a previous restraining order that he had issued after Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough filed a lawsuit to fight off what she said was a fraudulent scheme.
A public notice for a foreclosure sale of the 13-acre estate in Memphis posted earlier in May said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owes $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Keough, an actor, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, last year.
Naussany Investments and Private Lending said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough, on behalf of the Promenade Trust, alleged in her lawsuit that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023.
Neither Keough nor lawyers for Nassauny Investments were in court Wednesday.
“Lisa Maria Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never gave a deed of trust to Naussany Investments,” Keough’s lawyer wrote in a lawsuit.
Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Nassauny’s documents, indicated that she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, the court filing said.
Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 as a tribute to Elvis Presley, the singer and actor who died in August 1977 at age 42. It draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises.
Boeing’s Calamity Capsule launch date slides into the future
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Starliner or Padstayer?
Boeing’s Starliner, aka the Calamity Capsule, has suffered another setback after a hoped-for May 25 launch date has been dropped as engineers work to deal with a helium leak in the spacecraft’s propulsion system.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/boeings_calamity_capsule_launch_date/
Emeryville police looking for female suspected in stabbing
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
Police were called to the 1500 block of 40th Street about 2:35 p.m.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/22/emeryville-police-looking-for-female-suspected-in-stabbing/
From Brahmas to transfers
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Round Up (Peirce College Student Paper)
The Mall was awash in CSUN red, UCLA blue and other vibrant college colors last Wednesday, as Pierce College students celebrated their transfer acceptances. The
The post From Brahmas to transfers appeared first on .
Sols 1151-1152: Rocky Roads in the Margin Unit
date: 2024-05-22, from: NASA breaking news
Earth planning date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 Recently, our intrepid rover has been channeling its namesake while navigating through difficult terrain as we march on through the margin unit. Despite the shorter drives, the team continues to make good progress investigating the rocks around us while scouting our traverse ahead. On Wednesday, we took advantage […]
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/sols-1151-1152-rocky-roads-in-the-margin-unit/
Texas’ tech resilience
date: 2024-05-22, from: Marketplace Morning Report
The high tech industry has been grappling with a downturn in recent years. But a new report shows that the picture for the tech sector in Texas is a bit sunnier than in other parts of the country. Why is that? Then, Lowe’s and Target feel the effects of a pinched consumer, and sugar production — once Cuba’s most important and profitable trade — is nearing collapse.
Our May fundraiser ends Friday, and we need your help to reach our goal. Give today and help fund public service journalism for all!
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/texas-tech-resilience
Sols 4191-4192: Communication
date: 2024-05-22, from: NASA breaking news
Earth planning date: Monday, May 20, 2024 A number of national holidays are taking place around the world this week and next, unofficially marking the start of summer for residents of the northern hemisphere. Holidays and extended weekends are seen as a time to catch up with family and friends, often centered around food and […]
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/sols-4191-4192-communication/
How 2 debunked accounts of sexual violence on Oct. 7 fueled a global dispute over Israel-Hamas war
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
The UN and other organizations presented credible evidence that Hamas committed sexual assault during its Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel. But some accounts from that day proved untrue.
Jewish groups build community on campus
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Round Up (Peirce College Student Paper)
When actuarial science major Yam Schutzer moved to Southern California from Israel seven months ago, she didn’t have her longtime friends or immediate family members
The post Jewish groups build community on campus appeared first on .
Media Arts and Native American Studies faculty team up for film screening
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Round Up (Peirce College Student Paper)
In a collaboration between the Anthropology and Media Arts departments, the film “Smoke Signals” was screened in the Multicultural Center on May 14. After the
The post Media Arts and Native American Studies faculty team up for film screening appeared first on .
Oakland woman freed from jail while her murder case is pending, after allegations of laced meth, sexual assault and domestic violence
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
Yeimy Riera, 29, is facing a charge of murdering 28-year-old Martin Millan, but her attorney says she fired in self-defense to stop a sexual assault.
CHP stings in Oakland lead to ‘significant jump’ in arrests, firearms seized
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
The city has seen promising downward trends in crime.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/22/chp-oakland-data-newsom/
Research finds electric cars are silent but violent for pedestrians
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
You’re thrice as likely to be hit by a battery-powered vehicle
The road to net zero might be paved with good intentions, but it’s also apparently littered with injured pedestrians.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/electric_car_pedestrian_risk/
Walk, don’t run, to the finish line
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Round Up (Peirce College Student Paper)
Similar to a pit crew at a car race, aiding the race walkers on the day of the race stood out as the most memorable
The post Walk, don’t run, to the finish line appeared first on .
Republican National Committee evacuates after receiving blood vials
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — The headquarters of the Republican National Committee in Washington was briefly evacuated Wednesday morning after a suspicious package containing two vials of blood was delivered to the building, the police said.
The RNC, the parent organization of the Republican Party, is playing a major role in the campaign of former President Donald Trump, who will face Democratic incumbent Joe Biden in the November 5 presidential election.
The authorities initially closed off one downtown block and directed staff and other personnel to avoid the area. By midmorning, employees were reentering the building and police were leaving the scene, according to a Reuters witness.
“The source of the package and its contents will be further investigated,” the U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement.
The RNC did not respond to a request for comment.
Man able to run several blocks after being shot in Oakland
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
The victim got into a verbal altercation with a man who pulled a gun, authorities said.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/22/man-able-to-run-several-blocks-after-being-shot-in-oakland/
‘FUCK the LAPD’ Shirt Maker’s Entire Shop Sold Out After Cops Threaten Him
date: 2024-05-22, from: 404 Media Group
“Streisand Effect in effect,” designer says after their legal response went viral.
https://www.404media.co/fuck-the-lapd-shirt-makers-entire-shop-sold-out-after-cops-threaten-him/
Many voices, one professor
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Round Up (Peirce College Student Paper)
If you’ve watched “Star Wars,” “Frozen” or “Shazam,” you may have heard Pierce College professor Garineh Avakian’s voice. Avakian, who is a professor of voice
The post Many voices, one professor appeared first on .
Article Spotlight: A novel birnavirus identified as the causative agent of summer atrophy of pearl oyster
date: 2024-05-22, from: PeerJ blog
Oakland: Man avoids jail after pleading no contest to sex offense against teen girl
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
The 35-year-old suspect wrote an apology letter in which he said it was a “very bad idea” and blamed his loneliness.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sets July 4 election date to determine who governs the UK
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
By JILL LAWLESS and BRIAN MELLEY (Associated Press) LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday set July 4 as the date for a national election that will determine who governs the U.K., choosing a day of good economic news to urge voters to give his governing Conservatives another chance. “Now is the […]
The great persuasion
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Round Up (Peirce College Student Paper)
Alex Farasat and Melissa Jauregui took the first place prizes in informational and persuasive public speech categories respectively in the 8th Annual Speech Tournament held
The post The great persuasion appeared first on .
John Deere now considers VMs to be legacy tech, Ethernet and Wi-Fi on the brink
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Plans robo-tractors to help as folks flee the farm but the planet stays hungry
Next Agricultural equipment maker John Deere has decided virtual machines are legacy tech.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/john_deere_vms_legacy/
Man arrested for firing BB gun in Campbell
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
Also charged with animal cruelty for kicking dog.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/22/man-arrested-for-firing-bb-gun-in-campbell/
White House chef duo has dished up culinary diplomacy at state dinners for nearly a decade
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
Washington — A house-cured smoked salmon, red grapefruit, avocado and cucumber starter. Dry-aged rib eye beef in a sesame sabayon sauce. Salted caramel pistachio cake under a layer of matcha ganache.
While President Joe Biden and his guest of honor at a White House state dinner chew over foreign policy, the female chef duo of Cris Comerford and Susie Morrison take care of the culinary diplomacy. They pulled off the above menu for Japan’s leader in April, and they’ll have a new array of delicacies for Kenya’s president on Thursday night.
Comerford, the White House executive chef, and Morrison, the executive pastry chef, are the first women to hold those posts, forming a duo that has tantalized the taste buds of guests at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. with their culinary creations for nearly a decade. Comerford is also the first person of color to be executive chef.
“Both are just exceptional examples of success in their field,” said Bill Yosses, who was the executive pastry chef for seven years before his departure in 2014 cleared the way for Morrison to be promoted. “They excel at what they do.”
Comerford and Morrison get to do it again Thursday when Biden and his wife, first lady Jill Biden, host the administration’s sixth state dinner, for Kenyan President William Ruto and his wife, Rachel. It will be the first such honor for an African head of state since 2008 and the first for Kenya since 2003.
A lavish state dinner is a tool of U.S. diplomacy, a high honor reserved for America’s longstanding and closest allies. In the case of Kenya, Biden wants to elevate a relationship that he sees as critical to security in Africa and far beyond.
Jill Biden planned to preview the dinner setup for the news media on Wednesday afternoon.
State dinner planning is done by the first lady’s staff and the White House social office, and starts months in advance. Ideas are kicked around before the chefs propose a few different menus. The meals are prepared, plated as they would be served and tasted by the social secretary and the first lady, who makes the final call on what will be served.
The menus change, but the overarching goal has stayed the same.
“We’re trying to showcase American food, American regions, American farmers,” while incorporating small tributes to the guest of honor, Yosses said. “It would be rare that we would really try to imitate something from the guest’s country.”
Ingredients for April’s state dinner for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife, Yuko, came from California, Maryland, Oregon and Ohio. The wines were from Oregon and Washington state.
At the media preview for that glitzy event, Comerford explained that the diets of the Bidens and the visiting dignitaries are factored into the preparations, along with those of other guests.
“When we formulate and we create the state dinner menu, we take into consideration all the principals and most of our guests,” she said. “We also take into consideration the season because this is the perfect time for some beautiful bounties right now, with the spring coming up, with all the morels and the mushrooms, and Susie’s cherries and all the stuff she has on her plate.”
The chefs contact their regular purveyors to find out what’s in season, and go from there.
The salmon appetizer served in April was inspired by the California roll, which Comerford said was invented by a Japanese chef.
Morrison’s dessert highlighted Japan’s gift of cherry trees to the United States, many of which are planted in Washington, and its matcha tea. She decorated the pistachio cake with sugary mini cherry blossoms.
“We wanted to bring a little bit of the cherry blossoms that are here on the Tidal Basin right here to our dessert in order for everyone to enjoy the cherry blossoms that we enjoy every year,” she said.
Serving dinner to hundreds of guests at once comes down to timing. Thursday’s event will be held in an expansive pavilion put up on the South Grounds of the White House.
Sam Kass, who was an assistant chef during President Barack Obama’s administration, said tradition holds that the president is the first one served and that plates are cleared away when he is finished eating.
“You have to have a service that is so efficient and quick to get those plates out so that the last table has a chance to eat,” he said.
Comerford, 61, sharpened her culinary skills while working at hotels in Chicago and restaurants in Washington before the White House brought her on in 1995 as an assistant chef. A naturalized U.S. citizen and Filipino native, she was named executive chef in 2005. Her responsibilities include designing and executing menus for state dinners, social events, holiday functions, receptions and official luncheons.
Morrison, 57, started at the executive mansion as a contract pastry employee in 1995 while she was working at a hotel in northern Virginia. She was named an assistant pastry chef in 2002 and became the executive pastry chef in November 2014 — just in time to sweat over the details of that year’s gingerbread White House for the holiday season.
The pair has worked together at the White House for nearly 30 years.
Yosses recalled at least one instance where the honoree’s wishes dictated the menu selections.
In 2015, China’s Xi Jinping wanted a very American menu, “which I think was a polite way for him to say that he didn’t think we could do Chinese food very well,” Yosses said.
The Chinese leader was served butter-poached Maine lobster and grilled Colorado lamb.
Pierce College in the bookstands
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Round Up (Peirce College Student Paper)
This month, a new book, “Under a Neon Sun,” has been released in which the protagonist is not just a student at Pierce College, but
The post Pierce College in the bookstands appeared first on .
How Failure Has Made Mathematics Stronger
date: 2024-05-22, from: Quanta Magazine
The topologist Danny Calegari discusses the inevitability of disappointment in math, and how to learn from it.The post How Failure Has Made Mathematics Stronger first appeared on Quanta Magazine
https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-failure-has-made-mathematics-stronger-20240522/
San Francisco homicide: Woman stabbed during fight
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
A 33-year-old San Francisco woman was detained at the scene and later arrested.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/22/san-francisco-homicide-woman-stabbed-during-fight/
News Briefs – May 22, 2024
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Round Up (Peirce College Student Paper)
District Academic Senate vote of no confidence: The LACCD District Academic Senate passed a vote of no confidence in the LACCD Board of Trustees and
The post News Briefs – May 22, 2024 appeared first on .
Redwood City could vote on rent control, tenant protections in November election
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
“This is inspired by people who live here, who rent here and who work here,” said Linda Goldman, a member of Faith in Action and a resident of Redwood City.
Tornado kills multiple people in Iowa as storms tear through Midwest
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
GREENFIELD, Iowa — Multiple people were killed when a tornado tore through a small town in Iowa and left a wide swath of obliterated homes and crumpled cars, while the howling winds also twisted and toppled wind turbines.
After devastating Greenfield, a town of 2,000, on Tuesday the storms moved eastward to pummel parts of Illinois and Wisconsin, knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers in the two states.
Greenfield’s hospital was among the buildings that were damaged in the town, which meant that at least a dozen people who were hurt had to be taken to facilities elsewhere, according to Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla.
“Sadly we can confirm that there have been fatalities,” Dinkla said at a news conference Tuesday night, without specifying how many. “We’re still counting at this time.”
He said he thought they had accounted for all of the town’s residents but that searches would continue if anyone was reported missing. The Adair County Health System said in a Facebook post Tuesday night that it had set up a triage center at the Greenfield high school and that people who need medical attention should go there.
The tornado destroyed much of Greenfield, which is located about 55 miles (90 kilometers) southwest of Des Moines, during a day that saw multiple tornadoes, giant hail and heavy rain in several states. The National Weather Service said it received 23 tornado reports Tuesday, with most in Iowa, and one each in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
In Wisconsin, the weather service’s Green Bay office dispatched a staffer Wednesday morning to survey storm damage near the village of Unity in western Marathon County after law enforcement received a report from the public about a tornado on the ground about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday in that community about 55 miles (89 kilometers) east of Eau Claire, said meteorologist Roy Eckberg. He said staffers would also be visiting Outagamie County near the city of Kaukauna, some 20 miles (32 kilometers) southwest of Green Bay, to investigate significant wind damage there.
Eckberg said high winds were reported Tuesday night across parts of central Wisconsin, with a wind gust of 70 mph (113 kilometers per hour) in the city of Marshfield and with wind damage also reported to the northwest in the city of Wausau.
Weather service staff would also be assessing storm damage Wednesday in southeastern Minnesota after radar indicated that a tornado touched down Tuesday night in Winona County, said Kate Abbott, a meteorologist with the agency’s La Crosse, Wisconsin, office.
“With that one we did have a radar confirmed tornado, but we’re going out and survey there to make sure the damage is consistent with a tornado,” she said.
Authorities announced a mandatory curfew for Greenfield and said they would only allow residents to enter the town until Wednesday morning. They also ordered media representatives to leave the city Tuesday night.
In the aftermath of the storm, mounds of broken wood from homes, branches, car parts and other debris littered lots where homes once stood. Some trees still standing were stripped of their limbs and leaves. Residents helped each other salvage furniture and other belongings that were strewn in every direction.
Rogue Paxton said he sheltered in the basement of his home when the storm moved through. He told WOI-TV he thought the house was lost but said his family got lucky.
“But everyone else is not so much, like my brother Cody, his house just got wiped,” Paxton said. “Then you see all these people out here helping each other. … Everything’s going to be fine because we have each other, but it’s just going to be really, really rough. It is a mess.”
A tornado also apparently took down several 250-foot (76-meter) wind turbines in southwest Iowa. Some of the turbines caught fire, sending plumes of smoke into the air. Wind farms are built to withstand tornadoes, hurricanes and other powerful winds.
Mary Long, the owner of Long’s Market in downtown Greenfield, said she rode out the storm at her business in the community’s historic town square, which largely escaped damage. Long said there appeared to be widespread damage on the east and south sides of town.
“I could hear this roaring, like the proverbial freight train, and then it was just done,” she said.
Camille Blair said the Greenfield Chamber of Commerce office where she works closed around 2 p.m. ahead of the storm.
“I can see from my house it kind of went in a straight line down the road,” she said of the tornado.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she planned to visit Greenfield on Wednesday morning.
“It was just a few weeks ago that tornadoes hit several other Iowa communities, and it’s hard to believe that it’s happened again,” she said in a statement. “Iowans are strong and resilient, and we will get through this together.”
Iowa had braced for severe weather after the weather service’s Storm Prediction Center gave most of the state a high chance of seeing severe thunderstorms with the potential for strong tornadoes. The storms and tornado warnings moved into Wisconsin on Tuesday evening and night.
Across the US
Earlier in the day, residents to the west in Omaha, Nebraska, awoke to sirens blaring and widespread power outages as torrential rain, high winds and large hail pummeled the area. The deluge flooded basements and submerged cars. Television station KETV showed firefighters rescuing people from vehicles.
In Illinois, dust storms led authorities to shut down stretches of two interstates due to low visibility.
The storms followed days of extreme weather that have ravaged much of the middle section of the country. Strong winds, large hail and tornadoes swept parts of Oklahoma and Kansas late Sunday, damaging homes and injuring two in Oklahoma.
Another round of storms Monday night raked Colorado and western Nebraska and saw the city of Yuma, Colorado, blanketed in hail the size of baseballs and golf balls, turning streets into rivers of water and ice.
In Texas, deadly storms hit the Houston area last week, killing at least eight people. Those storms last Thursday knocked out power to hundreds of thousands for days, leaving many in the dark and without air conditioning during hot and humid weather. Hurricane-force winds reduced businesses and other structures to debris and shattered glass in downtown skyscrapers.
Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the weather service, said the system is expected to turn south Wednesday, bringing more severe weather to parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Pursuing music, one genre at a time
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Round Up (Peirce College Student Paper)
Students in the Applied Music Program (AMP) showcased their work on Thursday in the Performing Arts Building. The genres of music that students performed on
The post Pursuing music, one genre at a time appeared first on .
BYD’s $10,000 Seagull EV worrying rivals as it hits new markets
date: 2024-05-22, from: Electrek Feed
China’s BYD is launching its cheapest electric car in Europe next year. Ahead of its official debut, BYD’s $10K Seagull EV is already creating a stir among foreign rivals.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/22/byds-10000-seagull-ev-worrying-rivals-hits-new-markets/
House v. NCAA lawsuit: Pac-12 presidents (yes, all 12) expected to approve massive settlement, revenue-sharing plan
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
The 12 presidents and chancellors will vote together on the multi-billion dollar settlement terms that will create a groundbreaking revenue-sharing plan with athletes.
Gravity to implement 500 kW EV charger ‘trees’ on US streets to grow network larger than Tesla’s
date: 2024-05-22, from: Electrek Feed
NY-based startup and EV infrastructure specialist Gravity has launched a new line of universal EV charger “trees” it hopes will bring convenient charging sessions curbside on city streets. The deployment will start modestly, but Gravity is targeting a street charging network that is ” more expansive than Tesla’s current Supercharger network.”
https://electrek.co/2024/05/22/gravity-500-kw-ev-charger-trees-us-streets-network-larger-than-tesla/
Raspberry Pi sets IPO jam for June
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
$40 million to be raised for engineering and sorting out the supply chain
The Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Raspberry Pi is now set for June 2024, and $40 million is expected to be raised.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/raspberry_pi_ipo_set_for_june_2024/
Streetbeat: Who is your favorite college sports team, and why?
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Round Up (Peirce College Student Paper)
“I am a fan of the UCLA gymnastics team. I’ve watched their performances and they have some really great athletes.” Aleena Khoboyan –
The post Streetbeat: Who is your favorite college sports team, and why? appeared first on .
Gen Z Americans Are Much More Open To Chinese EVs Than You Think: Study
date: 2024-05-22, from: Inside EVs News
However, most Americans still have cybersecurity concerns if the Chinese vehicles were ever sold here in the U.S.
https://insideevs.com/news/720467/young-people-china-study-autopacific/
Study: Daily marijuana use outpaces daily drinking in US
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/study-daily-marijuana-use-outpaces-daily-drinking-in-us/7622427.html
The Electric Car Tariff Battle With China Kicks Off August 1
date: 2024-05-22, from: Inside EVs News
Meanwhile, Stellantis’ CEO calls tariffs a “trap”, and BMW and Mercedes’ plants in the U.S. could see tariff payback from China.
https://insideevs.com/news/720591/ev-tariff-biden-august-cm/
In Debian, APT 3 gains features – but KeepassXC loses them
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
‘Sid’ is looking a little sickly of late, but it will pass
The intrepid users of Debian’s “testing” branch just discovered that a bunch of their password manager’s features disappeared… but their package manager is going to get new ones.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/apt_gains_keepassxc_loses/
25+ Bay Area beer festivals and wine events to enjoy this summer
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
Looking for all the best booze and brews events in the Bay? Look no further! Here’s a roundup of local beer and events to check out this summer.
Dangerous Protocols
date: 2024-05-22, from: Tilde.news
https://summerofprotocols.com/dangerous-protocols-web
Giving Windows total recall of everything a user does is a privacy minefield
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
It’s only a preview, and maybe it should stay there … forever
Microsoft’s Windows Recall feature is attracting controversy before even venturing out of preview.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/windows_recall/
Someone’s Already Wrecked Can-Am’s Fastest-Ever UTV
date: 2024-05-22, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
In fact, two have been totaled.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720484/can-am-maverick-r-copart-wrecked-utv/
Podcast: Your Phone’s Location is Exposed
date: 2024-05-22, from: 404 Media Group
A bumper episode all about SS7, and then Axon’s new ChatGPT-like tool for generating narratives from bodycam audio.
https://www.404media.co/404-media-podcast-week-38-ss7-phone-location-exposed/
In surprise move, Oakland will sell off Coliseum stake to pay salaries
date: 2024-05-22, from: San Jose Mercury News
The city hopes revenue from the sale will help patch up a looming $177 million shortfall.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/22/oakland-coliseum-sale/
Keith Haring Painted This Mural on the Wall of an Iowa Elementary School Library
date: 2024-05-22, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Ahead of planned construction, experts removed the 4,000-pound wall behind the 1989 artwork, which is now on public display for the first time
VW indefinitely pushes back introduction of ID.7 electric sedan in US
date: 2024-05-22, from: Electrek Feed
VW announced today that it will delay the release of its ID.7 sedan in the US, setting no specific date for when the vehicle will be available.
Volkswagen ID.7 U.S. Launch Delayed As ‘Market Dynamics Continue To Change’
date: 2024-05-22, from: Inside EVs News
VW’s flagship electric sedan was initially scheduled to arrive at U.S. dealerships in Q3 2024. Now, its future is uncertain.
https://insideevs.com/news/720508/2025-vw-id7-us-delay/
DNA Reveals How German Cockroaches Came to Dominate the World
date: 2024-05-22, from: Smithsonian Magazine
A new paper looks at the genes of the most common cockroach species, tracing its historical journey alongside humans, from Asia to the Middle East, Europe and beyond
Atos delays sign-off on 2023 finances as it weighs restructure offers
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Energy billionaire Daniel Křetínský reportedly looking at ways to sway creditors
Ailing IT giant Atos has delayed approval of its financial statements for 2023 until the end of this year as it continues efforts to restructure, which have seen renewed interest from billionaire suitor Daniel Křetínský.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/atos_delays_signoff_on_2023/
The Rich Get Richer Off of Climate Aid
date: 2024-05-22, from: Heatmap News
Current conditions: Strong thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hail on Tuesday killed multiple people and knocked out power across the Midwest • Heavy rain is exacerbating ongoing flooding in southern Brazil • Miami is having its hottest May on record.
THE TOP FIVE
- Rich countries are enriching themselves with climate aid
The world’s developed countries have pledged to spend $100 billion per year helping developing nations grapple with the effects of climate change, but many of them are channeling economic benefits back to themselves, according to a new report from Reuters. France, Japan, and Germany — the three countries that reported issuing the most climate financial aid between 2015 and 2020 — each gave more in the form of loans than they did grants, saddling already debt-burdened nations with yet more interest payments. Other aid agreements required recipients to purchase materials or employ organizations from the donor country’s own suppliers.
“The benefits to donor countries disproportionately overshadow the primary objective of supporting climate action in developing countries,” Ritu Bharadwaj, principal researcher on climate governance and finance at the International Institute for Environment and Development, told Reuters.
- Solar-plus-storage projects gain ground in the West
Solar projects that are co-located with storage are dominating Western interconnection queues, according to an energy research analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence. More than 98% of proposed solar capacity within the territory of the California Independent System Operator and about 87% of proposed solar capacity in the rest of the West is paired with storage, or, in some instances, with wind, S&P’s Adam Wilson said. Only about one-fourth of the West’s existing solar capacity is co-located with storage. Hybrid solar projects have “yet to gain firm foothold,” Wilson told Utility Dive, but recent data “suggest that tide may be turning.”
- ICYMI: The world will be renewable-powered, even without more
government help
We’re almost halfway through the decade that will make or break our climate future. To get to net-zero by 2050, we’re going to have to spend a lot more money a lot more quickly.
These are among the main conclusions of BloombergNEF’s 2024 New Energy Outlook, which determined that emissions will have to peak and renewable capacity will have to triple this decade for the world to hit net-zero by midcentury. Decarbonizing the global energy system within that time frame could cost $215 trillion, the report found — 19% more than the cost of an economics-driven transition that would miss the Paris Agreement goals and result in 2.6 degrees Celsius of warming. Even in that economics-driven scenario, which assumes no new climate policies other than the ones we’ve already got, renewable sources power 70% of global energy needs by 2050. The conclusions illustrate both the momentum behind the clean energy transition and the urgent need for stronger government support.
BloombergNEF
Get Heatmap AM directly in your inbox every morning:
- Coal fraud pollutes the air in India
The Adani Group, a multinational commodities trading conglomerate with close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, allegedly bought cheap, highly polluting coal and passed it off as expensive, low-polluting coal, achieving a fat profit and worsening air quality in the process, according to reporting from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project published in the Financial Times. Invoices from 2014 appear to show nearly two-dozen instances of the group buying low-grade coal from one company and selling it to another with which it had a contract to supply high-efficiency coal — 1.5 million metric tons in total. Adani Group denied the allegations, and other companies involved in the transactions did not respond to FT’s request for comment.
The report comes in the midst of nationwide voting in India, which began in April and will end next week. Modi is running for a third term, but questions about his relationship with the powerful Adani family have dogged his campaign. Meanwhile, air pollution kills millions in India each year.
- International tribunal declares greenhouse gases a marine pollutant
In a win for island nations threatened by rising seas, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea said in an advisory opinion Tuesday that greenhouse gases count as marine pollution, making countries responsible for limiting the impacts of their emissions. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the tribunal found, countries are required to “take all necessary measures to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment from ‘any source.’” This includes greenhouse gases that are absorbed by the ocean, according to the tribunal. The opinion is the tribunal’s first climate-related judgment and, while not legally binding, could set a precedent that shapes decisions in courts around the world.
THE KICKER
Drought in Mexico is worsening the strain already felt by some species of endangered axolotl, an aquatic salamander with an unusual life cycle.
Iva
Dimova/Getty Images
https://heatmap.news/climate/bnef-outlook-adani-climate-finance
Take A Look At Some Of The Bikes That Turned Heads At Sandraiders 2024
date: 2024-05-22, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
154 vintage rally bikes made their way to Morocco for Sandraiders 2024.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720335/sandraiders-2024-epic-lineup-154-bikes/
This Tiny Taco Stand in Mexico City Was Just Awarded a Coveted Michelin Star
date: 2024-05-22, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Founded in 1968, Taquería El Califa de León has just four items on its menu, which diners eat while standing elbow to elbow
The Inside Story of the YouTube Influencer Who Peddles Misinformation to Vietnamese Communities
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Markup blog
Sonia Ohlala borrows heavily from right-wing media outlets and even broadcast from Washington DC on the day of the Capitol riots. But who is she?
Lexus RZ 300e Surprises With 125 MPGe EPA Rating That Beats Tesla Model Y
date: 2024-05-22, from: Inside EVs News
Is it real or is it a bug? The difference between 18- and 20-inch wheels is exceptionally high too.
https://insideevs.com/news/720477/lexus-rz-300e-epa-range-energy-consumption/
Actress Nina Dobrev In The Hospital After Sur-Ron Accident
date: 2024-05-22, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
“How It Started vs. How It’s Going” the actress captioned her Instagram post.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720479/nina-dobrev-surron-crash-accident-celebrity/
Denise Lite | What Are They Teaching Over There?
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Signal
In case you were not aware, the College of the Canyons philosophy department thinks it’s a wonderful and educationally productive idea to screen a film called “How to Blow Up […]
The post Denise Lite | What Are They Teaching Over There? appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/denise-lite-what-are-they-teaching-over-there/
Stephen Maseda | Letter Was Devoid of Factual Support
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Signal
I have read Mr. Jim de Bree’s letter (May 15) concerning mine setting out a basis for the objection by 50 or so representatives, including Rep. Mike Garcia, to the […]
The post Stephen Maseda | Letter Was Devoid of Factual Support appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/stephen-maseda-letter-was-devoid-of-factual-support/
Lois Eisenberg | On the Origins of Memorial Day
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Signal
Again a very important holiday is upon us: Memorial Day being celebrated on Monday, May 27. Memorial Day is one of America’s most observed holidays. Memorial Day is observed on […]
The post Lois Eisenberg | On the Origins of Memorial Day appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/lois-eisenberg-on-the-origins-of-memorial-day/
UK law gives green light to self-driving cars from 2026
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Underground tunnel testing now available for autonomous vehicles
Self-driving vehicles could be on British roads by 2026, following the Automated Vehicles Act becoming law this week.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/uk_law_gives_green_light/
There’s a Military-Spec John Deere Gator Because The Humvee Had Too Many Doors
date: 2024-05-22, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
You can thank WWII’s lack of basic safety for this adorable UTV.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720438/john-deere-m-gator-utv-humvee/
Inflation is getting better. That doesn’t mean it’s good.
date: 2024-05-22, from: Marketplace Morning Report
Inflation may be cooling, but it certainly isn’t cold. Americans are still getting burned by rising prices. That’s one conclusion from a new Federal Reserve survey, which notes that parents in particular are struggling. Then, one report shows just how many homes are overvalued, especially in the South. Plus, we’ll hear how the Accion Digital Transformation Fund is trying to help people with no bank accounts get one.
Our May fundraiser ends Friday, and we need your help to reach our goal. Give today and help fund public service journalism for all!
Top Block Racing Has A New Slider Kit For The Triumph Speed 400
date: 2024-05-22, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
There’s a new tail tidy for folks who want a sportier stance, too.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720337/top-block-racing-accessories-triumph-speed-400/
@Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed (date: 2024-05-22, from: Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed)
Very nice
https://developer.apple.com/pathways/
https://mastodon.social/@Migueldeicaza/112484499533519357
Cuba’s ongoing economic crisis
date: 2024-05-22, from: Marketplace Morning Report
From the BBC World Service: Amid worsening inflation, a scarcity of basic goods and a decadeslong U.S. economic embargo, Cubans are enduring some of their bleakest economic times since the Cold War. We hear from the country’s sugar plantations, where production has hit an all-time low. Plus, a look at why a medical strike in Mozambique is having a deadly impact and how extreme heat is affecting India’s workers.
Our May fundraiser ends Friday, and we need your help to reach our goal. Give today and help fund public service journalism for all!
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-morning-report/cubas-ongoing-economic-crisis
Kawasaki Ninja 7 And Z7 Hybrid Release Date Gets Pushed Back
date: 2024-05-22, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
The hotly anticipated middleweight hybrids promise a unique drivetrain and benefits when they finally hit the streets.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720468/kawasaki-hybrids-delayed-release-japan/
LockBit dethroned as leading ransomware gang for first time post-takedown
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Rivals ready to swoop in but drop in overall attacks illustrates LockBit’s influence
The takedown of LockBit in February is starting to bear fruit for rival gangs with Play overtaking it after an eight-month period of LockBit topping the attack charts.…
AAPI Exclusion and the Case of Wong Kim Ark
date: 2024-05-22, from: National Archives, Pieces of History blog
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month! Today’s post looking at the history of AANHPI immigration comes from Saba Samy, an intern at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) history and immigration in the United States stretches as far back as the … Continue reading AAPI Exclusion and the Case of Wong Kim Ark
https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2024/05/22/aapi-exclusion-and-the-case-of-wong-kim-ark/
Russia denies US charge that it put anti-satellite weapon in space
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
Washington — Russia’s top arms control diplomat dismissed as “fake news” on Wednesday an assertion by the United States that Russia had launched a weapon into low-Earth orbit that was capable of inspecting and attacking other satellites.
The Kremlin has flatly denied assertions by U.S. officials that Moscow is developing a space-based anti-satellite nuclear weapon.
U.S. Space Command on Tuesday pointed to the launch earlier this month of a Soyuz rocket from Russia’s Plesetsk launch site, saying it likely involved “a counterspace weapon presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit.”
Russia’s defense ministry said the May 17 launch had a spacecraft on board but gave no details what it was for.
“I don’t think we should respond to any fake news from Washington,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
“The Americans can say whatever they want but our policy does not change from this,” said Ryabkov, adding that Moscow had “always consistently opposed the deployment of strike weapons in low-Earth orbit”.
President Vladimir Putin and then-defense minister Sergei Shoigu denied U.S. assertions in February that Russia was developing a space-based anti-satellite nuclear weapon designed to disrupt everything from military communications to phone-based ride services.
U.S. Space Command said the May launch, which it dates as May 16, included COSMOS 2576, a type of Russian military “inspector” spacecraft that U.S. officials have long said exhibits reckless space behavior.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined specific comment on the U.S. assertion but said Russia acted in full accordance with international law.
“We are not violating anything. We have repeatedly advocated a ban on the deployment of any weapons into space. Unfortunately, our initiatives were rejected, including by the United States,” Peskov told reporters.
U.S. intelligence agencies had been expecting the launch of COSMOS 2576 and informed allies of their assessment of the satellite before its deployment in space, according to a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence. The launch also included civilian satellites deployed to different orbits.
COSMOS 2576, as of Tuesday, has not gone near a U.S. satellite, but space analysts observed it to be in the same orbital ring as USA 314, a bus-sized NRO satellite launched in April 2021.
Ryabkov said Russia’s space program was developing as planned, including tasks aimed at strengthening defense capability but added that “this is also not news.”
He said the United States was wrong to have dismissed Russian proposals on strengthening the security of space activities, including a proposal on developing a treaty on preventing an arms race in space.
The U.S. Has Gotten 3 Direct Air Capture Plants in 13 Months
date: 2024-05-22, from: Heatmap News
A new direct air capture facility built by the Alphabet-backed
280 Earth is officially
plucking carbon dioxide from the surrounding air along the Columbia
River in Oregon, the company announced on Monday. It’s the third-largest
“direct air capture” plant operating in the United States and the latest
entrant in the race to design the cheapest, most efficient machine to
strip the heat-trapping gas from the atmosphere.
The small-scale demonstration project, which neighbors a Google data center in a city called The Dalles, is expected eventually to capture carbon at a rate of 500 tons per year. The two other U.S. facilities — Global Thermostat’s plant in Commerce City, Colorado, and Heirloom’s plant in Tracy, California — are both designed to capture 1,000 tons per year. All three came online in just the past 13 months. (There are also a handful of smaller facilities operating in the U.S. that capture 100 tons per year or less.)
The team that is now 280 Earth first began working on their direct air capture system inside X, the tech incubator at Google also known as the “Moonshot Factory.” They spun out into their own company in 2022, after four-and-a-half years of research and development. The name comes from 280 parts per million, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere before industrialization. Today we’ve reached nearly 420 parts per million. But if the world manages to reduce emissions nearly to zero, it may be possible to pull enough carbon out of the air to restore the atmosphere to levels closer to pre-industrial times.
In general, direct air capture technologies suck in ambient air and pass it through a special material called a sorbent that attracts CO2 molecules. They then use heat to remove the carbon from the sorbent so that it can be transported and safely stored underground.
280 Earth’s approach is unique in a few ways. To begin with, the company is using a “pelletized” sorbent — CEO John Pimental described it to me as a “half a piece of uncooked rice,” or the innards of a bean bag chair. The tiny pellets of sorbent flow through the system almost like water, resulting in some operational efficiency gains.
For the second step, the company plans to use waste heat from other industrial facilities like data centers to remove the captured carbon from the sorbent. Many data centers circulate cold water through their facilities for cooling, then send the hot water to a cooling tower where the heat is released into the atmosphere. 280 Earth can instead take that hot water and run it through a heat exchanger, sending the now-cooled water back to the data center. “It means their cooling tower needs to work less hard, it has less load on it,” said Pimental. “So it’s an additional revenue source for our company to provide those cooling services to a neighbor.”
This waste heat can meet up to 80% of 280 Earth’s operational needs, reducing the amount of electricity the company buys. It’s also a win-win for the data center — 280 Earth’s process pulls water from the air in addition to carbon, and can supply that water to the data center, which in turn doesn’t have to rely as much on natural sources.
Direct air capture technology is often called “speculative” and “unproven.” But with an increasing number of deployments in the real world, it’s worth being more specific. These machines have proven to be able to separate carbon out of the air. The question is whether they can do so permanently, economically, and at a scale that will actually make a difference for climate change.
Although more plants are coming online every year, those questions are unlikely to be answered anytime soon. For example, it will be impossible to judge the efficiency claims made by 280 Earth or any other company until there is more public data — or any public data — about the energy these plants consume or what they cost to operate. Even the companies that are farthest along, like Climeworks, which has been operating a 4,000 metric ton per year commercial plant in Iceland since 2021 and just opened a 36,000-ton plant earlier this month, say that they are still testing the technology and therefore are not ready to share any stats that could be misinterpreted.
The potential to scale could also have less to do with the details of any one company’s technology and more to do with the ability to procure clean energy or to find somewhere to store the captured carbon.
Though 280 Earth is officially collecting CO2, the company doesn’t yet have anywhere to put it. Pimental told me the company plans to transport the gas by truck or rail to a carbon dioxide storage well, but it has not yet signed any agreements with well operators, and it’s unclear how long that could take. There are currently only a few operating carbon storage wells in the country, located in Illinois and North Dakota. But additional wells have been permitted in California, Indiana, and Wyoming, and many more are under review by the Environmental Protection Agency. Rather than sequester the carbon underground, the company could also sell it for industrial uses. Heirloom, for example, has an agreement with a company called CarbonCure to take the CO2 it captures and store it in concrete.
Regardless, 280 Earth company is aiming to scale up quickly and plans to build a new unit that can capture 5,000 tons of CO2 per year by 2025. Pimental told me that equipment procurement and permitting for that project are already underway. 280 Earth has not been awarded any government funding to date, but the company plans to compete to be one of the Department of Energy’s next direct air capture “hubs.”
Pimental told me he likes his odds. “I think we’ll be in a very strong position because not many people have a 500 ton commercial demonstration facility up and running.”
https://heatmap.news/technology/direct-air-capture-280-earth
IBM packages its Power cloud into ‘pods’ that run on-prem
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Zero bucks to start but then the meter runs on everything – for years
IBM has decided the time is right to bring its Power-powered cloud on-prem.…
Airbnb just partnered with ChargePoint to help hosts install home EV chargers
date: 2024-05-22, from: Electrek Feed
Airbnb and ChargePoint have partnered to help homestay hosts install EV chargers in the US in the face of growing demand.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/22/airbnb-chargepoint-home-ev-chargers/
Logitech MeetUp 2 boasts obligatory AI and a price tag to match
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Yay, meeting room technology
Logitech has unveiled a follow-up to 2017’s MeetUp camera with the creatively named MeetUp 2, alongside a room booking solution.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/logitech_meetup_2/
How to Unlock Super Cheap Rooftop Solar
date: 2024-05-22, from: Heatmap News
Why isn’t rooftop solar cheaper in America? In Australia in 2024, a standard rooftop system can cost as little as 90 cents per watt. In the U.S., a similar system might go for $4 per watt. If America could come even close to Australia’s rooftop solar prices, then we would be able to decarbonize the power system much faster than we are now.
Mary Powell has the answers. She is the chief executive officer of Sunrun, a $2.6 billion company that is the country’s largest rooftop solar and battery installer. Sunrun has set up or managed more than 900,000 rooftop systems across the U.S. Powell previously led Green Mountain Power, Vermont’s largest investor-owned power company.
On this week’s episode of Shift Key — a continuation, of sorts, to one of our most popular early episodes — Rob and Jesse talk about how the rooftop solar business works and what’s driving America’s higher costs. Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer, the founding executive editor of Heatmap, and Jesse Jenkins, a professor of energy systems engineering at Princeton University.
Subscribe to “Shift Key” and find this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also add the show’s RSS feed to your podcast app to follow us directly.
Here is an excerpt from our conversation:
Jesse Jenkins: And so, just some stats to start off the conversation. The latest quarterly solar update from the Department of Energy notes that the average cost of a 2 to 10 kilowatt residential rooftop system in the U.S. is roughly $4 per watt, DC, installed. That’s the full installed system costs, not just the modules.
I just looked up solarchoice.net.au, the Australian site that tracks bids and costs in Australia, which has one of the most vibrant rooftop solar industries in the country. There, you can now install a rooftop solar system in Sydney for just under $1 U.S. per watt, which is quite remarkable — you know, dramatically cheaper than it was a few years ago, but also dramatically cheaper than the U.S residential solar market, by a factor of four.
And so obviously, if we could knock the cost of rooftop solar in the U.S. down by another 75%, it would be an incredible value proposition all over the country. So, how do we get there, Mary? What explains why solar in the U.S., rooftop solar, is much more expensive than it is in places like Australia — I should say, it’s not just Australia. It’s also, you know, the U.K. and Germany and Belgium and other places. Why is it so much more expensive here now than it is in these other countries? And how do we drive down the cost of residential solar installations in the U.S. so that we can unlock that potential here, too?
Mary Powell: Yeah, for sure. I mean, that is so exciting when you think about it, Jesse. What gets me so excited when you say that is I think, ‘Oh my gosh, we are selling all across America now with savings against what people are paying for utility power.’ So customers — even at our current costs. So back to your question on how I see the future, just think about how powerful that will be as we continue to innovate and figure out ways to drive down the cost.
Now, that said, the biggest driver of the cost difference is the way the American energy system is built. And not just that, but we have 40,000 AHJs in the United States that each have their own distinct solar process and rules. And in Australia they have fewer than 600.
Robinson Meyer: And those are like cities?
Powell: It’s housing jurisdictions. It’s like — let me give you an example. In DuPage County, Illinois, we have to have a full time employee pull permits all day. Only one permit at a time.
You know, the other big thing in the U.S. is our whole energy system, as we know, it is very much driven by state and regional rules. Like rules of the road, a lot of regulatory differences from one jurisdiction to another, a lot of massive differences from one utility to another. So, you know, interconnection for residential is still costly, time consuming, and is even prohibited in some areas. Interconnection fees for home solar systems from utilities range from $100 to $10,000. So, one of the bright spots is the work that Sunrun was involved in, a lot of players were involved in, and that Secretary Jennifer Granholm is really focused on, which is SolarAPP+. So, that is one way to drive down the cost, Jesse.
Back to the difference: So really, I would say, the biggest difference is bureaucracy. When you talk about Australia and you talk about the U.S., that’s the biggest difference.
This episode of Shift Key is sponsored by…
Watershed’s climate data engine helps companies measure and reduce their emissions, turning the data they already have into an audit-ready carbon footprint backed by the latest climate science. Get the sustainability data you need in weeks, not months. Learn more at watershed.com.
FischTank PR uses its decade-plus experience working in the climate tech space to introduce clients to top-tier journalists at the right time, for the right story. We don’t tire-spin — we take action and understand we are hired to get results. To learn more, visit fischtankpr.com.
Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow.
https://heatmap.news/podcast/shift-key-episode-17-mary-powell-sunrun
The Savvy Senior | Ways to Make Gardening Easier as You Age
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Signal
Dear Savvy Senior, What gardening tips can you offer to older seniors? I love to putter around and work in the garden, but my back and knees have caused […]
The post The Savvy Senior | Ways to Make Gardening Easier as You Age appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/the-savvy-senior-ways-to-make-gardening-easier-as-you-age/
Reading on the go
date: 2024-05-22, from: Enlightenment Economics
I’ve been travelling, including a week of holiday, so my reading has leant more towards fiction than usual. (Tokyo – my first trip, highly recommended, loved the TeamLab exhibitions.) Among the non-fiction, though, were two excellent (non-economics) books: Philip Ball’s … Continue reading
http://www.enlightenmenteconomics.com/blog/index.php/2024/05/reading-on-the-go/
Microsoft Build 2024 looks like it’s more about AI fluff than developer stuff
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Windows? We’re the Copilot company now
Comment Microsoft’s Build 2024 conference is getting under way in Seattle. As the Copilot company makes a multitude of AI announcements, one question seems pertinent: Is Build and Microsoft’s commitment to developers starting to wither?…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/microsoft_build_2024/
Capture solar eclipses with Raspberry Pi 4 and the High Quality Camera
date: 2024-05-22, from: Raspberry Pi News (.com)
Maker CapeGeek’s solar eclipse-capturing system harnesses a Raspberry Pi 4 and one of our cameras wearing a telephoto lens.
The post Capture solar eclipses with Raspberry Pi 4 and the High Quality Camera appeared first on Raspberry Pi.
But seriously, is Trump now openly embracing fascism?
date: 2024-05-22, from: Robert Reich on Substack
It may be the ideological heart of his campaign.
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/but-seriously-is-trump-now-openly
GitHub Enterprise Server patches 10-outta-10 critical hole
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
On the bright side, someone made up to $30,000+ for finding it
GitHub has patched its Enterprise Server software to fix a security flaw that scored a 10 out of 10 CVSS severity score.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/github_enterprise_server_patch/
Classifieds – May 22, 2024
date: 2024-05-22, 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 – May 22, 2024 appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/05/22/classifieds-may-22-2024/
May 21, 2024*
date: 2024-05-22, from: Heather Cox Richardson blog
Trump’s lawyers rested their defense of the former president today, putting an end to the testimony we will hear in the case. Trump did not testify. Trump’s refusal to take the stand encapsulates the MAGA approach to politics. Since the 2020 presidential election, he and his surrogates have made repeated accusations and statements about how the system is rigged against them and alleged there is evidence that proves them right.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-22-2024
Elections in Georgia, California overshadow remaining US presidential contests
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
Today in SCV History (May 22)
date: 2024-05-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
1865 – Discoverer Ramon Perea and partner sell Pico Canyon oil claim to Edward Beale and Robert Baker for $300. [story
https://scvnews.com/today-in-scv-history-may-22/
‘IF’ is a heartwarming journey to nowhere
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
John Krasinski’s latest live-action animated film suffers under its own imagination.
The post ‘IF’ is a heartwarming journey to nowhere appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/05/22/if-is-a-heartwarming-journey-to-nowhere/
Overpolicing should not be present on our campus
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Police presence on campus makes students and community members feel unwelcome.
The post Overpolicing should not be present on our campus appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/05/22/overpolicing-should-not-be-present-on-our-campus/
Red-hot USC baseball trots into Pac-12 Tournament on a roll
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The Trojans secured the No. 4 seed for the second consecutive year Saturday.
The post Red-hot USC baseball trots into Pac-12 Tournament on a roll appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/05/22/red-hot-usc-baseball-trots-into-pac-12-tournament-on-a-roll/
Lizzy McAlpine headlines the Greek Theatre with vulnerability, talent
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
“Older,” the artist’s third studio album, took center stage Saturday evening.
The post Lizzy McAlpine headlines the Greek Theatre with vulnerability, talent appeared first on Daily Trojan.
Students host ‘People’s Commencement’ after University bans protesters from graduation
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Thirty-four students walked at the event, which featured keynote speakers and food.
The post Students host ‘People’s Commencement’ after University bans protesters from graduation appeared first on Daily Trojan.
USC reinforces the carceral state
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The University’s criminalization of students demonstrates its distorted sense of justice.
The post USC reinforces the carceral state appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/05/22/usc-reinforces-the-carceral-state/
Kendry Páez will win titles on his own
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
With the Copa America on the horizon, soccer fans should train their eye on Ecuador’s prolific young attacker.
The post Kendry Páez will win titles on his own appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/05/22/211059/
Faculty share letters of support for protesters
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The statements condemned the University’s deployment of police aganist students.
The post Faculty share letters of support for protesters appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/05/22/faculty-share-letters-of-support-for-protesters/
Shuttle drivers reach first-ever contract with USC
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The union canceled their protest set for May 10 after securing a last minute deal.
The post Shuttle drivers reach first-ever contract with USC appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/05/22/shuttle-drivers-reach-first-ever-contract-with-usc/
Top AI players pledge to pull the plug on models that present intolerable risk
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Seoul Summit follows up Bletchley Declaration with more non-binding and vague promises
Sixteen global AI leaders – including Google, Microsoft, IBM, and OpenAI – have made fresh but non-binding pledges to deactivate their own tech if it shows signs it is driving a dystopian outcome.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/ai_safety_seoul_declaration_signed/
Inaugural NextGen MediaMakers Festival Celebrates Young Creatives
date: 2024-05-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Santa Clarita Valley Media Collaborative’s inaugural NextGen MediaMakers Festival was held Saturday, May 18 at the Canyon Country Community Center.
https://scvnews.com/inaugural-nextgen-mediamakers-festival-celebrates-young-creatives/
curl 8.8.0
date: 2024-05-22, from: Daniel Stenberg Blog
Numbers the 257th release8 changes56 days (total: 9,560)220 bug-fixes (total: 10,271)348 commits (total: 32,280)1 new public libcurl function (total: 94)1 new curl_easy_setopt() option (total: 305)1 new curl command line option (total: 259)84 contributors, 41 new (total: 3,173)49 authors, 20 new (total: 1,272)0 security fixes (total: 155) Download the new curl release from curl.se as always. … Continue reading curl 8.8.0
https://daniel.haxx.se/blog/2024/05/22/curl-8-8-0/
Sergey Durmanov opened issue #137: [Fox] Critical bug with passing a parameter with the open array type at Felix Oliver Friedrich / Oberon A2
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: Oberon A2 at CAS
Critical bug with passing a parameter with the open array type:
MODULE TestBug;
TYPE
Set = ARRAY 4 OF SET;
Ptr = POINTER TO RECORD END;
PROCEDURE Test(p: ANY; VAR s: ARRAY OF Set);
BEGIN
TRACE(p);
END Test;
PROCEDURE Do*;
VAR
ptr : Ptr;
set : ARRAY 1 OF Set;
BEGIN
ptr := NEW Ptr();
TRACE(ptr);
Test(ptr, set);
END Do;
END TestBug.
TestBug.Do~
System.Free TestBug~
Decoder.Open TestBug~https://gitlab.inf.ethz.ch/felixf/oberon/-/issues/137
Two weeks ago, Alibaba Cloud bragged its AI was soaring. Now it’s slashing prices
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
ByteDance added a cheap service and the market followed it down
China’s top AI players have made enormous cuts to the price of their services.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/china_ai_cost_crash/
Russian attacks on Ukraine power grid touch Kyiv with blackouts ahead of peak demand
date: 2024-05-22, from: Associated Press, World News
Sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in recent weeks have forced leaders of the war-ravaged country to institute nationwide rolling blackouts.
https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-power-grid-russian-attacks-c763050237bcc1388747283bf336f8ad
Biden administration faces pressure on US weapons restrictions in Russia
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
Starlink offers ‘unusually hostile environment’ to TCP
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Hopping satellites every 15 seconds will do that to a protocol
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service “represents an unusually hostile link environment” to the TCP protocol, according to Geoff Huston, chief scientist at the Asia Pacific Network Information Center.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/starlink_tcp_performance_evaluation/
Habari! White House to welcome Kenyan president
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
The White House will roll out the red carpet for the first African leader to be hosted for a state visit since 2008. Kenyan President William Ruto will be honored with a state dinner, the White House says. Also on the table are Nairobi’s aims to leverage Washington’s largesse and influence after Kenya offered to send a peacekeeping force to Haiti. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House. Larry Lazo contributed to the report.
https://www.voanews.com/a/habari-white-house-to-welcome-kenyan-president/7622019.html
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-05-22, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Blogrolls in WordPress.
https://josh.blog/2024/05/blogrolls
ICC’s effort to seek arrest warrants for leaders harm chances of cease-fire, says Blinken
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers Tuesday the International Criminal Court’s decision to seek an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endangers hopes for a cease-fire in Gaza. Katherine Gypson reports. Saqib Ui Islam contributed.
Paramedics called to Saugus district office
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Signal
L.A. County Fire Department officials responded to the Saugus Union School District Office late Tuesday afternoon for a medical emergency involving the district’s superintendent, according to a source at the […]
The post Paramedics called to Saugus district office appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/paramedics-called-to-saugus-district-office/
Biden, Trump win Kentucky primaries as nominating season winds down
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
Saugus district hosts first-ever Multilingual Literacy Night
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Signal
Parents and students from around the world gathered in West Creek Academy’s multipurpose room last week to attend the Saugus Union School District’s first district-wide Multilingual Literacy Night. In an […]
The post Saugus district hosts first-ever Multilingual Literacy Night appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/saugus-district-hosts-first-ever-multilingual-literacy-night/
Uncle Sam to inject $50M into auto-patcher for hospital IT
date: 2024-05-22, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Boffins, why not simply invent an algorithm that autonomously fixes flaws, thereby ending ransomware forever
The US government’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has pledged more than $50 million to fund the development of technology that aims to automate the process of securing hospital IT environments.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/50m_investment_hospital_security/
Henry Mayo Trauma Center celebrates 40 years
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Signal
There was a message of gratitude Tuesday at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital as a procession of representatives for local elected officials spoke, providing the usual form of recognition — a […]
The post Henry Mayo Trauma Center celebrates 40 years appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/henry-mayo-trauma-center-celebrates-40-years/
Habari! White House to welcome Kenyan president
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
The White House — The White House gave three reasons for inviting Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday to break the 16-year drought during which no African leader has been honored with a pomp-filled state visit.
Those include the two governments’ shared democratic convictions and their like-minded approach in leveraging the private sector to meet government aims.
But the primary reason, the administration’s new top Africa policymaker told VOA, is Kenya’s recent decision to assert itself globally by offering 1,000 peacekeepers for Haiti. The first tranche of boots on the ground are expected to hit Haitian soil this week.
“We chose Kenya for a few reasons,” Frances Brown, senior director for African affairs at the National Security Council, told VOA during her first media interview since taking the post. “No. 1 is the Kenya-U.S. partnership has really grown from a regionally focused one to a globally focused one. We’ve been really pleased by the way that Kenyans have stepped up to play leadership [roles] beyond their region.”
Analysts say a state visit is a big deal.
“It is the highest diplomatic honor that our president can bestow,” said Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow in the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“It’s typically an indicator of a very close and important bilateral relationship. And so, elevating Kenya to the level of, let’s say, a Japan, which was the most recent country to have a state visit, I think it is symbolic. And it’s important for all the reasons that I just described as far as Kenya being on a level that we would give it the same privileges as one of our oldest and longest security partners,” Hudson said.
Brown said the administration aims to use the visit to reach agreements in areas like technology, climate management, debt relief and health.
And on the Haiti mission, Washington has signaled its approval: with $300 million in support.
“We’ve been working really closely with them,” Brown said. “As you may know, there’s been planning underway for a number of months. It has included policing experts from around the world working to develop a concept of operations. Kenya is not going it alone.”
Other priorities
Meanwhile, the Kenyan leader says his focus is on debt restructuring, and activists in the East African nation are sounding the alarm over human rights concerns.
Ruto, in Atlanta for his first stop of his four-day U.S. visit, said he’d use his time in Washington to “make a case for many countries in Africa, including Kenya, seeking to adjust international financial architecture.”
“Many countries are in economic and debt distress occasioned by climate change and compounded by an unjust international financial architecture and also an imperfect multilateralism,” he said.
“We now run the escalating risk of democracy and free markets being associated with poverty, and lending credit to the widespread lamentation that democracy is or has been on the retreat in many parts of the world, including Africa,” Ruto added.
But human rights advocates in Nairobi told VOA they hope American leadership will also raise what they see as serious concerns, like reports of abuses by Kenyan police, who are taking the lead in the Haiti mission.
“We see this as a really excellent opportunity to focus on governance, human rights and rule of law, for many reasons,” Irungu Houghton, executive director for Amnesty International Kenya, told VOA. “Both the United States and Kenya are nations that projected themselves as essentially, nations that believe in these values, and the state dinner is an opportunity really to focus on that.”
Others highlight a tightening of public expression, especially over the hot-button issue of the Gaza war. Many African nations have criticized Israel’s behavior in the conflict, but Kenya’s government has kept largely quiet.
“Especially within the Muslim community in Kenya, we’ve had persons trying to protest them and to picket on this issue, but they had a very, very hard time having access to the streets, because every time they go out, the police arrest them,” said Demas Kiprono, who leads the Kenyan section of the International Commission of Jurists.
Others say they hope American leadership will voice concerns over a pending Kenyan law that they say targets sexual minorities.
“It’s criminalizing things even like pronouns. It’s criminalizing things like using [gender] neutral toilets. It’s a horrible, horrible law that is being financed by Family Watch International — that’s the same organization that financed the Uganda bill and all the (LGBTQ)-related bills basically in Africa and even in the U.S.,” said activist and organizer Yvonne Muthoni.
Family Watch International is a conservative Christian American lobbying group. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups, says it “works within the United Nations and with countries around the world to further anti-LGBT and anti-choice stances.”
“We are looking at violence that is coming from this. Whether it’s online or physical violence, we are seeing a rise in the number of cases that are being reported, in the number of complaints, in the rallies that are being called for. So, it is quite a scary time for Kenya right now,” Muthoni said.
The view from here and there
At the White House this week, a large Kenyan flag was displayed alongside an American flag, each covering the height of an entire story of the hulking gray Eisenhower Executive Building. Workers erected massive white sails around the White House’s North Portico, where the Bidens plan to formally welcome the Rutos.
Meanwhile, the day after Ruto departed Nairobi — likely traversing the new Chinese-built superhighway that cuts the city in half and ends at the airport — one had to scroll far down on news to find mention of his American jaunt.
Instead, the nation’s prominent newspapers focused on issues that Kenyans wrestle with daily. The Standard’s front page wrote of 850,000 new jobs last year — close to the 900,000 the World Bank says is needed to sustain economic growth in the lower middle-income country.
That coverage mirrors Kenyans’ priorities, Houghton said.
“Most Kenyans are economically distressed,” he said. “They are very concerned about the cost of living. Thousands of them went onto the streets last year and almost rendered the country ungovernable in certain counties because they felt that the crippling number of taxes that had been introduced were essentially not making it possible for them to survive. We’ve seen a deterioration in terms of the services, education, health and otherwise. … So, there is a very clear disproportionate, I guess, energy around this visit.”
Farhad Pouladi contributed to this report from the White House.
https://www.voanews.com/a/habari-white-house-to-welcome-kenyan-president/7621966.html
Softball season roundup
date: 2024-05-22, from: The Signal
Softball in the Santa Clarita Valley is all wrapped up, with Valencia having repeated as Foothill League champions while nearly every other team saw program milestones. Here are the 2024 […]
The post Softball season roundup appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/softball-season-roundup/
Blinken: Gaza cease-fire still possible, but ICC’s move complicates efforts
date: 2024-05-22, from: VOA News USA
state department — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas militants in return for the release of hostages remains possible, but the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli leaders hindered ongoing efforts.
“There’s been an extensive effort made in recent months to get that agreement. I think we came very, very close on a couple of occasions. Qatar, Egypt, others participating in the efforts to do this — we remain at it every single day. I think that there’s still a possibility,” Blinken told lawmakers during a hearing at the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
But Blinken said the “extremely wrongheaded decision” by the ICC prosecutor to seek arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister, defense minister and three Hamas leaders in Gaza for war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the Israel-Hamas war complicated the prospects of reaching such a deal.
On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden denounced the ICC prosecutor’s decision to equate Hamas terror attacks and civilian abductions in southern Israel with Israel’s military practices in Gaza, calling the ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants “outrageous.”
Blinken said he will be happy to work with the Congress “on an appropriate response.”
Some lawmakers are considering legislation to sanction ICC officials for prosecuting U.S. citizens or allies, including Israel.
The top U.S. diplomat began two days of congressional testimonies, which were immediately interrupted by protesters holding signs that read “war criminal.” They were escorted out of the hearing room by Capitol Police.
Military operation in Rafah
In the nearly three-hour hearing, Blinken also said the Biden administration remains “very concerned” about a major military operation by Israel in Rafah.
The U.S. has opposed a full-scale military assault by Israel in Rafah, situated in the southern part of Gaza. Such an operation would endanger the lives of 1.3 million civilians who evacuated from the northern and central areas of the territory to seek safety from Israel’s military response to Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.
Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 80,000, most of them civilians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The offensive was launched following a Hamas terror attack into Israel that killed 1,200 people.
US-Saudi defense pact
U.S. officials said the United States and Saudi Arabia are nearing a final agreement on a bilateral defense pact.
Once complete, it will be part of a broader deal presented to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who must decide whether to make concessions to his opposition regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state to secure normalization with Saudi Arabia.
On Tuesday, Blinken admitted that Israel might be reluctant to accept a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia if it requires them to agree to a Palestinian state.
In his testimony before the U.S. Congress, Blinken told Democratic Senator Chris Murphy “the overall package could not go forward, absent other things that have to happen for normalization to proceed.”
“And in particular,” he said, “the Saudis have been very clear that would require calm in Gaza. And it would require a credible pathway to a Palestinian state. And it may well be, as you said, that in this moment, Israel is not able or willing to proceed down that pathway.”
Blinken added that Israel must “decide whether it wants to proceed and take advantage of the opportunity” to achieve something that it has sought since its founding: normal relations with the countries in the region.
Netanyahu has rejected the two-state solution and the return of the Palestinian Authority controlling Gaza, demands that are widely supported by the international community.
The Saudis have demanded, as a prerequisite to normalizing ties with Israel, to see an Israeli commitment to the two-state solution.
City of Santa Barbara Grants $5M Loan Toward Low-Income Housing Near La Cumbre
date: 2024-05-22, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara will build 48 units at former medical offices.
The post City of Santa Barbara Grants $5M Loan Toward Low-Income Housing Near La Cumbre appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
LACoFD Hosts International Disaster Search, Rescue Training
date: 2024-05-22, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The County of Los Angeles Fire Department’s urban search and rescue (USAR) team, known internationally as USA-2, successfully completed a 36-hour training exercise and evaluation by international experts last week at the Del Valle Regional Training Center in Castaic to continue deploying to disasters around the world
https://scvnews.com/lacofd-hosts-international-disaster-search-rescue-training/
Workshop in Barcelona: How to Build a Low-tech Website
date: 2024-05-22, from: Blog Muffinlabs
Website technology is becoming increasingly complex and energy intensive, with big companies like Meta and Google leading the dance. Is this necessary? What does it really take to get our content online?
Low←tech Magazine & Antoine Jaunard are teaming up to bring you a low-tech website making workshop. It takes place in Barcelona, at Akasha Hub, on 25 May from 3 to 6 pm.
Together, we will demystify web technologies by making websites that are simple to create and modify. Websites that can be hosted anywhere, even on a DIY solar powered server.
The workshop will be in English or Spanish depending on you. Come as you are. And just bring your computer.
More info: Workshop How to build a Low-tech Website?
https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2024/05/workshop-in-barcelona-how-to-build-a-low-tech-website/
Call for Sponsors for PGConf.EU 2024 is now open!
date: 2024-05-22, from: PostgreSQL News
PGConf.EU 2024 will take place in Athens from October 22-25, gathering attendees from around the world and across industries. Developers, DBAs, product managers, company CTOs, and CEOs will come together to this largest European PostgreSQL event.
PGConf.EU provides a fantastic opportunity for companies in the Postgres ecosystem to present their services and products, recruit top talent, and increase their footprint in Europe and beyond. Becoming a sponsor also means supporting an event organized and run solely by volunteers dedicated to ensuring the prosperity of Postgres for years to come.
The different sponsorship levels cover various aspects of exposure, with all levels including free tickets to the event. There is a limited number of Platinum and Gold sponsorships available, so sign up to secure your spot now.
We would appreciate it if you could forward this message to decision-makers in your company and encourage them to support us.
We look forward to seeing you and your colleagues in Athens!
https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/call-for-sponsors-for-pgconfeu-2024-is-now-open-2864/
Big Tech, VC firms pump $1B into ML data darling Scale AI
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Be careful not to over-inflate, you may burst your bubble
Scale AI’s valuation soared to nearly $14 billion on Tuesday after the startup revealed it has raked in a billion dollars in venture capital in a late-stage funding round led by VC house Accel with support from industry titans Nvidia, Amazon, and Meta to name a few.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/scale_ai_funding/
Supes Appoint Edward Yen Executive Officer
date: 2024-05-21, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors appointed Edward Yen as the new executive officer Tuesday to oversee the administration of the Board of Supervisors
https://scvnews.com/supes-appoint-edward-yen-executive-officer/
Local track standouts head to state
date: 2024-05-21, from: The Signal
Over a dozen local athletes will be heading to the CIF track and field state meet this weekend after punching their tickets at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet on […]
The post Local track standouts head to state appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/local-track-standouts-head-to-state/
Serious Traffic Collision at State Street and Mission Street
date: 2024-05-21, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
On May 21, 2024, at approximately 1:42 pm, the Santa Barbara Police Department’s Combined Communications Center received reports of a
The post Serious Traffic Collision at State Street and Mission Street appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/05/21/serious-traffic-collision-at-state-street-and-mission-street/
Deputy held to answer in DUI-tampering allegation
date: 2024-05-21, from: The Signal
A former L.A. County Sheriff’s Department deputy accused of covering up a Stevenson Ranch DUI crash involving a fellow deputy nearly two years ago was held to answer to the […]
The post Deputy held to answer in DUI-tampering allegation appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/deputy-held-to-answer-in-dui-tampering-allegation/
Hundreds of Gaviota Coast Watchdogs Oppose Newest Naples Project
date: 2024-05-21, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The County Zoning Administrator hearing was pushed to July due to the flood of public comments against the proposed single-family residential project, which would be the first of 71 lots approved for development at Naples more than a decade ago.
The post Hundreds of Gaviota Coast Watchdogs Oppose Newest Naples Project appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
@Tomosino’s Mastodon feed (date: 2024-05-21, from: Tomosino’s Mastodon feed)
We’ve got 3D printers that can print food, right? Those are somewhere in the pipeline? How long till I can print myself a taco? Are we wasting our collective innovation effort on machine learning algorithms to generate trash scientific papers and ruin science when we could be putting that energy into printing tacos? I’d like to speak to the manager, please.
https://tilde.zone/@tomasino/112481688954610535
@Tomosino’s Mastodon feed (date: 2024-05-21, from: Tomosino’s Mastodon feed)
You wouldn’t download a taco
(this is patently untrue)
https://tilde.zone/@tomasino/112481673578478804
2024 Dream with Us Design Challenge Winners
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
Congratulations! Our 2024 Dream with Us challenge has concluded, and we are pleased to share the winning projects: Middle School 1st Place: The Unstoppable Changemakers Team (Anika J. and Aidan R.) Fire Drones is a system of drones that battle wildfires. They use solar power for sustainability, machine learning technology for early detection of potential […]
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/armd/2024-dream-with-us-design-challenge-winners/
Microsoft smartens up Edge for Business with screenshot blocking, logo branding, more
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
And real-time video translation for things like this: ¡Apestas, Redmond!
Build Edge for Business, Microsoft’s year-old entry in the enterprise browser race, has received a handful of security and productivity upgrades that were announced on Tuesday at the technology giant’s Build developer conference.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/microsoft_edge_business/
Newhall Farmers Market Celebrating Nine-Year Anniversary
date: 2024-05-21, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Old Town Newhall Farmers Market will be celebrating its nine-year anniversary Saturday, May
https://scvnews.com/newhall-farmers-market-celebrating-nine-year-anniversary/
Six Cougars Earn Academic Excellence Award, Graduating Class Honored
date: 2024-05-21, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The College of the Canyons Athletic Department honored Cougar student-athletes who will be graduating and/or transferring this semester while also naming six Student-Athlete Academic Excellence Award Winners during the department’s annual end of the year celebratory dinner
https://scvnews.com/six-cougars-earn-academic-excellence-award-graduating-class-honored/
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-05-21, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
The Swimming Song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOnqh7LplTs
CIO who dropped VMware 18 months ago now feeling thoroughly chuffed
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-22, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Predicts worse to come for customers as he builds AR for slot machines around Nutanix
Next Gregg Lowe is feeling thoroughly chuffed about his technology buying decisions.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/nutanix_vmware_migrations/
Archaeologists Discover Ancient Roman Swimming Pool in Albania
date: 2024-05-21, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Found in an upper-class villa, the indoor pool was accompanied by decorative mosaics and frescoes dating back nearly two millennia
How to make Google’s new “Web” search option the default in your browser
date: 2024-05-21, from: OS News
Last week, Google unveiled a new little feature in Google Search, called “Web”. Residing alongside the various other options like “All”, “Images”, “Video”, and so on, its goal is to effectively strip Google Search results from everything we generally don’t like, and just present a list of actual links to actual websites. It turns out it’s quite simple to set this as your default search “engine” in your browser, so somebody made a website to make that process a little easier. On May 15th Google released a new “Web” filter that removes “AI Overview” and other clutter, leaving only traditional web results. Here is how you can set “Google Web” as your default search engine. ↫ TenBlueLinks.org It’s important to note that this is not some separate search engine, and that no data is flowing any differently than when using regular Google. All this does is append the parameter UDM=14 to the URL, which loads the option “Web”.
https://www.osnews.com/story/139762/how-to-make-googles-new-web-search-option-the-default/
ProPublica’s new “50 states” commitment builds on a decade-plus of local news partnerships
date: 2024-05-21, from: Ben Werdmuller’s blog
<div class="known-bookmark">
<div class="e-content">“It’s a good time to be ProPublica. And it’s a good thing that we have ProPublica.”
Hey, that’s where I work!
The article continues:
“Spreading its journalistic wealth has long been core to its mission. The latest iteration of that is the 50 State Initiative, announced last month.”
The 50 State Initiative is a commitment to publishing accountability journalism in every US state over the next five years. This is an expansion of the Local Reporting Network, which was already doing great work in partnership with local newsrooms. As this piece points out, there are actually only two states where ProPublica hasn’t run some kind of an investigative story - but, of course, the 50 States Initiative goes much deeper than that. It’s an exciting time to be working here. #Media
<p>[<a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/05/propublicas-new-50-states-commitment-builds-on-a-decade-plus-of-local-news-partnerships/">Link</a>]</p>
</div>
</div>Book Review | ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ by Shehan Karunatilaka
date: 2024-05-21, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
“A highly readable novel peppered with insights,” is our reviewer’s take on this Booker Prize–winning tale.
The post Book Review | ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ by Shehan Karunatilaka appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Microsoft AI Studio opens for business, with a nod to safety
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Redmond is ready to help folks build AI ‘copilots’
Build At Microsoft’s Build developer conference on Tuesday, CEO Satya Nadella announced that Redmond’s Azure AI Studio is moving to general availability.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/microsoft_ai_studio_opens_for/
El mes próximo comenzará la poda y retirada de algunos pinos piñoneros italianos de la calle Anapamu
date: 2024-05-21, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
SANTA BARBARA, CA – 21 de mayo de 2024 El personal de Silvicultura Urbana de la Ciudad de Santa Bárbara
The post El mes próximo comenzará la poda y retirada de algunos pinos piñoneros italianos de la calle Anapamu appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Pruning and Removal of Select Anapamu Street Italian Stone Pines to Begin Next Month
date: 2024-05-21, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
SANTA BARBARA, CA – May 21, 2024 The City of Santa Barbara’s Urban Forestry staff will remove five Italian stone
The post Pruning and Removal of Select Anapamu Street Italian Stone Pines to Begin Next Month appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Proactive Arrest Leads to Successful Overdose Reversal
date: 2024-05-21, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Isla Vista, Calif. – A pro-active arrest by deputies resulted in saving the life of the man they arrested. On
The post Proactive Arrest Leads to Successful Overdose Reversal appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/05/21/proactive-arrest-leads-to-successful-overdose-reversal/
Santa Barbara County Supervisors Approve Funding for 12 New Mental-Health Beds
date: 2024-05-21, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The county’s Crisis Stabilization Unit will reopen as an eight-bed, locked facility run by private contractor Crestwood, which is also adding four beds to its Lompoc facility.
The post Santa Barbara County Supervisors Approve Funding for 12 New Mental-Health Beds appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Henry Mayo Trauma Center Celebrates 40 Years
date: 2024-05-21, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital’s Level II Trauma Center marked 40 years of service at a ceremony Tuesday, May
https://scvnews.com/henry-mayo-trauma-center-celebrates-40-years/
Santa Barbara City College Athletics Hall of Fame 2024 Inductees
date: 2024-05-21, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The event honors Vaqueros who have had a lasting impact on the culture of excellence at SBCC.
The post Santa Barbara City College Athletics Hall of Fame 2024 Inductees appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Ranu Mukherjee Appointed CalArts Dean of Film/Video
date: 2024-05-21, from: SCV New (TV Station)
California Institute of the Arts announced the appointment of Ranu Mukherjee as dean of its School of Film/Video
https://scvnews.com/ranu-mukherjee-appointed-calarts-dean-of-film-video/
Kingdom Rush
date: 2024-05-21, from: Chris Coyier blog
I think it was during the ShopTalk with Blake Watson where “tower defense” games briefly came up and someone recommended Kingdom Rush. It’s not exactly new, coming out in 2011, but it was new to me. I played on iOS. It feels like the total classic of tower defense games. Monsters come at you, you […]
https://chriscoyier.net/2024/05/21/kingdom-rush/
Range Rover’s first electric SUV gets faster charging and more range with new battery tech
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
After a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the Range Rover Electric will feature Fortescue’s advanced EV battery software. The battery tech, which will be first used on the Range Rover EV, is claimed to boost range with faster charging speeds.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/21/range-rover-first-electric-suv-gets-faster-charging-more-range/
New Bipartisan Bill Allows Military Contractors To Fleece Taxpayers
date: 2024-05-21, from: The Lever News
After donating millions to key lawmakers, military contractors scored two provisions in an upcoming Pentagon funding bill allowing them to continue overcharging the government.
https://www.levernews.com/new-bipartisan-bill-allows-military-contractors-to-fleece-taxpayers/
Biden and Trump compete for women’s votes
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
Women voters are more than half of the U.S. electorate. VOA Correspondent Scott Stearns reports on what presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump are doing to win women’s votes.
https://www.voanews.com/a/biden-and-trump-compete-for-women-s-votes/7621511.html
A history of a logo with a colon and two slashes
date: 2024-05-21, from: Daniel Stenberg Blog
In the 2015 time frame I had come to the conclusion that the curl logo could use modernization and I was toying with ideas of how it could be changed. The original had served us well, but it definitely had a 1990s era feel to it. On June 11th 2015, I posted this image in … Continue reading A history of a logo with a colon and two slashes
https://daniel.haxx.se/blog/2024/05/21/a-history-of-a-logo-with-a-colon-and-two-slashes/
Ohio power plants want special tariffs on datacenters to protect regional grid
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Server operators may need to pay up front, even for electricity they don’t need yet
The Ohio branch of American Electric Power (AEP) wants to slap new tariffs on the increasing number of power-hungry datacenters in the Buckeye State.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/ohio_datacenter_power/
Rivian leak says R1 getting smaller, cheaper battery and heat pump in ’25
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
Rivian has applied to certify its 2025 model year R1T and R1S with the EPA, and the document reveals some big changes in store.
State Lawmakers Advance Social Media Bills
date: 2024-05-21, from: SCV New (TV Station)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — The California Legislature on Monday overwhelmingly approved two bills that would change how social media companies do business
https://scvnews.com/state-lawmakers-advance-social-media-bills/
Decentralized Systems Will Be Necessary To Stop Google From Putting The Web Into Managed Decline
date: 2024-05-21, from: Ben Werdmuller’s blog
<div class="known-bookmark">
<div class="e-content">“The various decentralized social media systems that have been growing over the past few years offer a very different potential approach: one in which you get to build the experience you want, rather than the one a giant company wants.”
There’s a chicken and egg problem here: while decentralized systems are absolutely going to be part of the solution, or at least hold most of the properties that make for a good solution, they also need to have a critical mass of people who use them.
A lot of people are looking towards Threads to provide this critical mass, but just as I’d invite newsrooms to consider how to gain more traffic without Apple News, I’d invite the federated social web community to consider what a growth looks like without Meta. It’s not that Threads won’t help - it’s that you don’t want to be dependent on a megacorp to provide the assistance you need. You never know when they’ll change their policies and look elsewhere.
Still, the point stands: decentralization is a key part of the answer. There’s a lot to be gained from investing in projects that provide strong user experiences, solve concrete real human problems alongside the ideological ones and the existential threats, and onboard a new generation of internet users to a better way to share and browse.
That’s a tall order, but, as always, I’m hopeful. #Technology
<p>[<a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2024/05/21/decentralized-systems-will-be-necessary-to-stop-google-from-putting-the-web-into-managed-decline/">Link</a>]</p>
</div>
</div>@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-05-21, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Michael McDonald interviewed on Fresh Air.
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/20/1252416210/michael-mcdonald-what-a-fool-believes
Modeling the Hawaiian Shoreline
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
The island of Hawai’i and surrounding waters glow in unusual shades in this 2022 model made through NASA DEVELOP. The model was created to help the County of Hawai’i in their shoreline setback plan. The image shows areas of high flood risk (blue), as well as sea surface temperatures. Orange in the west indicates high […]
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/modeling-the-hawaiian-shoreline/
CSUN Unveils Bookstein Real Estate Center
date: 2024-05-21, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Nearly 200 students, faculty and community leaders attended a May 6 naming ceremony to honor Harriet and Harvey Bookstein for their generous support for the real estate program and center at California State University, Northridge’s David Nazarian College of Business and Economics
AMD’s baby Epycs are nothing more than Ryzens in disguise
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Not content with stealing share from Intel at the high-end, the House of Zen is going low
AMD unveiled a line of tiny Epyc processors designed to compete with Intel’s entry-level E-2400 Xeons.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/amd_new_epycs/
NASA’s Heliophysics Experiment to Study Sun on European Mission
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
NASA announced Tuesday it selected a new instrument to study the Sun and how it creates massive solar eruptions. The agency’s Joint EUV coronal Diagnostic Investigation, or JEDI, will capture images of the Sun in extreme ultraviolet light, a type of light invisible to our eyes but reveals many of the underlying mechanisms of the […]
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-heliophysics-experiment-to-study-sun-on-european-mission/
How Spider Silk Could Inspire Microphones of the Future and Revolutionize Sound Design
date: 2024-05-21, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Spiderwebs can pick up vibrations in air flow caused by sound waves, and researchers say microphones designed this way could become more sensitive and compact
Dell adds Latitude 7455 and Latitude 5455 with Snapdragon X CPUs to its enterprise offerings
date: 2024-05-21, from: Liliputing
Dell is bringing AI-focused laptops to demanding enterprise environments with the launch of two new Latitude models. The 14-inch Latitude 7455 and Latitude 5455 are built on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors. Both laptops feature Microsoft Copilot+ integration, which taps into the Snapdragon X’s integrated NPU. It’s capable of handling 45 […]
The post Dell adds Latitude 7455 and Latitude 5455 with Snapdragon X CPUs to its enterprise offerings appeared first on Liliputing.
Google offers DoJ cash to eliminate jury in web ad monopoly abuse trial
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Nyah, nyah: You can’t sue for damages if we just meet your demands
Facing an antitrust jury trial over claims it monopolizes online advertising, Google has chosen to do the most logical thing it can think of to avoid the case being heard by a jury: It’s cut a check to the US Justice Department to get prosecutors to strike their damages claim.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/google_offers_doj_cash/
Ambulance Monopoly Trial Postponed in Santa Barbara Superior Court
date: 2024-05-21, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Settlement talks start between AMR and the county over the 10-year contract awarded to the county’s Fire Department.
The post Ambulance Monopoly Trial Postponed in Santa Barbara Superior Court appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-05-21, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Gordon Bell, an architect of our digital age, dies at age 89.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/gordon-bell-an-architect-of-our-digital-age-dies-at-age-89/
Biden Has Already Lost the Climate Debate to Trump
date: 2024-05-21, from: Heatmap News
At 9 p.m. ET on June 27, Americans who haven’t already set their out-of-office responders or hit the road to beat summer weekend traffic or otherwise made plans more exciting than watching two old men insult each other might find themselves tuning into the first presidential debate.
It does not promise to be a particularly productive evening of television, however. Weekly Economist/YouGov polls conducted online since last April show that of the 49,000 voters who responded, just 3% of respondents voted for one candidate in 2020 and plan to vote for the other in 2024. (Of those swing voters, two-thirds have flipped to Trump.) The 2024 election is already so politically calcified that a night of persuasive television is unlikely to change additional minds, to say nothing of two hours of petty sniping. Although, the only thing more difficult than changing someone’s mind about Biden or Trump might be changing their mind about climate change — a similarly key facet of political identity, regardless of the facts.
Nothing has the potential to highlight both the spectacle and the farce of this whole election quite like a back-and-forth on the debate stage over Biden’s climate legacy. Trump has spent the past several months on the campaign trail hammering his opponent on everything from offshore wind to electric vehicles, dishwashers, and gas stoves. The bashing has little to do with the actual policies, but rather with the idea of climate policy itself.
The modern Republican Party has “managed to define almost all aspects of environmentalism — even just future concern for other people’s welfare — as not a virtue anymore but a sign of weakness,” Riley Dunlap, a professor emeritus of environmental sociology at Oklahoma State University, put it to me. Heatmap columnist Paul Waldman recently dubbed this kind of political positioning “anti-anti-climate change” — not in favor environmental degradation per se, but certainly against anyone trying to stop it. Trump is merely an exemplar of a greater shift on the right — traceable also to Wyoming Senator John Barrasso, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, and on down to dozens of state attorneys general suing to roll back the Biden administration’s climate policies — moving “the conversation from the real problem onto the supposedly oppressive efforts to solve it.”
It’s a phenomenon I’ve observed, too, in my writing about how Republicans have evolved from the denial and skepticism strategies of the 1990s and early 2000s to today’s more underhanded tactics. Why bother getting hung up on the specifics of what is causing global warming or if it’s happening (especially when popular belief in the scientific consensus is at an all-time high) when you can focus on how the elites in Washington want to control how you drive, eat, invest, and cook, instead?
Jay Turner, a professor of environmental studies at Wellesley College and the author of The Republican Reversal: Conservatives and the Environment from Nixon to Trump, told me the politicization of climate change has been building for more than a decade. He traced the strategy back to around the 2010 midterms, when the populist, anti-government Tea Party movement — today mostly remembered for opposition to Obama-era federal healthcare reforms — also took aim at climate change. With the backing of the libertarian advocacy group Americans for Prosperity (funded by petrochemical billionaires Charles and David Koch), the movement helped kill the bipartisan cap-and-trade Waxman-Markey Bill, which up to that point had been the biggest climate bill ever to pass a chamber of Congress.
“A culture of freedom and abundance is something that is very American,” Turner told me. “The idea that we’re going to curb fossil fuels or are transitioning our economy because of an abstract environmental threat” runs counter to what many feel the flag stands for.
Republicans, especially those angling for a national audience, have found traction with voters exploiting this perceived threat. The general public isn’t terribly energy literate, so politicians “can kind of make up stuff like, ‘They’re going to make you use these terrible toilets, they’re gonna force you to get an electric car, they’re going to force you just start eating fake meat,’” Dunlap, the Oklahoma State professor, said. “The message is, ‘These people are out to get you, and we’re fighting for you.’”
This dialog presents a problem for Biden, who has not only enacted numerous climate policies, but who also now faces the daunting task of explaining to voters what all of them are. But by opening a second, substantively unrelated front in the climate conversation, Trump and other Republicans have wrenched the message away from liberal-coded ideas that are, in fact, popular across a broad spectrum of voters and toward more solid conservative ground.
“Most Republican voters still want clean air and clean water and a healthy climate,” is how David Pomerantz, the executive director of the Energy and Policy Institute, a utilities watchdog, put it to me. “But if they’re able to cast this messaging in ways that are anti-government, anti-elitist, and anti-somebody-telling-you-what-you-have-to-do, then they think that can be an effective strategy.”
It’s working. As Biden has paused approving construction permits for new liquefied natural gas export terminals (which is also a clean-air issue) and argued for diversifying American energy (an economic one), Republicans have doubled down on their anti-anti-climate bona fides. “I don’t know if this is an actual term anyone uses, but it might be more accurate to say they are ‘vice signaling’ because it’s like, ‘Yeah, we’re for the bad thing because it’s a way to own the libs,’” Pomerantz said. There is often a healthy amount of irony in these sorts of controversies, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ crusade against gas stoves that are used by less than 10% of Floridians, or a ban on lab-grown meat, which isn’t even available in the U.S.
The “obvious and boring” thing for Biden, his team, and others to do in the face of such bluster is “to just say the true thing over and over,” Pomerantz went on. But he also noted that climate advocates like EPI must make clear “not only when people are lying or purveying disinformation, but why.” If Trump hits Biden over energy or drilling, for example, the president could counter by raising Trump’s recent closed-door dealings with oil executives, in which he used fossil-fuel regulations intended to keep Americans healthy as a bargaining chip for soliciting campaign donations. But that kind of move is only possible after your opponent has set the pieces on the board — and if your opponent is disingenuous, as likely as not, you’ll have lost by the time you get started.
If there is any good news, it’s that the presidential debate itself won’t matter. Whatever Trump and Biden say about climate next month won’t change the minds of any of the few dozen people (OK fine, actually more like 63 million, based on the audience of their last matchup, in 2020) likely to tune in.
The bad news is that Biden has already lost the climate debate, even if Trump renews his distinction of setting “the tone for the worst presidential debate in living memory,” as he did the last time around. Because by arguing foolish premises, Biden legitimizes them. And he may have no other choice.
https://heatmap.news/politics/biden-trump-climate-debate
Zoom adds ‘post-quantum’ encryption for video nattering
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Guess we all have imaginary monsters to fear
Zoom has rolled out what it claims is post-quantum end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for video conferencing, saying it will make it available for Phone and Rooms “soon.”…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/zoom_postquantum_e2ee/
Navies Look to Uncrewed Systems to Counter Threats Beneath the Waves
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: RAND blog
Uncrewed, combat-capable vehicles are transforming warfare in the air and on the ocean surface now. They could do the same for underwater combat in the very near future.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2024/05/navies-look-to-uncrewed-systems-to-counter-threats.html
My blogging workflow
date: 2024-05-21, from: Manu - I write blog
<p><a href="https://birming.com/posts/our-blogging-workflow">Robert</a> told me about this blogging workflow trend that’s currently happening in a bunch of blogs around the web and since I thought it’s a neat idea I’m gonna share mine.</p>I’m gonna split it into two because this blog serves as both my home on the web as well as a home for the People and Blogs series.
My posts
I have two types of posts on this site: regular blog posts and “moments”. Moments are my personal Instagram, posts with an image and a short caption. As the name suggests, those are moments in time and so there is no real planning behind them. This is how it works:
- I take a picture with my iPhone
- I do some light editing using Snapseed
- I log into my site’s dashboard
- I create a new post
- I write a title that always starts with “A moment…”
- I upload the picture and I write the short post directly on the admin interface
- I hit save
There’s no proofreading involved, no drafts, no nothing. I take a photo, I upload it, write something and move on with my day.
As for the regular posts, those are handled a bit differently. My blog has no structure behind its schedule. I post about whatever I find interesting at any point in time. I have a to-do list with a bunch of random ideas that usually appear in my head out of nowhere when I’m outside for a walk. Those entries in my to-do are either a single line—for example Taxonomy of personal websites—or a combination of title + short description—Good conversations: What’s the ideal workflow for a good conversation online.
When I feel in the mood to post something I either pick one of those entries or, like I’m doing now, I write about something else, usually in response to something I read somewhere else. The workflow is the following:
- I open iA Writer
- I write my post
- When I feel I’m done I copy-paste into Grammarly to check for typos or other silly issues
- I open my site’s dashboard
- I create a new post
- I copy-paste from Grammarly and I hit publish
- I then log into Buttondown.email, create a new email, paste the content of the new post and hit send because there are some 100 or so people who want to get my posts via email
Again, I don’t do drafts, don’t do editing. I have an idea, I write it down, check for silly issues with Grammarly and then I post it online. That’s how my blog works.
People and Blogs
As I mentioned before, my site also hosts the People and Blogs interviews. The workflow for those posts is a bit different and it goes like this:
- I have a list of potential guests on Airtable
- I cold email a bunch of people and ask if they want to be part of the series
- If they say yes I send them the questions
- When I get back the answers I create a new post
- I format their answers in markdown and add the intro and outro and store it as a draft
- On the week the interview is scheduled to go live I send a link to the draft to the guest to give them time to do a final check and to also give them a final chance to add or remove anything from the answers
- Once the interview is good to go I log into the Buttondown account, create the interview and schedule it to go live on Friday
- 5 minutes before it’s time to go live a reminder rings on my phone to make sure I don’t forget to publish the post
- I log into my dashboard and hit publish
And that’s how it works for P&B. Could I add an auto-publish feature on my site? Sure. Would that save me time? Maybe 20 seconds a week. Is it worth it? Absolutely not.
And those are my workflows. Nothing fancy, very few tools and very little automation. As always if you have questions you can ping me via email and if you haven’t already go subscribe to People and Blogs!
<hr>
<p>Thank you for keeping RSS alive. You're awesome.</p>
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https://manuelmoreale.com/@/page/bC091jsCZScGW50a
Major pension fund tells Tesla investors: vote against Musk’s $55B pay package
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
A large pension fund has addressed a letter to Tesla shareholders recommending that they vote against the reelection of Kimbal Musk and James Murdoch and against Elon Musk’s massive stock package, ahead of Tesla’s shareholder meeting on June 13.
California exceeds 100% of energy demand with renewables over a record 30 days [Update]
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
In a major clean energy benchmark, wind, solar, and hydro exceeded 100% of demand on California’s main grid for 69 of the past 75 days.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/21/renewables-met-100-percent-california-energy-demand-30-days/
Tesla’s oldest factory ignites another headline by catching fire
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Fremont: Come for the toxic fumes and discrimination, stay for marshmallows?
A “two-alarm commercial fire” broke out yesterday at the Tesla factory in Fremont, California.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/fire_tesla_fremont/
Hyundai shows off ‘bigger, better, faster’ EVs in new promo video
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
Get ready to see more Hyundai EVs on your screen. In a new promo video, Hyundai showcases its lineup of “bigger, better, faster, smarter” electric vehicles, including the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, and Kona Electric. Check out the full video below.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/21/hyundai-shows-off-bigger-better-faster-evs-new-promo-video/
2024 Volkswagen ID.4: EPA Range, Energy Consumption And Price Comparison
date: 2024-05-21, from: Inside EVs News
The entry-level version effectively starts at $33,660, but it has just 206 miles of EPA range. The 291-mile version costs $5,140 more.
https://insideevs.com/news/720368/2024-volkswagen-id4-epa-range-price/
Go Back to the Future with NASA at Comicpalooza 2024
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
Celebrate your pop-culture fandom and uncover the latest science, technology, and discoveries of human spaceflight and exploration with NASA’s Johnson Space Center at Comicpalooza 2024 from May 24 to 26 at George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Engage with a fully immersive NASA exhibit, touch the only mobile Moon rock in the world, join […]
These are the best 2024 Memorial Day EV deals so far
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
CarsDirect is busy hunting down the best Memorial Day EV deals – here are three standouts from Tesla, Kia, and Ford.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/21/best-memorial-day-ev-deals-so-far/
Windows Copilot+ AI Features
date: 2024-05-21, from: Michael Tsai
Microsoft (Hacker News, MacRumors, Ryan Jones): Now with Recall, you can access virtually what you have seen or done on your PC in a way that feels like having photographic memory. Copilot+ PCs organize information like we do – based on relationships and associations unique to each of our individual experiences. This helps you remember […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/05/21/windows-copilot-ai-features/
Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs
date: 2024-05-21, from: Michael Tsai
Tom Warren (MacRumors, Hacker News): Over the past two years, Microsoft has worked in secret with all of its top laptop partners to ready a selection of Arm-powered Windows machines that will hit the market this summer. Known as Copilot Plus PCs, they’re meant to kick-start a generation of powerful, battery-efficient Windows laptops and lay […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/05/21/microsofts-copilot-pcs/
Apple Updates Silently Enable iCloud Keychain
date: 2024-05-21, from: Michael Tsai
Jeff Johnson: I’ve discovered today that unfortunately this issue—this bug, I would call it, though who knows whether Apple considers it a bug or “expected behavior”—still exists with the latest versions of macOS Ventura and Sonoma, 13.6.7 and 14.5 respectively.[…]The external drive had a macOS Ventura 13.6.7 boot volume with iCloud enabled but iCloud Keychain […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/05/21/apple-updates-silently-enable-icloud-keychain/
Slack AI Privacy
date: 2024-05-21, from: Michael Tsai
Ashley Belanger (Hacker News): After launching Slack AI in February, Slack appears to be digging its heels in, defending its vague policy that by default sucks up customers’ data—including messages, content, and files—to train Slack’s global AI models.According to Slack engineer Aaron Maurer, Slack has explained in a blog that the Salesforce-owned chat service does […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/05/21/slack-ai-privacy/
noTunes: a macOS application to prevent iTunes or Apple Music from launching
date: 2024-05-21, from: OS News
noTunes is a macOS application that will prevent iTunes or Apple Music from launching. Simply launch the noTunes app and iTunes/Music will no longer be able to launch. For example, when bluetooth headphones reconnect. You can toggle the apps functionality via the menu bar icon with a simple left click. ↫ noTunes GitHub page Apparently, this is such a common complaint that an application had to be made just to gain some semblance of control over what some people still refer to as “their” computer. For both macOS and Windows, there’s a giant industry – you can’t really call it a cottage industry anymore at this point – of tools, applications, and fixes just to deal with or avoid all the user-hostile, anti-choice garbage Apple and Microsoft shove into their respective operating systems. As a Linux user – and recent OpenBSD convert – I find this absolutely wild. Following any Apple podcast, or reading any Windows website, makes it so clear just how many hoops these people have to jump through and how many weirdly-shaped holes they have to contort into just to be able to gain some vague semblance of ownership of their own hardware. I’m not judging – we all have areas in our lives where we do this, they just differ from person to person – but it’s still confronting to see it so clearly, all the time.
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-05-21, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
2016: Your human-size life.
http://scripting.com/2016/05/31/1296.html
AI has become Sauron’s Ring
date: 2024-05-21, from: Gary Marcus blog
Another of AI’s bitter lessons
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/ai-has-become-saurons-ring
Did a Dried-Up Branch of the Nile Help the Egyptians Build the Pyramids?
date: 2024-05-21, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Researchers say 31 of the monuments were constructed on the banks of the ancient waterway
MX Linux updates Libretto, belts out 23.3, based on Debian 12.5
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Includes a Raspberry Pi version, which works well on the Pi 5
The latest update to MX Linux is out, and has some small but handy improvements to make it easier to get online and install.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/mx_linux_233_released/
Kan Yang: Translating Science Ideas into Engineering Concepts
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
As team lead of the Instrument Design Laboratory, Kan Yang turns science concepts into engineering reality. Name: Kan YangTitle: Team Lead of the Instrument Design LaboratoryFormal Job Classification: Technical ManagerOrganization: Instrument Systems and Technology Division, Engineering and Technology Directorate (Code 550) What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at […]
Rudy Giuliani pleads not guilty to felony charges in Arizona election interference case
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
Phoenix, Arizona — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani pleaded not guilty Tuesday to nine felony charges stemming from his role in an effort to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss in Arizona to Joe Biden.
Giuliani appeared remotely for the arraignment that was held in a Phoenix courtroom. His trial will take place in October.
Former Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward and at least 11 other people were also arraigned Tuesday for conspiracy, forgery and fraud charges in a Phoenix courtroom. She and nine others have so far pleaded not guilty. Her trial date is set for Oct. 17, about 3 weeks before the U.S. election.
During his remote appearance, Giuliani said he did not have an attorney at this time but will. When asked by the court whether he needed counsel appointed for the arraignment, Giuliani said: “No, no, I think I am capable of handling it myself.”
Giuliani said he received a summons but did not have a copy of the indictment. He said he is familiar with the charges, though, by reading about them.
Arizona authorities tried unsuccessfully over several weeks to serve Giuliani notice of the indictment against him. Giuliani was finally served Friday night as he was walking to a car after his 80th birthday celebration in Florida.
On Tuesday, in response to the prosecutors request for a $10,000 cash bond after outlining the difficulty in serving Giuliani in the case, Giuliani said: “I have a fair number of threats including death threats, and I don’t have security anymore …so I have very strict rules about who gets up and who doesn’t.”
The judge required Giuliani to post a secured appearance bond of $10,000 as well as appear in Arizona within the next 30 days for booking procedures.
Arizona authorities unveiled the felony charges last month against Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring Trump, a Republican, had won Arizona. The defendants include five lawyers connected to the former president and two former Trump aides. Biden, a Democrat, won Arizona by more than 10,000 votes.
The indictment alleges Ward, a former state senator who led the GOP in Arizona from 2019 until early 2023, organized the fake electors and urged then-Vice President Mike Pence to declare them to be the state’s true electors. It says Ward failed to withdraw her vote as a fake elector even though no legal challenges changed the outcome of the presidential race in Arizona.
Last week, attorney John Eastman, who devised a strategy to try to persuade Congress not to certify the election, was the first defendant in the case to be arraigned, pleading not guilty to the charges.
Trump himself was not charged in the Arizona case but was referred to as an unindicted co-conspirator.
Arizona is the fourth state where allies of the former president have been charged with using false or unproven claims about voter fraud related to the election.
The 11 people who claimed to be Arizona’s Republican electors met in Phoenix on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign a certificate saying they were “duly elected and qualified” electors and asserting that Trump carried the state. A one-minute video of the signing ceremony was posted on social media by the Arizona Republican Party at the time. The document was later sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was ignored.
Of eight lawsuits that unsuccessfully challenged Biden’s victory in the state, one was filed by the 11 fake Arizona electors, who had asked a federal judge to decertify the results and block the state from sending its results to the Electoral College. In dismissing the case, the judge concluded the Republicans had “failed to provide the court with factual support for their extraordinary claims.” Days after that lawsuit was dismissed, the 11 participated in the certificate signing.
Those set to be arraigned Tuesday are Ward; Tyler Bowyer, an executive of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA; state Sen. Anthony Kern; Greg Safsten, a former executive director of the Arizona Republican Party; Robert Montgomery, a former chairman of the Cochise County Republican Committee; Samuel Moorhead, a Republican precinct committee member in Gila County; Nancy Cottle, who in 2020 was the first vice president of the Arizona Federation of Republican Women; Loraine Pellegrino, past president of the Ahwatukee Republican Women; Michael Ward, an osteopathic physician who is married to Ward; attorneys Jenna Ellis and Christina Bobb; and Michael Roman, who was Trump’s 2020 director of Election Day operations.
Arraignments are scheduled for June 6 for state Sen. Jake Hoffman; on June 7 for former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows; and on June 18 for Trump attorney Boris Epshteyn and for James Lamon, another Republican who claimed Trump carried the state.
Aventon e-bikes $300 off with extra batteries starting from $799, ECOFLOW power station sale, Juiced takes $200 off all e-bikes, more
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
We’ve got another day of Memorial Day sales – this time giving you quality e-bikes at affordable rates alongside backup and off-grid power options ahead of Summer. Headlining these Green Deals is the Aventon Memorial Day sale that is taking up to $300 off a large selection of e-bikes and also giving away free extra batteries, starting from $799. It is joined by ECOFLOW’s sale that will save you thousands on power stations, bundles, and accessories – with plenty of extra savings opportunities as well. Then there’s Juiced Bikes taking an additional $200 off ALL its models – including JetCurrent Pro pre-orders – starting from $1,449. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals that are still alive and well.
Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/21/aventon-e-bikes-ecoflow-power-station-sale-juiced-e-bikes-more/
Beachcombers Discover Rare, Deep-Sea Anglerfish Washed Up on Oregon Coast
date: 2024-05-21, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Most humans will never see a Pacific footballfish, as the creatures live at depths of 2,000 to 3,300 feet below the ocean’s surface
Volvo CE brings mobile charging to the construction job site
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
Volvo CE and Penta revealed two new mobile charging solutions for North American construction fleets at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Las Vegas.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/21/volvo-ce-brings-mobile-charging-to-the-construction-job-site/
NHTSA Is Investigating Volkswagen ID.4 Doors Opening While Driving
date: 2024-05-21, from: Inside EVs News
The investigation is looking at some 51,500 potentially affected ID.4s previously subject to two different door-related recalls.
https://insideevs.com/news/720418/volkswagen-id4-recall-doors-open/
NASA Glenn Joins COSI’s Big Science Celebration
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
NASA’s Glenn Research Center joined Center for Science and Industry, or COSI’s, Big Science Celebration event on the museum’s front lawn in Columbus, Ohio, on May 4. This event was centered around STEM careers and building a diverse STEM workforce by exposing individuals to science and technology where they live, learn, and lounge. Glenn experts […]
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/nasa-glenn-joins-cosis-big-science-celebration/
NASA Glenn Research Highlighted in Tape Exhibit
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
Beginning May 24, Great Lakes Science Center, home of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, will welcome guests aboard TapeScape: International Tape Station. The unique exhibit focuses on the dynamic intersection of materials science and the groundbreaking research at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The exhibit showcases the Cleveland-driven innovations aboard the International Space Station. Encompassing […]
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/nasa-glenn-research-highlighted-in-tape-exhibit/
Glenn Digital Specialists Earn NASA Awards
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
Four of NASA Glenn Research Center’s digital specialists were selected as 2023 NASA Photographers and Videographers of the Year. The winning photos and videos showcased NASA’s people, places, and projects, as captured by NASA’s talented photographers and videographers. There were numerous submissions from all NASA centers for several categories. The following four winners from NASA […]
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/glenn-digital-specialists-earn-nasa-awards/
Office Hours: Is Trump openly embracing fascism?
date: 2024-05-21, from: Robert Reich on Substack
Friends, On Monday afternoon, Trump posted a 30-second video on his Truth Social site featuring images of hypothetical newspaper articles celebrating his 2024 victory and referring to “the creation of a unified Reich” under the headline “What’s next for America?”
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/office-hours-is-trump-openly-embracing
Team NEO Views NASA Glenn Properties for Lease
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
Representatives from Team NEO toured several facilities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center on April 24. Team NEO is the designated Northeast Ohio JobsOhio Network Partner that works to expand business, establish partnerships, and create jobs. The visitors toured facilities at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky and Lewis Field in Cleveland, including the Space […]
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/team-neo-views-nasa-glenn-properties-for-lease/
NASA Glenn Kicks Off Ohio Space Forum
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
NASA’s Glenn Research Center kicked off the Ohio Space Forum with a tour of several research facilities at its Cleveland location on April 29. The annual two-day forum brings together federal, military, industry, and academic leaders in space research, operations, intelligence, exploration, and defense. It enables attendees to gather among nationally recognized leaders and benefit […]
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/nasa-glenn-kicks-off-ohio-space-forum/
Defense rests at Trump’s criminal trial without him testifying
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
Critical Fluent Bit bug affects all major cloud providers, say researchers
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Crashes galore, plus especially crafty crims could use it for much worse
Infosec researchers are alerting the industry to a critical vulnerability in Fluent Bit – a logging component used by a swathe of blue chip companies and all three major cloud providers.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/fluent_bit_flaw/
Biden releasing 1 million barrels of gasoline from Northeast reserve in bid to lower prices at pump
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Tuesday that it is releasing 1 million barrels of gasoline from a Northeast reserve established after Superstorm Sandy in a bid to lower prices at the pump this summer.
The sale, from storage sites in New Jersey and Maine, will be allocated in increments of 100,000 barrels at a time. The approach will create a competitive bidding process that ensures gasoline can flow into local retailers ahead of the July 4 holiday and sold at competitive prices, the Energy Department said. The move is intended to help “lower costs for American families and consumers,” the department said in a statement.
Gas prices average about $3.60 per gallon nationwide as of Tuesday, up 6 cents from a year ago, according to AAA (American Automobile Association). Tapping gasoline reserves is one of the few actions a president can take by himself to try to control inflation, an election year liability for the party in control of the White House.
“The Biden-Harris administration is laser-focused on lowering prices at the pump for American families, especially as drivers hit the road for summer driving season,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in the statement. “By strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the tri-state (area) and Northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said release of gas from the Northeast reserve builds on actions by President Joe Biden, a Democrat, “to lower gas and energy costs — including historic releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the largest-ever investment in clean energy.”
Biden significantly drained the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, dropping the stockpile to its lowest level since the 1980s. The election-year move helped stabilize gasoline prices that had been rising in the wake of the war in Europe but drew complaints from Republicans that the Democratic president was playing politics with a reserve meant for national emergencies.
EVgo more than doubles its registered customers in just two years
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
US public fast-charging network EVgo (Nasdaq: EVGO) has reached more than 1 million registered customer accounts, doubling its 500,000 account mark in October 2022.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/21/evgo-registered-customer/
Qualcomm Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows is a tiny desktop PC with a focus on AI apps
date: 2024-05-21, from: Liliputing
Microsoft’s manufacturing partners have gone all-in on AI and Copilot+ PCs, and Qualcomm is looking to make it easy for developers to tap into the capabilities of its new Snapdragon X Plus and Elite professors by launching a Snapdragon X-powered PC to build new app experiences. The Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows is a compact, 8 […]
The post Qualcomm Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows is a tiny desktop PC with a focus on AI apps appeared first on Liliputing.
Ford asks dealers to pause EV investments with changes to its EV program coming
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
With changes to its EV certification program coming soon, Ford is asking dealers to pause investments. Ford plans to update dealers on new changes amid a “rapidly changing EV market.”
https://electrek.co/2024/05/21/ford-asks-dealers-pause-ev-investments-changes-coming/
Never-Before-Seen Royal Family Portraits Go on Display at Buckingham Palace
date: 2024-05-21, from: Smithsonian Magazine
“Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography” showcases 150 photographs taken between the 1920s and today
Google now ‘third-largest’ in datacenter processors
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Custom silicon mounting up, says report from semiconductor researcher TechInsights
Google announced a long-rumored datacenter CPU last month, but the Chocolate Factory may already be the third-largest designer of datacenter processors, according to research.…
US looks to work with EU to address Chinese industrial policy
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-looks-to-work-with-eu-to-address-chinese-industrial-policy/7621161.html
VinFast VF8 Crash That Killed Family Of Four Now Under NHTSA Probe
date: 2024-05-21, from: Inside EVs News
Multiple complainants have reported issues with the VinFast VF8’s lane-keeping feature and unintended steering.
https://insideevs.com/news/720450/vinfast-vf8-crash-killed-family-under-nhtsa-probe/
May 20, 2024
date: 2024-05-21, from: Heather Cox Richardson blog
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-20-2024-886
Biden to release 1 million barrels of gasoline in bid to lower prices at pump
date: 2024-05-21, from: Associated Press, World News
The Biden administration says it’s releasing 1 million barrels of gasoline from a Northeast reserve established after Superstorm Sandy in a bid to lower prices at the pump this summer.
https://apnews.com/article/gas-prices-biden-northeast-reserve-6fa669ef3c963d212852513e4b312060
Reddit’s Goon Cave Community Has Been Banned
date: 2024-05-21, from: 404 Media Group
r/GoonCaves has been banned for violating Reddit’s non-consensual intimate media rules.
https://www.404media.co/reddits-goon-cave-community-has-been-banned/
How renewables could beat natural gas in US generating capacity within 3 years – in numbers
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
US renewables’ electrical generating capacity could be close to – and may even surpass – natural gas within three years, according to FERC data.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/21/renewables-natural-gas-generating-capacity-ferc/
NYC Comptroller and hedge funds urge Tesla shareholders to deny Musk $50B windfall
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Bloc also recommends kicking Elon’s brother and Rupert Murdoch’s son off the board
New York City’s Comptroller and seven financial firms are recommending that Tesla shareholders give a thumbs-down to the electric car maker’s ~$50 billion pay package for CEO Elon Musk.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/letter_penned_by_nyc_comptroller/
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-05-21, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Scripting News: A post I wrote on Twitter. (Masto and Bluesky devs, how about making this possible too, and go further than Twitter did.)
http://scripting.com/2024/05/20/193616.html
Android 15 could improve standby battery life by up to 3 hours
date: 2024-05-21, from: Liliputing
One way to get better battery life from a mobile gadget is to stuff a bigger battery in it. But sometimes software updates can improve the battery life of existing devices without the need to replace your hardware. Case in point: Google says that Android 15 will improve standby battery life on some devices by […]
The post Android 15 could improve standby battery life by up to 3 hours appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/android-15-could-improve-standby-battery-life-by-up-to-3-hours/
Study Finds Just 2.5% Of EVs Had Their Battery Replaced
date: 2024-05-21, from: Inside EVs News
Battery replacements are most common on early EVs that were built before 2015.
https://insideevs.com/news/720398/study-battery-replacement-rates-evs/
Around the World in 175 Days, 1924: Department of State Contributions to the U.S. Army Flight Around the World: Part III: Japan
date: 2024-05-21, from: National Archives, Text Message blog
This is the third in a series of occasional blog posts. This and the next posts will track the progress of the flight by presenting a few of the reports of U.S. diplomatic and consular posts along the route. After departing Seattle on April 6, flying through Canada and across Alaska (losing one of the … Continue reading Around the World in 175 Days, 1924: Department of State Contributions to the U.S. Army Flight Around the World: Part III: Japan
Genesis GV80 luxury electric SUV is coming to take on Tesla Model Y and Porsche Macan EV
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
Genesis is set to launch a new luxury mid-size electric SUV, the GV80, that will compete against Tesla’s best-selling Model Y and the Porsche Macan EV. The new EV will roll out shortly after its larger GV90 electric SUV hits the market.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/21/genesis-gv80-luxury-electric-suv-rival-tesla-model-y-porsche/
If you find Microsoft’s Copilot offerings overwhelming, it’s no wonder: There are 130-plus of them now
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
And now add Copilot connectors and extensions to that
Build At Microsoft, “it’s Copilots all the way down for us.”…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/microsoft_extends_reach_of_copilot/
Working It Out: Screenwriting Advice You’ll Actually Use
date: 2024-05-21, from: John August blog
John joins Mike Birbiglia on his podcast Working It Out to share direct, practical screenwriting advice that you’ll actually use, whether you’re an aspiring screenwriter or you want to pursue creative work of any kind. They explore John’s screenwriting process, from defining his expression “breaking the back of the script,” through the different forms of […] The post Working It Out: Screenwriting Advice You’ll Actually Use first appeared on John August.
https://johnaugust.com/2024/working-it-out-screenwriting-advice-youll-actually-use
Unlock a new era of innovation with Windows Copilot Runtime and Copilot+ PCs
date: 2024-05-21, from: Windows Developer Blog
I am excited to be back at Build with the developer community this year. <span data-ccp-props=“{”20
The post Unlock a new era of innovation with Windows Copilot Runtime and Copilot+ PCs appeared first on Windows Developer Blog.
Tesla plans to ramp up Tesla Semi deliveries to PepsiCo
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
Tesla is planning to ramp up Tesla Semi deliveries to PepsiCo, its main customer, ahead of the electric semi truck’s volume production.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/21/tesla-plans-ramp-up-tesla-semi-deliveries-to-pepsico/
Niles: I’d rather wait in line than use Disney’s virtual queue
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
The system for allocating spots on popular attractions frequently devolves into a game of random chance.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/21/niles-id-rather-wait-in-line-than-use-disneys-virtual-queue/
Welcome Back to Planet Earth, Expedition 70 Crew!
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
On May 16, 2024, a crowd of more than 500 people gathered at Space Center Houston’s IMAX theater for the Expedition 70 crew debrief and awards ceremony. Crew members from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 and Soyuz MS-24 missions shared reflections from their voyage aboard the International Space Station and bestowed well-deserved recognition upon Johnson Space Center employees and partners […]
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/welcome-back-to-planet-earth-expedition-70-crew/
Korean American dance group celebrates middle-aged women
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
Middle-aged women often feel like they are not seen or heard in their roles as wives and mothers. In Southern California, a Korean dance group is out to change those perceptions. Genia Dulot has the story.
https://www.voanews.com/a/korean-american-dance-group-celebrates-middle-aged-women/7620976.html
How air turbulence creates danger in the skies
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
Experts say it is extremely unlikely that most flights will result in injury or damage, but there have been numerous recent incidents in which this has occurred. Understanding what causes turbulence can help air crew and passengers mitigate its impact.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/21/how-air-turbulence-creates-danger-in-the-skies/
Scarlett Johansson says she is ‘shocked, angered’ over new ChatGPT voice
date: 2024-05-21, from: OS News
Lawyers for Scarlett Johansson are demanding that OpenAI disclose how it developed an AI personal assistant voice that the actress says sounds uncannily similar to her own. Johansson’s legal team has sent OpenAI two letters asking the company to detail the process by which it developed a voice the tech company dubbed “Sky,” Johansson’s publicist told NPR in a revelation that has not been previously reported. ↫ Bobby Allyn at NPR This story highlights just how much disdain techbros have for the work of creative people. Here’s the timeline: Techbros like Sam Altman deeply despise and undervalue the work of creatives, believing human creativity to be merely an equation to be solved, definable by an algorithm. To people like him, creative work has no value, and as such, is up for grabs to be taken and cut up for his algorithms to spit out as “new” works. This story highlights this perfectly. The sleaze runs deep with Altman and OpenAI.
One dead and 30 injured after severe turbulence hits flight out of London
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
The Boeing 777-300ER plane diverted to Bangkok. The airline said 211 passengers and 18 crew were on board.
Prepare your audits: EU Commission approves first-of-its-kind AI Act
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
‘High-risk’ AIs will have hoops to jump through if they want to keep doing business in Europe
The EU Council has given final approval to the bloc’s landmark AI Act, setting the stage for enactment of a benchmark first-of-its-kind AI law across Europe. …
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/prepare_your_audits_eu_commission/
What two companies can tell us about two corners of the economy
date: 2024-05-21, from: Marketplace Morning Report
On Wednesday, we get glimpses of two very different ends of the economy: Both retailer Target and AI chipmaker Nvidia report earnings. One lives in the world of consumers facing high interest rates, while the other occupies the sphere of cutting edge technology. What can we anticipate? Then, caregiving is a major factor behind the rise of multigenerational households in the U.S. We’ll hear from one family who came to live together.
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These Are the ‘Extensive Online Threats’ the University of Texas Sent to Cops About Palestine Protests
date: 2024-05-21, from: 404 Media Group
These three Instagram posts were sent to police as examples of the “extensive online threats” of groups organizing pro-Palestinian protests where more than 100 students were arrested.
Hunger for more HBM capacity could cause shortage DRAM-a
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Analyst warns of another unfortunate side effect of AI
Industry preference for high bandwidth memory (HBM) has the potential to cause a DRAM supply shortage unless more manufacturing lines are built quickly, TrendForce is warning.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/hbm_demand_factory_expansion/
Chase Carlson of Dos Pueblos Scores Game-Winning Goal in Overtime at Channel League All Star Game
date: 2024-05-21, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The first ever Channel League Boys’ Lacrosse All Star Game was held at Peabody Stadium on Monday night
The post Chase Carlson of Dos Pueblos Scores Game-Winning Goal in Overtime at Channel League All Star Game appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Tuesday’s primaries include presidential races and prosecutor in Trump’s Georgia election case
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
Bohdan Troschynsky pushed to project branch bohdan at Felix Oliver Friedrich / Oberon A2
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: Oberon A2 at CAS
Bohdan Troschynsky (5a896958) at 21 May 16:38
added processing of mouse clicks
https://gitlab.inf.ethz.ch/felixf/oberon/-/commit/5a89695824bea9113447b06d377703700c6d0efc
Daily Deals (5-21-2024)
date: 2024-05-21, from: Liliputing
A new Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED laptop with a Snapdragon X Elite processor is set to launch soon for $1300 and up. But if you can live without Microsoft’s new Copilot+ PC features, you can pick up a very similar laptop for just over half the price. Walmart is selling a Vivobook S 15 OLED […]
The post Daily Deals (5-21-2024) appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/daily-deals-5-21-2024/
Elon Musk Doubles Down On Demand For 25% Of Tesla, Or Else
date: 2024-05-21, from: Inside EVs News
Plus, Nissan pauses all work on its next-gen electric sedans and consumers want more safety at EV chargers.
https://insideevs.com/news/720406/musk-25-percent-tesla-control/
Saratoga Foothill Club honors veterans for 97th year
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
Memorial Day celebration set for Blaney Plaza.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/21/saratoga-foothill-club-celebrates-veterans-for-97th-year/
Scientists Uncover the Ancient Origins of Baobab Trees in Genetic Study
date: 2024-05-21, from: Smithsonian Magazine
The trees originated in Madagascar 21 million years ago but later traveled long distances by way of ocean currents, according to new research
100 Years Later, U.S. Foreign Service Is Still on the Front Lines of Diplomacy
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: RAND blog
As the modern Foreign Service marks its 100th anniversary, 15,600 Americans serve in embassies, consulates, and missions around the globe. They rarely make the front pages in the media, but their work is vital to the long-term success of American foreign policy.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2024/05/100-years-later-us-foreign-service-is-still-on-the.html
California’s median home price crosses $900,000 threshold
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
It was only March 2022 when the median crossed the $800,000 for the first time.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/21/californias-median-home-price-crosses-900000-threshold/
Los Gatos High School names second new assistant principal
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
The former teacher will join two new administrative hires.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/21/los-gatos-high-school-names-second-new-assistant-principal/
Yamaha Patents Anti-Dive Electronic Motorcycle Suspension
date: 2024-05-21, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
Squat and dive controls would be neat on an R1…
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720308/yamaha-anti-dive-motorcycle-suspsension/
Los Gatos Thrives Foundation seeks input on new community center
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
Project set to be discussed at June 20 meeting.
Electric ‘Ripples’ in the Resting Brain Tag Memories for Storage
date: 2024-05-21, from: Quanta Magazine
New experiments reveal how the brain chooses which memories to save and add credence to advice about the importance of rest.The post Electric ‘Ripples’ in the Resting Brain Tag Memories for Storage first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Liv Plourdes of San Marcos Scores Game Winning Goal at Channel League Girls Lacrosse All Star Game
date: 2024-05-21, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The white team overcame an 11-2 deficit.
The post Liv Plourdes of San Marcos Scores Game Winning Goal at Channel League Girls Lacrosse All Star Game appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Ebikes stolen from Los Gatos High School
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
Several vehicle thefts also reported in town.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/21/ebikes-stolen-from-los-gatos-high-school/
Nissan to launch a new Rogue-like electric SUV, but production delays continue
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
A new electric crossover SUV, similar to Nissan’s Rogue Sport, will roll out in the US. The Nissan Rogue-like electric SUV will be the company’s fifth EV to be built at its Canton, Miss plant. Meanwhile, Nissan is delaying EV production (again) after putting a $500 million investment on hold.
https://electrek.co/2024/05/21/nissan-launching-new-rogue-like-electric-suv-but/
NASA Leaders to Host Agency Town Hall on Artificial Intelligence
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy are hosting an employee town hall at 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 22, to discuss how the agency is using and developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to advance missions and research. The event will steam live on NASA+, NASA Television, and the agency’s website. The town […]
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-leaders-to-host-agency-town-hall-on-artificial-intelligence/
Driver dead following fiery crash in Fremont
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
The crash happened about 12:30 a.m.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/21/driver-dead-following-fiery-crash-in-fremont/
Get Ready To Welcome TVS Motors, Italy
date: 2024-05-21, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
Italians are one step closer to having a range of TVS machines on their doorsteps to keep commuting fun and affordable.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720334/tvs-launches-production-italy/
2025 Rivian R1S And R1T To Get LFP Battery And Heat Pump: Leaked Doc
date: 2024-05-21, from: Inside EVs News
Rivian says the new standard battery pack will offer up to 405 miles of range in the city and 339 miles on the highway.
https://insideevs.com/news/720396/2025-rivian-r1s-r1t-lfp-battery-heat-pump/
55 years ago, Apollo 10’s crew turned the airwaves blue
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Shockingly, astronauts can curse when in high-stress situations
It has been 55 years since Apollo 10 slipped into lunar orbit. The mission? To rehearse nearly every part of Apollo 11’s landing except the part where it would actually land.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/55_years_apollo_11/
Learning how to use AI could boost your pay by 25%, study finds
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
Wages for AI-related roles were on average 25% higher in the United States than for comparable jobs in the same field that did not require those skills.
A company in Japan is offering unlimited EV charging nationwide for under $20 a month
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
As Japan looks to make all new passenger vehicle sales 100% electric by 2035, local companies are pulling demand levers to help expedite the process. One of those companies is ENECHANGE, which has just introduced a new unlimited flat-rate EV charging subscription that will be available to drivers throughout Japan.
University Suspends Students for AI Homework Tool It Gave Them $10,000 Prize to Make
date: 2024-05-21, from: 404 Media Group
Emory University gave students a $10,000 entrepreneurial prize for their AI startup, then suspended them and accused them of cheating when they built it.
This Chinese Motorcycle Could Be the Next Big Triple
date: 2024-05-21, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
So many OEMs are missing a trick by not having a triple in their lineups.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720328/zontes-703rr-starting-production/
Private equity offer for MariaDB gets thumbsup from shareholders
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
From SPAC and back as 68% say yes
MariaDB shareholders have backed a private equity takeover offer for the troubled database vendor.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/private_equity_offer_for_mariadb/
NASA “Wildfire Digital Twin” Pioneers New AI Models and Streaming Data Techniques for Forecasting Fire and Smoke
date: 2024-05-21, from: NASA breaking news
NASA’s “Wildfire Digital Twin” project will equip firefighters and wildfire managers with a superior tool for monitoring wildfires and predicting harmful air pollution events and help researchers observe global wildfire trends more precisely.
ASML could brick Taiwan’s chipmaking machines in case of uninvited guests
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
If I can’t have you, then no one will!
Chipmaking equipment supplier ASML reportedly has the means to remotely disable its advanced machinery in the hands of TSMC, should China invade Taiwan.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/asml_kill_switch/
Mitsubishi Reveals U.S. Expansion Plan With Outdoorsy Plug-In Vehicles
date: 2024-05-21, from: Inside EVs News
The Japanese automaker doesn’t sell too many vehicles in the US, but it plans to change that with plug-in models that can go off-road.
https://insideevs.com/news/720327/mitsubishi-2030-plug-in-plan/
We drove the 500hp electric Arc Sport and it literally knocked us off our seat
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
Arc has built the first models of its much-anticipated Arc Sport 500hp electric wake boat, and we got a chance to take it for a quick demo in Long Beach, CA and holy heck, this thing rips.
Samsung to expand chip output from Texas
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
The Biden administration last month announced $6.4 billion in direct funding to back South Korean tech giant Samsung’s new semiconductor cluster in central Texas. That means big changes for the town of Taylor. Deana Mitchell has our story
https://www.voanews.com/a/samsung-to-expand-chip-output-from-texas/7620781.html
@Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed (date: 2024-05-21, from: Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed)
This changes my summer
plans
https://nileane.fr/@nileane/112479061473659917
https://mastodon.social/@Migueldeicaza/112479158049194964
Spain Will Let Motorcyclists Use the Shoulder To Decrease Traffic
date: 2024-05-21, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
Is the US lagging when it comes to forward-thinking legislation for motorcyclists?
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720319/spain-hard-shoulder-motorcyclists/
Good news: The iPad Pro 13 is a bit more repairable
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Bad news? The Apple Pencil Pro is not
The Apple iPad Pro 13 has a secret lurking within its sleek lines. A battery that is not nightmarishly hard to replace. Relatively.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/good_news_the_ipad_pro/
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-05-21, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
March 2024: Why we're lucky WordPress is here.
http://scripting.com/2024/03/21/125505.html
Why Yes, You Can Jump a Jetski Off a Dirt Bike Ramp
date: 2024-05-21, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
Safety….seventh?
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720321/travis-pastrana-jet-boy-jetski-jump-dirt-bike-ramp/
Jolla’s Sailfish OS is moving to a subscription model, new phone (and a privacy-focused AI device) coming soon
date: 2024-05-21, from: Liliputing
The company behind the Linux-based Sailfish OS for mobile devices has undergone some big changes in recent years. Jolla’s founders announced in December that they had bought back the company and its assets, and now they’re laying out some big plans for the future. First, the company is dividing the operating system into two parts: […]
The post Jolla’s Sailfish OS is moving to a subscription model, new phone (and a privacy-focused AI device) coming soon appeared first on Liliputing.
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-05-21, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Robert Alexander wants to build an open network of OPML blogrolls.
https://mastodon.social/@robalex@indieweb.social
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-05-21, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Which newsrooms are doing a good job of in-house technical and product innovation?
https://mastodon.social/@ben@werd.social/112478915914925493
In Houston, storm damage recovery and insurance hurdles
date: 2024-05-21, from: Marketplace Morning Report
Houston residents are once again rebuilding after a severe windstorm delivered damage to cars, businesses and homes last week. Insurers are just beginning to assess the extent of the damage — at a time when insurance is getting pricier and harder to find. Then, the FDIC’s chair says he will step down once a successor is confirmed following investigations into toxic culture at the agency. Plus, can legislation save local news?
Our May fundraiser ends Friday, and we need your help to reach our goal. Give today and help fund public service journalism for all!
Nutanix starts thinking outside the VM – with extra help from Dell
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Brings its storage stack to AWS’s EKS but still has time to improve its hypervisor
NEXT Nutanix used its annual NEXT conference to reveal it has started thinking outside the VM by making its storage stack available as a native service on Amazon Web Services’ Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS).…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/nutanix_eks_dell/
Watch a Three-Wheeler Go Head-to-Head With a Four-Wheeler and Nearly Flip
date: 2024-05-21, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
Are three wheels more fun than four?
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720313/three-wheeler-vs-atv-video-shred-eighty/
It’s Getting Hot in Houston. Thousands Are Without Power.
date: 2024-05-21, from: Heatmap News
Current conditions: Schools are closed in Delhi due to intense heat • A freak storm dropped fist-sized hail stones on a city in northern Poland • Forecasters are expecting more tornadoes in the Midwest today.
THE TOP FIVE
- Houston power outages persist as temperatures soar
Many households remain without power in Houston after the severe storms that tore through the area last Thursday. About 150,000 people were still waiting for the lights to come back on as of Monday night, and the weather is getting hot, with temperatures lingering around 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the heat index nearing 100F. Anyone without access to power and air conditioning is suffering. The city has opened dozens of cooling centers to help provide relief. The region’s power provider, CenterPoint Energy, said it expects restoration efforts to continue into Wednesday.
- Tesla shareholder group targets Musk pay package
A group of Tesla shareholders including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, SOC Investment Group, Amalgamated Bank, and others, have written to company investors urging them to vote against CEO Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package next month, The Wall Street Journal reported. “Even as Tesla’s performance is floundering, the board has yet to ensure that Tesla has a full-time CEO who is adequately focused on the long-term sustainable success of our company,” the shareholder group wrote. Shareholders will vote at the company’s annual meeting on June 13 on whether to re-ratify Musk’s 2018 pay package, which a judge voided in January. The letter also says shareholders should not vote to re-elect board members Kimbal Musk (Elon’s brother) and James Murdoch (Elon’s friend), suggesting they are too closely tied to the CEO.
- Battery fire at California energy storage site finally extinguished
A fire at a battery storage site in San Diego County appears to have been extinguished after burning on and off for multiple days and nights, reported Heatmap’s Matthew Zeitlin. “There is no visible smoke or active fire at the scene,” Cal Fire, the state fire protection agency, said in an update yesterday. The fire started sometime Wednesday at the Gateway Energy Storage facility, a 250 megawatt battery electric storage system in Otay Mesa, which is immediately adjacent both to the eastern border of San Diego and to the northern border of Mexico and near the Richard J. Donovan state prison facility. Fires have been a recurring problem for the battery electric storage industry, which may be one reason why, according to Heatmap polling, it is the form of carbon-free power least popular with the general public.
Get Heatmap AM directly in your inbox every morning:
- Pope calls climate change a ‘road to death’
Pope Francis has called climate change “a road to death” in an interview with CBS Evening News. “Unfortunately, we have gotten to a point of no return,” he said. “It’s sad, but that’s what it is. Global warming is a serious problem.” The pope has been very outspoken about the climate crisis, urging governments to stop using fossil fuels and pitching the state of the environment as a moral issue. Last week the Vatican hosted a climate conference that focused on building resilience as the crisis intensifies. It culminated in the signing of a protocol that urges wealthy nations to finance adaptation and protection for the world’s poorest, and calls for an end to fossil fuel subsidies, among other priorities.
- Light-duty EVs overtake rail on U.S. electricity usage
Here’s an interesting little statistic for you: In 2023, light-duty electric vehicles consumed more electricity than the nation’s railways, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Annual railway electricity usage has hovered around 7,000 Gigawatt hours (GWh) since 2003, making it the largest electricity end-use category in the transportation sector. But that changed last year when EVs took the top spot, using 7,596 GWh. The EIA notes this is nearly five times the amount of electricity EVs consumed in 2018. The numbers underscore two trends: the limited expansion of U.S. rail, and the explosive growth of EV sales.
THE KICKER
“I just watch their jaws drop and the surprise of ‘Where did this come from? This is an hour outside of Boise?’” –Chris Geroro, a fly fisher in southeastern Oregon, describes the beauty of the Owyhee River watershed, one of the country’s largest areas of pristine wilderness that is also prime for green development.
https://heatmap.news/culture/houston-outage-electricity-heat
Lawmakers play catch-up with artificial intelligence
date: 2024-05-21, from: Marketplace Morning Report
From the BBC World Service: Artificial intelligence has been argued to be the tech of our time, and lawmakers have been grappling with how to regulate it. Today, the European Union approved what it says is the first AI law of its kind in the world. Plus, we hear how Japanese authorities are clamping down on tiresome tourists. And why has the U.S. takeover of a Premier League soccer club run into overtime?
Our May fundraiser ends Friday, and we need your help to reach our goal. Give today and help fund public service journalism for all!
With ransomware whales becoming so dominant, would-be challengers ask ‘what’s the point?’
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Fewer rivals on the scene as big-gang success soars
The number of new ransomware strains in circulation has more than halved over the past 12 months, suggesting there is little need for innovation given the success of the existing tools used by top gangs.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/with_ransomware_whales_becoming_so/
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-05-21, 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
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-05-21, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
The disturbing truth is that there’s probably more sincerity than not in American politics. We may not want to believe it, but most of the people in charge say what they mean and mean what they say.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/21/opinion/alito-flag-stop-the-steal.html?smid=tw-share
This Ducati Streetwear Collab Adds Color To Your Motorcycle
date: 2024-05-21, from: Ride Apart, Electric Motorcycle News
A capsule collection of streetwear accompanies this vibrant customization kit.
https://www.rideapart.com/news/720204/scrambler-ducati-x-van-orton-design/
Long-term supported distros’ kernel policies are all wrong
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Or so says CIQ, which coincidentally has issues obtaining RHEL’s kernel sources
Comment A new hire at Rocky Linux creator CIQ is rocking the LTS-Linux-distro boat – by shining a spotlight on the elephant in the room (or one of the herd).…
US expects South Korea and Japan to manage ties with China at summit amid growing differences
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — Ahead of a trilateral summit involving South Korea, Japan, and China this weekend in Seoul, Washington said it expects the event to be an opportunity for its two allies to manage their relations with Beijing.
“The United States respects the ability of nations to make sovereign decisions in the best interests of their people,” said a spokesperson for the State Department.
“Just as the United States takes steps to responsibly manage our relationship with the PRC, so do our partners and allies,” the spokesperson continued in an email to VOA’s Korean Service on May 15. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is China’s official name.
The summit would come amid a heightened tension between Washington and Beijing over trade and after China agreed with Russia to establish a “new era” partnership to create “a multipolar world order” during their summit last week.
The three East Asian countries are expected to hold their summit from May 26 to 27, but the official dates have not been announced. Chinese Premier Li Qiang is expected to attend in place of Chinese President Xi Jinping to meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The meeting would be their first trilateral summit since December 2019.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told VOA on May 14 that Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul should be main drivers responsible for regional stability and security.
Pointing out what Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after a trilateral foreign ministers meeting in November, Pengyu said the three countries need to “address differences and disputes in peaceful ways” and “act as front runner of East Asia cooperation.”
Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing are planning to discuss trade and investment, peace and security, and science and technology, among other items and include in a joint statement their cooperation on economic issues and infectious diseases, according to the Japan Times, citing Japanese government sources Sunday.
Former U.S. officials said while it will be important for the three countries to meet and talk at the summit, differences that Seoul and Tokyo have with Beijing on North Korea are unlikely to be resolved.
“With China determined to establish a new China-centric regional order and because of Beijing’s open-ended support for the DPRK, we should not expect progress on this issue,” said Evans Revere, a State Department official with extensive experience negotiating with North Korea.
North Korea’s official name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
“Nevertheless, it is important for South Korea and Japan to use this summit to convey their strong concerns,” Revere continued.
At a bilateral summit last week, Beijing and Moscow criticized Washington and its allies for their “intimidation in the military sphere” against North Korea.
Zhao Leji, who ranks third in the Chinese Communist Party, visited Pyongyang in April and agreed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to boost cooperation on mutual concerns. It was the highest-level talks the two countries had held in years.
The upcoming summit comes after trilateral cooperation was agreed among Washington, Seoul and Tokyo at their Camp David summit in August 2023 to strengthen their deterrence against North Korean threats and to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific against Chinese aggressions.
Joseph DeTrani, who served as the U.S. special envoy for six-party denuclearization talks with North Korea from 2003 to 2006, said, “China will ask that the ROK and Japan not to align with the U.S. against China, an issue that wasn’t on the table in 2019.”
South Korea’s official name is the Republic of Korea (ROK).
DeTrani said Seoul and Tokyo will “try to get China to convince North Korea to cease providing arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine” and “to use its leverage” with Pyongyang “to halt ballistic missile launches.”
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of Kim Jong Un, denied Pyongyang’s arms dealings with Moscow, according to state-run KCNA on Friday. The same day, North Korea launched a tactical ballistic missile, said KCNA.
Gary Samore, who served as the White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction during the Obama administration, said the summit will become “an opportunity for communication” among Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing to avoid conflict, but the differences that grew among them since 2019 will not be resolved as South Korea and Japan “leaned in the direction of cooperating with the U.S.”
Eunjung Cho contributed to this report.
BT delays deadline for digital landline switch off date
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Telco told they must protect vulnerable in race to turn off Public Switched Telephone Network
BT has extended the deadline for migrating customers off the copper-based Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to digital landlines to give more time to vulnerable people, including telecare users, to move.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/bt_delays_deadline_for_digital/
Lynne Plambeck | Remembering Ed Dunn
date: 2024-05-21, from: The Signal
It’s strange how life works. You never really know when it is your time. First a friend is there, then the next day he is not. Ed Dunn just kept […]
The post Lynne Plambeck | Remembering Ed Dunn appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/lynne-plambeck-remembering-ed-dunn/
Making friends with birds outside Pi Towers
date: 2024-05-21, from: Raspberry Pi News (.com)
The finance team wanted to attract wildlife to their office window and needed a little maker magic to get their bird feeder up high.
The post Making friends with birds outside Pi Towers appeared first on Raspberry Pi.
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/making-friends-with-birds-outside-pi-towers/
Microsoft Power BI users warned over pace of Fabric migration
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Users given less than three months to move to the new platform for some services, analyst points out
Build As Microsoft Build in Seattle kicks off today, one analyst has pointed out that the Redmond software giant is giving users scant time to get off its popular BI system and re-implement their solutions.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/microsoft_power_bi_users_warned/
Understanding Alito’s Flag
date: 2024-05-21, from: Robert Reich on Substack
Samuel Alito and the politics of vice signaling
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/giving-liberals-the-finger
The ‘most affordable’ DIY e-bike kit company just launched a new $349 version
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
Swytch, makers of the self-proclaimed “most affordable” electric bike conversion kits out there, announced its newest model this morning. The UK-based company’s new Swytch GO kit comes with a super low pre-order price of just £299 (or US $349 for North American customers), though there’s a bit of a catch.
Germany’s foreign minister says in Kyiv that air defenses are an ‘absolute priority’ for Ukraine
date: 2024-05-21, from: Associated Press, World News
Germany’s foreign minister says sending air defense systems to Ukraine to help protect it from Russian cruise missiles, rockets and drones is an “absolute priority.”
Tesla ‘Cybercab’ Robotaxi Interior: Is This It?
date: 2024-05-21, from: Inside EVs News
Several photos that show a two-seater without a steering wheel made their way into an official Tesla video.
https://insideevs.com/news/720357/tesla-cybercab-robotaxi-interior-leak/
Arms Dealers Shoot Down Accountability
date: 2024-05-21, from: The Lever News
The country’s top weapons manufacturers rejected shareholder motions to expose their emissions policies and human rights practices.
https://www.levernews.com/arms-dealers-shoot-down-accountability/
Google’s €1B Finnish datacenter expansion to heat the local community
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
AI might take your job, but you’ll be toasty warm while you starve
Google plans to invest €1 billion to expand its datacenter campus in Finland – a move that will both bolster its AI compute capacity and reclaim the thermal energy generated by power hungry accelerators to heat local homes.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/google_dc_finland_heating/
May 20, 2024
date: 2024-05-21, from: Heather Cox Richardson blog
There is a curious dynamic at work in politics these days. Trump does not appear to be trying to court voters to his standard. If he were, he would be reaching out to Nikki Haley voters and trying to moderate his stances. Instead, he is rejecting her voters and doubling down on extreme positions. Rather than trying to appeal to swing voters, he seems to be trying to whip up his right-wing base to engage in violence on his behalf.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-20-2024
Today in SCV History (May 21)
date: 2024-05-21, from: SCV New (TV Station)
1978 – St. Francis Dam site becomes a State Landmark [story
https://scvnews.com/today-in-scv-history-may-21/
Scarlett Johansson voices anger at OpenAI’s unauthorized soundalike
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Sam Altman liked the sound of a fictional ScarBot, which makes this all a bit creepy
Audio Movie megastar Scarlett Johansson has complained that one of the voices OpenAI’s ChatGPT uses in voice interactions sounds eerily like her own – despite having rebuffed an approach to record a bot for the AI hype leader.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/scarlett_johansson_openai_accusation/
Alleged $100M dark-web drug kingpin, 23, arrested
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
DoJ claims he used platform’s last days to extort its users
A 23-year-old Taiwanese man was arrested in New York for allegedly running the $100 million global dark web narcotics e-commerce operation known as Incognito Market.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/incognito_market_arrest_charge/
Deputies: Man steals, abandons city truck near bike trail
date: 2024-05-21, from: The Signal
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station received a report Monday morning of a truck stolen from the city of Santa Clarita’s Parks Division, and the truck was recovered shortly thereafter […]
The post Deputies: Man steals, abandons city truck near bike trail appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/deputies-man-steals-abandons-city-truck-near-bike-trail/
Big Tech is not much help when fighting a junta, and FOSS doesn’t ride to the rescue
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Opponents of Myanmar’s internet-nobbling military government don’t like when Facebook asks for their real names
Big Tech isn’t much help if you’re an activist trying to work against a military junta, and FOSS tools aren’t a great alternative either, according to opponents of Myanmar’s military regime.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/activist_tech_inadequate_myanmar/
The OpenAI board was right
date: 2024-05-21, from: Gary Marcus blog
Even on little things, Sam is not consistently candid.
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/the-openai-board-was-right
US will not support global tax on billionaires
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-will-not-support-global-tax-on-billionaires/7620462.html
Juvenile driver hits, kills pedestrian in Gilroy
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
The fatal collision happened early Sunday morning near St. Louise Regional Hospital.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/20/juvenile-driver-hits-kills-pedestrian-in-gilroy/
Why the Biden White House chose Kenya for its first state visit by an African leader
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
The White House — The White House says it chose Kenya for its first state visit by an African leader for many reasons — not least because the East African powerhouse has stepped up on the global stage, offering to staff a United Nations peacekeeping mission to Haiti that could see boots on the ground as early as this week.
VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell sat down with Frances Brown, the newly appointed director for African affairs at the National Security Council, ahead of a state visit by Kenyan President William Ruto. They discussed a range of issues, including technology, climate management, debt relief, democracy, health and more.
The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
VOA: In a few days, President Joe Biden hosts Kenyan President William Ruto at the White House, his first African leader for a state visit. Why was Kenya chosen and what deliverables can we expect?
Frances Brown, NSC director for African affairs: We chose Kenya for a few reasons. No. 1 is the Kenya-U.S. partnership has really grown from a regionally focused one to a globally focused one. … and we see a lot of complementarities in terms of what we’re trying to do on climate. What we’re trying to do on debt for the developing world, and on security issues.
The second reason we wanted to have this state visit with Kenya is that we are both democracies, and our bond is very deep as democracies, and our bond is very deep on people-to-people ties.
The third reason is that Kenya and the U.S. really work similarly in terms of bringing in the private sector to solve global challenges. So, we’ll be talking a lot about those. The deliverables you’ll see are in the realms of technology, clean energy and climate transition, of debt relief, of democracy, of people-to-people ties and on health-related issues.
VOA: Kenya hopes to soon have peacekeepers in Haiti. Why is this so important to the administration?
Brown: We do really welcome the Kenyans raising their hand to help lead this multinational security support mission in Haiti, because it’s kind of an example of what I just mentioned of Kenya raising its hand to solve problems even outside of its region. … As you may know, there’s been planning under way for a number of months. It has included policing experts from around the world working to develop a concept of operations. Kenya is not going it alone. The U.S. has provided $300 million towards this, so it’s a big thing for us.
VOA: Are there any other security agreements these two countries might come up with during the state visit?
Brown: I would say watch this space, because I think security cooperation with Kenya is a really important plank.
VOA: Is it going to be focused on threats from Somalia or from other parts of East Africa?
Brown: The U.S. and Kenya have long cooperated on Somalia. I think you can look for security-related announcements that go beyond that.
VOA: U.S. troops are pulling out of the Sahel and the so-called “Coup Belt.” What are the concerns the administration has about security in the Sahel region, especially as Russia expands its footprint there?
Brown: As has been widely reported, we are making an orderly withdrawal from Niger. I will say that is pretty consistent with our administration’s [counterterrorism] posture in general that we have made changes to our posture that are consistent with our CT policy. It is no secret that democracy is on the backfoot in a lot of places globally.
If you talk to democracy scholars, democracy is on something like its 20th year of global decline. So, Africa is not alone in this regard. The Biden administration is focused on lifting up and partnering with democracies to help them deliver.
You may have seen USAID’s initiative on democracy delivering. We’re working with a few African countries on that. And I think this is, again, something that we’ll be talking a lot to the Kenyans with, because President Ruto has talked about the imperative of democracy delivering.
VOA: Regarding issues of trade and the African Growth and Opportunity Act — obviously, this is going to be a decision made by Congress, but how does the administration feel about the benefits of trade and of barrier-free trade with the United States?
Brown: President Biden has been really vocal that he sees AGOA reauthorization and AGOA modernization as a huge priority. It has been huge, I think from our perspective, but also from the perspective of the region. It’s something we hear a lot about from our Kenyan partners. We do look to Congress for that. But as you know, reauthorization is due next year, and obviously we hope that things can get in motion before then.
VOA: The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief — which has been a literal lifesaver for people around the African continent — is up for renewal next year. How does the White House see this program as contributing to national security?
Brown: We see PEPFAR as essential. And as you know, PEPFAR has been supported with bipartisan congressional support and across administrations since the George W. Bush initiative initially. We think PEPFAR is delivering for people across the continent, and we’ve been proud to support it, and we look for reauthorization.
VOA: When is President Biden going to visit Africa, and where will he go?
Brown: So, I cannot make news at this moment by announcing presidential travel. But what I will say is thus far, I think President Biden’s commitment to the relationship with the continent is pretty clear. If you think about Kenya, it’s the first state visit that we’re giving to a non-G20 country this term. There’s only been five other state visits. … But then you just look at the steady stream of Cabinet official travels to the continent over the past two years — by our count, there’s 24 principals or Cabinet-level officials who’ve made that trip, all of them bringing their own agenda.
I’d also say just in terms of the other ways President Biden has shown his commitment, advocating for AU [African Union] membership with the G20 has been huge. Advocating for more African seats and international financial institutions and all the other transformative investment.
VOA: You’ve just joined the NSC in this capacity. What priorities do you bring to this post?
Brown: I think I see this post as moving forward on the affirmative agenda that President Biden laid out first, and the Sub-Saharan Africa Strategy, which was published at the end of 2021. Then the African Leaders Summit, which came at the end of 2022. There were a lot of initiatives launched by those two events. Now we are running forward on implementation.
At the same time, of course, at the NSC, the urgent sometimes competes with the important, so of course, we’re seized with managing crises. And we’re really sobered by the crises that are happening in many parts of the continent. So, I see my role as a balance between those two, and I’m thrilled to be on board.
https://www.voanews.com/a/white-house-welcomes-kenya-for-first-african-state-visit/7620460.html
Is this the interior of Tesla’s upcoming ‘Robotaxi’?
date: 2024-05-21, from: Electrek Feed
Tesla has released a new video that includes some footage of a previously unseen vehicle interior. Could it be an early concept of the interior of the Robotaxi?
https://electrek.co/2024/05/20/tesla-robotaxi-interior-leak/
Michigan town fails to block Chinese EV factory
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/michigan-town-fails-to-block-chinese-ev-factory/7620452.html
Taiwan’s new president wants to upgrade from ‘silicon island’ to ‘AI island’
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Drone island too – in part to keep China at bay, and ensure TSMC’s sweet silicon remains available
Taiwan’s recently elected president, Lai Ching-te, has used his inaugural address to call for the island state to upgrade to an AI nation.…
Biden, Trump clash over gun rights
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
Guns have divided American voters, with nearly equal numbers taking opposite sides in the gun safety debate, according to Pew Research polling. U.S. presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump also have opposing views on guns and gun control. VOA correspondent Scott Stearns reports.
https://www.voanews.com/a/biden-trump-clash-over-gun-rights-/7620446.html
The Spring Bird Vortex
date: 2024-05-21, from: Margaret Atwood’s substack
Through the magic doorway to Birdland
https://margaretatwood.substack.com/p/the-spring-bird-vortex
Trump unlikely to testify as his trial nears end
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-unlikely-to-testify-as-his-trial-nears-the-end-/7620433.html
Moorpark district looking to protest CIF title game dispute
date: 2024-05-21, from: The Signal
The final inning of Friday night’s CIF Southern Section Division 2 baseball championship, in which Hart High School was declared the winner after a controversial call by the umpire crew, […]
The post Moorpark district looking to protest CIF title game dispute appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/moorpark-district-seeking-protest-cif-title-game-dispute/
Intel, AMD take a back seat as Qualcomm takes center stage in Microsoft’s AI PC push
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Plus: Windows set for ML-powered always-watching-you Recall feature
Build Microsoft isn’t waiting around for Intel and AMD to get their neural processing units (NPUs) up to snuff and is pushing its AI PC agenda forward with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus system-on-chips (SoCs).…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/05/21/qualcomm_windows_microsoft/
COC to hold screening and discussion of ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’
date: 2024-05-21, from: The Signal
A screening and discussion of the controversially titled film “How to Blow Up a Pipeline,” hosted by the College of the Canyons philosophy department, is meant to spark a discussion […]
The post COC to hold screening and discussion of ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/coc-to-hold-screening-and-discussion-of-how-to-blow-up-a-pipeline/
US officials warn cyberattacks on water systems are increasing
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
EPA did not say how many cyber incidents have occurred in recent years, and the number of attacks known to be successful so far is few. The agency has issued nearly 100 enforcement actions since 2020 regarding risk assessments and emergency response, but said that’s a small snapshot of the threats water systems face.
Toddler bookworm triumph
date: 2024-05-21, from: The Signal
Luca McFarlin completed a huge milestone for a 2-year-old toddler. With the help of his family, McFarlin read 1,000 books and became the sixth child to accomplish the 1,000 Books […]
The post Toddler bookworm triumph appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/toddler-bookworm-triumph/
Crews battle two-alarm fire at Tesla plant in Fremont
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
The blaze was reported just before 5 p.m. Monday at the plant on Fremont Boulevard.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/20/crews-battling-two-alarm-fire-at-tesla-facility-in-fremont/
Haiti’s main airport reopens 3 months after gang violence closed it
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
The U.S. government had evacuated hundreds of citizens by helicopter out of a hilly neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, as did nonprofit organizations, as gangs laid siege to parts of the capital.
SCV deputies take part in memorial run
date: 2024-05-21, from: The Signal
A nearly 50-year-old tradition ran through the Santa Clarita Valley on Saturday to honor law enforcement officers who “sacrificed their lives in the performance of their duties,” according to the […]
The post SCV deputies take part in memorial run appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/scv-deputies-take-part-in-memorial-run/
Dark web drug site founder to appear in New York court
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/dark-web-drug-site-founder-to-appear-in-new-york-court/7620397.html
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-05-21, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Scarlett Johansson says lawyers got OpenAI to shut down "Her" voice.
https://www.axios.com/2024/05/20/scarlet-johansson-openai-chatgpt-sam-altman
Head of US deposit insurance agency to step down
date: 2024-05-21, from: VOA News USA
new york — The White House said Monday that the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation would step down, a departure that will follow the release this month of a damning report about the agency’s toxic workplace culture.
The White House said Martin Gruenberg would step down once a successor was appointed and that President Joe Biden would name a replacement “soon.” The announcement came after the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee earlier Monday called for Gruenberg’s removal.
Biden expects the FDIC “to reflect the values of decency and integrity and to protect the rights and dignity of all employees,” deputy press secretary Sam Michel said in a statement.
The FDIC is one of several U.S. banking system regulators. The Great Depression-era agency is best known for running the nation’s deposit insurance program, which insures Americans’ deposits up to $250,000 in case their banks fail.
Before Monday, no Democrats had called for Gruenberg’s ouster, although several came very close to doing so. But Senator Sherrod Brown, the top Democrat on the Banking Committee, who is facing a tough reelection campaign, issued a statement Monday calling for Gruenberg to step down, saying his leadership at the FDIC could no longer be trusted.
Gruenberg was grilled for two days last week on Capitol Hill in hearings largely focused on the FDIC’s workplace culture and the failures disclosed in the report prepared by an outside law firm.
“After chairing last week’s hearing, reviewing the independent report and receiving further outreach from FDIC employees … , I am left with one conclusion: There must be fundamental changes at the FDIC,” Brown said in a statement.
Republicans have been calling for Gruenberg’s ouster for some time and criticized the White House for not calling for his immediate departure.
Gruenberg has held various leadership positions at the FDIC for nearly 20 years, and this was his second full term as FDIC chair. His long tenure at the agency made him largely responsible for the agency’s toxic work environment, according to the report outlining the problems at the agency.
The report released last Tuesday by law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton cites incidents of stalking, harassment, homophobia and other violations of employment regulations, based on more than 500 complaints from employees.
Among the complaints: a woman said she was stalked by a coworker and continually harassed even after complaining about his behavior; a field office supervisor referred to gay men as “little girls”; and a female field examiner described receiving a picture of an FDIC senior examiner’s private parts.
https://www.voanews.com/a/head-of-us-deposit-insurance-agency-to-step-down/7620393.html
Human Rights Watch Raises $900,000
date: 2024-05-21, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Head of international nonprofit addresses guests.
The post Human Rights Watch Raises $900,000 appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/05/20/human-rights-watch-raises-900000/
Bridge to Home celebrates new shelter
date: 2024-05-21, from: The Signal
For many gathered off Drayton Street in Newhall at Monday’s ribbon-cutting for the city’s first-ever permanent homeless shelter, it was a full-circle moment. More than a handful of people could […]
The post Bridge to Home celebrates new shelter appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/05/bridge-to-home-celebrates-new-shelter/
Pentagon vows to keep resupplying Ukraine with weapons
date: 2024-05-21, from: San Jose Mercury News
The U.S. announced no new aid packages Monday, even as Ukrainian forces continue to complain that weapons are just trickling into the country after being stalled for months due to congressional gridlock over funding. Pentagon officials have said that weapons pre-positioned in Europe began moving into Ukraine soon after the aid funding was approved in late April.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/20/pentagon-vows-to-keep-resupplying-ukraine-with-weapons/
NGI Mobifree Launches to Develop Ethical Mobile Software
date: 2024-05-21, updated: 2024-05-21, from: nlnet feed
https://nlnet.nl/news/2024/20240521-Mobifree-official-launch.html
GHC release plans
date: 2024-05-21, from: Glasgow Haskell Compiler
GHC release plans
Zubin Duggal - 2024-05-21
This post sets out our plans for upcoming releases in the next few months.
Given limited time and resources, we plan to prioritise work on the 9.6, 9.10 and master branches of GHC for the next few months.
9.10
With the release of 9.10.1, we look forward to the broader adoption of this release.
New releases in this series will continue at the usual rate depending on if and when any significant regressions or issues arise.
9.6
9.6.5 seems to be a relatively stable release so far and we plan to
prioritise fixes given the relatively higher adoption of this branch. We
know of one significant issue
(#22210)
to do with object merging arising from the interactions between GHC and
cabal on certain platforms including Darwin with a
brew-provisioned clang toolchain.
The upcoming 9.6.6 release will include a fix for this issue along with others that may arise. The 9.6.6 release is tentatively scheduled for the end of June, to allow for sufficient time following the 9.6.5 release for bugs and issues to be reported and addressed.
9.8
We plan to continue supporting this release series for the near future, but updates to this series might proceed at a slower rate than usual as we prioritise the new release (9.10) and supporting earlier releases with high uptake (9.6).
The next release in this series will likely be scheduled after the 9.6.6 release.
Conclusion
We hope that this clarfies the current state of our release branches. If you have any questions or comments then please be in touch via mailto:ghc-devs@haskell.org.
http://haskell.org/ghc/blog/20240521-ghc-release-priorities.html
iTerm2 and AI hype overload
date: 2024-05-21, from: Ze Iaso’s blog
https://xeiaso.net/notes/2024/ai-hype/
“No way to prevent this” say users of only language where this regularly happens
date: 2024-05-21, from: Ze Iaso’s blog
https://xeiaso.net/shitposts/no-way-to-prevent-this/CVE-2024-4323/