News gathered 2024-06-05
(date: 2024-06-05 14:03:36)
Kathy Hochul’s Climate Betrayal
date: 2024-06-05, from: Heatmap News
If it holds, then Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision today to delay congestion pricing indefinitely in New York will be a generational setback for climate policy in the United States.
It is one of the worst climate policy decisions made by a Democrat at any level of government in recent memory.
It is worse than the Mountain Valley pipeline, the 300-mile gas pipeline that Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia got approved in 2022 in exchange for supporting the Inflation Reduction Act.
And it is worse than the Willow project in Alaska, the oil mega-project that President Joe Biden okayed last year under pressure from that state’s local and indigenous leaders.
It is so bad because it will set back the development of climate-friendly cities and rapid transit infrastructure in the United States for years if not decades. And it will deter other American cities from implementing the kind of time-saving, pollution-averting, anti-gridlock measure that the country desperately needs.
There is nothing good to be said for this decision. It is bad politics, bad economics, bad governance, and bad for the climate.
Let us briefly count the ways that it is destructive.
It is stupid coalition politics. Hochul has alienated her allies, including environmental groups, state budget hawks, and transit advocates. Bill McKibben, the longtime New Yorker writer who has become one of the country’s most famous climate activists, called Hochul’s decision “one of the most aggressive anti-environmental actions ever undertaken by a Democratic governor.”
In exchange, Hochul has delighted her Republican adversaries, who can praise her wise decision-making in the weeks to come — and therefore brandish their own bipartisan bonafides — but continue to campaign against congestion pricing through November. Congestion pricing is unpopular now, but in her fecklessness, Hochul has guaranteed that it will be a live issue in November.
It is nonsense budget politics. Hochul says that she has delayed congestion pricing because she is worried about the city’s recovery from the pandemic, but regardless of her reasons, she has now left a $1 billion hole in the transit authority’s budget. The New York Times reports that she wants to fill that hole by raising taxes on the state’s businesses.
But that means that she has taken a tax formerly charged to some New York residents and businesses — but which would also fall on New Jersey and Connecticut residents and businesses — and shifted it entirely to in-state entities. She has, in essence, cut taxes on out-of-state residents and raised taxes on New York businesses and consumers.
And instead of taxing the right to use roads in downtown Manhattan, which are a limited public resource, she will instead tax all business activity in the state. What good will that do for New York’s economy?
Those political and financial flaws might be forgiven if her decision was good for the planet. But don’t worry: It’s also bad climate politics.
Cars, SUVs, and trucks belch more climate pollution into the atmosphere than any other single economic activity in the U.S. Nearly 20% of America’s annual carbon pollution comes from individuals and families driving their private vehicles around on roads and highways. This is a far larger share of national pollution than is generated by more famous climate villains, such as air travel.
We have good ways of dealing with all that carbon pollution. In suburbs, small towns, and rural America, the best way to deal with that tailpipe pollution is to gradually transition from gasoline-burning cars to electric vehicles. In some places, the country can also experiment with using experimental, climate-friendly liquid fuels.
But in cities, people have better and cheaper options than getting EVs. We can stop requiring people to drive everywhere and encourage them to walk, bike, and take public transit instead. That will require, at times, treating the use of roads in city centers as the limited public resource that it is — which means charging cars and trucks to enter the most crowded downtown areas of certain cities at certain times of the day.
That’s what congestion pricing is: a way of encouraging cities to grow in pro-climate, pro-environmental ways. Such a policy has already been successfully implemented in London, Singapore, and other congested cities. Even as a city-dwelling car owner, I long wanted the city where I lived for a decade — Washington, D.C. — to adopt a similar policy. After all, when Stockholm started its congestion fee, the rate of asthma attacks among its children dropped by half.
So I looked forward to the start of congestion pricing in New York City, America’s biggest, densest, and most transit-friendly city. New York was bushwhacking a trail for everyone else to follow: If congestion policy was a success there, then other American cities could experiment with it in some form.
By pausing that trial before it has even begun, Hochul has essentially frozen our ability to experiment with congestion pricing anywhere else in the country. By shuttering the policy in New York, she has poisoned pro-climate urban politics everywhere. Now people will say: You saw what happened when New York tried to do congestion pricing. Do you really want to try that here?
In the past, when national Democrats have approved new pipelines or oil projects, they have argued that those projects will not affect the country’s carbon pollution because only demand for fossil fuels, and not the supply of them, drives carbon emissions. But what makes congestion pricing so powerful is that demand is precisely what it targets. Congestion pricing makes buses run faster, pays for the subway system, and pushes people and businesses to consider the social cost of their driving before they get in the car.
Congestion pricing, if implemented widely, can actually conserve fossil fuels and cut carbon emissions. Now Hochul has halted its progress everywhere.
She has made, in other words, a local mistake with national and even global consequences. It is such a foolhardy error that it instantly recasts Kathy Hochul’s climate record as governor.
Hochul has previously been seen as a center-left governor playing a difficult but moderate environmental hand. But is that really her record? She has struggled to build wind farms off the coast of New York, even though it is essential to decarbonizing the state’s power grid. She has so far failed to pass the NY HEAT Act, which would help the state transition away from using fossil fuels to heat its buildings. She has even failed to pass little climate measures that would fund the state’s more modest climate goals.
I would compare her to Senator Joe Manchin, the fossil-fuel-friendly West Virginia lawmaker who repeatedly refused to vote for Biden’s climate policy — except at least Manchin put his political reputation on the line when it mattered and ultimately negotiated, and voted for, the Inflation Reduction Act. At least Manchin has many qualities to recommend him: He was canny, risk-taking, proud, and courageous when it counted. Hochul is just a loser.
https://heatmap.news/economy/kathy-hochuls-climate-betrayal
The Dealmakers Aren’t Fretting About the IRA’s Future
date: 2024-06-05, from: Heatmap News
Almost every day, Donald Trump attacks clean energy and climate action. He assails electric vehicles, offshore wind, and calls climate change a hoax. He’s also up a little bit in the polls.
Everyone in and out of the clean energy and environmental movement knows this. So why, over two days at a conference hosted by the American Council on Renewable Energy this week, did clean energy bankers, investors, lawyers, and operators seem pretty optimistic about much of the Inflation Reduction Act and other Biden energy policies surviving into 2025 and beyond?
Pretty simply: Because there’s a lot of money being made — including in Republican-controlled states.
“Money is money,” Gina McCarthy, the former Environmental Protection Agency director and White House climate advisor, said during an on-stage interview. “Honestly, who is going to pull the plug on the investments from the Inflation Reduction Act without huge blowback from each of the individual states and governors?”
“I’ve been telling my clients that it’s very unlikely that we’re going to see substantial changes,” Mona Dajani, a partner at Baker Botts, told me. “There’s a lot of clean energy in traditionally Republican states. So do I see anything very material happening? No, I don’t. I think it’d be very unlikely”
It’s not surprising that lawyers and investment bankers would be optimistic about the Inflation Reduction Act. Much of the bill’s spending is channeled through tax credits, which require lawyers and investment bankers to arrange and write up deals between developers and investors.
Whether this optimistic consensus will bear out in 2025 remains to be seen (obviously), but that it exists at all in the present is a testament to a deliberate strategy. The legislation, along with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, gave a wide cross section of industries, and regions a stake in the energy transition.
Even if it wouldn’t make these various elected officials and business leaders Democrats — Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, for instance, seems to be opening a new battery plant every week and is not supporting Biden’s reelection — it may turn them into supporters of climate policy, or at least give them a second thought about killing it.
At the core of the IRA are tax credits that, while they will soon be “technology neutral,” will still largely benefit and are modeled on tax credits for wind and solar. Those credits, the Production Tax Credit and the Investment Tax Credit, are decades old, and have historically been affirmatively extended under both Democratic and Republican presidents when the status quo would have meant their demise. To undo them under a second Trump administration would require Congress and the White House to agree affirmatively to toss them out.
“When I look at the composition of Congress, even with a new administration, I think it will be difficult to repeal it,” said Mit Buchanan, managing director of energy investment at JPMorgan Chase, speaking of the IRA during a panel at the conference. “There’s been good support on both sides of aisle in respect to renewable energy in red and blue states. Job creation means a lot.”
Texas and Florida are two of the standouts in clean energy investment, with Texas surpassing California in deploying utility-scale solar and leading the leading the country in wind generation. Florida, meanwhile, has the third-most solar installed among U.S. states.
Between the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, though, there’s spending that goes beyond wind and solar, including subsidies for oil industry darlings like carbon capture and sequestration, as well as hydrogen energy development.
“Carbon sequestration and hydrogen brings in industries that were traditionally hostile to renewables,” said Jordan Newman, a managing director and renewables investment banker at Wells Fargo, at the conference. A number of carbon sequestration infrastructure projects have popped up in Republican-voting states, including a carbon dioxide pipeline project in Iowa, while the sizable planned investments in hydrogen include a hub in Houston, of which Chevron and ExxonMobil are partners.
But the Biden administration and regulatory agencies run by Biden appointees are certainly acting as if large swaths of the administration’s climate policy are at risk. The Treasury Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have put out a flurry of rules and guidance before self-imposed deadlines at the end of this year and to attempt to front-run the ability of a Republican Congress and White House to undo regulations through the Congressional Review Act.
“Our mission and what we continue to do is seek to get as much of the guidance done right and done effectively on the most reasonable timeframe that we can, and we’ll continue to do that all the way through the end of this year,” Ethan Zindler, climate counselor at the Treasury Department, told the audience.
Even if much of the energy tax credits and subsidies for specific technologies like hydrogen and carbon sequestration could survive a change in administration, other parts of the IRA may be at greater risk, especially wind and especially especially offshore wind, for which Trump seems to have a special distaste.
“Offshore wind is challenging,” Meghan Schultz, the chief financial officer of Invenergy, which won a contract for an offshore wind project off the coast of New Jersey earlier this year, said on a panel.
She previewed a message for a potential second Trump administration, focusing on the industrial and job benefits of offshore wind: “If he were to be elected, it will be important that we’re working as an industry to educate this administration on the value these projects will bring, in clean energy and job creation and infrastructure.”
No matter what happens, business people tend towards the optimistic. Said Thomas de Swardt, chief commercial officer at D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments: “If it happens, we’ll sit around table and talk about how we restructure and reprice deals.”
https://heatmap.news/economy/trump-ira-money
Prince William shares update on Princess Catherine’s cancer battle
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
While it remains unknown what type of cancer she is getting treatment for, Kensington Palace shared a statement in May, saying that Princess Catherine has not set a date for her public return.
Circle of Hope to host Hoedown fundraiser
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Signal
News release Get ready to dust off those cowboy boots and join Circle of Hope Cancer Wellness Center for its Hoedown for Hope barbecue and music fundraiser. The […]
The post Circle of Hope to host Hoedown fundraiser appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/circle-of-hope-to-host-hoedown-fundraiser/
To solve AI’s energy crisis, ‘rethink the entire stack from electrons to algorithms’, says Stanford prof
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Think biologically not digitally to go from megawatts to watts, HAI gathering told
The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) on Wednesday celebrated five years of cat herding, which is to say shepherding the responsible development of machine learning.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/a_high_five_for_stanford/
Bartender Developer Explains and Apologizes for Quiet Acquisition
date: 2024-06-05, from: TidBITS blog
After two days of uproar, the original developer behind the popular Mac menu bar utility Bartender has apologized for not being more upfront about selling the app to a development company.
https://tidbits.com/2024/06/05/bartender-developer-explains-and-apologizes-for-quiet-acquisition/
Police: Woman who died from gunshot wounds in San Francisco was shot in Oakland
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
The approximate location of the shooting is very near Kaiser Hospital in Oakland.
Bay Area arts: 10 cool shows and concerts to catch this weekend
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
From free concerts to a world premiere musical about Stephen Sondheim, there is a lot to see and do in the Bay Area this weekend and beyond.
AGI by 2027?
date: 2024-06-05, from: Gary Marcus blog
Fun with charts
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/agi-by-2027
8 great day trips from Paris
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Thanks to France’s extensive and efficient rail network, all of the following day trips are within easy reach.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/05/8-great-day-trips-from-paris/
Meet the Simunauts: Ohio State Students to Test Space Food Solutions for NASA
date: 2024-06-05, from: NASA breaking news
By Savannah Bullard NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge kicks off its final eight-week demonstration this month, and a new crew is running the show. NASA’s partner for the Deep Space Food Challenge, the Methuselah Foundation, has teamed up with Ohio State University in Columbus to facilitate the challenge’s third and final phase. The university is […]
Pittsburg makes a play for tourist eyes and civic pride with new signs
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Pittsburg installs large block-letter city sign and gateway sign along with landscaping improvements
‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ review: Smith-Lawrence comedic chemistry gives it life
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Fourth entry in action-comedy franchise lackluster in a few areas.
Bartender Acquired by Applause Group
date: 2024-06-05, from: Michael Tsai
Juli Clover (Reddit, Hacker News, Mac Power Users Talk, AppleInsider): Popular Mac app Bartender appears to have been quietly sold approximately two months ago, with neither the prior owner nor the current owner providing customers or potential customers with information on the sale.[…]Bartender’s new owners replied to the Reddit thread and confirmed that Bartender had […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/06/05/bartender-acquired-by-applause-group/
Screen Time Bugs
date: 2024-06-05, from: Michael Tsai
Joanna Stern (tweet): Porn, violent images, illicit drugs. I could see it all by typing a special string of characters into the Safari browser’s address bar. The parental controls I had set via Apple’s Screen Time? Useless.Security researchers reported this particular software bug to Apple multiple times over the past three years with no luck. […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/06/05/screen-time-bugs/
Department of Public Services Raises Pride Flag In Solidarity With LGBTQ+
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services joined seven local advocate organizations in affirming its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the raising of the Progress Pride Flag Monday at its City of Industry Headquarters
https://scvnews.com/department-of-public-services-raises-pride-flag-in-solidarity-with-lgbtq/
The Marshall Star for June 5, 2024
date: 2024-06-05, from: NASA breaking news
LIFTOFF! NASA Astronauts Pilot First Starliner Crewed Test to Station NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are safely in orbit on the first crewed flight test aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft bound for the International Space Station. As part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, the astronauts lifted off at 9:52 a.m. CDT June 5 […]
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/marshall/the-marshall-star-for-june-5-2024/
What is RansomHub? Looks like a Knight ransomware reboot
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Malware code potentially sold off, tweaked, back at it infecting victims
RansomHub, a newish cyber-crime operation that has claimed to be behind the theft of data from Christie’s auction house and others, is “very likely” some kind of rebrand of the Knight ransomware gang, according to threat hunters.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/ransomhub_knight_reboot/
LASD is Asking for the Public’s Help Locating At-Risk Missing Person, Justin Evan Chapman
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Missing Persons Unit is asking for the public’s help locating At-Risk Missing Person, Evan Chapman
4-acre brush fire reported in Gorman
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Signal
Los Angeles County firefighters were called to battle a brush fire, dubbed the Cherry Fire, on California State Route 138 and Quail Lake Road in Gorman early Wednesday afternoon, according […]
The post 4-acre brush fire reported in Gorman appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/4-acre-brush-fire-reported-in-gorman/
Keck workers launch informational picket
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The demonstration aims to draw attention to ongoing contract negotiations between USC and workers at Keck School of Medicine of USC.
The post Keck workers launch informational picket appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/06/05/keck-workers-launch-informational-picket/
Why SF Giants sent Luis Matos back to minors 2 weeks after winning NL honors
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Matos has batted .153 with 10 strikeouts in 63 plate appearances since his OPS peaked after six-RBI game last month.
The chicken and egg problem of fighting another flu pandemic
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
The spread of an avian flu virus has decimated flocks of birds (and killed barn cats and other mammals).
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/05/the-chicken-and-egg-problem-of-fighting-another-flu-pandemic/
@Tomosino’s Mastodon feed (date: 2024-06-05, from: Tomosino’s Mastodon feed)
Breakfast this morning was tea, chia pudding, and all the drugs
https://tilde.zone/@tomasino/112565759371436255
Pruneyard Cinemas in Campbell faces “significant” money challenge, seeks lease rework
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
The Pruneyard Cinemas in Campbell faces “significant” money challenges.
5 financial steps for new college grads in their first jobs
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
A solid financial foundation starts with creating a budget, saving for emergencies and retirement, being proactive about student loan bills and building credit.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/05/5-financial-steps-for-new-college-grads-in-their-first-jobs/
Meeting Jerry
date: 2024-06-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
I applaud the Memorial Day tribute to Jerry Georges.
The post Meeting Jerry appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/05/meeting-jerry/
Biden dispatches top aides to press Hamas as Israel grapples with cease-fire plan
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
White House — President Joe Biden’s top aides are in the Middle East to push for a three-phase Gaza cease-fire plan that the U.S. leader announced last week as the latest offer from the Israeli war cabinet. The deal would see an initial six-week pause of fighting and secure the release of some hostages held by Hamas and some Palestinians detained in Israeli jails.
CIA director Bill Burns arrived in Doha Tuesday, and Brett McGurk, Biden’s top Middle East adviser, is in Cairo Wednesday, administration officials confirmed to VOA. The pair is expected to convey Biden’s message that Hamas should sign the deal, via key mediators Qatar and Egypt.
Earlier in the week, Biden spoke with the Emir of Qatar Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, reiterating that the plan “offers a concrete roadmap for ending the crisis in Gaza.”
The deal is structured toward a permanent cease-fire in exchange for the release of all hostages and the reconstruction of Gaza. But neither party appears close to agreement.
Despite the Israeli war cabinet signing off on the proposal, shortly after Biden’s announcement Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed there will be no permanent cease-fire without “the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.”
In response, Hamas official Osama Hamdan declared Tuesday it could not agree without a clear Israeli position on a permanent cease-fire and complete withdrawal from Gaza.
“You’re going to hear a lot of things in the media, a lot of statements from a lot of different voices and a lot of different people,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said. He spoke aboard Air Force One Tuesday evening enroute to France where Biden is scheduled to commemorate the anniversary of D-Day on Thursday.
Hamdan’s declaration aside, Sullivan said the administration would only consider the group’s formal response as conveyed to the Qataris, who transmitted the proposal from Israeli negotiators to Hamas.
“We have not gotten that yet,” Sullivan said, noting that the U.S. is in “hourly contact” with Qatar.
What happens next?
The plan’s three-phase outline appears fundamentally similar to a proposal that Hamas said it had accepted in early May. But given the world’s condemnation of Israel’s actions on Rafah paired with a ruling by the top U.N. court ordering the government to halt its military offensive there, the group may seek to leverage its advantage on the negotiation table.
“There is no guarantee that Hamas won’t come back with additional conditions,” said Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. negotiator on Middle East peace talks who is now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace.
Once Hamas provides its formal response, Netanyahu must present it to his entire coalition, Miller told VOA. “And that’s where things get to be very complicated.”
With far-right ministers of the coalition threatening to leave the government if Netanyahu agrees to a cease-fire, and his war cabinet members saying they would quit if he does not agree, the prime minister faces the risk of a collapsed coalition no matter what he decides. That could trigger early elections, potentially sending Netanyahu into the opposition and making him more vulnerable to a conviction in his corruption trial.
Biden’s announcement of the cease-fire plan has brought those pressures on Netanyahu to a head.
“I think Netanyahu is trying to buy his time and stretch this out and hope maybe that Hamas will actually be the one to say no more definitively,” said Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst on Israel-Palestine at the International Crisis Group.
The prime minister could also find alternative opposition parties to enter a temporary government, she told VOA. “It could be that Netanyahu has something up his sleeve to be able to go with the deal and still remain in power for a while.”
In an interview this week with Time magazine, Biden said “there is every reason” for people to conclude that Netanyahu is prolonging the conflict for his own political self-preservation.
He appeared to walk back the statement Tuesday when asked whether Netanyahu is playing politics with the war.
“I don’t think so. He’s trying to work out the serious problem that he has,” Biden said.
Biden under pressure
With polls suggesting Biden losing support from progressives and young voters over his support for Israel, securing a cease-fire ahead of the November election would appeal to swaths of Biden’s constituents.
“The Democrats would like to avoid the ugly optics of ‘Genocide Joe’ demonstrations at their August convention,” said Laura Blumenfeld, a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies. Biden is set to be formally nominated as the party’s presidential nominee during the convention.
Meanwhile, Arab and Muslim Americans are having “difficult discussions” over whether to support Biden or his Republican opponent, said Muslim Public Affairs Council founder Salam Al-Marayati.
“On the one hand, no Republican has supported a cease-fire,” Al-Marayati told VOA. “On the other hand, the president himself has enabled genocide, has financed the genocide, has been a part, complicitly, of this genocide.”
Biden and his aides have rejected the characterization that Israel’s offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide.
From a domestic political point of view, Blumenfeld noted that Biden’s timing of the announcement on the cease-fire was “spot on.”
“It is one of multiple gestures meant to highlight his leadership,” she told VOA, noting a series of international engagements Biden is embarking on as the White House sought to highlight his global leadership.
Biden announced an executive order Tuesday on the migrant crisis along the U.S. southern border with Mexico. He is set to deliver a speech defending democracy on the beach of Normandy, France, on the 80th anniversary of D-Day. He’ll meet leaders of the world’s leading economies at the G7 summit in Italy later this month and host a NATO summit in July.
“We are mobilizing common action to solve the great challenges of our time,” Sullivan said in response to VOA’s question. “In these next six weeks, the president will try to put all that on display.”
Biden has invested much on his cease-fire strategy. But neither of the warring parties are in a hurry to end their conflict, Miller said.
“The Biden administration is clearly under the most pressure and the most urgency to see something happen,” he said, not just for domestic political aims but also the goal of advancing a historic agreement to normalize ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia that could only happen with peace in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and reiterated that Hamas should agree “without further delay,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
The U.S. is also keen to keep in check Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah near the northern Israeli border with Lebanon, which has been fought in parallel to the Gaza war.
On this front, Biden is again dependent on Netanyahu. The prime minister said Wednesday Israel is prepared for “very strong action” against Hezbollah, saying he would restore security “one way or another.”
VOA’s Virginia Gunawan and Anita Powell contributed to this report.
Princess Cruises Named Official Cruise Line Partner of the Academy of Country Music
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Princess Cruises, the world’s most iconic cruise brand, today was named as the exclusive cruise line partner for the famed Academy of Country Music
@Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed (date: 2024-06-05, from: Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed)
Amazing feat.
Bringing Vulkan to Linux on Apple Silicon in one month:
https://rosenzweig.io/blog/vk13-on-the-m1-in-1-month.html
https://mastodon.social/@Migueldeicaza/112565702066357538
High-flying drones on a leash could blow traditional wind turbines away
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Bristol researcher granted £375K to improve airborne wind energy systems
We may be inching closer to a post-turbine wind energy future if a grant awarded to a University of Bristol boffin for wind-harvesting, ground-tethered drone research is any indication of things to come. …
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/airborne_wind_energy_grant/
ONEXPLAYER X1 Mini is a small(er) Ryzen 7 8840U gaming tablet with an 8.8 inch display and detachable controllers
date: 2024-06-05, from: Liliputing
The ONEXPLAYER X1 Mini is a handheld gaming PC with an 8.8 inch, 2560 x 1600 pixel LTPS display featuring a 144 Hz refresh rate, and AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor with Radeon 780M integrated graphics, and a pair of detachable controllers that let you quickly switch between using the computer as a handheld or a […]
The post ONEXPLAYER X1 Mini is a small(er) Ryzen 7 8840U gaming tablet with an 8.8 inch display and detachable controllers appeared first on Liliputing.
💽 Making the geek movie
date: 2024-06-05, from: Interesting, a blog on writing
Sure, the theoretical particle physicists get it… but will it play in Peoria?
https://inneresting.substack.com/p/making-the-geek-movie
Republican lawmakers criticize Biden’s limits on asylum seekers
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
U.S. lawmakers are divided on President Joe Biden’s executive order imposing new limits on asylum seekers at U.S. borders. As VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, the debate over border security remains a tough issue ahead of general elections in November.
https://www.voanews.com/a/republican-lawmakers-criticize-biden-s-action-on-immigration/7644216.html
“Sun Bucks” Meal Program To Expand Summer Access Of Universal Meals For California’s Students
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today commended the launch of SUN Bucks, a new federally funded food program designed to ensure that qualified children have consistent access to adequate nutrition, is now available for the summer.”
US, allies warn China aggressively ‘headhunting’ Western fighter pilots
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
Washington — China’s military appears to be intensifying its efforts to recruit current and former Western fighter pilots, employing new and more intricate tactics to snare Western expertise.
The United States and some of its closest intelligence partners issued a new warning Wednesday, cautioning the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is using private companies, including corporate headhunters, so that Western pilots are unaware of links to the Chinese military until it is too late.
The end goal, according to the U.S. and its allies, is for China to better train its own fighter pilots while gaining insights into how Western air forces operate, something that could erode Western advantages or even give Chinese fighter jets a boost in case of a conflict.
The bulletin issued by the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – known as Five Eyes – says the PLA is using private companies based in South Africa and China to target Western pilots for job offers with lucrative salaries.
Other recruitment efforts include leveraging personal acquaintances, professional networking sites and online job platforms, according to the bulletin, which warns any links to the Chinese government or military are often hidden.
“We’re issuing this joint bulletin today because this is a persistent threat that continues to evolve in response to Western countermeasures,” an official with the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) told VOA.
“Like any illicit enterprise that seeks to conceal its activities, there have been efforts to incorporate entities [companies] in different locations under different names,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the rationale behind Wednesday’s bulletin.
“There have also been variations in recruitment pitches and approaches,” the official added. “It’s critical that we keep our current and former service members informed about this threat, which is directly targeting them.”
The Five Eyes bulletin said the Chinese recruitment efforts appear to be targeting current and former military pilots from Five Eyes countries as well as those from France, Germany and other Western nations.
VOA has contacted the Chinese Embassy in Washington for comment.
Concerns about Beijing’s pursuit of Western pilots and aviation expertise are not new.
British defense officials were sounding alarms about Chinese efforts to recruit retired members of the British Royal Air Force through companies in South Africa as far back as October 2022.
Australian defense officials raised similar concerns a month later, warning that retired Australian military personnel had an “enduring obligation” to protect state secrets and “to reveal any of those secrets is a crime.”
Britain, Australia and the other Five Eyes members have also taken action to curtail Beijing’s efforts.
The U.S. last year, for example, placed restrictions on 43 entities tied to Chinese efforts to recruit and hire Western fighter pilots.
The targeted companies included a flight school in South Africa, a security and an aviation company founded by a former U.S. Navy SEAL with operations in the United Arab Emirates, Kenya and Laos.
While such work may have diminished Beijing’s efforts, the U.S. and its intelligence partners warn China has responded aggressively, rolling out new recruitment efforts aimed not only at hiring former Western fighter pilots but hiring engineers and flight operation center personnel who also could give the PLA insights into the operations and tactics of Western air forces.
Wednesday’s bulletin advises current and former U.S. military personnel approached with suspicious recruitment pitches to contact their individual military services or the FBI.
Military personnel from other countries are encouraged to contact the appropriate defense agencies.
“PLA recruitment efforts continue to evolve,” U.S. NCSC Director Michael Casey said in a statement Wednesday.
The new warning “seeks to highlight this persistent threat and deter any current or former Western service members from actions that put their military colleagues at risk and erode our national security,” he added.
DuckDB promises greater stability with 1.0 release
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
In-process OLAP database flies the nest
DuckDB has become a fully fledged database release with its 1.0 iteration, promising a new data model and greater stability to enhance backwards compatibility.…
Starliner to the Stars
date: 2024-06-05, from: NASA breaking news
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, in this image from June 5, 2024. As part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the flight test will help validate the transportation system, launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, in-orbit operations capabilities, and return to Earth […]
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/starliner-to-the-stars/
Student Protests Raise Questions, Inspire Hope, CSUN Prof Says
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
While the academic year winds down, Antastasiia Timmer, an assistant professor of criminology and justice studies at California State University, Northridge, said student activism over the war in Gaza is not over
https://scvnews.com/student-protests-raise-questions-inspire-hope-csun-prof-says/
All Booked | Richelle’s Recent Reads
date: 2024-06-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The Indy’s Richelle Boyd tells us about what she’s been reading recently.
The post All Booked | Richelle’s Recent Reads appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/05/all-booked-richelles-recent-reads/
Guinness Names Ghana Toddler as the ‘World’s Youngest Male Artist’
date: 2024-06-05, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Ace-Liam Ankrah, who turns 2 in July, has already hosted a solo exhibition and sold 15 original pieces
130-Foot Snake Carving Slithers Through 2,000-Year-Old Rock Art Found in South America
date: 2024-06-05, from: Smithsonian Magazine
The conspicuous reptile renderings spotted along the Orinoco River likely functioned as territorial markers, akin to pre-Colombian road signs
Boeing’s Starliner makes it into orbit at long last – with human crew aboard
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Let’s get that brave duo to the ISS and then home to Earth safely
Boeing’s NASA-backed Starliner crew capsule, at long last, successfully blasted off from a Florida launch pad today with two brave humans onboard.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/boeing_starliner_launch_success/
After contentious Amazon datacenter fight, US county says it has learned a lesson
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
‘We love our farms’ says Culpeper, but we also like internet mega-souk and others setting up servers
Interview When we last checked in on Culpeper County, Virginia, folks there were contesting the construction of an Amazon datacenter while officials sought to attract more server-hosting estates to the area.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/datacenter_culpeper_amazon/
Why Big Oil and Santa Barbara County Cannot Be Friends
date: 2024-06-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
A new oil company, financed by Exxon, has reopened the fight.
The post Why Big Oil and Santa Barbara County Cannot Be Friends appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/05/why-big-oil-and-santa-barbara-county-cannot-be-friends/
The Dog Days Are Here in Santa Barbara
date: 2024-06-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Come find your new best friend during an adoption event June 8 on the State Street promenade.
The post The Dog Days Are Here in Santa Barbara appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/05/the-dog-days-are-here-in-santa-barbara/
Daily Deals (6-05-2024)
date: 2024-06-05, from: Liliputing
When Google announced new features coming to Chromebook Plus-branded laptops last month, the company also highlighted the fact that prices for Chromebook Plus systems used to start at $400, but now you can pick up some models for as little as $350. Costco’s got that beat though: the retailer is selling an Acer Chromebook Plus […]
The post Daily Deals (6-05-2024) appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/daily-deals-6-05-2024/
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-05, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
How Would Congestion Pricing Have Worked in New York City?
Gifts From the Vine
date: 2024-06-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Recent fundraisers highlight the generosity of Santa Barbara County’s wine industry.
The post Gifts From the Vine appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/05/gifts-from-the-vine/
6 Primary Results That Could Have Big Implications for the Climate Movement
date: 2024-06-05, from: Heatmap News
Democracy is having a big year — heck, it’s having a big month. More people will vote in 2024 than in any other year in human history, and many of those elections are happening right now: In just the past four days, Mexicans elected a climate scientist to the presidency; Indians braved extreme heat to reelect Prime Minister Narendra Modi; and Donald Trump’s pal Nigel Farage announced his return to the scrum of British politics in the hopes of holding off an historic win by the Labour Party on July 4.
Americans still have another few months of suspense before their own general election, but voting is well underway stateside, too. In Tuesday’s primaries, voters cast ballots for local offices in Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota — including in several races with significant implications for the climate.
While the results were a mixed bag, they also speak to the fact that climate change is increasingly unignorable by politicians, and it signals where campaigners and activists should focus their attention as the November election approaches. Here are six of the major takeaways:
Republican climate leaders can (probably?) win elections …
What happened: Mariannette Miller-Meeks won the First District Republican primary in Iowa
Why it matters: Miller-Meeks is the head of the House’s Conservative Climate Caucus and has championed wind, solar, and nuclear energy; her opponent, David Pautsch, attacked her for not being conservative enough on issues like abortion, the national debt, and her support of tax credits for carbon pipelines. Though Miller-Meeks’ history isn’t likely to impress too many climate activists — she’s been particularly sympathetic to the liquified natural gas industry, claiming, “If you want a cleaner, healthier planet, the best thing you could do is to export American oil and gas” — her victory over Pautsch in deep-red Iowa proves that being associated with the word “climate” isn’t an automatic black mark against a Republican in 2024. Still, it wasn’t a comfortable victory: Early Tuesday evening, the returns had looked pretty worrying for Miller-Meeks, and the slim margin in some areas suggested the risk of breaking with the party line.
… but that doesn’t mean they’ve broken the climate curse
What happened: Democratic voters in New Jersey weren’t convinced by Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who lost the Eighth Congressional District primary to Rep. Rob Menendez, Jr.
Why it matters: Of all the candidates who ran in contested primaries on Tuesday, none seemed to position themselves more overtly as a climate candidate than Bhalla. As mayor of Hoboken, Bhalla created a Department of Climate Action & Innovation in part to adapt to a future of extreme flooding in the city, has sued Exxon Mobil for climate-related damages, and centered climate as a campaign priority, earning endorsements from environmental groups like the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters and Food & Water Action. While many different factors go into winning — and losing — a campaign (especially in a state like New Jersey), one lesson of the night is that “climate,” at least in so many words, might not be the selling point that progressives sometimes think it is. Case in point: Bhalla’s campaign page on climate framed electrification as a means of reducing the state’s “carbon footprint”; Menendez’s focused mainly on the economy and jobs.
Montana gets a front-row seat to the climate culture war
What happened: Tim Sheehy won the Republican Senate primary, setting him up to take on Democrat Jon Tester in one of the most nail-biting races of November
Why it matters: Retired Navy SEAL and aerial firefighter Tim Sheehy overcame a scandal involving a lie about his gunshot wound to take on Tester in a race that could decide the balance of the U.S. Senate — and, by extension, Biden’s climate agenda — in five months’ time. A Trump endorsee, Sheehy is not afraid of a good old-fashioned culture war, as evidenced by Bridger Aerospace, his aerial firefighting company, quietly removing references to environmental, social, and governance issues from its website after Sheehy entered the race. Any mention of climate change? That was gone, too. But Sheehy’s rhetoric during his primary campaign also reeked of the green boogeyman, with the candidate repeatedly using the term “climate cult” to dismiss Tester, Biden, and other perceived enemies. Though Tester, a working farmer, has championed climate-related causes in a way that has resonated even with many Republicans, Sheehy hasn’t yet appeared interested in debating the finer points of things like federal subsidies for going electric. Expect the attacks to get more colorful in the coming months; polls show Sheehy and Tester neck-and-neck.
The left really needs to start winning utility board elections
What happened: Voters in Montana winnowed down a crowded field of six Republican utility board candidates to three finalists
Why it matters: Utility boards are some of the most influential elected bodies that almost nobody pays attention to, and Republicans in red and red-leaning states like Arizona and Alaska tend to hold the edge even in bluer urban areas. In Montana, the Public Service Commission decides the energy mix of the region in and around Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, and Butte, and has been in Republican hands for two decades. That explains the high level of Republican interest in the primary races on Tuesday, where five candidates played musical chairs for two available seats. The apparent winners — Brad Molnar in District 2 and Jeff Welborn in District 3 (in addition to incumbent commissioner Jennifer Fielder, who ran unopposed) — have hit-and-miss records when it comes to renewable energy. Molnar, who was reelected to the seat he held from 2005 to 2012, told the Montana Free Press he’s concerned about the “xenophobia” of conservatives in his state and has been known to break from party lines in his votes, in addition to voicing some belief in climate change (though he doesn’t say we can do anything about it). Welborn, meanwhile, described himself to the Free Press as a “free market guy” interested in preventing rate hikes with an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy that includes new nuclear plants and hydrogen, though he’s previously sided with the local utility over Montana’s consumer advocate. In November, Welborn will face Leonard “Lenny” Williams, the uncontested Democrat in the race, who’s called the gerrymandered utility board districts a “racket.”
‘Climate’ might be a dirty word, but ‘environmental justice’ doesn’t have to be
What happened: Angel Charley easily won the New Mexico Democratic primary in Senate District 30, to the west of Albuquerque, on an environmental justice platform
Why it matters: With around 63% of the vote as of Wednesday morning, first-time candidate Angel Charley appeared to be the clear winner in her race against former state Senator Clemente Sanchez. Charley, the former director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, convinced voters in the recently redrawn district that climate goals aren’t different from popular policies like protecting vulnerable women living near extractive industries in their area, and can be pursued with projects like community solar development. As the experts I’ve spoken with have told me, sometimes the best way to move emissions-abating policies forward is by focusing on what climate activists might view more as positive externalities, but are more immediate to the communities in question. Charley’s victory on environmental justice grounds seems like further proof of concept. A Native American activist, Charley’s campaign focused largely on “lessening dependence on oil and gas and extractive industries, because there’s a correlation with violence against Native women when extractive industries are present.” Meanwhile, Sanchez’s campaign was heavily financed by corporate interests, including donations from an oil company, an auto dealer trade group, lobbyists, and utilities.
There’s one pipeline South Dakotans can’t get behind
What happened: 17 out of 19 Republican and Democratic sponsors of a recent bill attempting to block a CO2 pipeline in the state who were up for reelection won their primaries
Why it matters: Located between the shale oil fields of North Dakota and the storage terminals of Texas, South Dakota is no stranger to pipeline proposals. Plans for a new pipeline that would funnel carbon dioxide produced by the local ethanol industry to North Dakota to be stored underground, however, have become a contentious wedge issue in the state and appeared to be behind some of the primary results on Tuesday night. Of the more than a dozen sponsors of a recent failed bill that would have prohibited the use of eminent domain for the construction of pipelines carrying carbon oxide, all but two who ran appeared to have been reelected as of Wednesday morning; some of the state’s losing incumbents, on the other hand, were behind a compromise bill that attempted to split the difference between protecting landowners and allowing the pipeline project to proceed. The slim margins in some races — The South Dakota Searchlight points to Mykala Voita, a landowner rights candidate who beat incumbent Republican Sen. Erin Tobin by 48 votes, within the margin to trigger a recount — speak to the deep divides and disagreements in the state. That also goes for divisions within the major parties about the use of eminent domain and suspicions about the technology of carbon capture and storage more largely.
https://heatmap.news/politics/6-climate-primaries
Creativity and Community on Full Display at the Raab Writing Fellows Showcase at UC Santa Barbara
date: 2024-06-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The 2024 Raab Fellows cohort presented a wide range of writing projects highlighting the broad spectrum of student creativity.
The post Creativity and Community on Full Display at the Raab Writing Fellows Showcase at UC Santa Barbara appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Emergency patches released for critical vulns impacting EOL Zyxel NAS boxes
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
That backdoor’s not meant to be there?
Zyxel just released security fixes for two of its obsolete network-attached storage (NAS) devices after an intern at a security vendor reported critical flaws months ago.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/zyxel_emergency_patches_nas/
Santa Barbara County’s Proposed Bed-Tax Increase Moves Closer to November Ballot
date: 2024-06-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The tax measure would generate nearly $3 million annually from tourists lodging in unincorporated areas of the county.
The post Santa Barbara County’s Proposed Bed-Tax Increase Moves Closer to November Ballot appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-05, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
This week's Jon Stewart is great. Must watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmxzQJt80XI
Can a Sales-Tax Measure Solve Santa Barbara’s Budget Woes?
date: 2024-06-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The city is pursuing a ballot measure to allow voters to decide on a half-cent sales tax that could net $15 million annually.
The post Can a Sales-Tax Measure Solve Santa Barbara’s Budget Woes? appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/05/can-a-sales-tax-measure-solve-santa-barbaras-budget-woes/
Hubble will transition to single-gyro mode to gain a few more years of operational life
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
So about that commercial servicing mission, hmm?
NASA has confirmed that the time has come: the venerable Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is to run in one-gyro mode from now on.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/hubble_to_transition_to_singlegyro/
Kids Discover Tyrannosaurus Rex Fossil in North Dakota
date: 2024-06-05, from: Smithsonian Magazine
The bones belonged to a dinosaur that was likely a teenager when it died. Only a handful of young T. rex skeletons have ever been found
Hunter Biden gun trial hears from FBI agent as first lady looks on
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
Wilmington, United States — Jurors at Hunter Biden’s trial heard testimony Wednesday from an FBI agent who investigated the U.S president’s son for allegedly buying a handgun while using crack cocaine.
On Tuesday the court heard that Hunter Biden — the first child of a sitting U.S. president to be prosecuted — was a heavy drug user and allegedly lied about this on the paperwork when purchasing the firearm.
He is also on trial in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware — his family’s political heartland — for illegal possession of the firearm, which he had for just 11 days in October 2018.
FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen testified how investigators retrieved evidence, including photographs apparently showing drugs, from a now infamous abandoned laptop that has been at the heart of Republican efforts to discredit the Biden family.
Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, could take the stand after Jensen according to the outline of the case given by the prosecution on Tuesday.
First Lady Jill Biden, was again in court Wednesday, as she has been for every day of the trial, while President Joe Biden has issued a statement saying he is “proud” of his son.
The case has been a distraction for Biden’s reelection campaign against Donald Trump. The president was in France on Wednesday to attend World War II D-Day commemorations and is in the midst of rolling out major initiatives on illegal migration into the United States and a proposed truce for Gaza.
The trial comes just days after Trump was convicted in a New York court on business fraud charges.
On Tuesday, the prosecutor in Wilmington played extracts from an audio version of Hunter Biden’s memoir “Beautiful Things,” recorded by Biden himself, in which he recalled his descent into addiction, when he would desperately seek out crack cocaine.
“I cooked [crack] and smoked. I cooked and smoked,” said the extract played to the court, taken from his audiobook.
But Hunter Biden’s lawyer said that he “was not using drugs when he bought that gun” and that it “was never loaded, never carried, never used” during the 11 days he owned it.
Biden, a Yale-trained lawyer and lobbyist-turned-artist, has stated that he has been sober since 2019.
The legal woes have reopened painful emotional wounds for the Biden family, stemming from his time as a drug addict and well before.
His brother Beau died from cancer in 2015, and his sister Naomi died as an infant in a 1972 car crash that also killed their mother, Neilia, Joe Biden’s first wife. Hunter and Beau were the only survivors of the accident.
If found guilty, Hunter Biden could face 25 years in prison, although as a first-time offender, jail time is unlikely.
The president’s son has long been the target of hard-right Republicans trying to embarrass Joe Biden, and Trump allies have investigated him at length in Congress on allegations of corruption and influence-peddling. No charges have ever been brought.
Hunter Biden’s business dealings in China and Ukraine have also formed the basis for attempts by Republican lawmakers to initiate impeachment proceedings against his father. Those efforts too have gone nowhere.
The White House said last year that there would be no presidential pardon for Hunter Biden in case of a conviction.
@Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed (date: 2024-06-05, from: Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed)
Work starts on rewriting in SwiftUI the advanced importers in Godot:
https://mastodon.social/@Migueldeicaza/112564933314216221
Mountain Rain or Snow Volunteers Broke Records This Winter
date: 2024-06-05, from: NASA breaking news
The Mountain Rain or Snow project asks volunteers to track rain, snow, and mixed precipitation all winter long—and this was a winter like no other! This season, 1,684 people submitted precipitation observations—that’s about a third more than last season. These volunteers submitted over 32,110 observations, breaking last year’s record by over 10,000. Some observers excelled by sending in hundreds of observations—Patrick Thorson submitted […]
UK tribunal greenlights $17.4B advertising monopoly case against Google
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Chocolate Factory entangled in yet another anti-competitive claim
The UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has ruled that a class action lawsuit accusing Google of anti-competitive practices can proceed.…
LIFTOFF! NASA Astronauts Pilot First Starliner Crewed Test to Station
date: 2024-06-05, from: NASA breaking news
Editor’s note: This release was updated June 5, 2024, to include instructions on how to attend the post-docking briefing on Thursday, June 6. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are safely in orbit on the first crewed flight test aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft bound for the International Space Station. As part of NASA’s Boeing […]
Beelink EQ13 is an Alder Lake-N mini PC with an integrated power supply
date: 2024-06-05, from: Liliputing
The Beelink EQ13 is a 126 x 126 x 39mm (5″ x 5″ x 1.5″) computer with an Intel Alder Lake-N quad-core processor configured to run at up to 25 watts, support for two displays and two Ethernet connections, and an integrated power supply that allows you to connect the mini PC to a wall jack […]
The post Beelink EQ13 is an Alder Lake-N mini PC with an integrated power supply appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/beelink-eq13-is-an-alder-lake-n-mini-pc-with-an-integrated-power-supply/
OpenAI insiders demand the right to blow whistle without fear of retaliation
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
‘Current and former employees should retain their freedom to report their concerns to the public’ open letter says
Current and former Google DeepMind and OpenAI staff have signed an open letter calling for support and protection for whistleblowers and accountability among companies at the leading edge of AI development.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/openai_whistleblowing_open_letter/
Pro-Palestine Stanford students barricade themselves inside office of university president
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Protesters say they’ll have to be removed by force if demands aren’t met.
Kurtenbach: A’s and B’s — Oakland’s new minor-league team shows The Town is still big-league
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
The difference between the A’s and B’s games Tuesday night in Oakland was night and day.
AMD drops Windows 10 support for new chipsets and processors, while Microsoft expands testing efforts for new Windows 10 features
date: 2024-06-05, from: OS News
Remember when I said the honeymoon with AMD’s consumer-friendly chipset and socket support policy would eventually end? Well, while this is not exactly that, it will make a lot of people very unhappy. While AMD, as does any other company, was boastful about its product touting the 16% IPC boost on Zen 5 and the big AI performance leap delivering up to 50 TOPS on the NPU side, an interesting drawback of the Ryzen AI 300 series that has managed to avoid getting media attention is the lack of support for Windows 10. While this was just an unconfirmed rumour last month even though it was suggested by a supposed Lenovo China manager, we have now got confirmation from AMD itself that the report, that Strix point and newer CPUs and APUs will not support Windows 10 is true. ↫ Sayan Sen at NeoWin Official support for Windows 10 is ending next year, so there is some reason to AMD’s madness, but at the same time, almost 70% of Windows users are currently using Windows 10, and leaving those users behind might not be the best idea AMD ever had. There is an argument to be made that at least a reasonable number of these people are still using Windows 10 not out of their own volition, but because of Microsoft’s strict hardware requirements, and as such, anyone buying a new AMD machine will just opt for the latest version of Windows out of habit, but I still think there’s a sizable contingent of people who actively choose Windows 10 over 11 for a whole host of reasons. On a strongly related note, despite 2025 marking the end of regular support for Windows 10, Microsoft yesterday announced it’s expanding the the number of Insider channels for new Windows 10 features from one to two, adding a Beta tier below the existing Release Preview tier. Microsoft, too, will have to come to terms with the fact that with 70% of Windows users using Windows 10, they might not even be able to drop support for the operating system as early as next year. While this 70% number will surely slowly decrease over the next 12 months, with many people simply being unable to upgrade due to hardware limitations, I have a suspicion we might see an extension on that 2025 date.
Building another big fediverse platform
date: 2024-06-05, from: Ben Werdmuller’s blog
Purely hypothetically, I wonder what it would take to raise enough money to build another first-class fediverse platform for the mass market.
Not because there’s anything wrong with Mastodon (or Threads or Flipboard), but I think the fediverse would be healthier with another big platform in the mix.
https://werd.io/2024/building-another-big-fediverse-platform
A computer can never be held accountable
date: 2024-06-05, from: Ben Werdmuller’s blog
I love this IBM slide circa 1979, which is more relevant today than ever:
Simon Willison asked about the provenance. Jonty Wareing weighed in:
It was found by someone going through their father’s work documents, and subsequently destroyed in a flood.
I spent some time corresponding with the IBM archives but they can’t locate it. Apparently it was common for branch offices to produce things that were not archived.
The original source confirmed this a few years ago.
Still, it’s a really pertinent message, which is proving to be more timeless than expected.
https://werd.io/2024/a-computer-can-never-be-held-accountable
Microsoft expects further concessions for Teams amid EC antitrust probe
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Despite unbundling video and chat app from Office, Redmond ‘committed to find a resolution to regulators’ concerns’
Microsoft says it will likely take “additional steps” in a bid to resolve the European Commission antitrust investigation into its bundling of Teams with Office.…
Officials reach $8.5 million settlement with Colorado woman who was left handcuffed in a police car that was hit by a train
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Body and dash camera video released by police showed Yareni Rios-Gonzalez screaming for help as the train approached and slammed into the vehicle.
Most Life on Earth is Dormant, After Pulling an ‘Emergency Brake’
date: 2024-06-05, from: Quanta Magazine
Many microbes and cells are in deep sleep, waiting for the right moment to activate. Biologists discovered a widespread protein that abruptly shuts down a cell’s activity — and turns it back on just as fast.The post Most Life on Earth is Dormant, After Pulling an ‘Emergency Brake’ first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Carving Into Carbonates at Old Faithful Geyser
date: 2024-06-05, from: NASA breaking news
This past week on Mars, Perseverance made a pit stop near Overlook Mountain to abrade a rock called Old Faithful Geyser. This target is situated within the Western side of the Margin Unit, an area around the upper edge of Jezero Crater that is astrobiologically-interesting due to its abundant carbonate. Carbonate-bearing rocks have been a […]
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/carving-into-carbonates-at-old-faithful-geyser/
A new stock exchange may be coming to Dallas
date: 2024-06-05, from: Marketplace Morning Report
When we do the numbers, we tell you what’s happening on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. Now, a couple of Wall Street financial firms are backing an upstart in Texas that wants to challenge the dominance of the two big players in New York. Then, China’s generative AI business has gotten its first infusion of cash from a foreign investor. Plus, does Boston regret not hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics?
HPE Q2 sales rise was brought to you by the letters A and I
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Shipments of servers used for artificial intelligence jump more than 100% to $900M, share price up double digits
Two magical letters, A and I, helped lift Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s share price by as much as 15 percent in after-hours trading following a ramp in orders for systems to train and run customers’ AI models.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/hpe_q2_2024/
Drowning of 11-year-old girl in Alameda Creek brings water warnings from authorities
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Dana Nino Gonzalez drowned in an area of the creek adjacent to Niles Canyon Road, north of Mission Boulevard.
Sols 4205-4206: Curiosity Would Like One of Each, Please!
date: 2024-06-05, from: NASA breaking news
Earth planning date: Monday, June 3, 2024 You know that feeling at the ice cream shop when you’re presented with so many tantalizing options and you have to narrow it down to just a few to taste test, and then you have to strategize how to fit all the best flavors in your bowl? That’s […]
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/sols-4205-4206-curiosity-would-like-one-of-each-please/
A jab back at Brexit (or a kick in the teeth)
date: 2024-06-05, from: Ben Werdmuller’s blog
I grew up in Britain, but I was able to be there because of my European citizenship. When I moved to the US it was because my mother was terminally ill; I’d always assumed that I would go back. When the Brexit vote happened, I took it extremely personally: in lots of ways, the British public voted to throw people like me out.
In the interim, some people have assured me that, no, it’s not people like me. After all, I have a British accent, and if you didn’t actually know, you’d be forgiven for assuming that I was British. Of course, that’s a hugely xenophobic reflex: my British accent makes me okay, but someone else’s Polish accent means that they’re not. I stand with the people who more obviously come from somewhere else; I do, too. All of us are (or, I suppose, were) an active part of British society, integral parts of communities, and so on.
Brexit was offensive, stupid, counterproductive, and xenophobic. I’m not glad that Britain has been suffering the consequences of this own-goal, because so many of my friends still live there, and so many communities are suffering. Spitefully wishing ill on people who are hurting isn’t a good look. But I certainly have no love for the people who voted for this travesty.
It’s not fun to be barred from living in the place I called home. It happened at a time in my life when it was becoming apparent that there was a terminal, genetic disease that runs in my family; multiple family members had it, and I hadn’t yet had the genetic test that suggested my sister and I weren’t going to get it. It was the same year that Trump became President on a similarly anti-immigrant platform. Overall, it was A Bad Time.
Oddly, then, I’m not unhappy to see Nigel Farage run for Prime Minister. Obviously, he’s among the worst people alive, as if the worst impulses of British society had been congealed, Doctor Who style, into a comic book villain with an angry toad for a face. Two of his children are even dual European citizens, because the hypocrisy is part of the schtick for these people. But because he’s running, he’s going to split the Conservative vote, with the hard right voting for Farage and the people who claim they’re not hard right voting for whoever the Conservative leader of the week will be on — who picked this day?! — July 4th. (It’ll be Rishi Sunak or a slowly-decomposing head of iceberg lettuce. Let’s see.)
Keir Starmer is not a giant leap of an improvement: a John Major impersonator who would have comfortably been a Tory candidate in 1995. But at least he’s not one of the guys who brought about Brexit and all of the ludicrous policies that followed. It’s something. A jab back for all the people who have been hurt over the last 14 years since hog aficionado David Cameron was first elected with the help of a last-minute coalition assist from Nick Clegg, who, of course, now leads international face-saving for Meta.
A Conservative loss is the foothills of the foothills of the foothills of the work to be done to rebuild. But it would, at least, be a baby step forward. And even then, I’m ready to be disappointed, because, really, nothing in this arena has gone well since forever, and I, for one, have lost the ability to be really optimistic.
https://werd.io/2024/a-jab-back-at-brexit-or-a-kick-in-the
A long-awaited birth control option for men may be closer to reality
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
The experimental product is a hormonal gel that men rub on their shoulders once daily. Over time, it blocks the production of sperm in the testes.
Sols 4202-4204: Sticking Around
date: 2024-06-05, from: NASA breaking news
Earth planning date: Friday, May 31, 2024 Our most recent drive delivered us, as planned, right alongside ‘Whitebark Pass.’ This last drive was only about 9 metres, but Curiosity has been doing a lot of travelling lately and this weekend we’re giving the rover a well-deserved break from driving – but not a break from […]
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/sols-4202-4204-sticking-around/
First sign of GenAI Winter?
date: 2024-06-05, from: Gary Marcus blog
Investors appear to have taken note
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/first-sign-of-genai-winter
Intel gets $11B from Apollo for joint venture at Irish chip fab
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Frees up some of the cash Chipzilla’s already sunk into Fab 34
Intel is to pocket $11 billion from private equity biz Apollo Global Management in exchange for 49 percent of a joint venture that will effectively run Intel’s fabrication plant in Ireland.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/intel_gets_11b_from_apollo/
How shots instead of pills could change California’s homeless crisis
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Doctors on the front lines of California’s homelessness and mental health crises are using monthly injections to treat psychosis in their most vulnerable patients.
Biden, with France visit, looks to past and future of global conflicts
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
US President Joe Biden is in France to mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landing and to underscore the need for a strong transatlantic alliance in the face of Russian aggression. He’ll also take part in a formal state visit hosted by France’s president, and will meet face-to-face with Ukraine’s president, who has been invited to (somber ceremonies marking this decisive battle that led to the end of the World War II. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from Paris. Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report
San Jose housing development near downtown gets key loans for project
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
A large new hotel could sprout near downtown San Jose and the city’s two mega malls.
Bay Area man sentenced to life after committing sexual assault in Northern California
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Azel Maynard has an extensive criminal history involving multiple felonies and prior strikes. In October 2021, Maynard was convicted by plea of robbery in Solano County where he was to be sentenced to six years in state prison.
Is Microsoft trying to commit suicide?
date: 2024-06-05, from: Ben Werdmuller’s blog
<div class="known-bookmark">
<div class="e-content">Microsoft’s Recall software seems like a horrible idea:
“Surprise! It turns out that the unencrypted database and the stored images may contain your user credentials and passwords. And other stuff. Got a porn habit? Congratulations, anyone with access to your user account can see what you’ve been seeing. Use a password manager like 1Password? Sorry, your 1Password passwords are probably visible via Recall, now.”
Worse, it’s going to be built into Windows 11 for all compatible hardware, in a way that will make it hard or impossible to disable. This doesn’t make sense to me: which privacy-conscious CIO (just for example, one working in a well-regulated industry where privacy is a legal requirement) would allow this to roll out? This is yet another reason for Windows 10 to remain the most popular version.
It also seems like nobody at Microsoft (or nobody at Microsoft with power) has considered the potentially serious social implications of what they’re building:
“Victims of domestic abuse are at risk of their abuser trawling their PC for any signs that they’re looking for help. Anyone who’s fallen for a scam that gave criminals access to their PC is also completely at risk.”
I’m increasingly concerned about what Apple will be rolling out on Monday. We’re hearing quite believable rumors that it’ll be AI-based, but is it going to be Apple’s take on the same thing? That, too, has the potential to be a disaster.
Once again, I can’t believe that the only way to get away from this stuff will be to run Linux on the desktop.
<p>[<a href="https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2024/06/is-microsoft-trying-to-commit-.html">Link</a>]</p>
</div>
</div>https://werd.io/2024/is-microsoft-trying-to-commit-suicide
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-05, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Maybe Joe Biden should run an ad that's a riff on this Jimi Hendrix classic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUPifXX0foU
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-05, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
This Lay's commercial makes me happy. Will it make me more likely to buy their product? Probably, and for no good reason.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St1YE2unlkk
A Suspected Human Smuggler Used AirTags to Track and Control The Woman He Brought Into the U.S.
date: 2024-06-05, from: 404 Media Group
A man allegedly involved in a Russia-based smuggling operation is accused of placing at least seven AirTags on his ex-wife’s car to surveil her.
https://www.404media.co/airtags-stalking-fbi-human-smuggling-case/
Apple made once-unlikely deal with Sam Altman to catch up in AI
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
An OpenAI agreement is due to be announced at the Apple’s developer conference next week.
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-05, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Trump is planning his next crime.
https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/donald-trump-is-plotting-his-next-crime/
Podcast: A Massive Google Leak
date: 2024-06-05, from: 404 Media Group
We got a massive internal Google database. We also talk about deepfake laws, and the earliest example of the All Eyes on Rafah image.
https://www.404media.co/404-media-podcast-a-massive-google-leak-week-41/
Databricks’ $1B Tabular buy raises questions around table format wars
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Keeping things neutral will be harder, say critics, as tiny startup acquired
In September last year it was a company with around 25 employees, all working remotely. Last night, Tabular was bought by analytics and machine learning platform Databricks for a reported $1 billion.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/databricks_buys_tabular_for_1b/
‘Team Fortress 2’ Botters Use AI Voice to Defame Critic
date: 2024-06-05, from: 404 Media Group
Team Fortress 2’s botting problem has escalated to doxing, swatting, and defaming people who call attention to it.
https://www.404media.co/team-fortress-2-bot-hosters-use-ai-voice-to-defame-critic/
Online Privacy and Overfishing
date: 2024-06-05, from: Ben Werdmuller’s blog
<div class="known-bookmark">
<div class="e-content">“The pervasive nature of modern technology makes surveillance easier than ever before, while each successive generation of the public is accustomed to the privacy status quo of their youth.”
The key, as Bruce Schneier argues here, is not to compare with our own baselines, but to take a step back and consider what a healthy ecosystem would look like in its own right.
The underlying story here is that Microsoft caught state-backed hackers using its generative AI tools to help with their attacks, and people were less worried about the attacks themselves than about how Microsoft found out about them. It’s a reasonable worry, and I thought the same thing: if Microsoft found this, then they’re likely more aware of the contextual uses of their platform than we might assume.
This is certainly less private than computing was twenty or thirty years ago. But it’s not a major iteration on where we were five years ago, and without intervention we’re likely to see more erosion of user privacy over the next five years.
So what should our standards for privacy be overall? How should we expect a company like Microsoft to treat our potentially sensitive data? Should we pay more for more security, or should it just be a blanket expectation? These are all valid questions - although I also have ready, opinionated answers.
Perhaps the more important question is: who has the right to come to a conclusion about these questions, and how will they be enforced? As of now, it’s still open.
<p>[<a href="https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2024/06/online-privacy-and-overfishing.html">Link</a>]</p>
</div>
</div>https://werd.io/2024/online-privacy-and-overfishing
‘The night we wanted’: Oakland Ballers relish first game at Raimondi Park
date: 2024-06-05, from: San Jose Mercury News
Despite losing to the Yolo High Wheelers, the Oakland Ballers enjoyed the opportunity to play in front of their home fans at Raimondi Park for the first time
A Pledge to ‘Extend the Glide’
date: 2024-06-05, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
It was an extraordinary run for humankind, but we will soon reach the end of our glide.
The post A Pledge to ‘Extend the Glide’ appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/05/a-pledge-to-extend-the-glide/
The World Needs Way More Carbon Dioxide Removal
date: 2024-06-05, from: Heatmap News
Current conditions: A large wildfire is burning out of control in northwestern Turkey • Intense storms killed at least 11 people in South Africa • It will be 109 degrees Fahrenheit in Phoenix today, and tomorrow will be hotter.
THE TOP FIVE
- Report: Global carbon dioxide removal must quadruple
A team of international researchers this week published a new report on the state of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) as it relates to global climate goals. The top-line takeaway is that CDR must quadruple if we want to stay in line with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. While stopping new greenhouse gas emissions is the top priority in curbing global warming, experts agree CDR will be needed to address legacy emissions, which can remain in the atmosphere for decades.
Current CDR efforts – from reforestation to direct air capture technology – remove about 2 billion metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere every year. That’s far short of the 7-9 billion metric tons that will need to be removed annually by 2050. But the report’s authors say there are signs that CDR development is slowing down. They call for more investment to support the “high ambitions” of CDR companies, and want countries to weave CDR policies into their national climate action plans to spark demand and help CDR scale. Currently just 1.1% of investment in climate-tech startups goes toward CDR. In April, a report found that the U.S. will need to spend $100 billion per year by 2050 to make CDR a viable climate solution.
One really interesting insight from the report is that grant money is flowing steadily toward CDR research and development, especially in the U.S. and Canada: There were fewer than 50 third-party research grants for CDR in the year 2000, compared to 1,160 in 2022.
Somewhat relatedly, Swiss carbon removal company Climeworks yesterday unveiled new “generation 3” technology that it said can suck up twice as much carbon from the atmosphere using half the amount of energy as its previous designs.
- Researchers warn climate change is heating Earth’s groundwater
A new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience finds that the Earth’s groundwater is warming up due to climate change. For the study, researchers created a model to estimate changes in groundwater temperatures in varying global warming scenarios. Their model shows that by the end of the century, groundwater could be between 2.1 and 3.5 degrees Celsius (or between 3.8 and 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer on average than it is today. This would be bad news for ecosystems that rely on groundwater, as well as for humans: “As groundwater warms, there is increased risk of pathogen growth which impacts drinking water quality – potentially affecting the lives of many people,” said co-author Dr. Gabriel Rau of the University of Newcastle. The warming will vary by region, but parts of North America will see some of the most intense warming rates.
- China unveils world’s largest solar farm
The world’s largest solar farm just came online. The 5-gigawatt, 200,000-acre farm is located in China’s Xinjiang region, and was officially connected to China’s grid on Monday. It’s one piece of China’s larger “megabase” initiative to install 455 GW of wind and solar. The new farm will generate about 6 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year, making it “powerful enough to meet the electricity demands of a country the size of Luxembourg or Papua New Guinea,” as Anthony Cuthbertson at the Independent put it. The second- and third-largest solar farms (by capacity) are also located in China. A recent report from the International Energy Agency called China the world’s “renewable powerhouse” because it accounts for nearly 60% of the world’s new renewable capacity that will become operational by 2028.
- German floods spread into neighboring countries
Southern Germany has been absolutely hammered by torrential rain in recent days, resulting in overflowing rivers and deadly floods. Five people have died in the disaster. To give you a sense of how bad the situation is, more than a month’s worth of rain fell in the region between Friday and Monday, and water levels in the city of Passau rose by 32 feet. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reminded everyone that this kind of weather is not normal, saying that “we must not neglect the task of halting man-made climate change.”
Cleanup
begins in a flooded town in
Germany.Thomas
Niedermueller/Getty Images
The rain is easing up now and some towns are starting their cleanup efforts, but all that water has to go somewhere, and BBC reports it’s headed down the Danube River into Austria, Hungary, and possibly Slovakia. Already the river burst its banks in the Austrian city of Linz, and Austria has halted all shipping activity in the river.
- California city votes to cancel contentious geoengineering study
A first-of-its-kind geoengineering research project in California has been officially canceled. The research, conducted by a team from the University of Washington, involved spraying sea salt aerosol particles into the air using an instrument situated on a decommissioned aircraft carrier in Alameda, California. This process has been pitched as a way to brighten clouds and reflect the sun’s rays to cool the planet. Because studies on manipulating the climate are so controversial, the researchers kept the project on the downlow until it was up and running, and this lack of transparency – rather than any safety concerns – seems to have really rubbed city officials the wrong way. The Alameda City Council voted this morning to reject the experiment. “You didn’t start out on the right foot,” Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft told the researchers.
The dispute may be a little preview of things to come. “There’s a fair number of people who think there shouldn’t be research [on geoengineering], and these early experiments have become a proxy battleground for this larger question about how to think about the development of these technologies,” David Keith, director of the Climate Systems Engineering Initiative at the University of Chicago, told The Washington Post.
THE KICKER
The Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum in Ohio is now powered by rooftop solar.
https://heatmap.news/technology/cdr-carbon-dioxide-removal-report
@Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed (date: 2024-06-05, from: Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed)
Nice optimization guide for VisionPro environments:
https://mastodon.social/@Migueldeicaza/112564047630870837
Microsoft revives Windows 10 Beta Channel even though OS doesn’t have long left
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Windows Insiders set to get first hands on feature updates
Microsoft is reopening the Windows 10 Beta Channel for Windows Insiders in a clear sign that there is still life in the old dog.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/windows_10_beta_channel/
Amazon’s AI Warehouses Isolate Workers and Hinder Union Organizing, New Report Finds
date: 2024-06-05, from: 404 Media Group
The report finds that Amazon workers in robotic warehouses feel more isolated at work, which makes it difficult to unionize.
NASA Launches Second Small Climate Satellite to Study Earth’s Poles
date: 2024-06-05, from: NASA breaking news
The second of NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) two satellites is communicating with ground controllers after launching at 3:15 p.m. NZST, Wednesday (11:15 p.m. EDT, June 4). Data from these two shoebox-size cube satellites, or CubeSats, will better predict how Earth’s ice, seas, and weather will change in a warming world […]
Our First Transformer of the Month: Matt Dosberg
date: 2024-06-05, from: NASA breaking news
It is impossible to pinpoint a single, static definition of what makes a “Digital Transformer.” Although Matt Dosberg’s official title is Digital Transformation and IT Innovation Lead for Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), his full contributions to NASA require a lengthier description. He is the nexus for everything under the Digital Transformation (DT) umbrella at […]
https://www.nasa.gov/general/our-first-transformer-of-the-month-matt-dosberg/
Make an LED glowing prom dress using RP2040
date: 2024-06-05, from: Raspberry Pi News (.com)
Want to sparkle on the dance floor and be the shining star of the ball (literally)? Brighten up the room by creating your own light-up dress with shimmering RP2040-controlled NeoPixels.
The post Make an LED glowing prom dress using RP2040 appeared first on Raspberry Pi.
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/make-an-led-glowing-prom-dress-using-rp2040/
4 cuffed following probe into holiday scheme for cybercrooks
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Public officials allegedly bribed to allow extradition-dodging travel
Four arrests were made this week as part of an international probe into two overlapping corruption schemes that allowed cybercrims on INTERPOL watch lists to travel freely without flagging any alerts.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/four_arrested_in_scheme_to/
Reimagining what streets and sidewalks can be
date: 2024-06-05, from: Marketplace Morning Report
At the height of pandemic lockdowns, folks stayed in yet also desperately wanted to get out. Enter the open streets movement, which advocates for roads being temporarily closed off to cars and expanded for pedestrians and public space. Now, advocates in Brooklyn are pushing to make some of those changes more permanent. Plus, manufacturing and construction appear to lose steam, and the Amazon Labor Union will link up with Teamsters.
Biden, with France visit, looks to past and future of global conflicts
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
The White House; Paris — U.S. President Joe Biden landed Wednesday in France to mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy invasion — and plans to use the occasion to underscore the need for a strong transatlantic alliance in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Biden will meet Ukraine’s president, and with surviving American veterans of the 1944 beach invasion, said national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Biden will use the events, Sullivan said, to “talk about, against the backdrop of war in Europe today, the sacrifices that those heroes and those veterans made 80 years ago and how it’s our obligation to continue their mission to fight for freedom.”
Sullivan, who spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Paris, said Biden will also deliver a speech on Friday at Normandy that will cover “the existential fight between dictatorship and freedom” — all while overlooking a 30-meter tall cliff that Army Rangers had to scale under enemy gunfire to win the battle that eventually led to France’s liberation and the demise of Nazi Germany.
“And he’ll talk about the dangers of isolationism and how, if we bow to dictators, fail to stand up to them, they keep going and ultimately America and the world pays a greater price,” he said.
Biden will also attend a state visit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, in addition to face-to-face talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has been invited to the somber ceremonies marking this decisive battle that led to the end of World War II.
American presidents have regularly made the journey for this critical anniversary, and Biden is no exception.
“The president is very much looking forward to going to Normandy over the course of the next two days of this week to commemorate the service and the sacrifice, the bravery of the soldiers, Allied and American alike, who fought in D-Day in that invasion, conducted Operation Overlord and really spelled through that operation, the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany, and the beginning of something even more impactful, and that’s this rules-based international order that we all still continue to enjoy today,” John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, told VOA at the White House.
Here, analysts say, history offers lessons.
“The D-Day landings were the Western Allies’ military statement that authoritarian regimes could not change boundaries by force,” said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. ”That countries could not just be invaded, and that authoritarian regimes of the type that Nazi Germany constituted — particularly with its terrible oppression of subjugated peoples, particularly the Jews — were not acceptable and not just not acceptable, but would be destroyed.”
Analysts say Biden’s Ukraine goals will be overshadowed by his increasingly unpopular support of another conflict.
“Even though obviously Ukraine is the top priority for the Europeans, they are seeing how the Biden administration’s policy on Gaza is undermining European security in two different ways,” said Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute.
“First of all, it is really destroying Western credibility in the broader international community and in the Global South — any talk about the rules-based international order at this point, will get laughed at, given what the Biden administration has done.”
This trip to France, a close ally, comes at the start of six weeks of high-level U.S. involvement in high-stakes summits — including a peace summit on Ukraine, a summit of leaders of the Group of Seven, or G7, leading industrialized countries, and a summit of NATO members.
VOA asked Sullivan what this set of diplomatic events could mean for peace in Europe, and beyond.
“I think we need to send a clear message to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that he cannot outlast us, and that he cannot divide us,” he replied. “And we have been very good at holding the line on those two messages, and this is going to be a great opportunity over the coming weeks to not just put a period at the end of that sentence, but an exclamation point.”
Patsy Widakuswara contributed from the White House.
Commission investigating Russian and Belarusian influence in Poland begins its work
date: 2024-06-05, from: Associated Press, World News
The Polish prime minister says that a special commission tasked with investigating Russian and Belarusian influence in Poland is starting its work.
Brian Richards | What Happens if Trump Wins?
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Signal
If former President Donald Trump becomes future President Trump, what will that mean to our republic? Will it mean an end to our democracy, despite the United States not being […]
The post Brian Richards | What Happens if Trump Wins? appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/brian-richards-what-happens-if-trump-wins/
Ron Perry | Shouting from the Rooftops
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Signal
Two recent letters to the editor should be shouted from the rooftops! “Undervalued educators” by Lisa Storaker (May 30) and “The state of the prostate” by Paul McGuire (May 29). […]
The post Ron Perry | Shouting from the Rooftops appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/ron-perry-shouting-from-the-rooftops/
Amanda Knox re-convicted of slander in Italy for accusing innocent man in roommate’s 2007 murder
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
FLORENCE — An Italian court re-convicted Amanda Knox of slander on Wednesday, even after she was exonerated in the brutal 2007 murder of her British roommate while the two were exchange students in Italy.
The court found that Knox had wrongly accused an innocent man, the Congolese owner of the bar where she worked part time, of the killing. But she will not serve any more jail time, given the three-year sentence counts as time already served.
Knox, who had returned to Italy for only the second time since she was freed in 2011 to participate in the trial, showed no visible emotion as the verdict was read aloud.
But her lawyer, Carlo della Vedova, said shortly afterward that “Amanda is very embittered.”
Knox had written on social media ahead of the hearing that she hoped to “clear my name once and for all of the false charges against me. Wish me luck.”
The slaying of 21-year-old Meredith Kercher in the idyllic hilltop town of Perugia fueled global headlines as suspicion fell on Knox, a 20-year-old exchange student from Seattle, and her new Italian boyfriend of just a week, Raffaele Sollecito.
Flip-flop verdicts over nearly eight years of legal proceedings polarized trial watchers on both sides of the Atlantic as the case was vociferously argued on social media, then in its infancy.
Knox’s retrial was set by a European court ruling that Italy violated her human rights during a long night of questioning days after Kercher’s murder, deprived of both a lawyer and a competent translator.
Earlier in the hearing, Knox had asked the eight Italian judges and civil jury members to clear her of the slander charge.
In a soft and sometimes breaking voice, Knox had told the court that she wrongly accused Patrick Lumumba under intense police pressure.
“I am very sorry that I was not strong enough to resist the pressure of police,’’ Knox told the panel in a 9-minute prepared statement, sitting alongside them on the jury bench. She told them:”I didn’t know who the murderer was. I had no way to know.”
The case continues to draw intense media attention, with photographers massing around Knox, her husband Christopher Robinson and their legal team as they entered the courtroom about an hour before the hearing. A camera knocked her on the left temple, her lawyer Luca Luparia Donati said. Knox’s husband examined a small bump on her head as they sat in the front row of the court.
Despite Knox’s exoneration and the conviction of an Ivorian man whose footprints and DNA were found at the scene, doubts about her role persisted, particularly in Italy. That is largely due to the accusation she made against Lumumba.
Knox is now a 36-year-old mother of two small children. She returned to Italy for only the second time since she was freed in October 2011, after four years in jail, by a Perugia appeals court that overturned the initial guilty verdict in the murder case against both Knox and Sollecito.
She remained in the United States through two more flip-flop verdicts before Italy’s highest court definitively exonerated the pair of the murder in March 2015, stating flatly that they had not committed the crime.
In the fall, Italy’s highest Cassation Court threw out the slander conviction that had withstood five trials, ordering a new trial, thanks to a 2022 Italian judicial reform allowing cases that have reached a definitive verdict to be reopened if human rights violations are found.
This time, the court has been ordered to disregard two damaging statements typed by police and signed by Knox at 1:45 a.m. and 5:45 a.m. as she was held for questioning overnight into the small hours of Nov. 6, 2007. In the statements, Knox said she remembered hearing Kercher scream, and pointed to Lumumba for the killing.
Hours later, still in custody at about 1 p.m., she asked for pen and paper and wrote her own statement in English, questioning the version that she had signed.
“In regards to this ‘confession’ that I made last night, I want to make clear that I’m very doubtful of the verity of my statements because they were made under the pressure of stress, shock and extreme exhaustion,” she wrote.
From meatballs to metaverse – IKEA’s flatpack fantasy lands on Roblox
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Swedish furniture giant has 10 paid in-game jobs to fill
First Ryanair, now flatpack chairs – IKEA is coming to Roblox.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/ikea_roblox_jobs/
Tackling potty-mouth chatbots to leaky LLMs. What’s life like in Microsoft’s AI red team?
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Group founder reveals all to The Reg
Interview Sometimes people want to abuse AI systems to leak corporate secrets. Other times they just want to force an LLM to talk like a pirate.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/microsoft_ai_red_team_tackles/
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, retains power
date: 2024-06-05, from: Marketplace Morning Report
From the BBC World Service: Following India’s national elections, it might be harder for Modi to push his economic policies through, as his party didn’t win enough seats to have a parliamentary majority. Then, China is looking to compete in generative AI and Saudi Arabia is investing in one of its biggest start-ups. And Poland is voting in European Union elections this weekend, and a major point of contention is Europe’s support for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Sudakov heads to Euro 2024 with dreams of soccer glory and a hometown behind enemy lines
date: 2024-06-05, from: Associated Press, World News
Ukrainian soccer star Heorhiy Sudakov is on course to achieve his dream of becoming one of the best players in Europe. His dream of returning home seems more distant.
https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-euro-2024-preview-ae09814c0d1d4896ea16688d691a1e91
Michael Reagan | Democrats Go on Trial in November
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Signal
Mark my words. Democrats will be sorry on Nov. 5 because of what they did last week in New York City. They and their friends in the liberal media can […]
The post Michael Reagan | Democrats Go on Trial in November appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/michael-reagan-democrats-go-on-trial-in-november/
Nokia demos upper 6 GHz band for mobile, but UK wants it shared with Wi-Fi
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Splitting hotly contested spectrum could get messy
Nokia and Swedish telco Telia have completed a pilot deployment using the upper 6 GHz spectrum band, hoping to add capacity and coverage for future expansion. However, some regulators such as the UK’s Ofcom think this band should be available for both mobile and Wi-Fi.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/nokia_upper_6_ghz_spectrum/
Gary Horton | Ex-President Felon and His Party of Lawlessness
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Signal
We like to say of our justice system in America that, “You’re presumed innocent until proven guilty.” Well, innocence is no longer presumed. Twelve honest jurors, approved and selected by […]
The post Gary Horton | Ex-President Felon and His Party of Lawlessness appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/gary-horton-ex-president-felon-and-his-party-of-lawlessness/
Study finds 268% higher failure rates for Agile software projects
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
In praise of knowing the requirements before you start cranking out code
A study has found that software projects adopting Agile practices are 268 percent more likely to fail than those that do not.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/agile_failure_rates/
How California Broke Its Electricity Bills
date: 2024-06-05, from: Heatmap News
Rooftop solar is four times more expensive in America than it is in other countries. It’s also good for the climate. Should we even care about its high cost?
Yes, says Severin Borenstein, an economist and the director of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. In a recent blog post, he argued that the high cost of rooftop solar will shift nearly $4 billion onto the bills of low- and middle-income Californians who don’t have rooftop solar. Similar forces could soon spread the cost-shift problem across the country.
On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Rob and Jesse talk with Borenstein about who pays for rooftop solar, why power bills are going up everywhere, and about whether the government should take over electric utilities. 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:
Severin Borenstein: Let me start by saying, there are two big problems with the way we do this. One is the equity issue, which I’m sure we’ll get back to, which is that it turns out this extra money, when you get it by charging people for kilowatt-hours, takes a disproportionate share of the income from low-income people.
The other is, when you set a price for electricity that is way above the actual cost of providing that electricity, it’s going to discourage people from electrifying things. Now, it’s also going to discourage people from just using more electricity, and people who love conservation say, well, we should have higher rates to encourage conservation. I think that’s misguided beyond some point, and we are way beyond that point in many areas.
But setting that aside for a moment, we need people to electrify. If we’re going to reduce greenhouse gases, the way we’re going to electrify […] is by people switching to electric transportation instead of burning gasoline, and people switching to electrification for heating, hot-water heating, cooking, clothes drying, all the things where you have a choice of using natural gas. In both of those cases, if you overcharge for electricity, you are discouraging people from doing that sort of electrification.
I will give you the extreme example — again, in California. Right now, even with California’s well known very high gasoline prices, gasoline and electricity are about at parity. That is, you don’t save money fueling your car with electricity. If you compare a Prius to a Tesla Model 3, which are about the same interior size, you don’t save money when you switch to a Tesla Model 3, for fueling. That’s nuts. You should be saving three-quarters of the cost of fueling by switching to electricity.
Likewise, when we start talking about heat pumps, now, there’s one other aspect of this which is often not appreciated. Not only are we overcharging for electricity, we are undercharging for gasoline. So even with all the taxes — and I’ve done a bunch of work on this — if you look at the price of gasoline almost everywhere in the country … Actually, if you believe the social cost of carbon is over $100 a ton, everywhere in the country, gasoline is underpriced. We’re not charging enough to reflect the full cost.
So it’s even worse than just the overpricing of electricity. We’re really putting our thumb on the scale in the wrong direction when it comes to getting people to electrify transportation. And it’s also true with natural gas, though to a lesser extent. If we’re going to consider the social cost of carbon over $100 a ton, natural gas is also underpriced pretty much everywhere in the country.
So we want people to adopt heat pumps. We want people to put in heat pump water heaters. But we’re really sending economic signals to tell them not to.
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.
As a global leader in PV and ESS solutions, Sungrow invests heavily in research and development, constantly pushing the boundaries of solar and battery inverter technology. Discover why Sungrow is the essential component of the clean energy transition by visiting sungrowpower.com.
Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow.
https://heatmap.news/podcast/shift-key-episode-18-severin-borenstein
NASA launches first crewed flight of Boeing Starliner spacecraft to ISS
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
The Savvy Senior | How to Find Reliable Health Information Online
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Signal
Dear Savvy Senior, How can I tell if the health info on a website is trustworthy? I usually do a Google search on a symptom, drug or health condition […]
The post The Savvy Senior | How to Find Reliable Health Information Online appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/the-savvy-senior-how-to-find-reliable-health-information-online/
ASML and Imec unveil pricy High NA EUV playground for chipmakers
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Because who doesn’t love a $373M toy?
ASML and Belgian R&D biz Imec have opened a lab giving chipmakers access to the latest High NA EUV lithography equipment and associated tools to accelerate development of their next-gen products.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/asml_imec_high_na_euv/
USC Chabad co-directors’ house vandalized, motive unclear
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Rabbi Dov and Runya Wagner’s house has also served as USC’s Chabad House for the past five years.
The post USC Chabad co-directors’ house vandalized, motive unclear appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/06/05/usc-chabad-co-directors-house-vandalized/
Lebanese army says gunman shot at US embassy
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/lebanese-army-says-gunman-shot-at-us-embassy/7643428.html
Cloudy With A Chance Of Disaster
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Lever News
As climate change increases the likelihood of deadly landslides, cities like Juneau are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
https://www.levernews.com/cloudy-with-a-chance-of-disaster/
Classifieds – June 5, 2024
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The Daily Trojan features Classified advertising in each day’s edition. Here you can read, search, and even print out each day’s edition of the Classifieds.
The post Classifieds – June 5, 2024 appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/06/05/classifieds-june-5-2024/
Airbus shows off uncrewed AI-powered Wingman for fighter pilots
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
I feel the need, the need for … a Euro-made military drone
Updated AI-piloted drones that accompany and assist human-piloted fighter jets are very much on military minds – and Airbus is showing off its take on the technology. …
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/airbus_wingman_drone/
Today in SCV History (June 5)
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
1968 – Saugus resident Elizabeth Evans struck by bullet meant for Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. [story
https://scvnews.com/today-in-scv-history-june-5/
On the championship track: USC ready for NCAA Championships
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
USC’s men’s and women’s track athletes go for the ultimate prize this week.
The post On the championship track: USC ready for NCAA Championships appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/06/05/on-the-championship-track-usc-ready-for-ncaa-championships/
Daily Trojan alum wins Pulitzer Prize
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The USC adjunct professor won the award for his work with the Los Angeles Times.
The post <em>Daily Trojan</em> alum wins Pulitzer Prize appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/06/05/daily-trojan-alum-wins-pulitzer-prize/
Take a closer look, oil is all around
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
While we should focus on clean energy, Big Oil also needs to be transparent.
The post Take a closer look, oil is all around appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/06/05/take-a-closer-look-oil-is-all-around/
NCAA reaches historic $2.8 billion settlement with athletes
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The impacts of the NCAA settlement create a new playing field for the Trojans.
The post NCAA reaches historic $2.8 billion settlement with athletes appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/06/05/ncaa-reaches-historic-2-8-billion-settlement-with-athletes/
We romanticize the immediate spark in friendships
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The post We romanticize the immediate spark in friendships appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/06/05/we-romanticize-the-immediate-spark-in-friendships/
girl in red brilliantly rocks the Greek Theatre
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
The indie artist brought fall feelings and positive reflections to her latest tour.
The post girl in red brilliantly rocks the Greek Theatre appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/06/05/girl-in-red-brilliantly-rocks-the-greek-theatre/
Stand up, speak up, dress up
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Political activism can come in many forms, one of which is the garments we wear.
The post Stand up, speak up, dress up appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/06/05/stand-up-speak-up-dress-up/
Start the party with these ‘songs of the summer’
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Break down these 2010s hits — including the new champion of this summer.
The post Start the party with these ‘songs of the summer’ appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/06/05/start-the-party-with-these-songs-of-the-summer/
USC celebrates the beginning of Pride Month over Zoom
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Daily Trojan (USC Student Paper)
Students, faculty and staff discussed the importance of representation and unity.
The post USC celebrates the beginning of Pride Month over Zoom appeared first on Daily Trojan.
https://dailytrojan.com/2024/06/05/usc-celebrates-the-beginning-of-pride-month-over-zoom/
Microsoft paid Tenable a bug bounty for an Azure flaw it says doesn’t need a fix, just better documentation
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Let customers interfere with other tenants? That’s our cloud working by design, Redmond seems to say
A vulnerability — or just Azure working as intended, depending on who you ask — in Microsoft’s cloud potentially allows miscreants to wave away firewall rules and access other people’s private web resources.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/tenable_azure_flaw/
All CIF First Team Selections for Spring Sports, Girls Softball
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The All CIF First Team selections for spring sports Girls Softball have been announced by the California Interscholastic Federation, Southern Section
https://scvnews.com/all-cif-first-team-selections-for-spring-sports-girls-softball/
US denies Houthis struck USS Eisenhower
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-denies-houthis-struck-uss-eisenhower/7643392.html
LimeNET Micro 2.0 Developer Edition Campaign Launches
date: 2024-06-05, from: Lime Microsystems news
The crowdfunding campaign for LimeNET Micro 2.0 has launched today on Crowd Supply and purchasing options include the LimePSB RPCM board-only, a complete LimeNET Micro 2.0 kit, and also a deluxe kit which includes the Amarisoft 5G stack with core network, plus two 5G smartphones and ten SIM cards.
The post LimeNET Micro 2.0 Developer Edition Campaign Launches appeared first on Lime Microsystems.
https://limemicro.com/news/limenet-micro-2-0-developer-edition-campaign-launches/
India’s IT minister defeated in bid for lower house seat
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Probably won’t cost him his job, meaning India’s messy tech to-do list remains his problem
India’s Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has lost his bid for election to the lower house of India’s parliament, the Lok Sabha…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/india_it_minister_loss/
Australia drops legal action that aimed to have X take down stabbing vid
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Musky network celebrates free speech win … after not opposing takedown of similar fare
Australia’s eSafety commissioner has ended legal action that aimed to compel social network X to take down a video depicting a knife attack on a clergyman classified as an act of terror under local law.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/australlia_ends_x_takedown_case/
SuperMicro CEO predicts liquid cooling will rack up 2,900 percent growth in two years
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Upgrading to improve density is the new green
Computex SuperMicro CEO Charles Liang expects liquid cooling will be installed in 30 percent of racks the company ships next year – vast growth, given the market for such kit has been moribund for decades.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/supermicro_liquid_cooling_boom/
Treasury: the West should stop China from supplying Russia’s war machine
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
Hamas won’t support Biden peace plan without Israeli assurances of permanent cease-fire
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
The Palestinian militant group Hamas on Tuesday said it could not agree to a peace deal without a clear Israeli position on a permanent cease-fire and complete withdrawal from Gaza. The decision followed Israeli leaders’ pledge to continue military operations until Hamas is destroyed, despite a cease-fire proposal announced by President Joe Biden days earlier. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
Newhall School District celebrates student art, theater
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Signal
Students from across the Newhall School District got to show off their art pieces, and some had the chance to show parents how hard they’ve been working in theater production, […]
The post Newhall School District celebrates student art, theater appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/newhall-school-district-celebrates-student-art-theater/
Hart school board expected to appoint interim superintendent
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Signal
The William S. Hart Union High School District governing board is expected on Wednesday to appoint three people to administrative positions, one being an interim superintendent. The board previously met […]
The post Hart school board expected to appoint interim superintendent appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/hart-school-board-expected-to-appoint-interim-superintendent/
CIF Releases Spring Sports All CIF First Team Selections, Boys Volleyball
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The All CIF First Team selections for spring sports Boys Volleyball have been announced by the California Interscholastic Federation, Southern Section
https://scvnews.com/cif-releases-spring-sports-all-cif-first-team-selections-boys-volleyball/
Study finds Earth warming at record rate, no evidence of climate change accelerating
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
The definition of an AI PC is now even muddier, helping no-one – not even AIs
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger wants benchmarks to go beyond TOPS but warns we’re in for months of uncertainty
Computex Analysis The dominant theme at this year’s Computex conf in Taiwan is that tens of millions of “AI PCs” will sell this year, and more the year after. But despite all the enthusiasm, the qualities of an AI PC have become even more uncertain – and clarity is many months away.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/ai_pc_confusion/
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-05, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
An intellectual is someone whose mind watches itself.
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/11144-an-intellectual-yes-and-never-deny-it-an-intellectual-is
Congressman Kim wins Democratic Senate primary in New Jersey
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
Trenton, New Jersey — Representative Andy Kim won the Democratic Senate primary in the U.S. state of New Jersey on Tuesday, putting him in a strong position for the general election in the blue-leaning state. The win comes a day after Democratic Senator Bob Menendez filed to run as an independent amid his federal corruption trial.
Kim, a three-term congressman who launched his campaign after charges against Menendez were announced last year, rose to the top in the state’s dominant political party over a relatively short period. A former Obama national security official, he defeated an incumbent Republican in a 2018 House race and won a court ruling that toppled a unique-to-New Jersey system widely viewed as giving political bosses influence over who wins primaries.
“Our win today is a stunning victory for a people-powered movement that mobilized against corruption and stood up to the machine politics of New Jersey,” Kim said in a statement.
Kim’s victory comes after a bruising start to the primary, when a battle between him and New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy began to take shape. Murphy, a first-time candidate and the spouse of Governor Phil Murphy, bowed out of the contest, saying she did not want to engage in a negative campaign against a fellow Democrat. On Tuesday, Kim defeated labor leader Patricia Campos-Medina and longtime grassroots organizer Lawrence Hamm, who remained on the ballot.
Menendez, a three-term incumbent senator, declined this year to seek re-election as a Democrat but filed Monday in Trenton to run as an independent. He has said he hopes to be cleared of the charges this summer.
Democrats’ tight hold on control of the Senate means they can hardly afford a competitive race in a state widely viewed as safe for the party. It’s unclear how the trial of Menendez will end and how his candidacy could affect the race. Republicans are eager to exploit his run as a wedge to divide the Democratic vote.
https://www.voanews.com/a/congressman-kim-wins-democratic-senate-primary-in-new-jersey/7643333.html
Report: Hate, extremism on the rise ahead of US election
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
A report released Tuesday says hate and extremism in the United States rose in 2023, with record numbers of white nationalists and anti-LGBTQ groups trying to undermine the country’s inclusive democracy. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias breaks down the researchers’ findings and the implications for the November presidential election.
https://www.voanews.com/a/report-hate-extremism-on-the-rise-ahead-of-us-election-/7643329.html
Three-way exercise aims to reassure Finland amid Russian threat
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
On May 31, U.S. troops concluded first joint exercises practicing the reinforcement of Northern Finland in case of an attack from Russia. Both Norway and Finland have recently signed new defense pacts with the U.S. military giving access to bases in the far north of their territories. In this report for VOA, Henry Wilkins speaks to Finland’s minister of defense and U.S. officers about what this means for the region.
July 1: SCV Water Announces New Customer Care Hours
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency has announced new extended Monday-Thursday hours, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. effective July 1. The SCV Water Customer Care public lobby at 24631 Avenue Rockefeller Valencia, CA 91355 will now be closed Friday-Sunday
https://scvnews.com/july-1-scv-water-announces-new-customer-care-hours/
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-05, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
I asked ChatGPT the life expectancy of a 77-year old obese man who gets no exercise and eats horrible food.
https://chatgpt.com/share/d699780c-89ac-4eb9-a68f-62f3e6267e79
China: US nuclear weapons in South Korea would undermine its security
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
washington — China said it opposes a deployment of nuclear weapons to South Korea as it would pose danger to regional countries. Beijing was reacting to a report suggesting the United States should take such a measure to enhance deterrence against threats from North Korea.
“If the U.S. deploys tactical nuclear weapons in Asia-Pacific region, it will be a dangerous move that will seriously threaten the security of regional countries and undermine regional peace and stability,” said Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington.
“We will continue to handle Korean Peninsula affairs based on their merits and our own position,” he said in a statement sent to VOA on Monday. The embassy spokesperson described China’s position on the Korean Peninsula as ensuring peace and stability and advancing political settlement that suits the common interests of all parties.
The remarks were made in response to a report released May 29 by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, calling for a major boost to U.S. military buildup and readiness against countries such as North Korea and China.
In the report, “Peace Through Strength,” Wicker suggested the U.S. explore new options, such as a “nuclear sharing agreement in the Indo-Pacific and re-deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in the Korean Peninsula.”
He said these would “bolster deterrence on the Korean peninsula” as North Korea “continues to build more nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles capable of striking the United States and our allies in the Indo-Pacific.”
In response to Wicker’s report, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told VOA’s Korean Service on Friday that “the United States does not assess returning nuclear weapons to the Indo-Pacific as necessary at this time” and “has no plans to forward deploy nuclear weapons to the Korean peninsula.”
The spokesperson continued, “U.S. security commitments to allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region are steadfast and U.S. extended deterrence commitments to the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Australia remain ironclad.”
In 1991, the U.S. withdrew from South Korea its nuclear weapons, which had been stationed there since the late 1950s. The U.S. has been providing extended deterrence commitment to South Korea and Japan, which means the U.S. military would use its full range of capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to defend its allies.
Washington and Seoul will hold their third Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) meeting next week in Seoul to discuss ways to enhance extended deterrence, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
The NCG was set up under the Washington Declaration announced in April last year when U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a bilateral summit in Washington.
On Sunday, after the U.S., South Korean and Japanese defense chiefs met in Singapore, the three countries announced they will conduct their first trilateral, multi-domain exercises, dubbed Freedom Edge, this summer.
Robert Peters, a research fellow for Nuclear Deterrence and Missile Defense at the Heritage Foundation, told VOA via email, “The United States should seriously consider redeploying nonstrategic nuclear weapons to [South] Korea” as they would help strengthen deterrence.
Nonstrategic nuclear weapons refers to low-yield tactical nuclear weapons designed to be used on the battlefield.
However, Thomas Countryman, who recently served as acting undersecretary of arms control and international security under the Biden administration, said “such a deployment would draw [South Korea’s] attention away from building conventional capabilities that are more essential to continued deterrence.”
Out of 200 tactical nuclear weapons the U.S. has in its active inventory, 100 are located in Europe and the other 100 are stored as a strategic reserve in the U.S, according to Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation.
“With the Russian aggression over Ukraine, it is hard to imagine the United States taking any significant number of weapons out of Europe,” said Bennett.
“With China on the rise, the United States will be inclined to leave its strategic reserve in the United States and certainly not deploy it in South Korea where it could potentially be vulnerable to Chinese or North Korean interdiction,” he continued.
Gary Samore, former White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction during the Obama administration, said, “The U.S. military opposes the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons or any nuclear weapons to [South] Korea, because they would be vulnerable to a North Korean attack.”
Japan would not object to the U.S. deployment of nuclear weapons in South Korea “as long as they remain under U.S. control,” said David Maxwell, vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy. “It is only when South Korea develops its own nuclear weapons, would it potentially kick off an arms race in the region.”
Supes Ask Fish, Wildlife Dept. for Increased State Resources for Wildlife Education
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger that will ask the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for increased state resources to educate and safeguard Sierra Madre and surrounding foothill communities from black bear and other wildlife encounters.
All the datacenter roadmap updates Intel, AMD, Nvidia teased at Computex
date: 2024-06-05, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
We sifted through hours of presentations so you don’t have to
Computex At the annual Computex conference in Taipei this week Intel, AMD, and Nvidia showed off their latest datacenter and AI kit, and offered a tantalizing glimpse of what’s coming next on their respective roadmaps.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/05/chipmakers_computex_roadmaps/
COC Sends Four Members of Women’s Soccer to the Next Level
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
College of the Canyon women’s soccer is sending four players from its 2023 team to play at the next level after a signing ceremony held last week
https://scvnews.com/coc-sends-four-members-of-womens-soccer-to-the-next-level/
Supes Extend Cap on Rentals in Unincorporated L.A. County
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on Tuesday, June 4 to extend the the current 4% rental increase cap on rental units located in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County for another six months, through Dec. 31, 2024. The supes also voted to impose a new rent cap pf 3% as of Jan. 1,
https://scvnews.com/supes-extend-cap-on-rentals-in-unincorporated-l-a-county/
Scout helps SCV Food Pantry with storage
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Signal
The lifting, sawing, painting, sweating and building that had been going on for some time at the Kaladjikian house in Saugus came to a rewarding conclusion Friday in Newhall. The […]
The post Scout helps SCV Food Pantry with storage appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/scout-helps-scv-food-pantry-with-storage/
Garcia supports House passage of ICC bill
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Signal
News release Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, voted in favor of H.R. 8282, the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, which passed the House. This bill would impose sanctions on the International […]
The post Garcia supports House passage of ICC bill appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/garcia-supports-house-passage-of-icc-bill/
Barger casts dissenting vote as county extends rent caps
date: 2024-06-05, from: The Signal
News release Supervisor Kathryn Barger cast one of two dissenting votes Tuesday as the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to extend the current 4% rental increase cap […]
The post Barger casts dissenting vote as county extends rent caps appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/barger-casts-dissenting-vote-as-county-extends-rent-caps/
Hart Baseball Coach Ozella Named CIF Division 2 Coach of the Year
date: 2024-06-05, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The All CIF First Team selections for spring sports have been announced by the California Interscholastic Federation. For Division 2 William S. Hart High School Baseball Coach Jim Ozella was named Coach of the Year
https://scvnews.com/hart-baseball-coach-ozella-named-cif-division-2-coach-of-the-year/
White House pushes cease-fire deal despite lack of enthusiasm from Israel, Hamas
date: 2024-06-05, from: VOA News USA
white house — Despite Israeli leaders pledging to continue military operations until Hamas is destroyed and Hamas saying it cannot accept a deal without Israeli commitment to a permanent cease-fire, mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar continue to push through a cease-fire proposal that President Joe Biden said last week had been agreed to by Israel.
VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara spoke with National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby about why Biden chose to announce the proposal instead of the Israelis, and what the challenges are to reaching a truce in Gaza.
The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
VOA: President Joe Biden announced the cease-fire proposal on behalf of the Israelis, and then he rallied the G7 and the U.N. Security Council to support it. Can you explain the thinking behind his strategy?
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby: It was important to lay bare to the public what this proposal said, especially right after it was transmitted to Hamas, so that everybody can see how impactful this can be, so everybody can see what the eventual outcome might be, which is a permanent cessation of hostilities as a possibility from Phase Two. Also, because we want to make sure that Hamas knows that the world now knows what’s in this proposal and what’s at stake.
VOA: Is the strategy partly to empower Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu not to buckle under pressure from his right-wing governing partners? How confident is the president that the Israelis will go through with this?
Kirby: The Israelis have said it themselves – it’s their proposal, they’re signing up to it, they’re acknowledging it, they’re owning it, as they should. And we have every expectation that they’ll continue to back this proposal because it is theirs and it is in their interest. It’s also in Hamas’ interest. They say they want the war to end; this is a path to end that war.
VOA: I understand what happens now is we’ll wait for the formal response from Hamas, however …
Kirby: Well, look, there could be some bartering and negotiations going forward. We’ll see what Hamas comes back with.
VOA: The U.S. has said that it supports Israel’s goal to destroy Hamas’ governing and military capabilities. Are the administration and Israel aligned in terms of the parameters of what that means?
Kirby: We believe that we are aligned, that we both want to see the hostages home. Certainly, the Israelis want that. We want to see a Gaza that is not governed by Hamas. We want to see a Hamas that can’t threaten Israel the way they did on Oct. 7. And we believe through our conversations with our Israeli counterparts that they too want to see the suffering in Gaza alleviated. Now, that said, they have a right and responsibility to continue to go after Hamas. And we’re going to continue to help them do that. How they do that matters, and we’re still having conversations with them about what’s going on in Rafah.
VOA: We have the experience of Iraq, to understand what the implications of rooting out the Baath Party means. Does our understanding of that inform our strategy toward what Israel should do with Hamas?
Kirby: We’re not trying to compare this to the Baath Party in Iraq in that situation. These are totally two different situations. Look, we agree with Israel, not on everything, certainly. But we agree with them on the big things: They shouldn’t have to live next door to a terrorist threat. They shouldn’t have to be victimized the way they were on the 7th of October. They shouldn’t have to see Gaza governed by Hamas. All of those things are true. And we’re going to continue to work with them to defeat that threat. At the same time, it’s important for this war to come to an end, as the president said, and the best way to do that is to get those hostages out because that leads to a temporary cease-fire, which can lead to a more permanent cessation of hostilities.
VOA: Phase One is a six-week full and complete cease-fire, according to the president. Can Israel target Hamas leaders during this time?
Kirby: They are allowed to continue, of course, their operations in Rafah unless or until we get a cease-fire in place. If we can get this hostage deal inked, if Hamas agrees to it, then an immediate cease-fire takes place for six weeks. And that means that there will be no military operations in Rafah or anywhere else in Gaza.
VOA: Including targeting of Hamas leaders?
Kirby: The fighting comes to an end for the period of the cease-fire.
VOA: Including on targets?
Kirby: The fighting comes to an end.
VOA: You said the Israel Defense Forces’ recent actions in Rafah have not reached your definition of a major ground operation, which the U.S. does not support without credible Israeli plans to protect civilians. But hundreds have been killed just in recent days, and a million people have fled from Rafah. Isn’t this, in effect, the same result that the U.S. wants Israel to avoid?
Kirby: Look, we don’t want any civilian casualties, whether it’s from a targeted operation, an airstrike or something bigger than that. The right number of civilian casualties is zero. None of them are acceptable, nor should they be acceptable. But we have not seen Israel go into Rafah in a large, concerted, concentrated way. We have not seen major ground operations in Rafah. They are doing what they said they were going to do –going after Hamas leaders in a targeted, precise way. We’re going to continue to watch this, obviously, and watch it closely.
VOA: Why is a major ground operation the criteria for the U.S. red line when most of the civilians have been killed in airstrikes? Why not the number of civilian deaths as the red line, if you say that the correct number is zero?
Kirby: The correct number is zero. And again, what we’ve told the Israelis is what the president said: that if they go in a heavy-handed way, major ground operations in Rafah in the population centers, that’s going to cause us to have to relook at our own Gaza policy and the support that we’re providing them. We have not seen them take that sort of a step right now. And again, we’re watching it closely.
UC Santa Barbara Changes Venue, Limits Guests for Commencement Ceremonies
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Student-led petitions in response to the last-minute announcement amass thousands of signatures.
The post UC Santa Barbara Changes Venue, Limits Guests for Commencement Ceremonies appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Panel rejects psychedelic drug MDMA as a PTSD treatment
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
washington — Federal health advisers voted Tuesday against a first-of-a-kind proposal to begin using the mind-altering drug MDMA as a treatment for PTSD, handing a potentially major setback to advocates who had hoped to win a landmark federal approval and bring the banned drugs into the medical mainstream.
The panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration sided 10-1 against the overall benefits of MDMA when used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. They cited flawed study data, questionable research conduct and significant drug risks, including the potential for heart problems, injury and abuse.
“It seems like there are so many problems with the data — each one alone might be OK, but when you pile them on top of each other … there’s just a lot of questions I would have about how effective the treatment is,” said Dr. Melissa Decker Barone, a psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The FDA is not required to follow the group’s advice and is expected to make its final decision by August, but the negative opinion could strengthen FDA’s rationale for rejecting the treatment.
The vote followed hours of pointed questions and criticisms about the research submitted on MDMA — sometimes called ecstasy or molly. Panelists pointed to flawed studies that could have skewed the results, missing follow-up data on patient outcomes, and a lack of diversity among participants. The vast majority of patients studied were white, with only five Black patients receiving MDMA, raising questions about the generalizability of the results.
“The fact that this study has so many white participants is problematic because I don’t want something to roll out that only helps this one group,” said Elizabeth Joniak-Grant, the group’s patient representative.
The FDA advisers also drew attention to allegations of misconduct in the trials that have recently surfaced in news stories and a report by the nonprofit Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, which evaluates experimental drug treatments. The incidents include a 2018 report of apparent sexual misconduct by a therapist interacting with a patient.
Lykos Therapeutics, the company behind the study, said it previously reported the incident to the FDA and regulators in Canada, where the therapist is based. Lykos is essentially a corporate spinoff of the nation’s leading psychedelic advocacy group, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, or MAPS, which funded the studies. The group was founded in 1986 to promote the benefits of MDMA and other mind-altering substances.
MDMA is the first in a series of psychedelics — including LSD and psilocybin — that are expected to come before the FDA in the next few years. The panel’s negative ruling could further derail financial investments in the fledgling industry, which has mainly been funded by a small number of wealthy backers.
MDMA’s main effect is triggering feelings of intimacy, connection and euphoria. When used to enhance talk therapy, the drug appears to help patients process their trauma and let go of disturbing thoughts and memories.
But the panel struggled with the reliability of those results, given the difficulties of objectively testing psychedelic drugs.
Because MDMA causes intense, psychological experiences, almost all patients in two key studies of the drug were able to guess whether they had received the MDMA or a dummy pill. That’s the opposite of the approach generally required for high-quality drug research, in which bias is minimized by “blinding” patients and researchers to whether they received the drug under investigation.
“I’m not convinced at all that this drug is effective based on the data I saw,” said Dr. Rajesh Narendran, a University of Pittsburgh psychiatrist who chaired the panel.
Panelists also noted the difficulty of knowing how much of patients’ improvement came from MDMA versus simply undergoing the extensive therapy, which totaled more than 80 hours for many patients. Results were further marred by other complicating factors, including a large number of patients who had previously used MDMA or other psychedelics drugs recreationally.
https://www.voanews.com/a/panel-rejects-psychedelic-drug-mdma-as-a-ptsd-treatment-/7642930.html
More layoffs at Microsoft: What’s really going on here?
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
We had a record quarter, so sorry to see you go
Analysis Microsoft plans to lay off about 1,000 people across the tech giant, despite what CEO Satya Nadella described during the corporation’s April earnings call as “a record third quarter.”…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/microsoft_plans_to_cut_about/
UC Santa Barbara Academic Workers Join Campus Strikes
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Teaching assistants and grad students join walkouts in response to unfair labor practices.
The post UC Santa Barbara Academic Workers Join Campus Strikes appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/04/uc-santa-barbara-academic-workers-join-campus-strikes/
June 7: Summer Movie Nights Begin at Hart Park
date: 2024-06-04, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Summer movie nights at William S. Hart Regional Park ill begin Friday, June 7 with the showing of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” The family-friendly movie nights will begin at 8 p.m.
https://scvnews.com/june-7-summer-movie-nights-begin-at-hart-park/
Digital Realty CTO weighs in on AI’s insatiable thirst for power
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
If the grid can’t keep up, DCs may be forced to roll their own primary supplies, Sharp tells El Reg
Interview It’s no secret the GPUs used to train and run generative AI models are power hungry little beasts.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/datacenter_power_ai/
California Wine Festival Returns to Santa Barbara – July 19-20
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Santa Barbara, CA (June 4, 2024) — California Wine Festival, Southern California’s revered wine festival event producer, announces the return to its
The post California Wine Festival Returns to Santa Barbara – July 19-20 appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/04/california-wine-festival-returns-to-santa-barbara-july-19-20/
Santa Barbara Police Department Holding DUI Checkpoint June 8th, 2024
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
SANTA BARBARA, CA – June 4, 2024 On June 8th, 2024, the Santa Barbara Police Department will conduct a driving
The post Santa Barbara Police Department Holding DUI Checkpoint June 8th, 2024 appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
When the Queen of England Came to Santa Barbara
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
A rainstorm greeted Queen Elizabeth when she visited Santa Barbara back in 1983.
The post When the Queen of England Came to Santa Barbara appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/04/when-the-queen-of-england-came-to-santa-barbara/
Tejas Kumar and I talk for 90 Minutes
date: 2024-06-04, from: Chris Coyier blog
Right here!
https://chriscoyier.net/2024/06/04/tejas-kumar-and-i-talk-for-90-minutes/
New asylum restrictions at US-Mexico border explained
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
washington — U.S. President Joe Biden announced an executive order on Tuesday that will temporarily restrict asylum eligibility at the U.S.-Mexico border whenever the number of migrants crossing unlawfully or without authorization reaches a daily average of 2,500.
Biden’s executive order says those who cross into the country illegally won’t be eligible for asylum unless there are extraordinary reasons why they should be allowed to stay in the United States.
“These actions alone aren’t going to fix our immigration system, but they can help us a good deal in better managing what is a difficult challenge,” Biden said in his remarks at the White House.
According to U.S. officials, the temporary asylum restrictions will come into effect when the average daily border encounters exceed 2,500, and they will be suspended when that number falls below 1,500.
These restrictions take effect immediately. Data first reported by CBS News shows U.S. Border Patrol officials recorded 3,000 migrant apprehensions on May 20, and an average of 3,700 per day during the first 21 days of May.
Who is affected?
Anyone, regardless of nationality, crossing unlawfully along the southern border.
While the restrictions are in effect, migrants who cross the southern border and are processed for expedited removal will be referred for a credible fear screening with an asylum officer only if they express a credible fear of returning to their country — meaning “a fear of persecution or torture” — or an intention to apply for asylum, explained a Department of Homeland Security official.
Immigration advocates call this a shout test.
“If you’re able to shout and claim asylum, then you might be able to get through. But what we know is that people don’t always speak English. They don’t always know that is the way that they have to seek safety,” Amy Fischer, director of refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International USA, told VOA.
Officials spoke on background, a method often used by U.S. authorities to share information with reporters without being identified. The DHS official also addressed a question about migrant removal.
“[These measures] will apply both to individuals from our hemisphere as well as eastern hemispheric migrants. In terms of returns to Mexico, we will continue to return nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela per our previous arrangement,” a DHS official said.
Exemptions
Certain migrants are exempt from these restrictions, including unaccompanied children, victims of human trafficking, migrants facing medical emergencies, and those with valid visas or other lawful permission to enter the U.S.
People who use lawful entry processes, like the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s CBP One mobile application or other designated pathways, won’t be affected by this guideline.
Consequences
Those who cross illegally when the restrictions are in place and do not establish a reasonable probability of persecution or torture in their country will be “promptly removed, and they will be subject to at least a five-year bar to reentry and potential criminal prosecution,” the DHS official said.
Why now?
During a call with reporters, officials from DHS and the Justice Department said these restrictions were necessary in the face of the summer, when migrant encounters typically increase.
The tougher stance on border security is also a response to a heightened concern over immigration among American voters ahead of the November 5 elections.
Criticism
Some Republicans said Biden is issuing this order considering the upcoming presidential election.
“With an election just months away, the president hopes that issuing an executive order will demonstrate that he cares about this crisis and is trying to fix it,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor.
Immigration advocates strongly criticized the move, calling it “a total gutting” of asylum protections.
Fischer, of Amnesty International, said this executive order is going to prevent more people from accessing asylum and make it more difficult for people to articulate their claim.
“[It] does not sort out people that have false or ineffective asylum claims. What it does is, it sorts out the most vulnerable,” Fischer added.
The ACLU says it will sue to stop the restrictions.
“We intend to challenge this order in court. It was illegal when Trump did it, and it is no less illegal now,” said Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, in an email to reporters.
Biden officials disagree, saying the United States will continue to adhere to its international obligations and commitments.
“These steps will strengthen the asylum system, preventing it from being overwhelmed and backed up by those who do not have legitimate claims,” the DHS official said. ” … But we are clear-eyed that today’s executive actions are no substitute for Congress taking up and passing the tough but fair bipartisan Senate bill, which would have significantly strengthened the consequences in place at the border.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/new-asylum-restrictions-at-the-us-mexico-border-explained/7642838.html
Kurtenbach: What Christian McCaffrey’s 49ers contract extension means for Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
he Niners are playing favorites, and McCaffrey’s teammates should take note.
The 10 most expensive homes reported sold in Los Gatos in the week of May 27
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
A house that sold for $4.7 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Los Gatos in the past week.
Unlucky AT&T subscribers struggle to make calls in multi-hour US outage
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
If you’re wondering why connectivity seems toast at the moment
Many AT&T subscribers in America have been unable to make calls to folks on other carriers for several hours today.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/att_call_outage/
Unlucky AT&T, Verizon subscribers hit by US outage
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
If you’re wondering why connectivity seems toast at the moment
Developing Some AT&T subscribers at least are experiencing an outage right now that’s seemingly largely on the east coast of the United States though said to be nationwide.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/att_verizon_outage/
Motorola Edge 2024 launches June 20 for $550 (Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 and a 144 Hz display)
date: 2024-06-04, from: Liliputing
The Motorola Edge 2024 is a smartphone with a 6.6 inch, 2400 x 1080 pixel pOLED display with a 144 Hz screen refresh rate and 360 Hz touch sampling rate, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, 8GB of LPDDR4x memory, 256GB of storage, IP68 water resistance, and support for 68W fast charging and 15W wireless […]
The post Motorola Edge 2024 launches June 20 for $550 (Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 and a 144 Hz display) appeared first on Liliputing.
Here’s How Orange County Cities Are Managing Vastly Different Budgets
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The LAist
Some cities like Orange are in the red, while others like Irvine are flush with cash.
https://laist.com/news/politics/how-are-orange-county-cities-allocating-their-budgets
Paleontologists Uncover Rare Skull of 500-Pound ‘Thunder Bird’ in Australia
date: 2024-06-04, from: Smithsonian Magazine
The most complete skull of the extinct, flightless bird ever found has revealed adaptations that might have made the creature well-adapted for a life near water
NASA to Change How It Points Hubble Space Telescope
date: 2024-06-04, from: NASA breaking news
After completing a series of tests and carefully considering the options, NASA announced Tuesday work is underway to transition its Hubble Space Telescope to operate using only one gyroscope (gyro). While the telescope went into safe mode May 24, where it now remains until work is complete, this change will enable Hubble to continue exploring […]
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasa-to-change-how-it-points-hubble-space-telescope/
Record highs expected to fall as Southwest US bakes in first heat wave of season earlier than usual
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
phoenix, arizona — The first heat wave of the season has arrived earlier than usual across much of the U.S. Southwest, with dangerously hot conditions that produced triple-digit temperatures on Tuesday.
Forecasters say temperatures are likely to top 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) in some areas by Thursday.
By Wednesday afternoon, much of an area stretching from southeast California to central Arizona will see “easily their hottest” weather since last September, and record daily highs will be in jeopardy from Las Vegas to Phoenix, the National Weather Service said.
Excessive heat warnings were issued for Wednesday morning through Friday evening for parts of southeast California, southern Nevada and Arizona.
“Temperatures well above average for the time of year — some spots as much as 10 to 20 degrees above average,” said Marc Chenard, a weather service meteorologist in College Park, Maryland. He said unseasonably hot weather was expected to spread northward and make its way into parts of the Pacific Northwest by the end of the week.
Tuesday’s highs reached 106 F (41.1 C) in Bullhead City, Arizona, 104 F (40 C) in Phoenix and 103 F (39.4 C) in Las Vegas. Highs in California included 112 F (44..4) at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, 108 F (42.2 C) in Needles and 104 F (40 C) in Palm Springs.
In Las Vegas, the mercury was forecast to hit at least 108 F (42.2 C) on Wednesday and could then go even higher, according to the weather service.
“A new record high looks almost certain for Las Vegas on Thursday with an 80% chance of reaching 112 degrees (44.4 C). This would tie the earliest date for reaching 110 degrees (43.3 C) which previously occurred June 6, 2010,” the weather service said Tuesday.
Forecast highs for Thursday included 120 F (48.8 C) at Furnace Creek in Death Valley and 113 F (45 C) in Phoenix, the latter of which would break a record high for the date of 111 F (43.8 C), set in 2016.
The heat prompted the U.S. Border Patrol to issue a warning on Monday after it confirmed that four migrants died last weekend from heat-related causes while attempting to cross into the country in southeast New Mexico, near El Paso, Texas.
Anthony Good, the agency’s El Paso sector chief, urged migrants not to risk the extreme heat.
“The desert environment is extremely unforgiving, especially during the summer months,” Good said. “We urge anyone considering crossing illegally to understand the severe risks involved.”
Fire crews were on high alert especially in Arizona, where fire restrictions went into effect before Memorial Day in some areas and will be ordered by Thursday across much of the western and south-central parts of the state, authorities said.
Fire forecasters at the Southwest Coordination Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, said typically it does not get this hot until mid- or late June.
“It does seem like Mother Nature is turning up the heat on us a little sooner than usual,” said Tiffany Davila, a spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.
“We can’t back down from a fire just because it’s pushing 113 degrees outside. But we do keep a close eye on everybody in the field. Make sure they are keeping hydrated and taking more breaks than they normally would,” she said.
Last summer, Phoenix saw a record 31 straight days of at least 110 degrees F (43.3 C), stretching from the last day of June through the entire month of July. At least 400 of the year’s 645 heat-related deaths were during that period.
Phoenix, Maricopa County and Arizona state officials are striving to better protect people from ever higher temperatures. Those most in danger from the heat are people outdoors, especially homeless people in downtown areas who often lack sufficient access to things like water, shade and air conditioning.
This year, governments are setting aside more money to keep cooling stations open longer and on weekends, including two that will stay open overnight.
Mayor John Giles of the city of Mesa, just east of Phoenix, said officials are “committed to ensuring that those most vulnerable to heat exposure have access to essential life-saving services, including hydration and cooling stations and daytime respite centers.”
Plea deals announced in killing where Baby Yoda doll and AC Transit bus provided key evidence
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
The victim’s sister slammed prosecutors for the deal, saying that the three defendants “should be held accountable” for the killing.
Elizabeth Holmes’ appeal set to be heard Tuesday in federal court
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
If notorious fraudster loses appeal, she could take her case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but statistically has a poor shot at a hearing there.
Don’t Put Your Batteries in the Trash
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Avoid the dumpster fire: MarBorg and City of Santa Barbara sponsor hazardous waste disposal event Saturday, June 8, for city residents at City College.
The post Don’t Put Your Batteries in the Trash appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/04/dont-put-your-batteries-in-the-trash/
Alec and Hilaria Baldwin accused of potentially exploiting their kids for new reality TV show
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
By allowing cameras to regularly film their children for reality TV, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin are putting them into an entertainment milieu with a troubled history.
NASA Astronauts Practice Next Giant Leap for Artemis
date: 2024-06-04, from: NASA breaking news
The physics remain the same, but the rockets, spacecraft, landers, and spacesuits are new as NASA and its industry partners prepare for Artemis astronauts to walk on the Moon for the first time since 1972. NASA astronaut Doug “Wheels” Wheelock and Axiom Space astronaut Peggy Whitson put on spacesuits, developed by Axiom Space, to interact […]
Cooler Master Mini X is an Intel meteor Lake mini PC
date: 2024-06-04, from: Liliputing
Cooler Master is best known for making PC accessories, usually aimed at gamers. But the company also sells some first-party gaming desktops. And Cooler master is brancing out into the mini PC space. The company is showing off a small desktop called the Cooler Master Mini X at Computex this week. It’s a mini PC […]
The post Cooler Master Mini X is an Intel meteor Lake mini PC appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/cooler-master-mini-x-is-an-intel-meteor-lake-mini-pc/
Retired Santa Barbara Teacher Unveils Comedy Musical ‘TEACHER’ Amid Heated Labor Negotiations
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
The former Santa Barbara High School English teacher, Paul Forster, hopes the show will make local teachers feel “seen and appreciated” during this “really tough time for teachers.”
The post Retired Santa Barbara Teacher Unveils Comedy Musical ‘TEACHER’ Amid Heated Labor Negotiations appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Janis Paige dies at 101; actress who rose to fame in old Hollywood also had splashy roles on Broadway
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
In 2003, she opened a show in San Francisco where she told stories about her famous co-stars and sang tunes from her films and stage musicals.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/04/janis-paige-star-of-hollywood-and-broadway-dies-at-101/
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-04, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
In the Former Eastern Bloc, They’re Terrified of a Trump Presidency.
https://newrepublic.com/article/182170/former-eastern-bloc-terrified-trump-presidency
Joe Pavelski skates into retirement, but will never be forgotten by SJ Sharks teammates or their fans
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
Pavelski, who announced his retirement after 18 NHL seasons, was ‘as close to the perfect teammate as you can get,’ says Sharks’ Logan Couture
Feds hunt for woman who tried to bribe juror in fraud case
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
The juror called police right after she got home and gave them the bag of cash. It held $100, $50 and $20 bills totaling around $120,000. The FBI took the bag from Spring Lake Park police on Monday morning and interviewed the juror.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/04/feds-hunt-for-woman-who-tried-to-bribe-juror-in-fraud-case/
Moon Tree Planted at U.S. Capitol Marks Enduring NASA, Artemis Legacy
date: 2024-06-04, from: NASA breaking news
NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman provides remarks at a Moon Tree dedication ceremony Tuesday, June 4, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The American Sweetgum tree was grown from a seed that flew around the Moon during the agency’s Artemis I mission in 2022. In April, NASA announced the agency selected organizations […]
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-04, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
When ChatGPT can read my blog. This is what I've wanted since long before ChatGPT existed. I can't imagine what the privacy concerns are. Everything on my blog is by definition public.
https://www.smays.com/2024/06/chatgpt-myblog/
Morgan Hill Veterans Memorial vandalized, flag burned
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
Vandals burned a flag at a veterans memorial in Morgan Hill, leading to an outpouring of outrage and support by community members.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/04/morgan-hill-veterans-memorial-vandalized-flag-burned/
Command senior chief busted for secretly setting up Wi-Fi on US Navy combat ship
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
In the Navy, no, you cannot have an unauthorized WLAN. In the Navy, no, that’s not a good plan
The US Navy has cracked down on an illicit Wi-Fi network installed on a combat ship by demoting the senior enlisted leader who ordered it to be set up.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/us_navy_ship_chief_demoted/
Supreme Court rejects InfoWars host’s bid to overturn Jan. 6 conviction
date: 2024-06-04, from: The Signal
By Bill Pan Contributing Writer InfoWars host Owen Shroyer on Monday lost the bid for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn his misdemeanor conviction, which he claimed was largely based on […]
The post Supreme Court rejects InfoWars host’s bid to overturn Jan. 6 conviction appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/supreme-court-rejects-infowars-hosts-bid-to-overturn-jan-6-conviction/
What are political action committees?
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/what-are-political-action-committees-/7642723.html
Fauci defends COVID-19 pandemic response
date: 2024-06-04, from: The Signal
By Tom Ozimek Contributing Writer In his first congressional testimony since leaving government, Dr. Anthony Fauci on Monday defended every single federal COVID-19 response that he once advocated for, including business […]
The post Fauci defends COVID-19 pandemic response appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/fauci-defends-covid-19-pandemic-response/
US Attorney General Garland rebuffs Republican claims he politicized investigations
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
Hawaii’s Kilauea, One of the World’s Most Active Volcanoes, Erupts Again
date: 2024-06-04, from: Smithsonian Magazine
The short-lived eruption occurred in an area of the volcano that had not erupted since December 1974
Nvidia CEO brushes off Big Tech’s attacks on NVLink network tech
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Says UALink and Ultra Ethernet won’t be threat for years as he reveals successor to Blackwell and free NIMs
Computex Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has shrugged off Big Tech’s attempt to attack his networking strategy.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/nvidia_computex_nvlink_rubin/
The more women followed this diet, the longer they lived
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
A new study that tracked more than 25,000 women for a quarter century found that the more their eating patterns were in sync with the Mediterranean diet, the less likely they were to die during that period.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/04/the-more-women-followed-this-diet-the-longer-they-lived/
Contrary to its fine print, Google says it won’t confiscate repair returns that have unapproved parts
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
‘We are updating our terms to clarify this’ Pixel giant tells The Reg
Google has disavowed language in its terms’n’conditions that says the Pixel and Chromebook giant will confiscate devices sent in for repairs that contain unapproved parts.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/google_repair_policy/
Understanding the Long-Term Impacts of Combat: Genital Injury in UK Male Military Veterans
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: RAND blog
Greater discussion and support are needed not only during rehabilitation, but over the long term to address the enduring psychosocial and sexual impact of combat-genital injury.
Asus Project Dali is a concept laptop with a E Ink color display on the lid
date: 2024-06-04, from: Liliputing
Asus is showing off a concept laptop called at Computex 2024 featuring a 12-inch, 1600 x 1200 pixel E Ink Spectra 6 full color display on the lid. It’s called Project Dali, and the idea is to let you customize the look of a computer without covering the top with stickers. Just keep in mind that […]
The post Asus Project Dali is a concept laptop with a E Ink color display on the lid appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/asus-project-dali-is-a-concept-laptop-with-a-e-ink-color-display-on-the-lid/
CBRE Announces Construction of Santa Clarita Commerce Center
date: 2024-06-04, from: SCV New (TV Station)
CBRE announces that construction has commenced on the Santa Clarita Commerce Center, a leading-edge industrial business park within the City of Santa Clarita. Developer, Covington Group, Inc., a privately held, Dallas based real estate development and investment company, named CBRE as the exclusive leasing and marketing agent for the project which broke ground on May 30.
https://scvnews.com/cbre-announces-construction-of-santa-clarita-commerce-center/
Chinese car brands hit accelerator on road tests for level three autonomous driving tech
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Tesla left out due to HD mapping roadblock
China has given the go-ahead to nine local car brands to start testing level three autonomous vehicles on public roads.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/china_autonomous_driving_tests/
New Energy Source Powers Subsea Robots Indefinitely
date: 2024-06-04, from: NASA breaking news
Power modules driven by ocean temperatures save money, reduce pollution
ARMD Solicitations
date: 2024-06-04, from: NASA breaking news
This ARMD solicitations page compiles the opportunities to collaborate with NASA’s aeronautical innovators and/or contribute to their research to enable new and improved air transportation systems. A summary of available opportunities with key dates requiring action are listed first. More information about each opportunity is detailed lower on this page. University Student Research ChallengeJune 30, […]
https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/armd-solicitations/
macOS Installer’s “Failed to Personalize” Error
date: 2024-06-04, from: Michael Tsai
Adam Engst: Typically, Mac firmware is updated whenever a new version of macOS is installed, but if something goes wrong in the process, the Mac can be left with outdated firmware. When automatic firmware updates fail, the solution is to “revive” or “restore” the Mac using another Mac running macOS 12 Monterey or later and […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/06/04/macos-installers-failed-to-personalize-error/
Proposed EU Chat Control
date: 2024-06-04, from: Michael Tsai
Patrick Breyer (via Hacker News): The highly controversial indiscriminate child sexual abuse regulation (so-called chat control) could still be endorsed by EU governments after all, as France could give up its previous veto. This is reported by Euractiv and confirmed by internal documents. France considers the new “upload moderation” proposal in principle as a viable […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/06/04/proposed-eu-chat-control/
Swift at 10
date: 2024-06-04, from: Michael Tsai
Basic Apple Guy: 10 Years Ago: Apple Announced Swift Brian Webster: 10 year anniversary of Swift being announced at WWDC. Chris Lattner: Wow that’s right. This was a big day and Swift has come a long way in the intervening decade: Congrats to everyone who has driven it forward to support such an amazing tech […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/06/04/swift-at-10/
SwiftData Issues in macOS 14 and iOS 17
date: 2024-06-04, from: Michael Tsai
Helge Heß: Ugh, inverse SwiftData relationship updates do not seem to trigger Observation, that feels like a biggie 😳 […] This feels really bad, because the relationships are the thing which make an ORM worthwhile. I.e. you’d usually have a network of many objects being displayed in distinct views (not just the simple demo). Those […]
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/06/04/swiftdata-issues-in-macos-14-and-ios-17/
Pentagon ‘doubling down’ on Microsoft despite ‘massive hack,’ senators complain
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Meanwhile Mr Smith goes to Washington to testify before Congress
The Pentagon is “doubling down” on its investment in Microsoft products despite the serious failings at the IT giant that put America’s national security at risk, say two US senators.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/pentagon_doubling_down_on_microsoft/
Ames Science Directorate’s Stars of the Month, June 2024
date: 2024-06-04, from: NASA breaking news
The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of (pictured left to right) Amy Gresser, Mary Beth Wilhelm, Taylor Bell, and Liane Guild. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the talent, camaraderie, and vision needed to explore this world and beyond. Space Biosciences Star: Amy Gresser Dr. Amy Gresser is the Space Biology […]
https://www.nasa.gov/general/ames-science-directorates-stars-of-the-month-june-2024/
LEAP Receives International Children’s Day Recognition
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Goleta, Calif., June 4, 2024 — On Tuesday, June 4th, Supervisor Laura Capps presented a resolution to LEAP: Learn. Engage. Advocate.
The post LEAP Receives International Children’s Day Recognition appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/04/leap-receives-international-childrens-day-recognition/
Special Recruitment for Single Family Design Board
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
SANTA BARBARA, CA – May 30, 2024 Do you have a passion for making a difference in your community? Share
The post Special Recruitment for Single Family Design Board appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/04/special-recruitment-for-single-family-design-board/
Downtown Santa Barbara Presents Summer Live Music Series on State Street
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
SANTA BARBARA, CA – The Downtown Organization of Santa is excited to share the line up for the 2024 Downtown
The post Downtown Santa Barbara Presents Summer Live Music Series on State Street appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
One-Sided Reporting
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
There may be, as a recent article in the Independent says, “no question” there is a lack of affordable rental housing, but there is rarely an effort to put numbers on this sort of statement.
The post One-Sided Reporting appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/04/one-sided-reporting/
California Credit Union Foundation Awards Scholarships to SCV Students
date: 2024-06-04, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The California Credit Union Foundation has awarded scholarships to two Santa Clarita Valley students as part of its 2024 College Scholarship Program, recognizing exceptional students from Saugus High School in Saugus and West Ranch High School in Stevenson Ranch for their school and community activities
https://scvnews.com/california-credit-union-foundation-awards-scholarships-to-scv-students/
Please join us for a Community MeetingThursday, June 6 @ 4:00 pm @ Montecito Union School
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Highway 101: Santa Barbara Starts Late SummerFreeway improvements will continue in Montecito and move into the Santa Barbara South segment in
The post Please join us for a Community MeetingThursday, June 6 @ 4:00 pm @ Montecito Union School appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Unarmed Minuteman III Test Launch Showcases Readiness of U.S. Nuclear Force’s Safe, Effective Deterrent
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. – An operational test launch of an Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental
The post Unarmed Minuteman III Test Launch Showcases Readiness of U.S. Nuclear Force’s Safe, Effective Deterrent appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Intel CEO says sanctions on China squanders opportunity for US chipmakers like Intel
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
When the Middle Kingdom starts making its own processors, it won’t buy ones made by me!
Computex Further US export restrictions on China may force the country to develop its own advanced semiconductors and significantly compete against US chipmakers, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger cautions.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/intel_ceo_warns_harsh_sanctions/
Treasury official says budget assistance designed to help Ukraine anti-corruption efforts
date: 2024-06-04, from: Associated Press, World News
Just back from a visit to Ukraine, a U.S. Treasury official is describing a country whose wartime economy has proven resilient in the face of Russia’s invasion, and he says U.S. and allied budget assistance is designed to help Ukraine combat corruption and increase transparency.
https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-corruption-2d6d9779b7c6802841741183d4d5f7a5
Charges filed in Wisconsin against attorneys, aide who worked for Trump in 2020
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
Madison, Wisconsin — Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul filed felony forgery charges Tuesday against two attorneys and an aide who helped submit paperwork falsely saying that former President Donald Trump had won the battleground state in 2020.
The charges were filed against attorneys Kenneth Chesebro, 62, and Jim Troupis, 70, and former Trump aide Mike Roman, 51, who allegedly delivered Wisconsin’s fake elector paperwork to a Pennsylvania congressman’s staffer in order to get them to then-Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 6, 2021.
All three are due in Dane County Circuit Court on Sept. 19, according to court records. They each face one felony count punishable by up to six years in prison and fines of up to $10,000.
Troupis and Chesebro did not return voicemail messages left Tuesday. Roman did not have an attorney listed in court records.
Kaul, a Democrat, has faced pressure to bring action against the 10 fake electors, who have yet to be charged with any criminal wrongdoing. He has previously suggested that he was relying on federal investigators while also not ruling out a state probe.
Kaul didn’t rule out filing more charges, saying that the investigation is ongoing.
“Our approach has been focusing on following the facts where they lead,” he said at a news conference.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers offered a one-word response to news of the charges being filed: “Good.”
Electors are people appointed to represent voters in presidential elections. The winner of the popular vote in each state determines which party’s electors are sent to the Electoral College, which meets in December after the election to certify the outcome.
The fake elector efforts are central to an August federal indictment filed against Trump alleging he tried to overturn results of the 2020 election. Federal prosecutors, investigating his conduct related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, have also said the scheme originated in Wisconsin. Trump also faces charges in Georgia and has denied wrongdoing.
Michigan and Nevada have also criminally charged fake electors.
Chesebro and Roman were among the 18 people indicted along with Trump in August in a sprawling racketeering indictment in Georgia. They’re accused of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally overturn the 2020 election in that state.
Chesebro in October pleaded guilty to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents after reaching a deal with Georgia prosecutors. Roman has pleaded not guilty to racketeering and conspiracy charges related to a plan to have Republican electors meet and cast Electoral College votes for Trump even though Biden had won Georgia.
The 10 Wisconsin electors, Chesebro and Troupis, who was Trump’s attorney in Wisconsin, all settled a civil lawsuit that was brought against them last year.
Documents released as part of those settlements showed that the strategy in Wisconsin replicated moves in six other swing states.
The complaint goes into detail largely citing those documents, interviews and testimony given to Congress about how the fake elector scheme was hatched.
The complaint details how Chesebro emailed a memo on Nov. 18, 2020, to Troupis and others arguing that electors representing Trump should meet on Dec. 14, 2020, to preserve the Trump-Pence electoral slate in case a court or Legislature would determine them to be the winners.
Chesebro argued in a subsequent memo that the Trump electors could be counted by Congress if court challenges to his loss were still pending. Troupis sent both memos to the Trump White House, according to the complaint.
On Dec. 9, 2020, Chesebro emailed Troupis a memo with instructions for the Dec. 14, 2020, elector meetings. Two days later, Chesebro emailed Trump aide Roman details of the plan, the complaint said.
During or around the time of the Dec. 14, 2020, meeting, Chesebro sent a message to Troupis and Roman that said, “WI meeting of the ‘real’ electors is a go!!!,” the complaint said. Troupis responded with a “thumbs up” emoji, the complaint said.
The complaint also details how the fake elector slate was delivered to Chesebro from Wisconsin to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2021, by Alesha Guenther, a law student working part-time at the Republican Party of Wisconsin. Roman told Guenther to deliver the paperwork only to Chesebro.
“5 mins until I make the drop,” Guenther texted at one point, according to the complaint. “I feel like a drug dealer.”
Once Chesebro was given the documents, he emailed Roman to let him know he had them.
Roman then arranged for a congressional staff member to meet Chesebro and take the document. Chesebro sent Roman a message confirming that it had been done, the complaint said.
Trump lost Wisconsin to Biden, a Democrat, by fewer than 21,000 votes. Trump carried Wisconsin by a similar margin in 2016.
Government and outside investigations have uniformly found there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could have swung the 2020 election. But Trump has continued to spread falsehoods about the election, particularly in Wisconsin.
ADATA XPG Nia handheld gaming PC will have upgradeable LPCAMM2 memory, a display that tilts upward, and a focus on the modding community
date: 2024-06-04, from: Liliputing
ADATA is showing off an early prototype of a handheld gaming PC with a few feature that make it unique in the space (so far). From the outside, the first things you may notice about the ADATA XPG Nia are that it has a front-facing webcam and a display that can tilt upward, allowing you […]
The post ADATA XPG Nia handheld gaming PC will have upgradeable LPCAMM2 memory, a display that tilts upward, and a focus on the modding community appeared first on Liliputing.
This Tiny Fern Has the World’s Largest Known Genome
date: 2024-06-04, from: Smithsonian Magazine
The plant’s genome has about 50 times as many base pairs as a human’s, and its DNA from a single cell would stretch longer than a football field
California Department of Water Resources Releases Long-term Drought Plan
date: 2024-06-04, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The California Department of Water Resources has finalized its first comprehensive, Long-term Drought Plan for the State Water Project as part of an expanded effort to prepare for future droughts and extreme dry conditions
https://scvnews.com/california-department-of-water-resources-releases-long-term-drought-plan/
Sea Center on Stearns Wharf Celebrates World Oceans Day
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Come celebrate World Oceans Day at the Sea Center on Stearns Wharf during a festival from 10:00 AM–3:00 PM on Saturday, June
The post Sea Center on Stearns Wharf Celebrates World Oceans Day appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/04/sea-center-on-stearns-wharf-celebrates-world-oceans-day/
Windows 11 and Linux gain ground among Steam gamers
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Windows 10 still king of the hill for now
Windows 11 is just like Linux. They’re both growing their market share on Steam.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/windows_11_linux_steam/
NATO Space Enterprise: Throttle Up or Fall Short
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: RAND blog
NATO has made slow, steady progress on space policy for just over a decade. This summer’s NATO summit in Washington presents a key opportunity to build on the alliance’s nascent space policy and structure at an inflection point for NATO and space power.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2024/06/nato-space-enterprise-throttle-up-or-fall-short.html
Path Santa Barbara Hosts Third Annual A Toast to Home Fundraiser to Support Homeless Services
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Santa Barbara, CA—On Thursday, May 30th, PATH Santa Barbara hosted the third annual A Toast to Home Fundraiser. We were delighted
The post Path Santa Barbara Hosts Third Annual A Toast to Home Fundraiser to Support Homeless Services appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
Open letter responding to Yann LeCun
date: 2024-06-04, from: Gary Marcus blog
A memo for future intellectual historians
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/open-letter-responding-to-yann-lecun
West Ranch alum prepares for first NCAA championship meet
date: 2024-06-04, from: The Signal
Former West Ranch thrower Danny Bryant has come a long way since injuring his wrist two years ago. Bryant, a BYU thrower, has bounced back since the injury that ended […]
The post West Ranch alum prepares for first NCAA championship meet appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/west-ranch-alum-prepares-for-first-ncaa-championship-meet/
What’s Even Better Than Building New Wind Farms?
date: 2024-06-04, from: Heatmap News
It’s not easy to build a wind project. Many of the best spots for generating wind power are already occupied by turbines. Even if you do find a good one, then comes everything else — inflation in the supply chain, convincing a local community that they want a wind farm near them, leasing the land, and so on and so forth. The whole process can take as long as five years.
But what about just making an existing wind farm … better.
This option, known as repowering, is becoming more attractive to wind developers and operators as existing wind assets age — operators get a more efficient wind farm, and developers get to avoid the many headaches of starting from scratch. The topic came up Tuesday, in fact, at the American Council on Renewable Energy’s 2024 Finance Forum. There are “some real opportunities for repower,” said David Giordano, BlackRock’s global head of climate infrastructure, on a panel about scaling capital to meet demand growth for renewables.
“When you repower a project, oftentimes you can utilize some of the existing infrastructure. And that means that you can add new equipment without the full cost of a greenfield development,” Eric Lantz, director of the Wind Energy Technologies Office at the Department of Energy, explained to me. When you install more modern equipment, he said, “you have higher hub heights, you have larger rotors — you can capture more energy from that site.”
Even if you tear down everything and rebuild from the ground up, Lantz told me, repowering still means you can use the existing transmission and interconnection, meaning developers can get more generation without having to deal with infamously long interconnection queues, which can impose yet more years on the energy development timeline.
Lantz collaborated on a 2020 research paper with a trio of Danish wind researchers (Denmark has one of the largest and most advanced wind power industries in the world) and found that from 2012 to 2019, 38% of all wind energy development projects in the country involved replacing old equipment as opposed to building on new sites. Repowering can be attractive to both developers and local communities, the researchers explained, because larger and more efficient turbines can actually reduce the net number of turbines on a given site while generating the same or even more power, with less visual disruption and less maintenance required.
Last year, Wood Mackenzie estimated that repowering onshore wind assets would lead to more installed capacity than new offshore wind in 2025 and 2026. In 2022, the U.S. repowered 1.7 gigawatts of wind plants, mostly by upgrading rotors (blades) and nacelle components like gearboxes and generators, upping their total capacity to 1.8 gigawatts, according to the Department of Energy. Average rotor diameter increased from 93 meters to 112 meters, adding on about the length of an 18-wheeler to the typical rotor.
Repowering has been a favored strategy of some of the biggest renewable developers, who have large and aging fleets of wind turbines that often already occupy prime spots. At the massive Shepherds Flat site in Oregon, for instance, Brookfield Renewable Partners replaced more than 300 turbines — i.e. over 900 blades — with new ones that were about 90 feet longer, upping the site’s total generation by some 20%.
At a proposed repowering in Southern California, Brookfield wants to replace around 450 turbines with just eight, while a New York repowering increased generation by almost 30% “while maintaining the same number of units to minimize ground disturbance,” the company said.
The rationale for repowering, like everything in energy, is a mixture of mechanical and financial. Over time, wind turbines tend to degrade, with actual power generation falling off. Even just by restoring a wind farm’s initial generating capacity, repowering can increase output, with newer, more advanced equipment, capacity can notably increase. And when renewable developers have to answer to investors, that cheaper generation can look quite attractive.
The energy developer NextEra plans to repower 1.4 gigawatts of its wind projects through 2026, the company’s chief financial officer said in an April earning call, and in January said that it had repowered a quarter of its existing 24 megawatts of wind. At that time, NextEra chief executive John Ketchum told analysts that the cost had been “roughly 50% to 80% of the cost of a new build and starting a new 10 years of production tax credits, resulting in attractive returns for shareholders.”
“With over a decade to potentially qualify for repowering,” he added, “it represents a great opportunity set.”
Looking at wind projects from before and after 2012, Scott Wilmot, an executive vice president at Enverus Intelligence Research, calculated that average capacity factor increased from around 30% to around 40%. “Swapping new equipment right off the bat, you can get a plus-10 percentage point gain on capacity factor,” he told me.
And then there’s the tax incentives. Repowering “resets” the production tax credit that’s the lifeblood of the wind industry, allowing owners and developers to claim it for another 10 years. When Enverus looked at a hypothetical project that had been operational since 2011 and repowered in 2023, it was possible that its production tax credit for an additional 10 years could increase from $22 per megawatt to almost $28. “It really does make the economics look quite attractive,” he told me.
“If you can get close to 10 percentage point capacity factor gain, you blow pretty much any greenfield, new build project out of the water.”
https://heatmap.news/climate/wind-repowering
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-04, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Don't let MAGA theatrics fool you: convicted felon Donald Trump's 34 felony convictions are not helping him.
July 20: Free SCAA Summer Mixed Media Workshop
date: 2024-06-04, from: SCV New (TV Station)
The Samta Clarita Artists Assocation has announced the SCAA summer July Workshop. The Mindful Mixed Media & Collage Workshop with Kathy Leader will be held on Saturday, July 20, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Stevenson Ranch Library Community Room
https://scvnews.com/july-20-free-scaa-summer-mixed-media-workshop/
What Local Journalism Has To Do With Your Problem Potholes And Deteriorating Sewers
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The LAist
A new study from UCLA and Duke University found that local journalism helps voters show support at the polls for fixing crumbling infrastructure.
Zotac GAMING ZONE is a Ryzen 7 8840U handheld gaming PC with an AMOLED screen and a webcam
date: 2024-06-04, from: Liliputing
Zotac’s first handheld gaming PC is a system that seems kind of familiar at first glance, but the ZOTAC GAMING ZONE handheld has a few features that help it stand out. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor, the handheld computer has a 7 inch FHD AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a pair […]
The post Zotac GAMING ZONE is a Ryzen 7 8840U handheld gaming PC with an AMOLED screen and a webcam appeared first on Liliputing.
LAFC SCV sends two teams to Nationals
date: 2024-06-04, from: The Signal
LAFC SCV will send two of its local Santa Clarita teams to represent the youth soccer club at Nationals this July. For LAFC SCV G 2008, it’s a shot at […]
The post LAFC SCV sends two teams to Nationals appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/lafc-scv-sends-two-teams-to-nationals/
Toyota plus 4 other Japanese automakers caught cheating on certification tests
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Mazda, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki all copped to lying on reports, while Toyota is still under investigation
Several Japanese automakers have been caught falsifying certification tests, and Toyota might be the worst offender.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/toyota_falsified_certification_tests/
Ken Striplin | Dive Into Summer Fun at the Aquatic Center
date: 2024-06-04, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Beat the summer heat this year by heading to the Santa Clarita Aquatic Center, presented by Kaiser Permanente,. Here, you’ll discover a range of programs tailored to the interests of Santa Clarita residents
https://scvnews.com/ken-striplin-dive-into-summer-fun-at-the-aquatic-center/
Builders Haven’t Finished Reconstructing Notre-Dame Cathedral—But Lego Fans Can
date: 2024-06-04, from: Smithsonian Magazine
Lego is selling a 4,383-piece model of the historic structure ahead of the upcoming Paris Olympics
Ted Michalek: Engineering from Apollo to Artemis
date: 2024-06-04, from: NASA breaking news
From the first lunar footsteps of Apollo to the threshold of humanity’s return aboard the Artemis missions, Ted Michalek has been part of the fabric of Goddard for 55 years — and counting! Name: Theodore “Ted” MichalekTitle: Chief technical engineer (retired), now consultantFormal Job Classification: Thermal engineerOrganization: Thermal Engineering Branch (Code 545), Mechanical Division (Code […]
https://www.nasa.gov/people-of-nasa/goddard-people/ted-michalek-engineering-from-apollo-to-artemis/
Tiny Awards
date: 2024-06-04, from: Tilde.news
ACEMAGIC’s dual-screen laptop is on display at Computex
date: 2024-06-04, from: Liliputing
ACEMAGIC is a Chinese company that’s best known for making small desktop computers, sometimes with unusual designs (and sometimes with Malware pre-installed, although the company says that’s a thing of the past). But this week the company is showing off something a little different at the Computex trade show in Taiwan: a laptop with a […]
The post ACEMAGIC’s dual-screen laptop is on display at Computex appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/acemagics-dual-screen-laptop-is-on-display-at-computex/
@Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed (date: 2024-06-04, from: Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed)
The Venn diagram of people that use the Oxford comma and put useless private modifiers on c# class members is a perfect circle.
https://mastodon.social/@Migueldeicaza/112559313348854312
Aug. 2: Laughs for a Cause Celebrates 50th for Soroptimist Int’l of Valencia
date: 2024-06-04, from: SCV New (TV Station)
Soroptimist International of Valencia has announced “Laughs for a Cause,” a special event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Soroptimist of Valencia. The philanthropic club was chartered in the Santa Clarita Valley in December of
https://scvnews.com/aug-2-laughs-for-a-cause-celebrates-50th-for-si-of-valencia/
55 Years Ago: Star Trek Final Episode Airs, Relationship with NASA Endures
date: 2024-06-04, from: NASA breaking news
The voyages of the Starship Enterprise came to a sudden and premature end on June 3, 1969, with the airing of the final episode of the Star Trek original television series. Ironically, the show’s cancellation came just six weeks before humanity embarked on its first voyage to land on another celestial body. Although the show […]
China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe packs rocks and rolls back to Earth
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Tasks on far side of the Moon were heavily automated
Just days after China’s Chang’e-6 probe landed on the far side of the Moon, state-sponsored media reports it is heading back with samples onboard.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/china_moon_sample_farside/
Archaeologists Discover Ancient Canoes Hidden Beneath a Wisconsin Lake
date: 2024-06-04, from: Smithsonian Magazine
One of the vessels dates back around 4,500 years, making it the oldest ever found in the Great Lakes region
“OpenAI Insiders Warn of a ‘Reckless’ Race for Dominance”
date: 2024-06-04, from: Gary Marcus blog
Passing along this scoop from Kevin Roose: Roose supplied a gift link: https://x.com/kevinroose/status/1797992577255518480?s=61 The letter itself, cosigned by Bengio, Hinton, and Russell, can be found here https://righttowarn.ai. I fully endorse its four recommendations:
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/openai-insiders-warn-of-a-reckless
“Blood and Determination and Then Victory” – Digitized Operations Reports Related to D-Day
date: 2024-06-04, from: National Archives, Text Message blog
Today’s post is by Rachael Salyer, Archivist in the Textual Reference Branch at the National Archives in College Park, MD. The Textual Reference Branch at the National Archives in College Park, MD (Archives II) has custody of numerous records that document U.S. Army operations during World War II. One of the largest series of those … Continue reading “Blood and Determination and Then Victory” – Digitized Operations Reports Related to D-Day
GPD Duo is a dual-screen laptop with two 13.3 inch OLED displays that unfold vertically
date: 2024-06-04, from: Liliputing
The GPD DUO is an upcoming laptop with a 35-watt processor, a 13.3 inch OLED display, and a second 13.3 inch OLED display that can be extended upward to give you more screen space when you need it. GPD says it’s like having a tall display that measures 18 inches diagonally. GPD’s upcoming laptop is powered by […]
The post GPD Duo is a dual-screen laptop with two 13.3 inch OLED displays that unfold vertically appeared first on Liliputing.
London hospitals left in critical condition after ransomware attack
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Pathology lab provider targeted, affecting blood transfusions and surgeries
Hospitals in London are struggling to deliver pathology services after a ransomware attack at a service partner downed some key systems.…
The Third Season
date: 2024-06-04, from: John August blog
John welcomes Meredith Scardino (Girls5eva) and Jen Statsky (Hacks) to discuss the highs and lows of writing the third season of a hit comedy. But how do you push a series forward without violating the premise or retreading familiar terrain? Are the shows still the shows they pitched? How has streaming changed since their shows […] The post The Third Season first appeared on John August.
https://johnaugust.com/2024/the-third-season
FreeBSD 14.1 released
date: 2024-06-04, from: OS News
A new point release in the FreeBSD 14 series – the first one, in fact, not counting 14.0. FreeBSD 14.1 adds SIMD implementations of string and memory operations on amd64 in the C library to improve performance, improvements to the sound system, such as device hotplug support, and the latest versions of OpenZFS, clang/llvm, and OpenSSH. FreeBSD 14.0 users can just upgrade to FreeBSD 14.1, or you can do a fresh install, of course.
https://www.osnews.com/story/139876/freebsd-14-1-released/
Columbia Law Review Board Nukes Website Over Palestine Article
date: 2024-06-04, from: Ben Werdmuller’s blog
<div class="known-bookmark">
<div class="e-content">“Eghbariah’s paper for the Columbia Law Review, or CLR, was published on its website in the early hours of Monday morning. The journal’s board of directors responded by pulling the entire website offline. […] According to Eghbariah, he worked with editors at the Columbia Law Review for over five months on the 100-plus-page text.”
Regardless of your perspective on the ongoing crisis in Israel and Palestine, this seems like a remarkable action: removing a heavily-reviewed, 100+ page legal analysis because it discusses the Nakba, the mass-displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Palestine war.
The right thing to do would be to publish it - as the editors tried to do - and allow legal discussion to ensue. Instead, the board of directors chose to simply pull the plug on the website.
As one Columbia professor put it:
“When Columbia Law Professor Herbert Weschler published his important article questioning the underlying justification for Brown v. Board of Education in 1959 it was regarded by many as blasphemous, but is now regarded as canonical. This is what legal scholarship should do at its best, challenge us to think hard about hard things, even when it is uncomfortable doing so.”
If nothing else, this is a reflection of how sensitive these issues are in the current era, whose voices are allowed to be heard, and the conflicts between different ideologies, even on university campuses.
<p>[<a href="https://theintercept.com/2024/06/03/columbia-law-review-palestine-board-website/">Link</a>]</p>
</div>
</div>https://werd.io/2024/columbia-law-review-board-nukes-website-over-palestine-article
The $70 Raspberry Pi AI Kit ads 13 TOPS of AI performance to a RPI 5
date: 2024-06-04, from: Liliputing
The Raspberry Pi 5 is a small, affordable single-board computer that can be used for a wide range of activities using nothing but the built-in hardware (plus a power supply and a microSD card for storage). But it’s also the first member of the Raspberry Pi family with support for PCIe accessories, which opens the […]
The post The $70 Raspberry Pi AI Kit ads 13 TOPS of AI performance to a RPI 5 appeared first on Liliputing.
https://liliputing.com/the-70-raspberry-pi-ai-kit-ads-13-tops-of-ai-performance-to-a-rpi-5/
‘Building AI co-workers going to be largest opportunity of tech in our lifetime’
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Or so this Thomson Reuters bot boss claims
Jake Heller, head of product for CoCounsel – an AI bot from multinational information conglomerate Thomson Reuters – has a tip for anyone selling AI software: Don’t sell software.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/genai_coworkers_thomson_reuters/
Don’t panic: Your AI co-worker is here to help
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
It’s the ‘biggest tech opportunity of our lifetimes!’
Jake Heller, head of product for CoCounsel – an AI bot from multinational information conglomerate Thomson Reuters – has a tip for anyone selling AI software: Don’t sell software.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/genai_coworker/
Surprise! Climeworks Unveils Newer, Faster, Cheaper Tech
date: 2024-06-04, from: Heatmap News
Direct air capture is leveling up. In a surprise move on Tuesday, Climeworks unveiled new “generation 3” technology that it said can suck up twice as much carbon from the atmosphere using half the amount of energy as its previous designs.
The Swiss carbon removal company will premiere the new design in the U.S. at its Department of Energy-funded direct air capture “hub” in Louisiana, with construction to start in 2026.
Climeworks already operates the two largest direct air capture plants in the world, both in Iceland. Its first commercial-scale plant, Orca, was designed to capture 4,000 tons of CO2 per year. Just last month, the company turned on its second plant, Mammoth, which at full capacity is supposed to capture 36,000 tons per year. Now, Climeworks’ third generation breakthrough paves the way for it to build a plant capable of capturing one million tons per year, the company said — a nearly 28x increase.
Over the past five years, while Climeworks was building Orca and Mammoth, it had also been stealthily developing the next generation tech at its labs in Zurich and Basel with a 50-person team. Like the earlier designs, the new system uses a specially engineered material called a solid sorbent that attracts carbon dioxide molecules when air passes through it. But the company has overhauled both the chemistry of the sorbent and its structure. The new design has more surface area, enabling it to grab twice as much CO2 from the air. The company also said it expects the new sorbents to last three times as long as the previous material.
In addition to a new sorbent, the gen 3 tech will also feature an updated architecture described as “sleek modular cubes” that “increase capture efficiency, reduce costs, and boost robustness.” The new cubes will make the plants more compact, taking up half the footprint of an older plant with similar capacity. Renderings feature seemingly taller, boxier facilities compared to the earlier, more horizontally-oriented design.
Courtesy
of Climeworks
Climeworks has already tested a full-scale model of its new cubes and says it has “confirmed the anticipated breakthrough in efficiency and performance.” It’s hard to know what that means, since the company has never shared its previous tech’s efficiency or performance. But halving its energy use would be a big deal, as that’s one of the most expensive parts of the process. Carbon is extremely dilute in the air, and these machines consume massive amounts of electricity and heat to extract it.
The company said the breakthrough puts it on track to achieve the cost reductions it has previously promised, with a goal of removing CO2 for $400 to $600 per ton by 2030. (The price range accounts for potential variations in the cost of electricity and CO2 storage in different locations.) That’s about half the amount Climeworks charges today, but it’s still expensive. Some carbon removal companies, like Lithos Carbon, which does enhanced rock weathering, and Vaulted Deep, which buries carbon-rich waste, have already sold credits for less than $400, so Climeworks already faces steep competition to bring its costs down.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect clarification from Climeworks on its 2030 price estimate per ton of carbon.
https://heatmap.news/technology/climeworks-gen-3
That Was the Year That Was — or Was It?
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
A brief, abridged recapitulation of the events of this academic year, in very rough chronological order. Enjoy!
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/the-year-that-was/
Professor Dana Murphy’s Reinstatement Petition
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
We, the students of Caltech, are writing a petition to request that Dean Jahner and the Caltech administration reinstate Professor Murphy and recognize the importance of Black studies at Caltech.
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/hss-professor-reinstatement-petition/
A Profile on Professor Joe Kirschvink
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
What is it about Ge 136 that tempts so many worn down undergraduates to forfeit a restful weekend for such discomfort? Professor Joe Kirschvink is the man behind the madness.
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/profile-joe-kirschvink/
Athletics in Admissions at Caltech — A Look at Some Numbers
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
The Tech reviewed a report containing some data regarding student-athletes at Caltech from the Student Success Analysis Working Group…
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/athletics-in-admissions-caltech/
Beautiful, Unrealistic Solutions (Lessons in Chemistry Review #4)
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
Well readers, an entire term has gone by and I did not continue my column on the Apple TV+ series, Lessons In Chemistry, in a timely manner. Apologies. I know you all were dying for more of my ramblings on this very mid show.
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/beautiful-unrealistic-solutions/
EAS’ Cultural Facelift: Introducing the Graduate Student Advisory Board
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
I am excited to introduce the EAS Graduate Student Advisory Board (GSAB), a proactive initiative aimed at bridging these gaps and cultivating a unified EAS community culture which will enhance the educational experience for all its members.
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/eas-cultural-facelift/
Graduate Student and Postdoc Workers Share Goals for a Better Workplace as Union Bargaining Begins
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
On May 29, Caltech GSWs and postdocs began bargaining our first union contract to guarantee legally enforceable workplace rights including wages, benefits, and protections against abuse, discrimination, and unsafe workplaces…
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/goals-for-better-workplace/
Meet the People of Red Door: Deveon Howard
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
As part of an ongoing effort to make the voices of Red Door staff heard in The California Tech, the following interview was conducted with Deveon Howard, the Assistant Manager of Red Door.
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/people-of-red-door/
Songs to Char a Marshmallow to
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
Whether you’re having a bonfire at the beach, or camping in the woods, s’mores season is officially here, and with it, a playlist to absolutely scorch your ’mallows to.
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/songs-to-char-a-marshmallow-to/
Staging Earth Data in TACIT’s Earth Data: The Musical
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
Last April, Theater Arts at Caltech (TACIT) staged the part one beta version of Earth Data: The Musical, an original musical inspired by real-life research at JPL…
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/staging-earth-data/
The California Tech Sponsored Workout 2 — Techxercises
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
As your friendly neighborhood former Dabney Athman, I would like to give you a nice example workout. And guess what? Today is leg day!
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/techxercises/
The Decision-Making Process for Reinstating Standardized Testing in Admissions
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
In an email to faculty on January 30, 2024, President Rosenbaum wrote that, “Two questions that have arisen in recent campus conversations concern the value of standardized testing, and the appropriate role of extracurricular activities, in admissions decisions”…
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/decision-making-for-standardized-tests/
The Huntington’s New Homage to Nature
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
On May 25, Homage to Nature was unveiled at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens…
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/huntington-homage-to-nature/
Voting in ASCIT Elections should be mandatory: An argument.
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
Voting. It is every citizen’s right, or in this case every Caltech undergraduate’s right.
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/ascit-voting-mandatory/
We are the engine of research at Caltech. But who is providing the fuel, and who is driving?
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
Caltech and JPL are enmeshed financially, politically, and scientifically with Raytheon Technologies, a major weapons manufacturer which sells large amounts of weapons to the Israeli Defence Force.
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/sjp-who-provides-the-fuel/
Who is The Tech and What Do We Stand For?
date: 2024-06-04, from: The California Tech (Caltech student paper)
The Tech is not simply a broadcaster of all opinions that happen to come from Caltech students. All opinions are not created equal, and they should not be treated as such.
https://tech.caltech.edu/2024/06/04/who-is-the-tech/
Here comes the heat: Temperatures to ramp up as summer sizzle arrives
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
The weather service also put out a warning for hazardous beach conditions.
US defense secretary meets with top Cambodian officials
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-defense-secretary-meets-with-top-cambodian-officials/7642217.html
Lawyers begin opening statements in Hunter Biden’s federal firearms case
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
Wilmington, Delaware — Lawyers are making opening statements Tuesday in the federal gun case against President Joe Biden’s son Hunter in a trial that is expected to feature testimony from his exes and highly personal details about his struggle with addiction.
Hunter Biden has been charged with three felonies stemming from a 2018 firearm purchase when he was, according to his memoir, in the throes of a crack addiction. He has been accused of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days.
Hunter Biden arrived at the courthouse with this wife, Melissa, on Tuesday morning, emerging from an SUV. First lady Jill Biden and his sister Ashley Biden joined him again in the courtroom.
The proceedings come after the collapse of a deal with prosecutors that would have avoided the spectacle of a trial so close to the 2024 election. Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty and has argued he’s being unfairly targeted by the Justice Department after Republicans decried the now-defunct plea deal as special treatment for the Democratic president’s son.
The trial is unfolding just days after Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was convicted of 34 felonies in New York City. The two criminal cases are unrelated, but their proximity underscores how the courts have taken center stage during the 2024 campaign.
Jury selection moved at a clip Monday in the president’s home state, where Hunter Biden grew up and where, the elder Biden often says, the family is deeply established. Joe Biden spent 36 years as a senator in Delaware, commuting daily back and forth from Washington, D.C.
People just know the story of how Biden’s two young sons, Hunter and Beau, were injured in the car accident that killed his wife and baby girl in the early 1970s. And Beau Biden was the former state attorney general before he died at age 46 from cancer.
Some prospective jurors were dismissed because they knew the family personally, others because they held both positive and negative political views about the Bidens and couldn’t be impartial. Still, it took only a day to find the jury of six men and six women plus four women serving as alternates, who will decide the case.
One potential juror who was sent home said she didn’t know whether she could be impartial because of the opinion she had formed about Hunter Biden based on media reports.
“It’s not a good one,” she said.
Another was excused because he was aware of the case and said, “It seems like politics is playing a big role in who gets charged with what and when.”
But much of the questioning focused on drug use, addiction and gun ownership, as attorneys sought to test prospective jurors’ knowledge of the case, and dismiss those with strong thoughts on drug use, or who might want to regulate firearms — some of the very people Biden counts as constituents.
The panel of 12 was chosen out of roughly 65 people. Their names were not made public.
Hunter Biden also faces a trial in California in September on charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes. Both cases were to have been resolved through the deal with prosecutors last July, the culmination of a yearslong investigation into his business dealings.
But Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, questioned some unusual aspects of the deal, which included a proposed guilty plea to misdemeanor offenses to resolve the tax crimes and a diversion agreement on the gun charge, which meant as long as he stayed out of trouble for two years the case would be dismissed.
The lawyers could not come to a resolution on her questions, and the deal fell apart. Attorney General Merrick Garland then appointed the top investigator, a former U.S. attorney for Delaware, David Weiss, as a special counsel in August, and a month later Hunter Biden was indicted.
Opening statements come as Garland faces members of the Republican-led House judiciary committee in Washington, which has been investigating the president and his family and whose chairman has been at the forefront of a stalled impeachment inquiry stemming from Hunter Biden’s business dealings.
The Delaware trial isn’t about Hunter Biden’s foreign business affairs, though the proceedings were likely to dredge up dark, embarrassing and painful memories.
The president’s allies are worried about the toll the trial may take on the elder Biden, who’s long been concerned about his only living son and his sobriety and who must now watch as his son’s painful past mistakes are publicly scrutinized. And the president must do so while he’s campaigning under anemic poll numbers and preparing for an upcoming presidential debate with Trump.
In a statement Monday, the president said he has “boundless love” for his son, “confidence in him and respect for his strength.”
“I am the President, but I am also a Dad,” he said, adding that he would have no further comment on the case. “Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today.”
The first lady sat in court all day Monday, her 73rd birthday, watching the proceedings quietly from the front row behind the defense table, as did Hunter Biden’s wife, Melissa, and his sister Ashley. The president was nearby most of the day, camped at their Wilmington home. He departed after court adjourned for a campaign reception in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Aboard Air Force One on Monday night, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked if the case might affect the president’s ability to do his job, and she replied, “Absolutely not.”
“He always puts the American people first and is capable of doing his job,” said Jean-Pierre, who declined to say if Biden got updates on the trial throughout the day or spoke to his son after the proceedings concluded.
Biden was traveling to France on Tuesday evening and will be gone the rest of the week. The first lady is scheduled to join him later this week.
The case against Hunter Biden stems from a period when, by his own public admission, he was addicted to crack. His descent followed the 2015 death of his brother from cancer. He bought and owned a gun for 11 days in October 2018 and indicated on the gun purchase form that he was not using drugs.
If convicted, Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, though first-time offenders do not get anywhere near the maximum, and it’s unclear whether the judge would give him time behind bars.
Trump is set to be sentenced on July 11 by Judge Juan M. Merchan, who raised the specter of jail time during the trial after the former president racked up thousands of dollars in fines for violating a gag order.
A’s reliever Kelly suspended 1 year for betting on baseball; Padres infielder banned for life
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
Michael Kelly placed a total of $99.22 in bets on MLB games as a minor leaguer, the league announced Tuesday.
NASA Awards University Research Projects to Support Agency Missions
date: 2024-06-04, from: NASA breaking news
NASA announced the recipients of the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) grants, which will support scientific and technical research projects for more than 20 universities and organizations across the United States. “NASA’s EPSCoR awards are a tool to strengthen research capacity in areas across our nation that have historically been underrepresented in government […]
Aerospace Trailblazer: Shirley Holland-Hunt’s Visionary Leadership Transforms Space Exploration
date: 2024-06-04, from: NASA breaking news
From pioneering space initiatives to championing diversity and innovation, Shirley Holland-Hunt’s multifaceted leadership at NASA exemplifies the future of aerospace exploration. Her efforts have driven technological advancements and advocated for the inclusion of women and minorities in STEM fields. Holland-Hunt currently serves as the associate division chief for Houston’s Johnson Space Center Aeroscience and Flight […]
Man fatally shot at Oakland homeless camp
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
The Tuesday morning killing is the 36th homicide investigated by Oakland police this year. Last year at this time police had investigated 45 homicides in the city.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/04/man-fatally-shot-at-oakland-homeless-camp-4/
Christie’s stolen data sold to highest bidder rather than leaked, RansomHub claims
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Experts say auctioning the auctioneer’s data is unlikely to have been genuinely successful
The cybercrims who claimed the attack on Christie’s fancy themselves as auctioneers as well, after they allegedly sold off the company’s data to the highest bidder instead of leaking everything on the dark web.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/christies_stolen_data_auctioned_off/
Elon Musk accused of improperly selling $7.5 billion in Tesla stock before weak sales report that crashed its price
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
Musk sold a total of 41.5 million shares of Tesla stock between November 4 and December 12, according to company filings, as he liquidated some of his holdings to free up cash for his recently completed purchase of Twitter.
Historic Los Gatos bar celebrates final days before closure
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
Charley’s has been a community fixture for 52 years.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/04/historic-los-gatos-bar-celebrates-final-days-before-closure/
MSI Claw 8 AI+ is an Intel Lunar Lake handheld gaming PC with an 8 inch display
date: 2024-06-04, from: Liliputing
As expected, MSI is updating its handheld gaming PC lineup with a new model featuring a bigger display and a next-gen Intel Mobile processor. The MSI Claw 8 AI+ will be one of the first handhelds powered by an Intel Lunar Lake processor, which should bring a 1.5X boost in graphics performance, a more modest increase in […]
The post MSI Claw 8 AI+ is an Intel Lunar Lake handheld gaming PC with an 8 inch display appeared first on Liliputing.
Who (and where) are California’s top-paid bosses?
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
The median annual wage for a California boss was $135,840, eighth-highest among the states.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/04/who-and-where-are-californias-top-paid-bosses/
Woman beaten and robbed in Campbell
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
Two suspects steal her glasses.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/04/woman-beaten-and-robbed-in-campbell/
Niles: Annual passes have become a bad deal for theme parks
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
Perhaps theme parks should consider simply charging daily admission once again.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/04/niles-annual-passes-have-become-a-bad-deal-for-theme-parks/
El Camino Health hires new chief operating officer
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
Tracey Lewis Taylor comes to Los Gatos from Stanford Health Tri-Valley.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/04/el-camino-health-hires-new-chief-operating-officer/
Appeals court stops a program to help Black women entrepreneurs
date: 2024-06-04, from: Marketplace Morning Report
A federal appeals court panel has suspended a competition to award grants to businesses that are majority-owned by Black women. The panel ruled the program, run by Atlanta-based venture capital firm Fearless Fund, is likely discriminatory. We’ll parse the details. Then, Shein is looking to go public in London rather than New York. Why is that? And the price of Forever stamps are about to go up yet again.
Solid State Quantum Magnetometers—Seeking out water worlds from the quantum world
date: 2024-06-04, from: NASA breaking news
“Follow the water!” The solar system is full of water in different states, from the Sun’s water vapor to the ice of Pluto and beyond. Water is not only linked to the possibility to sustain life, it is also interesting for its own geological properties and potential uses. For example, ice on the Moon and Mars could support human exploration. Comets that hit Earth may have deposited water on our planet. The icy comets and rings of Saturn reveal how solar systems change over time.
Los Gatos Chamber head works to balance budget, build relationships in her first year
date: 2024-06-04, from: San Jose Mercury News
Dues set to increase in July for first time in 6 years.
Intel unveils Lunar Lake architecture, moves RAM on-die
date: 2024-06-04, from: OS News
Hot on the heels of AMD, here’s Intel’s next-generation processor, this time for the laptop market. Overall, Lunar Lake represents their second generation of disaggregated SoC architecture for the mobile market, replacing the Meteor Lake architecture in the lower-end space. At this time, Intel has disclosed that it uses a 4P+4E (8 core) design, with hyper-threading/SMT disabled, so the total thread count supported by the processor is simply the number of CPU cores, e.g., 4P+4E/8T. ↫ Gavin Bonshor at AnandTech The most significant change in Lunar Lake, however, has nothing to do with IPC improvements, core counts, or power usage. No, the massive sea change here is that Lunar Lake will do away with separate memory sticks, instead opting for on-die memory at a maximum of 32GB LPDDR5X. This is very similar to how Apple packages its memory on the M dies, and yes, this also means that as far as thin Intel laptops go, you’ll no longer be able to upgrade your memory after purchase. You choose your desired amount of memory at purchase, and that’s what you’ll be stuck with. Buyer beware, I suppose. We can only hope Intel isn’t going to default to 8GB.
https://www.osnews.com/story/139874/intel-unveils-lunar-lake-architecture-moves-ram-on-die/
@Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed (date: 2024-06-04, from: Miguel de Icaza Mastondon feed)
You can feel the fear in the air as we approach sherlocking season.
https://mastodon.social/@Migueldeicaza/112558718286628616
Microsoft accused of tracking kids with education software
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Privacy group seeks clarification of whether EU data protection law has been breached
Updated A privacy campaign group with a strong record in legal upheavals has asked the Austrian data protection authority to investigate Microsoft 365 Education to clarify if it breaches transparency provisions under GDPR.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/noyb_microsoft_complaint/
NASA Wallops Visitor Center Extended Hours June 12
date: 2024-06-04, from: NASA breaking news
The NASA Wallops Visitor Center will be open for extended hours from 4-6 p.m., Wednesday, June 12, to conduct outreach focused around NASA’s environmental work at Wallops. In addition, the Visitor Center exhibit gallery and auditorium will be open for the public to visit, and personnel will be onsite to share information on current and […]
A brief look at the 3DS cartridge protocol
date: 2024-06-04, from: OS News
About a week ago, there has been a little addition to the 3dbrew wiki page about 3DS cartridges (carts) that outlines the technical details of how the 3DS cartridge controller and a 3DS cartridge talk to each other. I would like to take this opportunity to also include the 3DS itself in the conversation to illuminate which part of which device performs which step. I will then proceed to outline where I think the corresponding design decisions originate. Finally, I will conclude with some concrete ideas for improvement. ↫ Forbidden Tempura Everything you ever wanted to know about 3DS cartridges and how they interact with the 3DS.
https://www.osnews.com/story/139872/a-brief-look-at-the-3ds-cartridge-protocol/
LogOn: Swarms of drones can be managed by one person
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
The U.S. military says large groups of drones and ground robots can be managed by a single person without added stress to the operator. In this week’s episode of LogOn, VOA’s Julie Taboh reports the technologies may be beneficial for civilian uses, too. Videographer and video editor: Adam Greenbaum
https://www.voanews.com/a/7642144.html
How Tony Stubblebine turned Medium around in the AI era
date: 2024-06-04, from: Ben Werdmuller’s blog
<div class="known-bookmark">
<div class="e-content">This is a lovely piece about Tony Stubblebine, who, as it rightly says, is doing an excellent job as the new CEO of Medium.
“Under Stubblebine’s direction, Medium, a site known for its many pivots, is finally being strategic about what it wants and where it’s headed. Last year, it launched a Mastodon server for premium users, and in March it demonetized AI-generated content on its platform. It is solidly on the side of team human and is finally starting to see that pay off.”
I worked at Medium in 2016-2017, and I’ve known Tony since 2007. I genuinely like Ev, too, but I think Tony was a fantastic choice of leader, and that’s really bearing out in his choices over the last few years. I was particularly happy when Medium launched its own Mastodon instance to check out the network and help give it some cloud in certain circles.
“It’s hard not to want to root for Medium. The assumption for more than a decade has been that the way the internet has to work will be determined by what makes the most money for a handful of companies. They wanted us to post content, then they wanted us to share content, then they wanted us to watch it endlessly, and now they want us to use their AI, which will create a bubble we’ll live in forever.”
I agree.
<p>[<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91134093/medium-growth-under-tony-stubblebine">Link</a>]</p>
</div>
</div>https://werd.io/2024/how-tony-stubblebine-turned-medium-around-in-the-ai-era
Many Americans still shying away from EVs despite Biden’s push, poll finds
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
Washington — Many Americans still aren’t sold on going electric for their next car purchase. High prices and a lack of easy-to-find charging stations are major sticking points, a new poll shows.
About 4 in 10 U.S. adults say they would be at least somewhat likely to buy an EV the next time they buy a car, according to the poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, while 46% say they are not too likely or not at all likely to purchase one.
The poll results, which echo an AP-NORC poll from last year, show that President Joe Biden’s election-year plan to dramatically raise EV sales is running into resistance from American drivers. Only 13% of U.S. adults say they or someone in their household owns or leases a gas-hybrid car, and just 9% own or lease an electric vehicle.
Caleb Jud of Cincinnati said he’s considering an EV, but may end up with a plug-in hybrid — if he goes electric. While Cincinnati winters aren’t extremely cold, “the thought of getting stuck in the driveway with an EV that won’t run is worrisome, and I know it wouldn’t be an issue with a plug-in hybrid,″ he said. Freezing temperatures can slow chemical reactions in EV batteries, depleting power and reducing driving range.
A new rule from the Environmental Protection Agency requires that about 56% of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2032, along with at least 13% plug-in hybrids or other partially electric cars. Auto companies are investing billions in factories and battery technology in an effort to speed up the switch to EVs to cut pollution, fight climate change — and meet the deadline.
EVs are a key part of Biden’s climate agenda. Republicans led by presumptive nominee Donald Trump are turning it into a campaign issue.
Younger people are more open to eventually purchasing an EV than older adults. More than half of those under 45 say they are at least “somewhat” likely to consider an EV purchase. About 32% of those over 45 are somewhat likely to buy an EV, the poll shows.
But only 21% of U.S. adults say they are “very” or “extremely” likely to buy an EV for their next car, according to the poll, and 21% call it somewhat likely. Worries about cost are widespread, as are other practical concerns.
Range anxiety – the idea that EVs cannot go far enough on a single charge and may leave a driver stranded — continues to be a major reason why many Americans do not purchase electric vehicles.
About half of U.S. adults cite worries about range as a major reason not to buy an EV. About 4 in 10 say a major strike against EVs is that they take too long to charge or they don’t know of any public charging stations nearby.
Concern about range is leading some to consider gas-engine hybrids, which allow driving even when the battery runs out. Jud, a 33-year-old operations specialist and political independent, said a hybrid “is more than enough for my about-town shopping, dropping my son off at school’’ and other uses.
With EV prices declining, cost would not be a factor, Jud said — a minority view among those polled. Nearly 6 in 10 adults cite cost as a major reason why they would not purchase an EV.
Price is a bigger concern among older adults.
The average price for a new EV was $52,314 in February, according to Kelley Blue Book. That’s down by 12.8% from a year earlier, but still higher than the average price for all new vehicles of $47,244, the report said.
Jose Valdez of San Antonio owns three EVs, including a new Mustang Mach-E. With a tax credit and other incentives, the sleek new car cost about $49,000, Valdez said. He thinks it’s well worth the money.
“People think they cost an arm and a leg, but once they experience (driving) an EV, they’ll have a different mindset,’’ said Valdez, a retired state maintenance worker.
The 45-year-old Republican said he does not believe in climate change. “I care more about saving green” dollars, he said, adding that he loves the EV’s quiet ride and the fact he doesn’t have to pay for gas or maintenance. EVs have fewer parts than gas-powered cars and generally cost less to maintain. Valdez installed his home charger himself for less than $700 and uses it for all three family cars, the Mustang and two older Ford hybrids.
With a recently purchased converter, he can also charge at a nearby Tesla supercharger station, Valdez said.
About half of those who say they live in rural areas cite lack of charging infrastructure as a major factor in not buying an EV, compared with 4 in 10 of those living in urban communities.
Daphne Boyd, of Ocala, Florida, has no interest in owning an EV. There are few public chargers near her rural home “and EVs don’t make any environmental sense,″ she said, citing precious metals that must be mined to make batteries, including in some countries that rely on child labor or other unsafe conditions. She also worries that heavy EV batteries increase wear-and-tear on tires and make the cars less efficient. Experts say extra battery weight can wear on tires but say proper maintenance and careful driving can extend tire life.
Boyd, a 54-year-old Republican and self-described farm wife, said EVs may eventually make economic and environmental sense, but “they’re not where they need to be” to convince her to buy one now or in the immediate future.
Ruth Mitchell, a novelist from Eureka Springs, Arkansas, loves her EV. “It’s wonderful — quiet, great pickup, cheap to drive. I rave about it on Facebook,″ she said.
Mitchell, a 70-year-old Democrat, charges her Chevy Volt hybrid at home but says there are several public chargers near her house. She’s not looking for a new car, Mitchell said, but when she does it will be electric: “I won’t drive anything else.”
Laws About Deepfakes Can’t Leave Sex Workers Behind
date: 2024-06-04, from: 404 Media Group
As lawmakers propose federal laws about preventing or regulating nonconsensual AI generated images, they can’t forget that there are at least two people in every deepfake.
https://www.404media.co/laws-about-deepfakes-cant-leave-sex-workers-behind/
TSMC mulled moving chip fabs from Taiwan over China threat
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
CEO says it even spoke to customers about the switch but decided it was not feasible
TSMC considered relocating its chip fabs away from Taiwan because of the threat from China, and even discussed the matter with customers, but decided against the move because of the difficulties it posed.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/tsmc_discussed_moving_chip_fabs/
Why Do These Instagram Electricians Want to ‘Deep Throat’ You?
date: 2024-06-04, from: 404 Media Group
A convoluted web of referral schemes results in Instagram ads for roofers who want to have sex with you.
https://www.404media.co/why-do-these-instagram-electricians-want-to-deep-throat-you/
UK broadcasters trade ad airtime for advertisers’ shares
date: 2024-06-04, from: Ben Werdmuller’s blog
<div class="known-bookmark">
<div class="e-content">This is an interesting business model: UK broadcasters are trading unused ad space for equity in digital media startups, turning them into venture-scale investors.
“The move comes as broadcasters continue to face a tough economic downturn where corporate clients have slashed spending on advertising – which is traditionally seen as a bellwether of the economic climate.”
The thing about venture investing is that it doesn’t have a short time horizon: exits could easily be a decade away. So this is either a deliberately long game or a really short-sighted move on behalf of the broadcasters, who might not be prepared to hold a basket of liabilities for that long. Of course, they could presumably sell the equity, but that pressure on the secondary market would have the potential to drive the startups’ share prices down. Really the broadcasters need to hold onto their portfolios.
I’m very curious to see how this plays out. It’s definitely an innovative way to use an otherwise illiquid asset (unsold ad space). I want these broadcasters to survive, and I like the ecosystem-building aspect of this, so I hope it all works out for everyone involved.
<p>[<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/jun/03/uk-broadcasters-trade-ad-airtime-for-advertisers-shares">Link</a>]</p>
</div>
</div>https://werd.io/2024/uk-broadcasters-trade-ad-airtime-for-advertisers-shares
Rare fossil of adolescent Tyrannosaurus - ‘Teen Rex’ - found by US kids
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
Analysts join the call for Microsoft to recall Recall
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
‘Does any of this add real value for users or enterprises?’
If Microsoft intended the 2024 Build event to be overshadowed by controversy then it succeeded as calls intensify for the company to rethink its strategy around Recall.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/microsoft_analysts_recall/
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan wants AI clones in meetings
date: 2024-06-04, from: Ben Werdmuller’s blog
<div class="known-bookmark">
<div class="e-content">Eric Yuan has a really bizarre vision of what the future should look like:
“Today for this session, ideally, I do not need to join. I can send a digital version of myself to join so I can go to the beach. Or I do not need to check my emails; the digital version of myself can read most of the emails. Maybe one or two emails will tell me, “Eric, it’s hard for the digital version to reply. Can you do that?” Again, today we all spend a lot of time either making phone calls, joining meetings, sending emails, deleting some spam emails and replying to some text messages, still very busy. How [do we] leverage AI, how do we leverage Zoom Workplace, to fully automate that kind of work? That’s something that is very important for us.”
The solution to having too many meetings that you don’t really need to attend, and too many emails that are informational only, is to not have the meetings and emails. It’s not to let AI do it for you, which in effect creates a world where our avatars are doing a bunch of makework drudgery for no reason.
Instead of building better business cultures and reinventing our work rhythms to adapt to information overload and an abundance of busywork, the vision here is to let the busywork happen between AI. It’s an office full of ghosts, speaking to each other on our behalf, going to standup meetings with each other just because.
I mean, I get it. Meetings are Zoom’s business. But count me out.
<p>[<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/3/24168733/zoom-ceo-ai-clones-digital-twins-videoconferencing-decoder-interview">Link</a>]</p>
</div>
</div>https://werd.io/2024/zoom-ceo-eric-yuan-wants-ai-clones-in-meetings
Summer Electricity Bills Are on the Rise
date: 2024-06-04, from: Heatmap News
Current conditions: Heat advisories are in effect across much of California • A large landslide buried cars in Taiwan • It is 70 degrees Fahrenheit and partly cloudy in Bonn, Germany, where delegates from 198 countries are gathering this week for the Bonn Climate Change Conference
THE TOP FIVE
- IEA: World not on track to triple renewable capacity by 2030
A new report from the International Energy Agency released this morning concluded that the world isn’t yet on track to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 compared to 2022 levels – an ambitious goal set last year at COP28 in line with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. But we’re not hugely far off: In examining countries’ unofficial energy policies, the IEA found we’re likely to increase renewable capacity by about 8,000 gigawatts by 2030, which is about 70% of the 11,000 GW goal. But these policies aren’t set in stone. In fact, very few countries (just 14) have included clear 2030 renewable targets in their climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). The IEA wants countries to make these ambitions official when they revise those NDCs next year, but also urges them to move quickly on things like permitting and grid infrastructure expansion, and in general, aim higher. “The tripling target is ambitious but achievable – though only if governments quickly turn promises into plans of action,” said IEA executive director Fatih Birol.
- U.S. energy bills expected to rise 8% this summer
U.S. household electricity bills are projected to rise by 8% on average this summer compared to last year, according to analysis from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association and the Center for Energy Poverty, and Climate. Costs are going up everywhere as Americans rely heavily on air conditioning to stay cool during intense heat. Here’s a look at expected summer electric bills across the country:
NEADA
and CEPC
The report finds that “due to the unprecedented rise in summer temperatures and higher rates of extreme heat events,” summer energy bills have risen from an average cost of $476 in 2014 to a projected $719 this year. Low-income households will feel this financial strain the most because they spend a larger amount of their income (about 8%) on energy. Startlingly, the survey found that the percentage of customers that couldn’t pay their energy bills for one month or longer jumped from 21.3% to 23.5% last year, which saw the hottest summer on record. The largest increase was among households with children. The report calls for more efforts to ensure houses are weatherized, and installing heat pumps.
- Researchers say climate change made Brazil floods more likely
The recent floods in southern Brazil, which have killed more than 170 people and displaced nearly 600,000, were made about twice as likely by human-induced climate change, according to an international group of researchers. The analysis from the World Weather Attribution also said the El Niño weather pattern played a big role in the disaster, increasing the risk by nearly five times and making rainfall between 3% and 10% more intense. Meanwhile, a bit farther north in Brazil’s “citrus belt,” orange growers are seeing a significant drop in crop production thanks in part to severe weather such as drought, disease, and pests. One research group is forecasting that the 2024-25 season could see production drop by a quarter. Brazil is the world’s top orange producer and exporter.
Get Heatmap AM directly in your inbox every morning:
- Puerto Rico to install solar arrays designed to withstand high winds
An Australian company called 5B has designed solar arrays that can withstand some extreme weather. The 5B Maverick arrays are modular, fold up like an accordian for transporting, and can endure winds up to 166 mph. That makes them a good option for hurricane-prone areas like Puerto Rico, where 5B is installing 1,392 arrays, Electrek reported. Now, if only someone could design solar panels that can withstand the force of six-inch hail stones…
5B
- Volvo to introduce EV battery passport
Volvo is rolling out a “passport” for EV batteries that will show the origin of the battery’s components as well as its carbon footprint, according to Reuters. The passport rollout will begin with Volvo’s EX90 SUV before expanding to include all of Volvo’s EVs. Drivers will be able to access the passport by scanning a QR code on the driver’s-side door. The European Union is set to require battery passports for all EVs starting in 2027, but Reuters reported that U.S. automakers are taking notes, as rules for EV subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act dictate where battery parts can be manufactured.
THE KICKER
The band Coldplay says it has reduced the carbon footprint of its latest world tour by nearly 60% compared to its 2016-17 tour using solutions like power-generating dance floors and bikes that charge the show’s battery system.
https://heatmap.news/climate/electricity-bills-summer-2024-iea
SpaceX Booms and Rattles
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
Sonic booms from SpaceX launches are rattling my windows and knocking things down.
The post SpaceX Booms and Rattles appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/04/spacex-booms-and-rattles/
Graveyards a favorite haunt for solar farms in Valencia
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Because the dead don’t really need all this space to themselves, surely?
In a move likely to leave both the living and the dearly departed feeling a bit sunnier, the Spanish city of Valencia is turning its cemeteries into bustling hubs of renewable energy.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/cemetery_solar_farm_valencia/
A Plan to Make Joe Biden Look and Act Younger
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
President Biden’s age continues to be a formidable re-election challenge.
The post A Plan to Make Joe Biden Look and Act Younger appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/04/a-plan-to-make-joe-biden-look-and-act-younger/
Quadruple-Booked
date: 2024-06-04, from: Tedium feed
The latest artificial intelligence use cases, like Windows’ Recall and Zoom’s digital twins, appear to be built specifically for managers and executives, and literally nobody else. That’s a problem.
https://feed.tedium.co/link/15204/16703350/ai-technology-management-focus
India election: Modi poised for third term
date: 2024-06-04, from: Marketplace Morning Report
From the BBC World Service: In India’s elections, early signs are pointing to a majority for a right-wing alliance of parties, led by India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi. It won’t be a landslide win, however. What does that mean for policy and the markets? And later in the program: Nigeria’s government says it’s made a new offer to try to bring the country’s general strike to a close.
How To Host Your Own Super Fun Children’s Reading Party, Just Like We Did
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The LAist
For our second annual Super-Fun Saturday, we partnered with more than two dozen community partners, along with local Los Angeles authors and performers.
Cybercrooks get cozy with BoxedApp to dodge detection
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Some of the biggest names in the game are hopping on the trend
Malware miscreants are increasingly showing a penchant for abusing legitimate, commercial packer apps to evade detection.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/cybercriminals_abusing_boxedapp/
Attempts to light a fire under oil prices are fizzling so far
date: 2024-06-04, from: Marketplace Morning Report
At its recent meeting, the oil cartel OPEC+ agreed to keep its lower production limits in place to try to prop up fuel prices. To the concern of producers and the delight of consumers, crude has been going for less than $80 a barrel since the beginning of May. And that’s being reflected at the pump. Plus, what’s behind GM’s move from the landmark Renaissance Center in Detroit?
Windows 11 tries to escape Windows 10’s shadow with AI muscle
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Edge cements its number two position for desktop browsers
Microsoft is set to launch Copilot+ AI PCs this month, aiming to boost adoption of the little loved Windows 11 operating system.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/windows_11_market_share/
Historic Staff Spotlight: Richard McCulley, Historian of the Records of Congress
date: 2024-06-04, from: National Archives, Pieces of History blog
We’re taking a look at past staff and their many contributions to the National Archives throughout history. Today’s staff spotlight is in memory of Richard McCulley, who served was Historian at the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives in Washington, DC. A native of Texas, Richard Todd McCulley earned his B.A. in government, … Continue reading Historic Staff Spotlight: Richard McCulley, Historian of the Records of Congress
US farmers opt for soy to limit losses as all crop prices slump
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
Chicago — Mark Tuttle planted more soy and less corn on his northern Illinois farm this spring as prices for both crops hover near three-year lows and soybeans’ lower production costs offered him the best chance of turning a profit in the country’s top soy producing state.
He even planted soybeans in one of his fields for a second straight year, breaking the traditional soy-corn-soy rotation for field management. He and many other farmers are hoping to just minimize losses.
Planting more soy at a time of sputtering demand from importers and domestic processors will only serve to drive prices lower, further swell historically large global supplies and erode U.S. farm incomes already poised for the steepest annual drop ever in dollar terms.
But Midwest farmers’ other main options — seeding more corn or leaving fields fallow — could have resulted in even wider losses.
“There’s a better chance of making money with soybeans than there is for corn right now,” Tuttle said. “But if we have another bigger crop, prices are going to go lower and that’s not going to bode well for the farmer.”
In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast farmers would plant 86.5 million acres of soybeans nationwide this spring, the fifth most ever. Some analysts expect soybean acres to increase by another million acres or more as heavy rains close the window on corn planting.
In nearby Princeton, Illinois, Evan Hultine also increased soy plantings and scaled back corn. High production costs due in part to a jump in interest rates looked likely to erode most or all of his corn returns, while soybeans remained marginally profitable, he said.
The farm’s profits will likely be the thinnest in at least five years, Hultine said.
In an annual early season crop budget estimate, University of Illinois agricultural economists projected negative average farmer returns in the state for both crops, though losses would be smaller for soybeans.
Unprofitable crops
In northern Illinois, farmers could lose $140 per acre on average for corn and $30 an acre for soybeans with autumn delivery prices of $4.50 and $11.50 a bushel, respectively, the analysis showed. Actual returns vary significantly from farm to farm, however, depending on factors like crop yields, the timing of grain sales and whether farmers own or rent their land.
Fertilizer costs are down from highs last year, but crop prices are also down, while land costs remain elevated and borrowing rates for operating loans and equipment have jumped, likely forcing farmers to cut expenses, the economists said.
When looking to cut costs, farmers often favor planting soybeans rather than corn because they require less fertilizer and pesticides and seed costs tend to be lower.
High interest rates have been a particularly painful expense recently.
“If you’re borrowing $700 an acre to put a corn crop in at 7% to 8%, you’re talking about some real dollars there just on the price of money. You can put a bean crop in a lot cheaper. Your interest cost per acre might be half,” Tuttle said.
More soy, less corn
An early-spring forecast from the USDA projected soy plantings would expand by 3.5% this year while corn plantings were expected to shrink 4.9%.
The expansion is expected to swell the U.S. soy stockpile next season by more than 30% to the highest in five years and the sixth highest level on record as demand from the domestic and export markets is not keeping pace with rising production, according to the USDA.
Now, rain-saturated fields in some areas could clip corn acres and even further expand seedings of soybeans, which, unlike corn, can be planted well into June without significant risk to yields.
Cash prices offered for the next corn and soybean harvest have improved from earlier this spring in Spencer, Iowa, where Brent Swart has been struggling to plant the last of his corn acres due to overly wet weather. But neither crop pencils a profit at current prices.
Nearly a foot of rain over the past month, seven inches more than normal, has left his fields too soggy for field work. Swart estimates his remaining corn fields may not be in shape to plant until after his planting deadline date of June 1, when crop insurance benefits begin to drop with each day.
Swart’s best option in some of his fields may be to file an insurance claim saying he was prevented from planting due to waterlogged soils. Soybean prices remain some 40 cents a bushel under his estimated cost of production, he said.
“If you switch to soybeans, you’re potentially looking at a loss. If you prevent plant, you’re looking at more of a breakeven scenario,” Swart said.
Only farmers with severe weather issues will be able to file for insurance, however.
Weather delays and a favorable price versus corn could boost soy plantings by 500,000 to 1 million acres above the USDA’s latest forecast for 86.5 million, said Tanner Ehmke, lead economist for grains and oilseeds at CoBank.
“The signal from the marketplace to the farmer right now is that, if you have a doubt about your acreage, send those acres to soybeans,” he said.
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-04, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
OpenAI Says ChatGPT Suffering Major Outage.
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/06/04/openai-says-chatgpt-suffering-major-outage/
Larry Moore | A Cautionary Tale
date: 2024-06-04, from: The Signal
This is dedicated to all of you sitting at home with I-told-you-so smirks on your faces. (Somewhere in Russia. Vladimir Putin is sitting in a small, nondescript room with […]
The post Larry Moore | A Cautionary Tale appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/larry-moore-a-cautionary-tale/
Jason Lorenz | Street Vendors Running Amok
date: 2024-06-04, from: The Signal
Lately I have observed the growing number of food trucks and street vendors on Castaic Road. My guess is that none of these vendors have an operating permit from the […]
The post Jason Lorenz | Street Vendors Running Amok appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/jason-lorenz-street-vendors-running-amok/
Millions forced to use brain as OpenAI’s ChatGPT takes morning off
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Bots just as likely to fall over as everything else in the cloud
Updated OpenAI’s ChatGPT has suffered a “major outage,” leaving customers unable to converse with the super lab’s chatbot.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/openai_chatgpt_outage/
Joe Guzzardi | On Immigration, Taking a Lesson from 100 Years Ago
date: 2024-06-04, from: The Signal
A century ago, President Calvin Coolidge signed the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act, also known as the Immigration Act of 1924, which precipitated a two-generation-long pause in mass migration. Upon Coolidge’s signature, […]
The post Joe Guzzardi | On Immigration, Taking a Lesson from 100 Years Ago appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/joe-guzzardi-on-immigration-taking-a-lesson-from-100-years-ago/
Dan Walters | California, Home of the $5 Big Mac
date: 2024-06-04, from: The Signal
On paper, the U.S. economy seems to be doing well with historically low unemployment. Yet most Americans have a sour view in recent polls, with stubborn inflation in living costs […]
The post Dan Walters | California, Home of the $5 Big Mac appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/dan-walters-california-home-of-the-5-big-mac/
A Critical Mineral Trade War Is Brewing
date: 2024-06-04, from: Heatmap News
China and the United States have fired their opening salvos in a critical minerals trade war. Over the past year, China has imposed export controls on gallium, germanium, and graphite — all minerals necessary for energy transition technologies. Then in May, the Biden Administration shot back with tariffs on critical mineral imports, part of a package of trade protection measures to help shield domestic manufacturers in strategic sectors, including the mineral industry. The downstream consequence for energy transition technologies such as electric vehicle batteries, however, is almost certainly higher prices.
In all likelihood, this critical mineral trade war will intensify, with corresponding implications for U.S. industries that use these raw materials. China’s next shot may be even tighter export controls on critical minerals, including minerals for which the United States relies heavily on China. Such export controls pose real — and serious — risks to downstream U.S. industries for five key reasons.
- Critical minerals underpin billions of dollars of U.S. economic
activity.
For example, the White House assesses that U.S. consumption of rare earth elements worth $613 million affects about $496 billion in downstream economic activity across core sectors, from petroleum refining to automotive manufacturing. Critically, the United States relies on China for nearly 70% of its rare earth consumption. The United States also depends substantially on China for other minerals — more than on any other country. Of the 50 non-fuel mineral commodities for which the United States relied on imports to meet more than 50% of its consumption from 2019 to 2022, China was the leading import source for 15. Because critical minerals are necessary in applications affecting strategic sectors such as automotive manufacturing and renewable energy, Chinese export controls would be particularly disruptive and costly.
- It would be tough — if not impossible — for the U.S. to find other
sources for the volume of Chinese-produced minerals it consumes.
To illustrate, the United States does not produce any arsenic metal, which is used to produce gallium arsenide semiconductors for high-performance electronics. China supplied 97% of America’s arsenic metal imports in 2022. If China were to restrict arsenic metal exports to the United States, American manufacturers — including semiconductor fabricators, which the Biden administration very much wants to support — would likely struggle to find non-Chinese suppliers able to meet their full needs. Multiply this across all of the many, many minerals China supplies to the U.S., and you get a major problem.
- Even if U.S. companies can source critical minerals outside China,
they’re probably still controlled by Chinese companies.
For instance, Chinese companies have significant stakes in cobalt reserves and production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the world’s largest holder of cobalt reserves and producer of cobalt ore. There, the Chinese company CMOC owns the Kisanfu project, which calls itself one of the world’s “largest and highest-grade undeveloped copper-cobalt projects,” and Chinese companies owned or financed 15 of the 19 cobalt-producing mines there as of 2020. Depending on the extent to which the Chinese government requires overseas Chinese companies’ help enforcing mineral export controls, downstream U.S. industries could be prevented from sourcing minerals produced by Chinese companies outside China.
- Higher global mineral prices could spur non-Chinese
producers to enter the mineral market — but these new entrants may
struggle in the long term.
Plenty of new companies entered the rare earth industry after China reduced export quotas and caused record-high rare earth prices in 2010 and 2011. But when prices fell in 2015 due to lower-than-expected demand, many of these rare earth companies went bankrupt. Ultimately, the success rate for rare earth projects entering production between 2011 and 2021 was just 1.5%. Non-Chinese mineral producers may find it attractive to enter the market amid artificially inflated prices from export controls, but whether their business model will hold if and when prices fall again is decidedly less sure. Importantly, China’s commanding production share for many critical minerals enables it to influence global prices in its favor. If a new global industry begins to flourish, a glut of cheap Chinese minerals may not be far behind.
- Non-Chinese mineral producers could face capital and technical
challenges ramping up production.
Mines and refineries already operating near their maximum capacity would have to invest millions or billions of dollars to expand production capacity, which can take up to five years from starting feasibility studies to commissioning new production. For mines and refineries with the capacity to ramp up production already available, that excess margin could be due to long-standing technical issues in processes like adjusting the temperature during processing. Thus, non-Chinese mineral supply may take some time — and a lot of money — to come online if China imposes export controls.
The Chinese government has both the will and the capability to impose mineral export controls — as evidenced by its prior and present use of mineral trade restrictions, from banning exports of rare earth elements to Japan in 2010 to imposing a blanket export ban on rare earth processing technology in 2023. As U.S.-China competition intensifies, more Chinese export controls on minerals could well follow, which would cause severe supply chain disruptions given challenges sourcing sufficient non-Chinese mineral supplies.
So, while it remains to be seen how China will retaliate to this new round of U.S. mineral tariffs, the U.S. government should accelerate its mineral stockpiling — including urging certain downstream U.S. industries to stockpile — and its collaboration with partner countries to improve the resilience and robustness of their mineral supply chains. The U.S. government should tread carefully in deploying trade tools in this critical minerals competition, and prepare accordingly for possible Chinese responses.
https://heatmap.news/economy/china-critical-mineral-trade-war
Muslim drift to Republican Party stalls amid Gaza conflict
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
WASHINGTON — The war in Gaza is shaking Muslim Americans’ political loyalties ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.
Disenchanted by President Joe Biden’s embrace of Israel, many Democratic-leaning Muslims who once backed him are now vowing to withdraw their endorsement.
But it’s not just Muslim Democrats abandoning their once-preferred candidate. Some Muslim Republicans are also wavering amidst their own party’s support of Israel.
Mo Nehad, a Pakistani American Republican activist in Fort Bend County, Texas, has seen up close the political effects of the Gaza conflict on Muslim American voting.
In late 2020, Nehad, who is a small-business owner, police officer and military warrant officer, helped found a grassroots group in a bid to engage the local Muslim community with the Republican Party.
Initially focused on opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and mask mandates, the group, called Muslim Americans of Texas, soon found a new cause: a conservative backlash to sex and gender education policies in local schools.
“We were essentially trying to tell the Muslim community, regardless of what has happened in the past overseas, let’s focus on national topics and events,” Nehad said in an interview. “And when you compare what traditionally a Democratic-elected president has done and a Republican-elected president has done [on national issues], a Republican-elected president is much better for the Muslims.”
The advocacy paid off, he said. While the Fort Bend County Muslim community remained solidly Democratic, a small number started crossing party lines, mirroring a pattern seen across the country.
“These are people who go to the same masjid as I do, people who are in the same home-school groups,” he said.
Then the war in Gaza broke out after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, testing the political allegiance of Muslim Democrats and Republicans alike, with both viewing their parties as equally pro-Israel.
Many Muslim Americans who had overwhelmingly voted for Biden in 2020 fumed over the president’s support for an Israeli military campaign that has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians.
Earlier this year, a group of progressive Muslim activists launched a campaign they labeled #AbandonBiden, inducing hundreds of thousands of voters to vote “uncommitted” in key Democratic primaries in Michigan and elsewhere. Members were also threatening not to vote for Biden in November.
Republican-leaning Muslims, fewer in number, have not been as vocal. While many are backing their party, its equally staunch support of Israel has alienated some, according to Muslim activists and experts.
Nehad said that while he intends to vote for former President Donald Trump in November, some Republican Muslims are reconsidering their stance and even “going back” to the Democratic Party, drawn by that party’s stronger criticism of Israeli actions.
“They don’t want to vote for Republican candidates because the Republican candidates do not want to go ahead and openly denounce what Israel is doing,” Nehad said.
Drift to GOP stalls
Youssef Chouhoud, a political science professor at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, said the war in Gaza appears to have paused if not blunted the recent Muslim drift to the GOP.
Had the war not occurred, he said that as many as 40% of Muslim Americans would have voted for the Republican presidential nominee in November.
“I was fully expecting that,” Chouhoud, who studies Muslim American voting behavior, said.
Now, he said he is not so sure.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if upwards of 40% are voting third party or otherwise testing some vote that is not a two-party vote,” he said.
A recent poll by the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee and The Truth Project showed that only 7% of Arab American voters plan to vote for Biden and 2% for Trump, with Green Party candidate Jill Stein receiving 25%.
How the Muslim vote will influence the outcome of the presidential contest between Biden and Trump remains uncertain.
Numbering about 3.5 million, Muslims make up just 1% of the U.S. population. In tight races in swing states with large Muslim populations, though, their vote could potentially sway the outcome of the election.
But American Muslims are a diverse lot, with interests and priorities often as varied as the general electorate. While anger over the Gaza conflict may have unified the community, it is not the only issue driving their voting decision, said Saher Selod, director of research for the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a Muslim American research group in Dearborn, Michigan.
“We need to know if [some Muslim voters] are centering this issue as a major driving force in terms of how they’re going to vote,” Selod said in an interview. “Other groups, while they might support a cease-fire, have other issues that that they’re going to vote on.”
VOA asked both the Biden and Trump campaigns about their outreach to Muslim Americans and any steps to assuage their concerns over the Gaza war.
In a statement, a Biden campaign spokesperson said, “The President shares the goal of a just and lasting peace in the region. He’s working tirelessly to that end.”
In a separate statement, the campaign’s Michigan director said the Biden team is in contact with Arab American and Muslim groups in Detroit and Dearborn. Both cities have large Muslim populations.
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment. The campaign has not publicly reached out to the Muslim community on the war in Gaza, but Trump’s son-in-law, Michael Boulos, and a former Trump administration official recently met with a group of Arab Americans and Middle Eastern leaders in Michigan.
Historical patterns
Historically, Muslim American voters have oscillated between the two major political parties. Socially conservative, most voted Republican in the 1980s and 1990s, leading some party activists to hail them as “natural” allies. In 2000, a majority backed Republican George W. Bush.
That changed after the attacks of Sept. 11, as the Bush administration’s increased scrutiny of the community amid its “war on terror” sent Muslims flocking to the Democratic Party. In every presidential election since 2004, Muslims have favored the Democratic nominee.
But with memories of 9/11 fading in recent years, some Muslims began to shift back to the Republican Party, driven by shared conservative values such as opposition to abortion, gay marriage and LGBTQ-inclusive policies in schools.
“This is the social conservatism within this community kind of creeping up to the surface and guiding political decisions in light of a lot of marquee policy debates,” Chouhoud said.
Some polls confirm this recent voting trend.
In October 2020, an Institute for Social Policy and Understanding poll found 30% of Muslims approved of Trump’s job performance, up from 13% in 2018.
In November 2020, an Associated Press exit poll found that 64% supported Biden and 35% backed Trump.
Other polls showed a more modest increase in Muslim support for Trump.
Muslim support for Republican candidates continued into 2022. During that year’s midterm elections, 28% of Muslims voted Republican, up from 17% during the 2018 midterms, while 70% voted Democratic, down from 81%.
Today, the Muslim voter base is firmly rooted in the Democratic Party, though a significant slice leans Republican.
A recent Pew Research poll found that 66% of Muslim voters are Democrats or lean Democratic, while 32% are Republicans or lean Republican.
Three previous polls conducted by Pew had all shown lower-level numbers of Republican or Republican-leaning Muslim voters, according to Besheer Mohamed, a senior Pew researcher.
“There are certain issues where Muslims tend to align more with the Republican Party, Mohamed said, noting positive views of religion and skepticisms toward LGBTQ issues. “Then there are other issues where that’s not the case.”
Nehad, once an independent voter, is now a Republican. His political pivot came after he ran unsuccessfully as a Democratic candidate for constable where he said he felt pressured to champion policies that clashed with his religious convictions.
This year, he stood as a Republican candidate for Fort Bend County sheriff.
“Everything the Republican Party stands for, 70% of it aligns with my beliefs and values,” Nehad said, in a drawl honed over more than 25 years of living in the Lone Star state. “But when I compare the same with the Democratic Party, it’s only maybe 20 or 40%, if that.”
Zahoor Gire, another co-founder of the Muslim Americans of Texas, said Muslim Americans “share conservative Republican values” such as strong families, traditional marriage, traditional gender roles and opposition to abortion.
“I had family members of my own that had voted Democratic before and are now voting Republican,” Gire said.
Underscoring the renewed Muslim embrace of the Republican Party, he said a record eight Republican Muslim candidates have run for office in Texas this year.
“So that shows you the willingness of people to embrace this party and then run for office through this party’s platform,” Gire said.
To many Muslim Republicans, Trump is not the anti-Muslim politician as he is seen by others. They’ve defended his so-called “Muslim ban” as a necessary national security measure rather than a religiously motivated injunction.
But the Gaza war has become “the main issue” for Muslims in America, Gire said. And with Trump urging Israel earlier this year to “finish what they started,” his perceived support of Israel at the expense of Palestinians is giving some Muslim Republicans pause.
Asked if he will support Trump in November, Gire said, “We need to see very specifically what his foreign policies will be, what his stance towards Muslim Americans will be.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/muslim-drift-to-republican-party-stalls-amid-gaza-conflict/7641906.html
Hubble plays spin the bottle with last few gyros
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Time to dust off those contingency plans?
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has again suspended science operations due to an ongoing gyroscope problem.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/hubble_gyro_issues/
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-04, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
The homeowner mutiny leaving Florida vulnerable to hurricanes.
https://grist.org/extreme-weather/redington-shores-tampa-florida-beach-erosion-hurricanes/
The public option
date: 2024-06-04, from: Enlightenment Economics
I’m on my way to a workshop at The New Institute in Hamburg, where I will talk about the scope for a public option in (especially) digital markets. As preparation, I’ve read a recent short (and moderately technical) book surveying … Continue reading
http://www.enlightenmenteconomics.com/blog/index.php/2024/06/the-public-option/
Checkmate? AI’s pawn-pushing prowess proves partly pitiful, partly promising
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
GPT-4o is far better than other models, but still made illegal moves 13% of the time
A new benchmark for large language models (LLMs) shows that even the latest models aren’t the best chess players.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/chess_puzzle_benchmark_llm/
Fired-up Pat Gelsinger shoots from the lip at Qualcomm and Nvidia
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Intel boss reveals first 18A silicon will run next week as he undercuts H100s on price and dismisses X Elite metrics
Computex Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has used his keynote address at the Computex conference in Taiwan to fire back at competitors Qualcomm and Nvidia, and reveal a product he thinks will make his assertions more than words.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/intel_gelsinger_computex_keynote/
President Biden signs executive order limiting number of asylum seekers at US-Mexico border
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
Wall Street Is Making House Calls
date: 2024-06-04, from: The Lever News
Big Pharma and private equity are taking over the booming in-home care industry while pushing back against needed reforms.
https://www.levernews.com/wall-street-is-making-house-calls/
Today in SCV History (June 4)
date: 2024-06-04, from: SCV New (TV Station)
1925 – Newhall Constable Jack Pilcher killed in the line of duty in handgun accident. [story
https://scvnews.com/today-in-scv-history-june-4/
Raspberry Pi unveils Hailo-powered AI Kit to make the model 5 smarter
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
13 TOPS for $70 has PiBoss Eben Upton predicting an ML explosion
Raspberry Pi has created a machine-learning addition for its single board computer that features the Hailo-8L AI accelerator.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/raspberry_pi_ai_kit/
Raspberry Pi AI Kit available now at $70
date: 2024-06-04, from: Raspberry Pi News (.com)
The Raspberry Pi AI Kit offers an accessible way to build local, high-performance, power-efficient inferencing into a wide variety of applications.
The post Raspberry Pi AI Kit available now at $70 appeared first on Raspberry Pi.
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/raspberry-pi-ai-kit-available-now-at-70/
Flying phone base stations to take off over Japan in 2026
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
NTT Docomo teams with Airbus subsidiary to make it happen
A string of aerial telecommunication base stations should be flying above Japan in around two years’ time – thanks to Airbus subsidiary AALTO and a consortium led by Japanese mobile phone operator NTT Docomo.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/aalto_haps_japan/
ASUS creates a substance: Ceraluminum, which fuses aluminum and a ceramic
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Not unobtanium or vaporwareum, as it’s coming soon to a 16-inch Zenbook lappie
Computex ASUS has given the world what it claims is a new substance, and it’s got a catchy name: Ceraluminum.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/asus_ceraluminum_amd_copilot_laptops/
AI as Reality Television
date: 2024-06-04, from: Gary Marcus blog
Perhaps no week of AI drama will ever match the week in which Sam got fired and rehired, but the writers for the AI reality series we are all watching just don’t quit. For one thing, the bad press about Sam Altman and OpenAI, who once seemingly could do no wrong, just keep coming.
https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/ai-as-reality-television
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-04, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Universities as political piñatas.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/03/us/harvard-diversity-statements.html
Intel details how Lunar Lake PC chips deliver 120 TOPS
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-05, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
A bigger NPU, faster graphics core in GPU, and on-package memory will do that to a chip
Computex In the emerging world of AI PCs, everything eventually boils down to TOPS: How many trillions of byte-sized operations can your neural processing units (NPUs) , GPU, and/or CPU churn out.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/intel_details_lunar_lake_tops/
@Dave Winer’s linkblog (date: 2024-06-04, from: Dave Winer’s linkblog)
Monica McNutt leaves Stephen A. Smith speechless in Caitlin Clark debate with criticism of his WNBA coverage.
https://sports.yahoo.com/monica-mcnutt-leaves-stephen-smith-203800672.html
Intel challenges AMD’s Epycs with a 144 e-core Xeon
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
128 p-core Xeons to follow in Q3 while the x86 giant will release its 288 e-core monster early next year
Computex With the launch of its many-cored Xeon 6 processors at Computex on Tuesday, Intel is closer to reclaiming the core-count lead over competitors AMD and Ampere.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/intel_xeon_epyc/
Intel Lunar Lake mobile chips bring 3X boost in AI, 50% faster graphics, 40% lower power consumption
date: 2024-06-04, from: Liliputing
And then there were three… sets of processors capable of supporting Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC platform. When Microsoft unveiled its new brand for next-gen PCs two weeks ago, the company noted that a minimum requirement was a processor with at least 40 TOPS of hardware-accelerated AI performance. At the time, the only PC chips that met […]
The post Intel Lunar Lake mobile chips bring 3X boost in AI, 50% faster graphics, 40% lower power consumption appeared first on Liliputing.
The cost of US elections explained
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
Elections in the United States are some of the most expensive in the world, with campaign spending far outpacing that in most countries. The 2020 U.S. presidential and congressional races cost $16.4 billion and experts say the cost of the 2024 races are likely to be much higher.
https://www.voanews.com/a/the-cost-of-us-elections-explained/7641746.html
Hudson Rock yanks report fingering Snowflake employee creds snafu for mega-leak
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Cloud storage giant lawyers up against infosec house
Analysis Hudson Rock, citing legal pressure from Snowflake, has removed its online report that claimed miscreants broke into the cloud storage and analytics giant’s underlying systems and stole data from potentially hundreds of customers including Ticketmaster and Santander Bank.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/snowflake_report_pulled/
What is an executive order?
date: 2024-06-04, from: VOA News USA
U.S. citizens elect a president and a Congress to steer the country. But presidents have certain tools enabling them to alter policies on their own. One that’s gotten a lot of recent attention is the executive order.
https://www.voanews.com/a/what-is-an-executive-order-/7641749.html
How Voting Snags Left Many Local Mexicans Unable To Vote In Mexico’s Historic Election
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The LAist
Former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum was elected Mexico’s first female president in the nation’s first electoral face-off between two female presidential candidates. But many local Mexican citizens who had hoped to cast a ballot at the local consulate couldn’t do so.
https://laist.com/news/politics/voting-snags-local-mexicans-unable-to-vote-in-mexicos-election
Garcia congratulates service academy appointees
date: 2024-06-04, from: The Signal
News release Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, hosted a reception to congratulate the U.S. military academy appointees from California’s 27th Congressional District, which includes the Santa Clarita Valley. This […]
The post Garcia congratulates service academy appointees appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/garcia-congratulates-service-academy-appointees-2/
Mourning the Soldiers and Civilians
date: 2024-06-04, from: Santa Barbara Indenpent News
On Memorial Day, I joined three brave Veterans for Peace on East Ojai Avenue holding my sign, which read “Remember the Millions of Innocent Civilians Who Have Died in the Name of ‘Democracy.’”
The post Mourning the Soldiers and Civilians appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
https://www.independent.com/2024/06/03/mourning-the-soldiers-and-civilians/
Station discusses data-driven approach on crime
date: 2024-06-04, from: The Signal
Addressing crime trends in the third-largest city in L.A. County involves a myriad of resources that come from throughout the nation’s largest sheriff’s department, according to Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s […]
The post Station discusses data-driven approach on crime appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
https://signalscv.com/2024/06/station-discusses-data-driven-approach-on-crime/
Ken Striplin | Proactive Steps for Fire Safe Summer
date: 2024-06-04, from: SCV New (TV Station)
There’s nothing quite like the sight of the Santa Clarita Valley during the spring season
https://scvnews.com/ken-striplin-proactive-steps-for-fire-safe-summer/
Meta algorithms push Black people more toward expensive universities, study finds
date: 2024-06-04, updated: 2024-06-04, from: The Register (UK I.T. News)
Just as we saw with housing, Facebook giant’s advertising system seems to treat Whites and POC differently
Special report Meta’s algorithms for presenting educational ads show signs of racial bias, according to researchers from Princeton University and the University of Southern California.…
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/meta_ad_algorithm_discrimination/
Rebalancing our REST API traffic
date: 2024-06-04, from: Crossref Blog
Since we first launched our REST API around 2013 as a Labs project, it has evolved well beyond a prototype into arguably Crossref’s most visible and valuable service. It is the result of 20,000 organisations around the world that have worked for many years to curate and share metadata about their various resources, from research grants to research articles and other component inputs and outputs of research.
The REST API is relied on by a large part of the research information community and beyond, seeing around 1.8 billion requests each month. Just five years ago, that average monthly number was 600 million. Our members are the heaviest users, using it for all kinds of information about their own records or picking up connections like citations and other relationships. Databases, discovery tools, libraries, and governments all use the API. Research groups use it for all sorts of things such as analysing trends in science or recording retractions and corrections.
So the chances are high that almost any tool you rely on in scientific research has somewhere incorporated metadata through us.
Optimising performance
For some time, we’ve been noticing reduced performance in a number of ways, and periodically we have a flurry of manually blocking/unblocking IP addresses from requesters that are hammering and degrading the service for everyone else, and this is of course only minimally effective and very short term. You can always watch out status page for alerts. This is the current one about REST API performance: https://status.crossref.org/incidents/d7k4ml9vvswv.
As the number of users and requests has grown, our strategies for serving those requests must evolve. This post discusses how we’re approaching balancing the growth in usage for the immediate term and provides some thoughts about things we could try in the future on which we’ll update gladly take feedback and advice.
Load balancing
In 2018, we started routing users through three different pools (public, polite, and plus). This coincided with the launch of Metadata Plus, a paid-for service with monthly data dumps and very high rate limits. Note that all metadata is exactly the same and real-time across all pools. We also, more recently, introduced an internal pool. Here’s more about them:
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Plus: This is the aforementioned premium option; it’s really for ‘enterprise-wide’ use in production services and is not really relevant here.
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Public: This is the default and is the one that is struggling at the moment. You don’t have to identify yourself and, in theory, we don’t have to work through the night to support it if it’s struggling (although we often do). Public currently receives around 30,000 requests per minute.
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Polite: Traffic is routed to polite simply by detecting a mailto in the header. Any system or person including an email is being routed to a currently-quieter pool, this means we can always get in touch for troubleshooting (and only troubleshooting). Polite currently receives around 5,000 requests per minute.
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Internal: In 2021, we introduced a new pool just for our own tools where we can control and predict the traffic. Internal currently receives around 1,000 requests per minute.
The volumes of traffic across public, polite and internal pools are very different and yet each pool has always had similar resources. The purpose of each of these pools has been long-established but our efforts to ask the community to use polite by default have not been particularly successful and it is clear that we don’t have the right balance.
The internal pool has been dedicated to our internal services that have predictable usage and that have requests that are not initiated by external users. The internal pool has arbitrarily included reference matching but not Crossmark, Event Data, or search.crossref.org, which all use the polite pool instead, along with the community. We have the capacity on the internal pool to shift all of this “internal” traffic across, and in doing so we will create more capacity for genuine polite users and redefine what we consider to be “internal”.
Creating more capacity on polite will also give us the opportunity to load-balance requests to both polite and public across the two pools. We are at a point where we cannot eke more performance out of the API without architectural changes. In order to buy ourselves time to address this properly, we will modify the routing of polite and public and evenly distribute requests to the two pools 50/50.
The public and polite pools have equal resources at the moment yet handle very different volumes of traffic (30,000 req/min vs 5,000 req/min), and with the proposed changes to internal traffic the polite pool would handle a fraction of this. The result would look something like 31,000 req/min evenly distributed across public and polite.
Rate limiting
Our rate-limiting also needs review. We track a number of metrics in our web proxy but only deny requests on one of them - the number of requests per second. On public and polite we limit each IP address to sending 50 req/sec and if this rate is exceeded users are denied access for 10 seconds. These limits are generous and we cannot realistically support this volume of request for all users of the public or polite API.
However, when requests are taking a long time to return, we potentially have a separate problem of high concurrency as hundreds of requests could be sent before the first one has returned. We intend to identify and impose an appropriate rate limit on concurrent requests from each IP to prevent a small number of users from disproportionately affecting all users with long-running queries.
Longer-term
So, in the short-term we will revise our pool traffic as described above. We’ll do that this week. Then we will review the current rate limits and reduce them to something more reasonable for the majority of users. And we’ll identify and introduce a rate limit for concurrent requests from each user.
Longer-term, we need to rearchitect our Elasticsearch pools so that we can:
- Reduce shard sizes to improve performance of queries
- Balance data shards and replicas more evenly
- Optimise our instance types for our workload
Want to help?
Thanks for asking!
Firstly, please, everyone, do always put an email in your API request headers - while the short term plan will help stabilise performance, this habit will always help us troubleshoot e.g. we can always contact you instead of blocking you!
Secondly, we know many of you incorporate Crossref metadata, add lots of value to it in order to deliver important services, and also develop APIs of your own. We’d love any comments or recommendations from those of you handling similar situations on scaling and optimising API performance. You can comment on this post which is managed via our Discourse forum. We’ll aslo be adding updates to this thread as well as on status.crossref.org. If you’d like to be in touch with any of us directly, all our emails are firstinitiallastname@crossref.org.
https://www.crossref.org/blog/rebalancing-our-rest-api-traffic/
Exploring RISC OS 5.30 on a Raspberry Pi Zero W
date: 2024-06-04, from: Robert’s Ramblings
In this post I talk about my exploration of using a Raspberry Pi Zero W as a desktop computer. This was made possible by the efficiency of RISC OS 5.30 which includes native WiFi support for Raspberry Pi computers.
https://rsdoiel.github.io/blog/2024/06/04/exploring_riscos.html