Links 14/03/2024: Lots of TikTok Trouble, Putin Signals Conflict Beyond Ukraine
Contents
- Leftovers
- Education
- Hardware
- Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
- Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Security
- Defence/Aggression
- Transparency/Investigative Reporting
- Environment
- Finance
- AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
- Censorship/Free Speech
- Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
- Civil Rights/Policing
- Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
- Digital Restrictions (DRM) Monopolies/Monopsonies
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Leftovers
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New York Times ☛ Quick Tips to Save Time on the Telephone
The latest smartphone software includes tools to help you more easily connect with the people you want to contact — and avoid those you don’t.
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Brandon ☛ Seeking Calmness: Stop Drifting
I think the best way to talk about this is to rephrase it so that it's a bit more modern and a bit more applicable to my life.
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Chris McLeod ☛ I have a Problem with Build Times
At the moment, this site takes too damn long to build. Recent builds are nearly 20 minutes. The upper limit on the tooling I’m using is 25 minutes. So it’s a problem I need to address. I’ve found myself reluctant to add some bits and bobs to the site recently because they just won’t work in a world where builds take so long.
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Wouter Groeneveld ☛ Your Blog Should Have an About Page
The site stats tell me that my about page at /about is consistently one of the most visited pages on this website. That confirms what everyone already knows: people are very curious, sometimes even nosy.
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Mat Duggan ☛ State Of The Blog
One of the milestones I never thought I'd hit was 10,000 average weekly visitors but we have blown past that without me noticing. Here are the last 30 days stats for those interested in such things. This obviously has a giant spike throwing the data off but if you look at a typical 30 day period we're just at 20,000 a week average.
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Andreas ☛ New Microblogging Section
One thing I’m not quite sure about is how to handle the RSS feed. Have everything in one feed, or separate feeds for blog posts and microblogs? For now I’ve got them both in one feed and I guess I’ll see how it goes and if I want to change it. Any thoughts or feedback is of course welcome!
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Education
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RFA ☛ ‘10 Don’ts’ for Chinese young people
"This generation of young people have no hope, so they don't bother working hard any more," said a university graduate who gave only the surname Wang for fear of reprisals. "They might as well just lie down in the hope of a stress-free life."
The attitude is particularly problematic for the ruling Communist Party as it tries to encourage people to use the internet to share "positive" content, particularly about the economy, rather than complaining about how hard their lives are.
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Hardware
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Russell Coker ☛ Russell Coker: The Shape of Computers
There have been many experiments with the sizes of computers, some of which have stayed around and some have gone away. The trend has been to make computers smaller, the early computers had buildings for them. Recently for come classes computers have started becoming as small as could be reasonably desired. For example phones are thin enough that they can blow away in a strong breeze, smart watches are much the same size as the old fashioned watches they replace, and NUC type computers are as small as they need to be given the size of monitors etc that they connect to.
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David Rosenthal ☛ Petabit Optical Media?
A decade ago, Facebook's Blu-ray library put 10,000 100GB disks in a single rack for 1 Petabyte or 8 Petabit capacity. This is 5 times as much as the authors' claim for a single disk. The caption's claim of 15.2Pb for the DA-BH7010 is 9.5 times their claim of the capacity of a single disk. Note also that they compare the volume of a single disk to the volume of complete read-write systems, which is comparing apples to oranges. I guess if your meaning of "approximately" is "within an order of magnitude" that makes sense.
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404 Media ☛ Massively Popular Safe Locks Have Secret Backdoor Codes
The little known “manufacturer” or “manager” reset codes could let third parties—such as spies or criminals—bypass locks without the owner’s consent and are sometimes not disclosed to customers. Wyden’s office also found that while the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) bans such locks for sensitive and classified U.S. government use in part due to the security vulnerability reset codes pose, the government has deliberately not warned the public about the existence of these backdoors.
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Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
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Latvia ☛ Flu, Covid incidence declines in Latvia
The number of flu and Covid-19 patients in Latvia continues to decrease, according to information compiled by the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC) on March 13.
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Digital Music News ☛ Neil Young Slinks Back Onto ‘Low Res Spotify’ — Ending His Joe Rogan Boycott
Two years after boycotting Spotify by removing his music, Neil Young is returning to the platform. He says that’s because Joe Rogan is no longer exclusive. Neil Young pulled his music from Spotify over disinformation spread by The Joe Rogan Experience podcast regarding the COVID-19 vaccines.
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404 Media ☛ The U.S. Wants to Ban TikTok for the Sins of Every Social Media Company
Bytedance and TikTok itself have been put into an essentially impossible situation that is perhaps most exemplified in a 60 Minutes clip from 2022 that went viral this weekend, in which Tristan Harris, a big tech whistleblower who has turned the attention he got from the documentary The Social Dilemma into a self-serving career as a guy who talks about how social media is bad, explains that China is exporting the “opium” version of TikTok to American children.
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The Telegraph UK ☛ The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, review: the evils of smartphones
Haidt is the author of the 2018 hit The Coddling of the American Mind, in which he argued that overprotection was having a negative effect on university students, and that the use of trigger warnings and safe spaces does more harm than good. This time around, Haidt had planned to detail the negative effects that social media was having on democracy. But when he finished writing the first chapter of that draft, he realised that the adolescent mental-health story was much bigger than he’d thought, and it was playing out across the world. The Anxious Generation, subtitled “How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness”, methodically sets out the problem, the harm it’s causing and what we can do about it. It’s compelling, readable – and incredibly chilling.
Consider, for example, the fact that, by 2016, 73 per cent of American teenagers owned a smartphone, as did 28 per cent of children between eight and 12. Today, it’s 95 per cent of teens. About half of US children get their first smartphone by 11. In Britain, according to Ofcom, 97 per cent of 12-year-olds own one. Haidt cites a 2015 Pew report that found that one in four teenagers said they were online “almost constantly”. By 2022, that number had nearly doubled.
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Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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Idiomdrottning ☛ Denying the ML antecedent
That is such a fallacy. A formal propositional fallacy called denying the antecedent.
It goes like this:
If all those bad anti-ML arguments were legit, ML would would be bad.
Those arguments don’t seem very legit.
It’s fallacious to then conclude that that makes ML good & OK, because there might be other arguments against it that are better.For me the three main remaining problems with ML are: [...]
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Daniel Miessler ☛ Personal AIs Will Mediate Everything
If you make and sell anything, you should consider how your product looks to an AI and how it will compete with other services without direct human interaction.
Basically, your API will be your company.
The goal will be getting people’s personal DA assistants to use your company’s API as the preferred one when they look something up for their principal.
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Federal News Network ☛ Some new thinking on the crucial question of cloud computing security
Four non-profits recently banded together to come up wide ideas for better cloud computing security. Just about every federal agency uses cloud computing to some degree. Some no longer have their own data centers. Joining the Federal Drive with Tom Temin with what the cloud safe task force came up with, from the MITRE Corporation, the director of strategic engagement and partnerships, Dave Powner. And the senior principal cybersecurity engineer, Mari Spina.
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The Register UK ☛ Microsoft decides it's done with Azure egress ransoms
"It’s the (European Data Act) hammer behind hyperscaler’s change of heart to allow its clients to move out without paying data egress charges," he said.
Google said it would waive cloud egress fees in January, though only for customers canceling their account. AWS took a similar step last week, noting that unlike Google it's not requiring account cancellation.
Microsoft also has a cancellation requirement for moving data out of Azure: "You must cancel all Azure subscriptions associated with your account after your data is transferred out before you can request your invoice-level credit."
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India Times ☛ europe artificial intelligence rules: Europe one step away from landmark AI rules after lawmakers' vote
The legislation will regulate high-impact, general-purpose AI models and high-risk AI systems which will have to comply with specific transparency obligations and EU copyright laws.
It restricts governments' use of real-time biometric surveillance in public spaces to cases of certain crimes, prevention of genuine threats, such as terrorist attacks, and searches for people suspected of the most serious crimes.
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Digital Music News ☛ AI Act Passes in the EU -- Music Industry Responses Are Positive
Of particular interest to the industry are the training-related safeguards at hand. As most know, the data and (protected) media upon which large language models (LLMs) are “trained” remains the subject of debate and litigation.
Troublingly, some AI giants continue to express the belief that utilizing an abundance of copyrighted works to develop an LLM, which then draws from and possibly reproduces the information when responding to queries and performing tasks, constitutes fair use.
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Modern Diplomacy ☛ Artificial Intelligence and Evolution of Warfare
This unprecedented potential of AI in warfare demands a closer examination of some use cases and examples of how different states and defense industry players are exploring and adapting AI to change the orientation of modern warfare. This change is not limited to military hardware alone. Due to the limited scope of this op-ed, only AI’s fusion in various aspects of aerial warfare has been discussed.
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MIT Technology Review ☛ Let’s not make the same mistakes with AI that we made with social media
In particular, five fundamental attributes of social control media have harmed society. AI also has those attributes. Note that they are not intrinsically evil. They are all double-edged swords, with the potential to do either good or ill. The danger comes from who wields the sword, and in what direction it is swung. This has been true for social media, and it will similarly hold true for AI. In both cases, the solution lies in limits on the technology’s use.
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Jason Velazquez ☛ Any Technology Indistinguishable From Magic is Hiding Something
Somewhere between the death of our favorite aggregator websites and the world surviving a pandemic, the modern internet was reduced to four companies in a trench coat. On the left breast pocket of that trenchcoat is a name tag that reads “The Cloud.” Under that name tag is an older name tag that reads “The Internet.” And under that name tag is a frayed embroidery that reads, “ARPANET (non-commercial use only, motherfuckers),” in a lovely script typeface and craftsmanship you just don’t see nowadays.
Anyway, I digress.
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Security Week ☛ US Spearheads First UN Resolution on Artificial Intelligence
The United States began negotiating with the 193 U.N. member nations about three months ago, spent hundreds of hours in direct talks with individual countries, 42 hours in negotiations and accepted input from 120 nations, a senior U.S. official said. The resolution went through several drafts and achieved consensus support from all member states this week and will be formally considered later this month, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding but they are an important barometer of world opinion.
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Security
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Privacy/Surveillance
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Purism ☛ SXSW 2024 Day 5- AI And Privacy In The News, So I Thought?
If the alarm customer does not consent by clicking on “I Agree”, then most of the beneficial features of the security product will not be available to the alarm customer to use, the CTO of the alarm company explained.
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Patrick Breyer ☛ Pirates: AI Act fails to protect citizens’ rights
Today, MEPs shall approve the outcome of the trilogue negotiations on the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), establishing new rules that shall regulate the use of artificial intelligence in the EU for the first time. Sadly, the European Parliament’s position aiming for a comprehensive ban on biometric mass surveillance technologies was completely changed during the intransparent trilogue negotiations. The new law will now effectively allow law enforcement the introduction of error-prone facial surveillance and facial recognition camera software in public spaces. Therefore, Pirate Party MEPs won’t be able to support the text and will vote agai
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The Verge ☛ The EU AI Act passed — here’s what comes next
The legal language of the text is still awaiting final approval, either via a separate announcement or a plenary session vote on April 10th/11th, with the AI Act then officially coming into force 20 days after it’s published in the Official Journal — which is anticipated to happen in May or June this year. Provisions will then take effect in stages: countries will have six months to ban prohibited AI systems, 12 months to enforce rules against “general-purpose AI systems” like chatbots, and up to 36 months for AI systems the law has designated as “high risk.”
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The North Lines IN ☛ GPS-Enabled Tracking Systems To Be Installed In J&K Poll Duty Vehicles, Says Official
J-K Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pandurang K Pole has issued a request for proposal (RFP) for companies to procure GPS-enabled vehicle tracking systems for election duty vehicles. GPS control rooms will be established at the offices of district electoral officers (DEOs) and the CEO for real-time tracking and monitoring of the movement of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) through the trackers installed in the vehicles carrying them, officials said.
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Wired ☛ Porn Sites Need Age-Verification Systems in Texas, Court Rules
Texas can enforce a law requiring age-verification systems on porn websites, the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled Thursday. The appeals court vacated an injunction against the law's age-verification requirement but said that Texas cannot enforce a provision requiring porn websites to "display health warnings about the effects of the consumption of pornography."
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Defence/Aggression
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The Atlantic ☛ Donald Trump is a national-security risk
According to reports last week, the U.S. intelligence community is preparing to give Donald Trump classified intelligence briefings, a courtesy every White House extends to major-party candidates to ensure an effective transition. An excellent tradition—but not one that should be observed this year.
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FAIR ☛ ‘This Court Is Not Going to Protect Us From Donald Trump’ CounterSpin interview with Ian Millhiser on Trump and Supreme Court
Janine Jackson interviewed Vox‘s Ian Millhiser about the Supreme Court’s protection of Donald Trump for the March 8, 2024, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript.
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Scheerpost ☛ U.S. Intelligence ‘Threat Assessment’ Says Hamas Isn’t Going Away
“Israel probably will face lingering armed resistance from HAMAS for years to come, and the military will struggle to neutralize HAMAS’s underground infrastructure, which allows insurgents to hide, regain strength, and surprise Israeli forces,” the assessment reads.
The assessment aligns with an Israeli military intelligence document that was circulated last month and said even if Israel succeeded in dismantling Hamas as an organized military force, the group would still exist as “a terror group and a guerrilla group.” Other reports have said Israel is struggling to destroy the vast tunnel network underneath Gaza that is key to Hamas’s survival and is far more expansive than Israel initially thought.
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ADF ☛ Militant Extremist Movements Becoming More Localized
Terrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa is intensifying, and experts say the central Sahel region has replaced the Middle East as its global epicenter.
Worldwide deaths from terrorism increased by 22% in 2023 to 8,352 — the most since 2017 — according to the 2024 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), published on February 29.
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ADF ☛ Report: al-Shabaab Extends Reach With Offer to Protect Somali Pirates
Some observers believe al-Shabaab militants in Somalia’s northern Sanaag region reached a deal to provide protection to pirates in exchange for 30% of all ransom proceeds and a cut of any loot, Emirati newspaper The National reported.
The deal could provide al-Shabaab with critical funds after the Somali government clamped down on its other illegal money sources and froze its bank accounts. The terrorists also are suspected of negotiating with pirates and Houthi rebels to acquire weapons.
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Defence Web ☛ Deaths linked to militant Islamist violence in Africa continue to spiral | defenceWeb
Fatalities linked to militant Islamist violence jumped by 20 percent in the past year, claiming more than 23,000 lives—a new record. Over 80 percent of these deaths were in the Sahel and Somalia.
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India Times ☛ Nikki Haley blames Tiktok for making young Americans pro-Palestine and supporting Osama Bin Laden
Haley has repeatedly called for a Tiktok ban on her campaign trail, accusing the Chinese government of conducting psychological warfare on U.S. users by promoting subversive content on the app. For instance, in November, she claimed that pro-Hamas videos on Tiktok had made young Americans more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. She also mentioned that users had shared Osama bin Laden’s “Letter to America”, written after the 9/11 attacks, during the early days of Israel’s war in Gaza.
She expressed her disgust while campaigning in Iowa, saying, “Our younger generation is now saying they understand why he did it. That’s not America doing that. That’s China doing that.”
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Gizmodo ☛ TikTok ‘Ban’ Bill Passes in the House
A bill forcing the China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok, or face an outright ban, passed the United States House of Representatives on Wednesday in a vote of 352 to 62. The bill will now head to the Senate, where it is expected to face tough opposition before it can reach President Biden, who indicated he would sign it into law.
“The First Amendment does not give the Chinese Communist Party the right to American data, or the right to manipulate the minds of Americans,” said Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw on the House floor Wednesday. “That would be a really weird interpretation of the First Amendment.”
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RTL ☛ Tech giant: What is ByteDance, the TikTok parent in US crosshairs?
The app has been a diplomatic hot potato between the United States and China since the administration of former president Donald Trump, who once wanted to ban the app.
Now, a bill in Congress aims to force the company to cut ties with ByteDance or be barred from the United States.
The bill's supporters say ByteDance as a Chinese firm simply cannot go against the wishes of Beijing, and can provide access to the data on more than 170 million American users for everything from spying to election influence campaigns.
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New York Times ☛ TikTok’s Security Threats Go Beyond the Scope of House Legislation
But that glosses over the deeper TikTok security problem, which the legislation does not fully address. In the four years this battle has gone on, it has become clear that the security threat posed by TikTok has far less to do with who owns it than it does with who writes the code and algorithms that make TikTok tick.
Those algorithms, which guide how TikTok watches its users and feeds them more of what they want, are the magic sauce of an app that 170 million Americans now have on their phones. That’s half the country.
But TikTok doesn’t own those algorithms; they are developed by engineers who work for its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, which assembles the code in great secrecy in its software labs, in Beijing, Singapore and Mountain View, Calif. But China has issued regulations that appear designed to require government review before any of ByteDance’s algorithms could be licensed to outsiders. Few expect those licenses to be issued — meaning that selling TikTok to an American owner without the underlying code might be like selling a Ferrari without its famed engine.
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The Verge ☛ House passes bill that could ban TikTok
The bill still needs to clear the Senate, which is no small task. But President Joe Biden said on Friday he would sign it into law if it passes.
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CBC ☛ TikTok crackdown passes U.S. House: What to know about today's vote
It involves a bill with major implications for the fast-growing site TikTok, renowned for addictive videos and used by hundreds of millions around the world, including millions in Canada.
At issue are alleged concerns about risks to national security and young users. The counter-claim: American politicians are unfairly picking on a Chinese-owned company.
Here's what's happening.
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Deutsche Welle ☛ US House passes bill that could force TikTok ban
Lawmakers backed a bill that would ban TikTok in the US if Chinese company ByteDance refuses to sell its stake in the short video app. Proponents of the bill say TikTok is a security threat, alleging ties with Beijing.
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Deutsche Welle ☛ Why the US wants to ban TikTok
For the second time in four years, the popular Chinese shortform video app TikTok is in the crosshairs of United States lawmakers.
Ahead of the 2020 US presidential election, Donald Trump signed an executive order forcing owner ByteDance to sell the app within 90 days, but it failed due to legal challenges.
Washington is once again seeking to force a sale of TikTok threatening a nationwide ban of the app otherwise.
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Deutsche Welle ☛ US House votes to crack down on TikTok
The measure comes amid concerns that the firm's Chinese ownership could pose a threat to US national security.
The short-video app is hugely popular with young people and has an estimated 170 million users in the US.
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Variety ☛ House Passes Bill Banning TikTok Unless China's ByteDance Divests App
The bill, dubbed the “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” passed the House by a vote of 352-65 Wednesday morning with bipartisan support, amid pushback from some representatives on both sides of the aisle. That came after the bill was fast-tracked on a “suspension of the rules” schedule requiring a two-thirds majority to pass. While it had a groundswell of backing in the House, the measure’s fate in the Senate is unclear as there is currently no corresponding legislation on the table.
President Biden has said he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk — even as his re-election campaign just launched an account on TikTok, @bidenhq, last month on Super Bowl Sunday. Biden in 2022 approved a measure banning TikTok on most U.S. government devices.
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Rolling Stone ☛ TikTok Ban Bill Passes House Vote, Heads to Senate
The bill, titled the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, would require TikTok to sever itself completely from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a potential ban from mobile app stores and web-hosting services. The bill would also create a process through which the president can designate certain social media applications with ties to foreign governments as a national security risk.
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New York Times ☛ House Passes Bill to Force TikTok Sale From Chinese Owner or Ban the App
The action came despite TikTok’s efforts to mobilize its 170 million U.S. users against the measure, and amid the Biden administration’s push to persuade lawmakers that Chinese ownership of the platform poses grave national security risks to the United States.
The result was a bipartisan coalition behind the measure that included Republicans, who defied former President Donald J. Trump in supporting it, and Democrats, who also fell in line behind a bill that President Biden has said he would sign.
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El País ☛ House of Representatives defies China with threat to ban TikTok
Congress’ challenge to China comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing over control of technology and fears that the social media platform could threaten national security and be used for espionage or manipulation of public opinion. China, through Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, has warned that it would take a ban on TikTok as an act of “bullying.”
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Atlantic Council ☛ Will the US crack down on TikTok? Six questions (and expert answers) about the bill in Congress.
The clock is ticking. On Wednesday, the US House overwhelmingly passed a bill to force the Chinese company ByteDance to divest from TikTok, or else the wildly popular social media app would be banned in the United States. Many lawmakers say the app is a national security threat, but the bill faces an uncertain path in the Senate. Below, our experts address six burning questions about this bill and TikTok at large.
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Axios ☛ TikTok lives for now: How the race to ban it could unfold
The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill to force China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban in the U.S, but there's no strong indication the Senate will advance it. Though of course, the upper chamber could act with surprise swiftness.
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RFA ☛ TikTok ban bill passes US House
Gallagher and other lawmakers note TikTok is legally required to expose American user data to Beijing upon request, and say it could be forced to alter its algorithms to promote Chinese propaganda.
“The Chinese Communist Party, and its leader Xi Jinping, have their hands deep in the inner workings of the company with devastating consequences for our personal freedoms,” he said last week.
That analysis has been mirrored by FBI Director Christopher Wray and other leaders of U.S. intelligence agencies, who say the app’s widespread use means it could be used to distribute misinformation to millions of Americans and could even sway election results.
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Gizmodo ☛ Three Politicians Who Voted for the TikTok 'Ban' Have Active Accounts
The U.S. passed a bipartisan bill on Wednesday to force ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, to divest from the social media platform or face a complete ban in the country. The bill passed 352 to 65 and needs to be taken up by the Senate and signed by President Joe Biden to become law. But we couldn’t help noticing something interesting in the final vote total from the House. At least three members of Congress who voted for the “ban” still have very active accounts on TikTok.
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The Register UK ☛ US Congress passes TikTok sale-or-ban plan
The bill names only TikTok as a "foreign adversary controlled application" and prohibits "Providing services to distribute, maintain, or update" the app – including by offering it for sale in an app store. Even updates to the app aren't allowed.
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CS Monitor ☛ Congress takes a hard swing at TikTok
In a show of bipartisan momentum rarely seen in Washington these days, the House overwhelmingly passed a bill that would force TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company to divest in order for the platform to continue operating in the United States.
“We ... have concerns about a substantial news source being weaponized by a foreign competitor in ways that are very, very dangerous for our society,” says Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte of California, the only member of Congress with an advanced degree in artificial intelligence.
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Kansas Reflector ☛ U.S. House votes to ban TikTok unless it is sold by China-controlled parent
The bill required a two-thirds majority because House leadership placed it on the floor under a fast-track procedure called suspension of the rules.
The legislation, dubbed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, now heads to the Senate, where concerns over singling out a private company in legislation may slow momentum.
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VOA News ☛ UK Outlines Plan to Ban Foreign States From Owning Newspapers
Britain's government outlined plans on Wednesday to stop foreign states from owning newspapers, potentially giving ministers the power to block Abu Dhabi-backed RedBird IMI's bid to buy The Daily Telegraph.
The battle over one of Britain's most famous newspapers has raised questions about the independence of the media and the role of foreign investors acquiring ownership of politically influential assets.
The Telegraph has close connections with Britain's governing Conservative Party and the political struggle for ownership of the 168-year-old newspaper is as much about power and influence as it is about money.
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The Nation ☛ The Terrifying Christian Nationalist Crusade to Conquer America
If this strikes your ear as dialogue deleted from the Hulu production of The Handmaid’s Tale on grounds of general implausibility, rest assured that it gets worse. The document goes on to vindicate corporal punishment in the home, argue for the abolition of public education, and call for revived punishment of public blasphemy. It also offers a litany of “short term priorities of Christian nationalism” for ready implementation: “to call our nation, in her laws, formally to acknowledge the Lordship of Christ, to declare solemn days of humility and repentance, to abolish abortion, to define marriage as the covenant union of a biological male [and] a biological female, to de-weaponize the federal and state bureaucracies which target Christians for censorship and persecution, to secure our borders and defend against foreign invaders, to recapture our national sovereignty from godless, global entities who present a grave threat to civilization like the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Economic Forum etc.” One can only assume broadsides against fluoridation and rampant witchery will find their way into subsequent documents from CRA-aligned scholars.
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Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine
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Meduza ☛ ‘The vampires’ ball is coming to an end’: Vladimir Putin talks NATO, nukes, and negotiations in pre-election interview — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ ‘A gangster-style greeting from Putin’: Lithuanian anti-terrorism unit launches investigation after hammer attack leaves Navalny ally Leonid Volkov with broken arm — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ ‘This animal is going around schools’: A Russian prisoner-turned-soldier, convicted of murder and accused of raping minors, teaches children about patriotism — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ Russian state media publishes, then deletes, report that drone hit FSB building in Belgorod — Meduza
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France24 ☛ ‘Noon against Putin’: A small gesture and a powerful symbol of Russia’s opposition
The widow of Russia’s late opposition leader Alexei Navalny is calling on voters in the country’s presidential election to turn up at polling stations en masse at 12 noon on March 17 and either vote against Vladimir Putin or spoil their ballot. The protest action, known as “Noon Against Putin”, aims to honour Navalny’s last wishes, while illustrating the high number of voters who are against Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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France24 ☛ Navalny ally Leonid Volkov assaulted outside his home in Lithuania
Leonid Volkov, a close ally of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was assaulted outside his home in Vilnius on Tuesday, in an incident that sparked an uproar from the Lithuanian government.
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LRT ☛ Attack on Volkov in Lithuania likely organised by Russia – agency
The attack on Leonid Volkov, a close associate of the late Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, was likely organised and implemented by Russia, the State Security Department (VSD) said on Wednesday.
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RFERL ☛ Navalny's Widow Calls Putin A 'Gangster' Unworthy To Be Recognized As President
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, said Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "gangster" and Western governments should not recognize him as the legitimate leader of Russia after his inevitable reelection in the presidential vote that begins on March 15.
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RFERL ☛ Lithuania Says Hammer Attack On Navalny Aide 'Likely' Organized By Russia
Lithuania said an attack in Vilnius on Leonid Volkov, a former close aide to late Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, "likely" organized by Moscow as part of a series of provocations in the Baltic country aimed at intimidating President Vladimir Putin's opponents abroad.
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New York Times ☛ Leonid Volkov, Top Navalny Aide, Is Attacked With Hammer in Lithuania
Leonid Volkov, a top aide to Aleksei Navalny, was beaten and sprayed with tear gas as he was pulling up to his house in Vilnius.
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France24 ☛ Putin reiterates nuclear threat as Ukraine launches drone strikes on Russian oil refineries
Ukraine launched a sweeping drone attack on Russian regions on Wednesday, causing a fire at Rosneft's biggest oil refinery in what President Vladimir Putin said was an attempt to disrupt Russia's presidential election.
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Atlantic Council ☛ What to watch in Russia’s stage-managed presidential ‘election’
While the outcome of the upcoming Russian presidential election is not in doubt, it is worth watching for sings about what to expect next from Putin’s Russia.
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LRT ☛ ‘I can tell Putin – nobody is afraid of you here,’ says Lithuanian president after attack on Volkov
Crimes such as the attack on Leonid Volkov in Lithuania are planned in advance, says President Gitanas Nausėda. He does not rule out the possibility of the Kremlin’s influence behind it.
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RFERL ☛ Finnish Leader Says Russia Is Preparing For 'Long Conflict With The West'
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Russia was preparing for a "long conflict with the West" and he asked for more spending and coordination on European defense.
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RFERL ☛ Russia Ready With Nuclear Response If Sovereignty Threatened, Putin Warns
President Vladimir Putin, speaking two days before the start of an election he is expected to easily win, has issued his latest of many warnings that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty is threatened, saying he hopes Washington will not do anything to trigger such a conflict.
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YLE ☛ Wednesday's papers: Putin's latest threats, expensive weight loss and bland parks
Why do some say Finnish playgrounds are boring?
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CS Monitor ☛ How Russian elections became a futile exercise for Putin’s opposition
Russia’s presidential election appears largely a rote exercise, as a popular, unchallengeable leader faces only nominal competition from three “systemic” opponents. The Kremlin has worked for years to make it this way.
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New York Times ☛ Putin Plays Down Threat of Nuclear War in Pre-Election State TV Interview
The Russian leader struck a softer tone about nuclear weapons in an interview with state television. But he warned that Russia was ready to strike if its “sovereignty and independence” were threatened.
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teleSUR ☛ Russia To Deploy Troops & Armaments Towards Border with Finland
Russia is prepared in case the West decides to unleash a nuclear war, said President Putin.
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European Commission ☛ Vice-President Suica delivers a closing Commission statement at the European Parliament Plenary on “Need to address the urgent concerns surrounding Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia”
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European Commission ☛ Vice-President Suica delivers opening Commission statement at the European Parliament Plenary on “Need to address the urgent concerns surrounding Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia”
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AntiWar ☛ Are We Stumbling Into World War III in Ukraine?
President Biden began his State of the Union speech with an impassioned warning that failing to pass his $61 billion dollar weapons package for Ukraine “will put Ukraine at risk, Europe at risk, the free world at risk.”
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France24 ☛ At least three killed, dozens wounded in Russian missile strike on Ukraine's Kryvyi Rih
A Russian missile strike in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih left three dead and dozens wounded on Tuesday, in an attack Kyiv warned would not go "unpunished".
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LRT ☛ Lithuanian president backs debate on sending troops to Ukraine
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda says he supports the debate on sending troops to Ukraine to train local forces and urges the West to stop “drawing red lines”.
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Mint Press News ☛ Failed ICJ Case Against Russia Backfires, Paves Way for Genocide Charges Against Ukraine
An esteemed UN court has issued little-noticed but hugely significant rulings in cases brought by Kiev and its Western sponsors against the Kremlin.
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RFERL ☛ After Outrage Over 'White Flag' Comment, Pope Condemns 'Madness Of War'
Pope Francis has issued a fresh condemnation of all wars after angering Kyiv and Western governments earlier this week by suggesting that Ukraine should surrender and negotiate peace with Russia.
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RFERL ☛ 'Prudence Is Not Weakness': Scholz Reiterates Refusal To Send Taurus Missiles To Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has again voiced his opposition to delivering long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
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RFERL ☛ Crimean Tatar Activist Detained After Home Searched
Police in Ukraine's Russian-occupied Crimea region detained Crimean Tatar activist Edem Dudakov on unspecified charges after searching his house on March 13, the Crimean Solidarity human rights groups said.
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RFERL ☛ Jailed Ukrainian Rights Defender Loses Appeal At Russia's Supreme Court
Russia's Supreme Court on March 13 rejected an appeal filed by well-known Ukrainian human rights defender Maksym Butkevych against a 13-year prison term he was handed by a Russian-installed court in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region after making a confession he says was preceded by torture.
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RFERL ☛ EU Removes Yandex Co-Founder Volozh From Sanctions List
The European Union on March 12 lifted sanctions imposed in 2022 against the co-founder of Russian Internet giant Yandex, Arkady Volozh, over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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New York Times ☛ E.U. Removes Russian Tech Tycoon From Sanctions List
Yandex’s co-founder, Arkady Volozh, received rare sanctions relief after condemning Russia’s war and severing ties to the country.
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RFERL ☛ Ukraine's SBU Said Behind Massive Attacks On Russian Oil Refineries
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) was behind a sweeping wave of drone attacks on several Russian regions on March 13 that reportedly set a Rosneft refinery on fire and targeted other economic and military objectives, a Ukrainian intelligence source told RFE/RL.
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teleSUR ☛ Estonia Opens the Possibility of Sending Troops to Ukraine
In past statements the Estonian prime minister has declared her anti-Russian sentiment and now leaves open the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine
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The Straits Times ☛ US agency asks DoD to improve data accuracy of military equipment sent to Ukraine
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) made recommendations on Wednesday to the Department of Defense to help ensure U.S.-origin equipment was being tracked and used appropriately in Ukraine.
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New York Times ☛ Biden’s $300 Million Arms Package Will Help Ukraine, for a Little While
The $300 million package will help hold off the Russians for a few weeks, analysts say, but without far more Ukraine may go on losing ground.
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Latvia ☛ 7,800 sanctions breaches recorded by Latvia's tax service last year
The State Revenue Service (VID) detected a total of 7,789 violations of sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus last year, the deputy director general of the VID in the field of customs, Director of Customs Administration Raimonds Zukuls, said in an interview with Latvian Radio on March 14.
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Latvia ☛ Latvian police chief: We will be strict during Russia's 'elections'
State Police (VP) is preparing for intense work this weekend when Russia's presidential “election” takes place. Police anticipate various provocations and promise to take harsh action against them, said police chief Armands Ruks on Latvian Television on March 14.
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Atlantic Council ☛ NATO should establish a Baltic Security Initiative at the Washington summit
The Baltic nations are justifiably concerned that they could be the next targets of a reconstituted Russian military.
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LRT ☛ Replacing suspicious parts possible without stopping strategic pipeline – Lithuanian TSO
Replacing what are believed to be Russian-made parts in Gas Interconnection Poland-Lithuania (GIPL) is possible without halting the pipeline’s operations, Nemunas Biknius, CEO of Amber Grid, Lithuania’s gas transmission system operator, said on Wednesday.
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RFERL ☛ Austria Expels Two Russian Diplomats From Embassy In Vienna; Russia Calls Decision 'Groundless'
Austria on March 13 ordered two diplomats with the Russian Embassy in Vienna to leave the country.
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RFERL ☛ Russian Court OKs Early Release For Notorious Criminal Kingpin
A Russian court on March 13 approved early release for notorious criminal kingpin Zakhary Kalashov, who is widely known by the nickname Shakro Molodoi.
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RFERL ☛ Russia Reportedly Investigating Self-Exiled Journalist Zygar
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti cited sources on March 13 as saying a probe was launched against the self-exiled writer and former chief editor of Dozhd television, Mikhail Zygar, for spreading false information about Russia's military.
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RFERL ☛ Head Of Would-Be Russian Presidential Candidate's Team In Vladivostok Jailed
Igor Krasnov, the head of the team of would-be anti-war presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin in the Russian Far East city of Vladivostok, said on March 13 he was sentenced to six days in jail for "propagating extremist LGBT."
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RFERL ☛ Russian Women Fined For Kissing In Video
A court in the Russian city of Krasnodar fined two women aged 19 and 24 after a video in which the two were kissing in a cafe was posted on the Internet.
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teleSUR ☛ BRICS Universe Exhibition is Held in Russia
The exhibition will also continue its journey to cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Beijing, Mumbai, and Durban.
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Democracy Now ☛ Warning to America: Hungarian Green on Authoritarianism as Trump Hosts PM Viktor Orbán at Mar-a-Lago
It’s official: Following Tuesday’s primaries, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump appear set for a rematch in November after both candidates secured enough delegates to win their parties’ nominations. This past weekend, Republican front-runner Donald Trump hosted Hungary’s authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at Mar-a-Lago and openly praised Orbán’s autocratic style of rule. To talk more about Orbán and Trump, we spoke Tuesday with Gábor Scheiring, a former Green Party member of parliament in Hungary, who has a new essay titled “I watched Hungary’s democracy dissolve into authoritarianism as a member of parliament — and I see troubling parallels in Trumpism and its appeal to workers.” He explains that “strongmen” like Orbán and Trump are subverting democracy “from the inside, gradually,” using tactics like gerrymandering and control of the courts to seize and consolidate power.
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Transparency/Investigative Reporting
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TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Investigator says she asked Boeing’s CEO who handled panel that blew off a jet. He couldn’t help her – Twin Cities
The nation’s chief accident investigator said Wednesday that her agency still doesn’t know who worked on the panel that blew off a jetliner in January and that Boeing’s CEO told her that he couldn’t provide the information because the company has no records about the job.
“The absence of those records will complicate the NTSB’s investigation moving forward,” National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy wrote in a letter to a Senate committee that is looking into the Jan. 5 accident on a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines.
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Axios ☛ Trump "floods the zone" as general election tests desensitized voters
With Tuesday triggering the start of a 34-week general election campaign, critics of former President Trump are imploring voters and the media to hold the presumptive GOP nominee to the same standard as any politician.
Why it matters: For eight years, the hurricane of news conjured by Trump's unprecedented behavior and rhetoric has enraged, exhilarated and eventually numbed much of the American public.
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Gizmodo ☛ Boeing Whistleblower’s Attorneys Want Answers About Their Client’s Death
The lawyers for a Boeing whistleblower who was recently found dead say they need “more information” about what happened to him.
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NPR ☛ Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, who raised alarm over plane quality, is found dead
Barnett, who spent decades working for Boeing at its plants in Everett, Wash., and North Charleston, S.C., had repeatedly alleged that Boeing's manufacturing practices had declined — and that rather than improve them, he added, managers had pressured workers not to document potential defects and problems.
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Environment
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MIT Technology Review ☛ Methane leaks in the US are worse than we thought
Methane emissions are responsible for nearly a third of the total warming the planet has experienced so far. While there are natural sources of the greenhouse gas, including wetlands, human activities like agriculture and fossil-fuel production have dumped millions of metric tons of additional methane into the atmosphere. The concentration of methane has more than doubled over the past 200 years. But there are still large uncertainties about where, exactly, emissions are coming from.
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Wired ☛ Climate Change Is Bad for Your Health, Wherever You Are
Governments need to act, and the Lancet Countdown—an international research collaboration that tracks how health is being impacted—is giving decisionmakers undeniable evidence that change is needed right now. “When we talk about climate change, we’re not talking about the future. The cost of inaction is that we pay with people’s lives,” says Marina Romanello, the organization’s executive director.
But, she says, we shouldn’t see this just as a doomsday scenario. “Much of tackling climate change is what we need to do to have a better quality of life,” Romanello says. The byproducts of action are greener cities, cleaner air, and healthier, more affordable diets. Ahead of speaking at WIRED Health this month, Romanello sat down with WIRED to talk about what we do and don’t know about the health risks of inaction, and why acting now is for the good of everyone. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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The Hindu ☛ Too many trekkers spoil the mountains
Videos of a traffic jam of climbers en route to the peak went viral on social media. The government took this decision after ecologists and conservationists raised concerns about the damage that this could cause to the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. While welcoming prompt action from the government, activists have called for more stringent measures and access to be limited to only serious trekkers studying forests and the environment.
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Futurism ☛ Officials Hunting Cat Who Fell Into Vat of Horrific Chemicals
The incident was discovered on Monday morning, according to NBC News, when employees at the Nomura Plating Fukuyama Factory saw yellow-brown paw prints leading away from a vat filled with hexavalent chromium, an industrial chemical that can damage your skin, respiratory system, and inner organs if you are exposed to it.
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Financial Times ☛ EU warned of rising risk of systemic financial shocks from continent warming
Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world, with temperatures rising at roughly twice the global rate. A long-term global average temperature rise of 1.5C from the pre-industrial era would correlate to 3C across Europe.
The impact of that could be dire, according to an EEA report published on Monday, which warns that without “decisive action”, “hundreds of thousands of people would die from heatwaves, and economic losses from coastal floods alone could exceed €1tn a year”.
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Greece ☛ Climate crisis to have a greater weather and economic impact in Southern Europe
The climate change will be even more acute in Southern Europe, including Greece, the EC report argues, with the average temperature in the continent rising by a considerable 3C in the scenario of a global rise by 1.5C.
The blueprint further warns that in case global warming exceeds 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, the impact will be even more dramatic, with the European Union economy standing to lose some 2.4 trillion euros from its gross domestic product between 2031 and 2050.
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The Local SE ☛ 'Prepare for 3C rise': Europe warned it must do more to deal with climate crisis
He cited a first European climate risk assessment published Monday that said EU GDP could be reduced by around seven percent by the end of the century because of climate consequences.
Speaking at a news conference in Strasbourg, where the European Parliament was holding a plenary session, Sefcovic and EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra presented a document giving recommendations to EU member countries for action to take.
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Energy/Transportation
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Chuck Grimmett ☛ Insulating and heating my workshop with a diesel heater
I mentioned this in some weekly posts, but wanted to write a dedicated one so I have a place to link to in the future.
Working out in my 10’x14′ workshop on a cold day in January and shivering, I resolved to finally put in some heat.
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Wired ☛ China’s Best Self-Driving Car Platforms, Tested and Compared
But in China, a number of companies are steadily—and far more successfully—moving toward a similar destination, but via a different route.
Since the introduction of XPilot with its first model, the G3, XPeng has been one of the leaders in autonomous driving in China. However, since then it has also been joined in the arena by the other two China EV startups, Nio and Li Auto.
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El País ☛ The other Bitcoin rally: How scams are cashing in on the cryptocurrency fever
Industry sources explain that these scams can be designed to reach a specific audience. In Spain, for example, fraudulent schemes use the images of high-profile figures such as Amancio Ortega, the founder of Inditex, which owns fashion labels such as Zara. There is a lot of money to be main. In the United States, the Better Business Bureau estimates that the average scam victim loses $3,800.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific delays capacity target to 2025 as union warns permanent pay cut hinders growth
Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific is delaying its target for returning to pre-Covid capacity despite posting its first annual profit for four years, as the pilots’ union raised concerns that pandemic pay cuts would damage Hong Kong’s role as an aviation hub.
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Wildlife/Nature
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Overpopulation
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Idiomdrottning ☛ Degrowth isn't death
When I argue for degrowth the word I prefer to use is “sustainability” since that more clearly indicates that it’s not about mindless destruction; it’s about stewardship of limited resources.
I’m for degrowth if sustainability is what’s meant by it. [I’m glad that people are trying to go to space] but the flimsy house of nothingness that capitalism has built on the lie of fossil fuels is gonna collapse and the only cure is working with sustainability in mind.
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Hindustan Times ☛ LS polls: Human-animal conflict emerges as a major talking point in Kerala
The ruling Left Democratic Front and the opposition United Democratic Front, led by the Congress are pushing for amendments to the Wildlife Act of 1972, which falls under the concurrent list. They argue that amendments are necessary to address the increasing incidents of human-animal conflicts.
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Modern Diplomacy ☛ Brussels warns of water conflict danger in EU
Water scarcity risks sparking conflict among European Union countries unprepared for a warming world, the bloc’s executive will warn next week, according to a leaked document obtained by POLITICO.
The stark message is part of a European Commission communiqué imploring EU governments to pick up the pace in their preparations to counter climate change, arguing they have fallen well short of what is necessary — a blunt warning that will serve as the EU’s last major climate initiative ahead of June’s bloc-wide elections.
In an undated draft of the text seen by POLITICO, the Commission identifies water shortages as an issue that threatens nearly every aspect of life: the food we eat, the water we drink and the infrastructure that powers and transports society, not to mention basic economic activities and human health.
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VOA News ☛ Taps Run Dry in Africa’s Richest City
The shortages, which have lasted nearly two weeks, have affected some 50% of Johannesburg Water’s supply area, officials said. The South African city has a population of almost 6 million people.
Businesses have been hit hard, and several hospitals have been affected. Nurses at one medical center told local media that they were not able to wash their hands.
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Finance
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India Times ☛ stripe payments: Stripe says payment volume surged to $1 trillion last year
Stripe Inc., the fintech, reported a 25% surge in volume last year, surpassing $1 trillion. Its valuation increased to $65 billion. Stripe's revenue-automation business is used by Atlassian Corp., Nasdaq Inc., and Hertz Global Holdings Inc. The company believes software-driven innovation will continue in the future.
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Jarrod Blundy ☛ One a Month Club
Well, I’m not much more mentally awake right now, but I am excited to tell you about the One a Month Club. It’s an idea, inspired by Manu Moreale, that kindness from internet strangers can be enough to support a small web project. And that tiered membership overly complicates things. And that it’s hard enough to convince someone to pay anything to support your work, so why would you want to gate any of those fans from seeing what you’ve worked so hard on for them?
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CS Monitor ☛ District of Columbia scrambles as pandemic comeback proves elusive
Washington wrestles with a slow post-pandemic recovery, with wider lessons about cities redefining their future.
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Electronic Arts cutting about 5% of workforce with layoffs ongoing in gaming and tech sector
Electronic Arts is cutting about 5% of its workforce, or approximately 670 employees, as layoffs in the technology and gaming sector continue after a surge of hiring in recent years.
The video game maker said in a regulatory filing that its board approved a restructuring plan that includes the layoffs, as well as closing some offices or facilities.
The Redwood City, California, company had 13,400 workers globally as of March, 31, 2023, according to a filing.
“While not every team will be impacted, this is the hardest part of these changes, and we have deeply considered every option to try and limit impacts to our teams,” said CEO Andrew Wilson. “Our primary goal is to provide team members with opportunities to find new roles and paths to transition onto other projects.”
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Hindustan Times ☛ Indian CEO quits high-paying Microsoft job in US to launch startup: ‘Got bored’
An Indian CEO revealed that he had been working with Microsoft in Hyderabad for three years when he was shifted to the company's headquarters in Redmond. There, Ruchit Garg, worked as a technical programme manager for three more years before quitting in 2011. After this, he returned to India to launch a startup for farmers. How much did the Microsoft job pay? ₹1 crore per annum when he left the job, he said.
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AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
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The Atlantic ☛ America Will Be Fine Without TikTok
The app isn’t helping itself. Over the past week, the company has repeatedly sent its users push alerts urging them to call their representatives to express their love of the app, and many did just that—which likely inflamed concerns from politicians that TikTok could be used for propaganda. But there are more fundamental issues as well. Those who are loyal to TikTok will tell you that the good old days are long gone. It went from a plaything for regular people—the dancing tweens, the animal antics—to a stage for brands and creators, and continues to make moves that push itself further from its original premise. It is experimenting with videos up to 15 minutes long, as well as ones filmed horizontally—which sounds a lot more like YouTube than TikTok. Perhaps the biggest change is TikTok Shop, the app’s foray into e-commerce. Users have lamented that the feature is turning the algorithmic “For You” feed into a de facto QVC livestream, with commission-based videos touting cheap and useless goods encouraged to interrupt users’ feeds. And most recently, the app’s music catalog, the backbone of its robust video-trend culture, was slashed after TikTok failed to reach a deal with Universal Music Group.
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New York Times ☛ What Happens Next With the TikTok Ban Bill
The video social media app isn’t disappearing from smartphones any time soon. The legislative process is still in its early stages after the House’s passage of a bill mandating a sale by the app’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, or be banned. Next, the bill is heading to a skeptical Senate, after which President Biden would need to sign it into law. Even after that, it might not happen.
Here’s what to expect.
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International Business Times ☛ Trump Approached Elon Musk About Truth Social Acquisition, Here's How The Proposal Unfolded
Last summer, former President Donald Trump reportedly asked Elon Musk whether the billionaire would entertain the idea of acquiring his social network, Truth Social, as reported by two individuals familiar with the conversation.
Much to Trump's chagrin, the initial approach to Musk, whose expansive business portfolio encompasses Tesla, SpaceX, xAI and social networking site X, did not culminate in a deal. However, this previously unreported conversation sheds light on the level of communication between the two men.
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The North Lines IN ☛ GPS-enabled tracking systems to be installed in J&K poll duty vehicles
In keeping with the directions of the Election Commission, Jammu and Kashmir's election department will procure GPS-enabled tracking systems for 12,500 poll duty vehicles for the forthcoming parliamentary elections in the Union Territory.
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Modern Diplomacy ☛ Uzbekistan aiming to become world’s IT outsourcing hub
Uzbekistan is planning to become the world’s IT outsourcing hub, displacing traditional locations India and China, delegates heard at the first Uzbekistan Outsourcing Conference on 7 March in New York.
In India, escalating labor costs and high levels of employee churn are eroding its competitive edge while China’s outsourcing landscape is fraught with regulatory complexities and intellectual property concerns, casting a shadow of uncertainty over foreign investments.
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The Kent Stater ☛ House passes bill that could ban Fentanylware (TikTok) despite resistance from Trump
The House voted with bipartisan, overwhelming fashion on Wednesday to pass a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban against TikTok, a major challenge to one of the world’s most popular social control media apps.
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Reason ☛ TikTok's Opponents Want Chinese-style Censorship in America [Ed: No, it is trying to prevent this Chinese-style censorship in America]
Instead of freeing Americans from censorship, the Fentanylware (TikTok) bill would tighten the U.S. government's control over social control media.
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Silicon Angle ☛ House of Representatives passes bill that could lead to Fentanylware (TikTok) ban or sale
The House of Representatives today passed a bill that could ban Fentanylware (TikTok) in the U.S. or lead to its separation from Beijing-based parent company ByteDance Ltd. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, as the bill is known, was approved with a vote of 352-65.
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Digital Music News ☛ TikTok Forced-Sale Bill Advances With Bipartisan House Approval — Stage Set for Key Senate Vote
The House has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would compel ByteDance to divest from (or shut down) Fentanylware (TikTok) in the U.S. – setting the stage for a high-profile Senate vote. 352 representatives supported the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act today, after the measure exited committee in a unanimous vote last week.
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France24 ☛ US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passes Fentanylware (TikTok) ban bill
The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill on Wednesday that would force Fentanylware (TikTok) to divest from its Chinese owner or be banned from the United States.
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France24 ☛ US House poised to pass Fentanylware (TikTok) crackdown bill forcing it to cut ties with Chinese owner
The US House of Representatives will vote Wednesday on a bill that would force Fentanylware (TikTok) to cut ties with its Chinese owner or get banned in the United States.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US House passes bill that may force Fentanylware (TikTok) to divest from Chinese owner or face ban
By Alex Pigman The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill on Wednesday that would force Fentanylware (TikTok) to divest from its Chinese owner or be banned from the United States.
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JURIST ☛ House of Representatives approves bill to ban Fentanylware (TikTok) in US
The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill that could ban Fentanylware (TikTok) in the US.
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teleSUR ☛ US House of Representatives Approves Fentanylware (TikTok) Ban
Lawmakers Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi argued that this platform poses a "security threat."
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The Straits Times ☛ Australia PM rules out US-style Fentanylware (TikTok) ban
“We will take advice but we have no plans to do that,” Mr Albanese said.
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New York Times ☛ Why a Sale of Fentanylware (TikTok) Would Not Be Easy
As legislation moves ahead that could eventually mandate a sale by the Chinese parent company ByteDance, hurdles include finding buyers.
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New York Times ☛ Thursday Briefing
The U.S. House passes a bill that could ban TikTok.
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New York Times ☛ Thursday Briefing: U.S. Targets TikTok
Also, aid to northern Gaza and whimsical wooden automatons
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New York Times ☛ What to Know About the Fentanylware (TikTok) Bill That the House Passed
The bill, which would force TikTok’s Chinese parent to sell the popular social control media app, faces a difficult path in the Senate.
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Hindustan Times ☛ ‘Elon Musk is mad at me', Don Lemon responds after X owner ‘cancels’ him
Elon Musk has abruptly cancelled "The Don Lemon Show" on his social media network X after the former CNN anchor recorded an interview with the billionaire for its yet-to-be-aired first episode. Snippets of the interview are being widely circulated.
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Axios ☛ Don Lemon says Elon Musk canceled his new show after "tense" interview
Between the lines: Since Musk purchased Twitter, the platform has been lenient to those who post hateful or extremist content while cracking down on other forms of speech.
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Michael Geist ☛ Government Gaslighting Again?: Unpacking the Uncomfortable Reality of the Online Harms Act
The Online Harms Act was only introduced two weeks ago, but it already appears the government is ready to run back the same playbook of gaslighting and denials that plagued Bills C-11 and C-18. Those bills, which addressed Internet streaming and news, faced widespread criticism over potential regulation of user content and the prospect of blocked news links on major Internet platforms. Rather than engage in a policy process that took the criticism seriously, the government ignored digital creators (including disrespecting indigenous creators) and dismissed the risks of Bill C-18 as a bluff. The results of that strategy are well-known: Bill C-11 required a policy direction fix and is mired in a years-long regulatory process at the CRTC and news links have been blocked for months on Meta as the list of Canadian media bankruptcies and closures mount.
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RTL ☛ Protecting citizens: EU parliament adopts 'pioneering' rules on AI
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen hailed the vote ushering in a "pioneering framework for innovative AI, with clear guardrails."
"This will benefit Europe's fantastic pool of talents. And set a blueprint for trustworthy AI throughout the world," she said on X.
The text passed with support from 523 EU lawmakers, with 46 voting against. The EU's 27 states are expected to endorse the law in April before publication in the bloc's Official Journal in May or June.
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RTL ☛ Officially adopted: What's included in the new EU law on AI
The EU will take a staggered approach to applying the law.
Outright bans on forms of AI considered highest-risk will kick in later this year, while rules on systems like ChatGPT will apply 12 months after the law enters into force, and the rest of the provisions in 2026.
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France24 ☛ EU parliament approves landmark AI law [Ed: Seems more like a COMMERCIAL or HYPE for BS like CHATBOTS, falsely marketed. To quote Locus Magazine ☛ a recent article: "Our policymakers are putting a lot of energy into thinking about what they’ll do if the AI bubble doesn’t pop – wrangling about “AI ethics” and “AI safety.” But – as with all the previous tech bubbles – very few people are talking about what we’ll be able to salvage when the bubble is over."]
The far-reaching regulation passed with the support of 523 lawmakers in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, with 46 voting against.
The EU's 27 states are expected to endorse the text in April before the law is published in the EU's Official Journal in May or June.
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Common Dreams ☛ Absolutely Not Photographic: Dems Bring the Babbling Receipts
Amidst a fraught political landscape where totalitarian clouds loom, we celebrate House Democrats whose smarts and prowess may yet save us. Thus did a hearing on special counsel Robert Hur's hit job on classified documents - which only charged Biden with being a "well-meaning, elderly man" - turn into another hot mess for GOP hacks and yahoos after Dems laid bare Hur's lies and their demented stable genius yammering word salad into the unseemly air.
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Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda
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EFF ☛ Protect Yourself from Election Misinformation
So… what’re you going to do about it?
As EFF’s Corynne McSherry wrote in 2020, online election disinformation is a problem that has had real consequences in the U.S. and all over the world—it has been correlated to ethnic violence in Myanmar and India and to Kenya’s 2017 elections, among other events. Still, election misinformation and disinformation continue to proliferate online and off.
That being said, regulation is not typically an effective or human rights-respecting way to address election misinformation. Even well-meaning efforts to control election misinformation through regulation inevitably end up silencing a range of dissenting voices and hindering the ability to challenge ingrained systems of oppression. Indeed, any content regulation must be scrutinized to avoid inadvertently affecting meaningful expression: Is the approach narrowly tailored or a categorical ban? Does it empower users? Is it transparent? Is it consistent with human rights principles?
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“Poor, poor pitiful me”: Was Martin Kulldorff fired by Harvard?
If there is one narrative that is a constant among purveyors of misinformation, pseudoscience, quackery, and conspiracy theories, it’s a persecution narrative. In the realm of medicine and health, for instance, brave maverick doctors (like, for example, Martin Kulldorff) promoting antivaccine views and quackery, as well as the conspiracy theories that undergird them, always portray themselves as the hero persecuted by the medical and scientific establishment. While it is true that there have been physicians with alternative medical theories who were unfairly ostracized and persecuted but turned out to be right (e.g., Ignaz Semmelweis), in the vast majority of cases, the immortal words of Carl Sagan apply: “But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.”
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Alibaba to invest HK$5 billion in Hong Kong entertainment sector
The five-year project, dubbed the “Hong Kong Cultural and Art Industry Revitalisation Program,” would concentrate on film production and distribution, rights acquisitions and television series production, a government statement read.
Unveiled during the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market exhibition, the programme would also offer investments in concerts, collaboration with performance venues, and talent development.
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Censorship/Free Speech
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EFF ☛ SXSW Tried to Silence Critics with Bogus Trademark and Copyright Claims. EFF Fought Back.
Amid heavy criticism for its ties to weapons manufacturers supplying Israel, South by Southwest—the organizer of an annual conference and music festival in Austin—has been on the defensive. One tool in their arsenal: bogus trademark and copyright claims against local advocacy group Austin for Palestine Coalition.
The Austin for Palestine Coalition has been a major source of momentum behind recent anti-SXSW protests. Their efforts have included organizing rallies outside festival stages and hosting an alternative music festival in solidarity with Palestine. They have also created social media posts explaining the controversy, criticizing SXSW, and calling on readers to email SXSW with demands for action. The group’s posts include graphics that modify SXSW’s arrow logo to add blood-stained fighter jets. Other images incorporate patterns evoking SXSW marketing materials overlaid with imagery like a bomb or a bleeding dove.
Days after the posts went up, SXSW sent a cease-and-desist letter to Austin for Palestine, accusing them of trademark and copyright infringement and demanding they take down the posts. Austin for Palestine later received an email from Instagram indicating that SXSW had reported the post for violating their trademark rights.
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JURIST ☛ India blocks YouTube access to Canadian investigative documentary on killing of Sikh activist
CBC reported Wednesday that India blocked access on YouTube and X to a Canadian investigative documentary focused on the alleged involvement of the Indian government in the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed last June in British Columbia, Canada.
The CBC Fifth Estate documentary, released last Friday, connects Nijjar ‘s death to a murder-for-hire plot by the Indian government and notes India’s current and past targeting of Sikh Canadians. Since Nijjar’s death, no arrests or suspects have been named by the Canadian authorities.
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Hindustan Times ☛ The Chinese Communist Party wants (a bit) less consumer [Internet]
The incident hints that President Xi Jinping has little appetite for another harsh tech crackdown of the sort that torched about $1trn in shareholder value between early 2021 and late 2022; on January 2nd Reuters reported that an official behind the draft gaming rules had been fired. But it is also a reminder that the government dislikes Chinese big tech’s big presence in citizens’ everyday lives—and that it would anyway prefer entrepreneurs and investors to focus on serious things like chipmaking, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) for industry.
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Hindustan Times ☛ Sisters in Afghanistan are defying the Taliban with their music movement
Marked by severe restrictions, women in Afghanistan are being denied their basic rights and freedoms under Taliban rule, which returned in 2021. Among those women, however, are two sisters who have launched their own form of movement against oppression through music. Clad in blue burqa, they started a music movement called the Last Torch. Protected by anonymity, they took it upon themselves to perform songs which resonated with many women across their country.
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VOA News ☛ Iran Arrests Four Over Video of Woman's Argument With Cleric
Iran has arrested four people on suspicion of giving a foreign-based broadcaster video of an argument between a Shiite cleric and a woman not wearing the mandatory headscarf, Iranian media reported Tuesday.
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Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
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Press Gazette ☛ Daily Mail podcast chief Jamie East on publisher’s rapidly expanding audio empire
The Trial of Lucy Letby kickstarted the Mail's arrival into podcasts and 19 are now in pre-production.
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Deutsche Welle ☛ EU approves new media freedom law
The new law prohibits authorities from forcing journalists and editors to disclose their sources, including through detention, surveillance and office raids.
During negotiations, France had pushed for "national security" exceptions. The final law did not include national security carve-outs but does allow authorities to use spyware on journalists if a number of serious violations are identified and only with judicial approval.
The Media Freedom Act also focuses on transparency. It stipulates that board members of public media outlets must be selected through open and fair processes, and they cannot be removed from their positions prematurely unless they no longer meet professional criteria.
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Patrick Breyer ☛ Pirates on the European Media Freedom Act: Criticism must not be silenced
Today, the Members of the European Parliament adopted the Media Freedom Act. The rules drawn up are intended to better protect journalists from arbitrary content removal on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter and from spyware attacks such as those carried out using the Pegasus software. Pirate MEPs voted in favour of the law, but criticise the lack of a ban on spying on journalists.
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Civil Rights/Policing
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Jeff Bridgforth ☛ Accessibility journey - Oops
She also shared with me a not-so-accessible part of my post. I have a callout in the post that links to a resource I mentioned in the post. Since writing that post, I did a site refresh where I introduced a light and dark theme. But in the post, I had added inline styles to the callout.
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VOA News ☛ Iran’s Fars News Agency Stirs Misinformation About Leaked Hospital CCTV Footage
The video shows a brief conflict between a young woman and a man dressed in a robe traditionally worn by Islamic clergymen in Iran.
While the CCTV footage does not show what caused the conflict, Iranian media news reports, as well as captions added to the same video clip posted on X and YouTube, indicate that the woman was cradling her sick child when her hijab slipped down her shoulders and the cleric started recording her on his mobile phone. The woman protested being recorded and asked that the footage to be deleted, which the man refused to do.
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Digital Music News ☛ Lily Allen Says Having Kids Ruined Her Pop Career — ‘It Does Not Mix’
Singer Lily Allen sparks debate online after saying having children ‘ruined’ her music career. Social media is in an uproar after singer Lily Allen stated in an appearance on The Radio Times podcast that her children “ruined” her music career.
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Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
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Stanford University ☛ How to Strengthen the FCC’s Proposed Net Neutrality Protections by Closing Loopholes and Matching the 2015 Open Internet Order
The Federal Communications Commission is looking to restore net neutrality for all Americans. The FCC published its proposal, a so-called Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), in October 2023. The comments period ended in mid-January. A vote is expected in late April.
When the FCC announced it would be restoring the net neutrality protections that the FCC eliminated in 2017, the agency said it wanted to restore the 2015 net neutrality protections.
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Stanford University ☛ How to Strengthen the Open Internet NPRM by Closing Loopholes and Matching the 2015 Open Internet Protections [PDF]
But the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking misses some critical protections in the 2015 Order, creating potential loopholes for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to exploit. These include provisions concerning:
• Throttling: The proposed rules inadequately address the issue of ISPs manipulating internet traffic by speeding up applications or classes of applications. The 2024 protections need to explicitly prohibit both negative and positive discrimination among apps.
• Reasonable Network Management: The NPRM misses a crucial part of the 2015 Order’s definition of “reasonable network management,” which opens a loophole that ISPs could exploit to circumvent net neutrality principles. Reasonable network management must be as application-agnostic as possible and technically justified.
• Specialized Services/Non-BIAS Data Services: ISPs are seeking to bypass Open Internet protections under the guise of “specialized services,” particularly with 5G fast lanes. The FCC needs to prevent ISPs from exploiting this label to create fast lanes that are otherwise prohibited. [...]
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APNIC ☛ IPv6, DNS, and truncation in UDP
In February I looked at the behaviour of the DNS when processing responses in UDP, which set the truncated flag in the DNS response. In particular, I was looking for the incidence of DNS resolvers that used the answer section in truncated responses (despite the admonition in DNS standards not to do so) and the extent to which there are DNS resolvers out there that are incapable of using DNS over TCP.
This month I’ll report on a repeat of this experiment using a test environment where only IPv6 can be used.
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APNIC ☛ One checklist at a time: Towards simplifying satellite Internet access in the Asia Pacific
Enter the Internet Law Research Clinic (ILRC) at Bond University. Their solution is a comprehensive checklist poised to simplify satellite-driven Internet access in the Asia Pacific. Created for APNIC and its Members with support from the APNIC Foundation, this checklist unravels the legal and licensing complexities and demystifies the rules and regulations. Digital connectivity is no longer a luxury but a lifeline, and this checklist will support providers and users on their journey towards a more connected and inclusive future.
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Digital Restrictions (DRM)
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Digital Music News ☛ Over Half the U.S. Pays for Music Streaming or Other Audio: Study
The sum jumps to 136 million “if SiriusXM and Amazon Prime music listeners are included,” per the research company, indicating also that “over half the population are paying for an audio subscription.” (The statement reflects extrapolated results from the above-noted surveys and refers particularly to consumers age 13 and up.)
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CoryDoctorow ☛ Bullies want you to think they’re on your side (13 Mar 2024) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
It's a tried-and-true bullying tactic: convince your victim that only you can keep them safe so they surrender their agency to you, so the victim comes under your power and can't escape your cruelty and exploitation. The focus on external threats is key: so long as the victim is more afraid of the dangers beyond the bully's cage than they are of the bully, they can be lured deeper and deeper until the cage-door slams shut.
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Tech Central (South Africa) ☛ Apple's walled garden is under attack
Apple announced the changes to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which kicked in last week. The changes could dent the high profit margins and steady stream of revenue that Apple has come to rely on from its App Store, where it charges developers fees of up to 30%.
The changes, which affect only the EU, come amid continuing criticism from rivals that Apple’s compliance efforts are falling short.
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Copyrights
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RTL ☛ OpenAI partners with Le Monde and Prisa Media
In the coming months, ChatGPT users will be able to get summaries of news content from the publishers along with links to original articles, according to OpenAI.
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India Times ☛ ChatGPT users to get access to news content from Le Monde, Prisa Media
ChatGPT users will get access to French and Spanish news content from Le Monde and Prisa Media, Microsoft-backed OpenAI said on Wednesday, disclosing its partnership with the media publications.
The content will also be used to train generative artificial intelligence models, it said amid growing popularity of the technology and its influence across various sectors.
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The Register UK ☛ NYT responds to OpenAI's allegations of ChatGPT manipulation
It also claims that the AI company, in which Microsoft has invested heavily (upwards of $10 billion), hadn't even touched on the lead claim that the NYT's copyright was infringed by pulling its content to train and operate AI models.
"OpenAI," the filing says, "does not move to dismiss the lead claim that it infringed The Times's copyrights to train and operate its latest models."
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Torrent Freak ☛ Oppenheimer Sees New Online Piracy Surge After Oscar Wins
Oppenheimer was one of the most-watched movies in theaters last year, grossing nearly a billion dollars in box office revenues. For several months, the movie has been widely available on pirate sites too. While one might think that all demand would be satisfied, winning the Oscar for 'Best Picture' more than doubled the interest on pirate sites this week. The same Oscar boost affects other titles as well.
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Torrent Freak ☛ Pirate IPTV User Fines "Coming Soon" But Are Not "Psychological Terrorism"
The head of Italy's telecoms regulator says fines of up to 5,000 euros for watching pirate IPTV streams are coming soon. Massimiliano Capitanio says users of apps downloaded from Google, Apple, and Amazon, will receive the same treatment, while confirming that investigators won't have to obtain per-person permission from a court anymore. Italians are assured, however, that warning them of the risk of 5,000 euro fines is definitely not "psychological terrorism."
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Monopolies/Monopsonies
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