Links 17/04/2024: Free-Market Policies Wane, China Marks Economic Recovery
Contents
- Leftovers
- Science
- Education
- Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
- Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Security
- Defence/Aggression
- Environment
- Finance
- AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
- Censorship/Free Speech
- Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
- Civil Rights/Policing
- Internet Policy/Net Neutrality Monopolies/Monopsonies
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Leftovers
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Ruben Schade ☛ Dokibird played Flight Simulator
I haven’t watched it through yet, but a vtuber playing one of my favourite games of all time!? It was a salve to a troubled mind.
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Chris ☛ The Parking Lot Drill
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NYPost ☛ Third Disney Cruise crew member arrested on child porn charges this year
The officers confiscated two phones that Neri had on him and discovered "numerous sexually explicit photographs and videos of young children whose ages could not be definitely determined."
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Hackaday ☛ More Microwave Metal Casting
If you think you can’t do investment casting because you don’t have a safe place to melt metal, think again. Metal casting in the kitchen is possible, as demonstrated by this over-the-top bathroom hook repair using a microwave forge.
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Hackaday ☛ Recycling Wires For Breadboarding
It is easy to take things for granted, but if you work with students, you realize that even something as simple as a breadboard needs explanation. [0033mer] recently shared a tip about how he wires both solderless breadboards and prototype boards on the cheap. Instead of buying special wires, he salvages riser cables often found in scrap from demolished buildings. These often have 200 or so thin solid wires inside. You take them apart, and, as he put it, if you have 15 feet of the stuff, that will last you the rest of your life. We hope you live longer than that, but still.
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Science
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Science Alert ☛ First Fractal Molecule in Nature Assembles Into a Sierpinski Triangle And We Don't Know Why
It's accidentally beautiful!
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Science Alert ☛ Writing Down Your Angry Feelings Is Only The First Step to Calming Your Rage
Step two is far more fun.
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Science Alert ☛ A Rare Event Gave This Algae an Organelle That Traps And Uses Nitrogen
It joins an exlusive club.
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Science Alert ☛ Strange New Form of Gold Exists as a Sheet That's Just One Atom Thick
They call it goldene.
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Science Alert ☛ A Strange Ritual Murder Was Repeated Across Europe For More Than 2,000 Years
A true horror.
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Science Alert ☛ Science Confirms Hugs Can Ease Pain, Anxiety, And Depression
Bring it in.
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Science Alert ☛ Voynich Manuscript Finally Decoded? Medieval Sex Secrets May Hide in Mysterious Text
It's a bizarre 600-year-old puzzle.
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Education
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ADF ☛ Violence in Eastern DRC Shutters Schools, Puts Students’ Future at Risk
A few minutes after recess ended, gunmen emerged from the surrounding forest and began firing their weapons near the school in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. “I heard explosions and other loud noises,” a 12-year-old student identified as Bahati told the nongovernmental organization Save the Children.
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EDRI ☛ Media Literacy Case for Educators: Empowering Educators for the Next Digital Decade
With a growing generation of teens relying on the internet for learning, entertainment and socialising, it's crucial to cultivate their capacity to ask critical questions about how technology impacts their lives, their communities and the planet. But how can educators guide teens to understand and navigate the digital world confidently?
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Stanford University ☛ Until next time Stanford
"When I return to Stanford, I hope I come back as the kind of person that truly lives up to the time someone told me that I would have made a great RA," Strawser writes as he reflects on taking a break from Stanford.
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Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
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Pro Publica ☛ EPA Finalizes New Standards for Cancer-Causing Chemicals
The Environmental Protection Agency will drastically reduce cancerous air pollution from chemical plants. The regulation, announced last week, comes two years after a ProPublica analysis identified more than a thousand toxic hot spots that elevate the cancer risk of millions of Americans.
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RFA ☛ US says China is funding America’s fentanyl crisis
A congressional report says Chinese firms are subsidized via tax rebates to export fentanyl raw materials
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Reason ☛ The Best of Reason: Anti-Chinese Xenophobia Fueled America's First Drug War
San Francisco's prohibitionists worried that opium dens were patronized by "young men and women of respectable parentage" as well as "the vicious and the depraved."
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teleSUR ☛ Namibia: Workshop to Address Agricultural Crisis
In his speech at the workshop, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Carl Schlettwein underscored the urgent need for action as Namibia grapples with below-normal rainfall and erratic weather patterns.
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Latvia ☛ Vitamin D supplements for everyone in Latvia, say experts
Our geographic region requires that both children and adults take supplementary vitamin D, which is necessary for the development of the bone system in children and the maintenance of bone strength in adults, according to Latvian Radop April 15.
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Latvia ☛ Paramedic gets suspended sentence for negligence causing death
The Zemgale District Court has sentenced paramedic Gints Vaits to one year suspended sentence and a four-year ban from medical practice for leaving a young woman unconscious and failing to provide assistance, Latvian Television reported on April 16.
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Latvia ☛ Early heatwave brings headache for fruit farmers in Latvia
A heatwave experienced in early April has woken plants up too early. Plums, apricots, and cherries are blooming, and apple trees and pears are also green. Now cooler weather has begun and frosts are expected, so fruit farmers are thinking about how to protect their plantations, Latvian Radio reported April 16.
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Science Alert ☛ Machine Learning Uncovers New Ways to Kill Bacteria With Non-Antibiotic Drugs
Unexpected weapons to fight superbugs.
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Science Alert ☛ Your Spinal Cord Can Learn And Recall Without Brain Input And We Finally Know How
A game-changer in neuroscience.
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JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court allows Idaho gender-affirming care ban for minors to go into effect
The US Supreme Court granted an emergency request for stay led by Idaho officials, allowing the state to temporarily enforce a statewide ban on gender-affirming care for certain minors. This ban is one of the first cases related to transgender health care to reach the nation’s highest court.
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PHR ☛ U.S. Senators Introduce Bill to Limit ICE Solitary Confinement Following PHR Report
The U.S. Congress should immediately abolish the use of solitary confinement in U.S. immigration detention facilities, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) urged during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee today. “Solitary confinement unquestionably leads to severely detrimental health effects.
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Atlantic Council ☛ Advancing health and resilience policies in Latin America and the Caribbean
During an off-the-record private roundtable, thought leaders and practitioners from across the Americas discussed how to further enhance access to and finance for health services and products in the region.
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Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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MIT Technology Review ☛ AI was supposed to make police bodycams better. What happened?
On July 25 last year, in circuit court in Dane County, Wisconsin, a motion was filed to dismiss a criminal case as a result of what defense attorneys described as “institutional bad-faith actions” by a local police department.
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Latvia ☛ Latvian universities mull Hey Hi (AI) in higher education
Artificial intelligence tools have increasingly entered the study process this academic year. Each university is gradually developing guidelines on how and whether these tools can be used in teaching, Latvian Radio reported April 16.
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AntiWar ☛ A Brief History of Kill Lists, from Langley to Lavender
The Israeli online magazine +972 has published a detailed report on Israel’s use of an artificial intelligence (AI) system called “Lavender” to target thousands of Palestinian men in its bombing campaign in Gaza. When Israel attacked Gaza after October 7, the Lavender system had a database of 37,000 Palestinian men with suspected links to Hamas...
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Security
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Privacy/Surveillance
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Security Week ☛ Cloud Users Warned of Data Exposure Risk From Command-Line Tools [Ed: Clown computing is, in general a data breach (outsourcing)]
Cloud security specialists found data exposure risk associated with Azure, AWS, and Surveillance Giant Google Cloud command-line tools.
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EDRI ☛ Open letter: Mass surveillance and undermining encryption still on table in EU Council
Today, 17 April, EDRi, in a coalition with 48 civil society organisations and 26 individual experts, call on Member State representatives not to agree to the proposed EU Council position on the Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Regulation whilst so many critical issues remain.
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AntiWar ☛ FISA Exchanges Real Liberty for Phantom Security
House Speaker Mike Johnson betrayed liberty and the Constitution by making a full-court press to get a “clean” reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Act through the House. Section 702 authorizes warrantless surveillance of foreign citizens.
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YLE ☛ Nordea glitch reveals others' accounts
The bank said on Tuesday that some of its customers may have been able to view accounts belonging to other Nordea private and corporate clients.
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Silicon Angle ☛ Landmark UK law would criminalize making sexualized deepfakes even if they aren’t shared [Ed: How would that be enforced? Remote spying on every file each device contains?]
The British government today announced it’s taking a zero-tolerance stance against sexually explicit deepfakes by introducing a new law that will mean creators of such content are at risk of being convicted of a crime even if they don’t share the video or image.
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RFA ☛ China's spy agency encourages people to see spies everywhere
The 'national security' campaign will create fear of the West and strain personal relationships, analysts say.
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Defence/Aggression
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New York Times ☛ Israel Weighs Response to Iran Attack, With Each Choice a Risk
In debating how to respond to last weekend’s Iranian airstrike, Israel’s war cabinet is choosing between options that could deter future attacks or de-escalate hostilities, but all carry drawbacks.
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New York Times ☛ For Israel’s Allies, Iranian Missile Strike Scrambles Debate Over Gaza
Israel’s restless allies have voiced anger over the death toll in Gaza, but when their archnemesis launched a missile barrage, they set it aside. At least for the moment.
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The Straits Times ☛ China's military plans more drills near Myanmar border
BEIJING - China will hold air defence and live-fire drills near its border with Myanmar from Wednesday, state media said, in this month's second round of such exercises as fighting between Myanmar's ruling junta and rebel forces intensifies.
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The Straits Times ☛ US Navy plane flies through Taiwan Strait after China, US defence chiefs speak
BEIJING - A U.S. Navy patrol aircraft flew through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, just hours after a conversation between the Chinese and U.S. defence chiefs, in which Beijing warned Washington of the ultra-sensitive nature of the Taiwan issue.
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The Straits Times ☛ Missiles, drones and warships the priority as Australia plans $32 billion defence boost
SYDNEY - Australia will boost defence spending by A$50.3 billion ($32 billion) over the next decade and reshuffle its weapons programs to emphasise missiles, drones and warships as it looks to the possibility of a Pacific conflict between China and the U.S.
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The Straits Times ☛ China, US should find ways for pragmatic military relations, Chinese defence minister says
China and the United States should explore ways for a pragmatic and cooperative relationship between their militaries, and "gradually accumulate mutual trust", the Chinese defence minister was cited as saying by the ministry on Wednesday.
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New York Times ☛ Germany’s Leader, Olaf Scholz, Walks a Fine Line in China
Chancellor Olaf Scholz tried to promote German business interests while delivering warnings from Europe about trade and geopolitical tensions.
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New York Times ☛ Lebanese Official Blames Israel’s Spy Agency for Killing Near Beirut
The U.S. had accused the dead man of being a financial middleman between Hamas and Iran. The interior minister said there were suggestions that the killing “was carried out by intelligence services.”
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New York Times ☛ Wednesday Briefing: China’s Economy Grew Faster Than Expected
Plus, Australia’s feral cat problem.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s top diplomat Wang Yi says Iran willing to ‘exercise restraint’ following attack on Israel
China’s foreign minister held phone discussions with his Iranian counterpart, Beijing state media said Tuesday, reporting that Iran said it was “willing to exercise restraint” after its first-ever attack on Israel’s territory.
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ADF ☛ M23 Offensive Sparks Fears of Regional War
ADF STAFF Intensifying gun battles and explosions drove Prudent Kahindo and her three children from their home in February. When they arrived at an informal camp for displaced people outside the city of Goma, they found their lives were no less threatened.
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ADF ☛ Burkina Faso Use of Volunteer Militia Drives Increase in Civilian Deaths
Since Burkina Faso’s ruling junta came to power in September 2022, the leadership increasingly has relied on the poorly trained and lightly armed Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP) to serve as front-line forces to battle extremists.
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ADF ☛ Landmines Leave Deadly Legacy in Tigray
Nahom Halefom, 13, was playing outside with two friends near the town of Queshet in central Tigray. His mother was watching. “I took my eyes off him for a moment. Then I heard the explosion,” she told The Ethiopian Reporter newspaper for an article published on March 23.
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ADF ☛ Illicit Weapons Trafficking, Manufacturing Fuels Lagos Violence
Nigerian authorities are working to contain a thriving illicit weapons market in Lagos as local manufacturers of illegal guns continuously hone their trade. Local illegal gun factories are known for producing imitation weapons that look like the originals.
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teleSUR ☛ Paris Conference Draws International Attention to Sudan Crisis
The Paris meeting included a political panel at the ministerial level to try to find ways out of the conflict.
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France24 ☛ Situation in Sudan 'probably the most disastrous in the world', says former PM Hamdok
FRANCE 24 spoke to Abdalla Hamdok, who served as Sudan's prime minister twice after the fall of Omar al-Bashir in 2019. As the war in his country entered its second year, the former premier described the situation as "extremely catastrophic, probably the most serious, disastrous situation in the world today". Yet he expressed hope that the war "will come to an end", noting "some progress" in regional and national efforts towards a political solution.
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Reason ☛ War: An Opportunity for Spending?
Plus: How matzo gets made, Fentanylware (TikTok) employees reporting to Beijing-based ByteDance, espionage concerns in Germany, and more...
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Digital Music News ☛ Steve Mnuchin’s Fentanylware (TikTok) Takeover Plan Continues While Senators Ponder a Ban
As US Senators ponder a Fentanylware (TikTok) ban, Steve Mnuchin continues his work towards making a bid on the China-owned app, angling for a partnership with a tech company like Oracle to rebuild the platform’s algorithm.
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Digital Music News ☛ Months After Expanding Its Ticketmaster Partnership, Fentanylware (TikTok) Unveils a Global Tie-Up With AXS
After expanding its Ticketmaster partnership in late 2023, Fentanylware (TikTok) has finalized a global ticketing pact with AEG’s AXS, enabling users to purchase event passes in-app. ByteDance-owned Fentanylware (TikTok) unveiled the AXS tie-up via a formal release today, as it stares down potential litigation from Universal Music Group.
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Digital Music News ☛ Universal Music Group Considering Serious Legal Action Against Fentanylware (TikTok) Over DMCA Violations — Here’s What We Know So Far
If you enjoyed watching Universal Music Group remove its entire catalog from TikTok, you’ll absolutely love what’s potentially coming next. For those who enjoy high-stakes showdowns between major media companies and tech giants, Universal Music Group vs. Fentanylware (TikTok) has been action-packed. But you might need a fresh bowl of popcorn for what’s next.
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YLE ☛ Shooting suspect killed by police after chase in Pirkanmaa
After being stopped, the suspect fired at police, who said they "also had to use a weapon in the situation". Officials said later that the suspect had died.
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ADF ☛ Rising Risk of Somali Pirate Attacks Fuels Maritime Insecurity Off East Africa
Increasing attacks by Somali pirates are exacerbating global shipping and fueling maritime insecurity around East Africa. After a six-year lull in major pirate attacks, there have been more than 20 attempted hijackings since November, Reuters reported.
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Environment
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Energy/Transportation
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LRT ☛ Bikes and scooters in Vilnius: how to park to avoid trouble?
This year, on top of scooters, Bolt has introduced a short-term rental of electric bicycles in Vilnius. However, some residents say this creates even more chaos in the city. According to the police, parking rental bikes and scooters incorrectly can in some cases be considered a violation of the road traffic rules.
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Latvia ☛ How to get a bicycle or scooter license in Latvia?
According to the law, young people using bicycles or scooters on public roads – including children as young as ten – need to have a cycling proficiency license. Such a license or a license of a higher category, such as a driver's license, is also required for adults using an electric scooter. How to get a cyclist's license and how to prepare for the exam? Latvian Television has the answer.
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Barry Kauler ☛ Connecting trike front suspension to frame
Continuing my recumbent trike front suspension project, this is the previous post:
https://bkhome.org/news/202403/considering-heim-joints-for-wheel-knuckles.html
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Ruben Schade ☛ What plastics really recycle: myths
(I wanted to take a break from writing about tech today, so here’s something random that’s been on my mind! Or I suppose, in my mind, given how microplastics are now a thing. Thanks for reading).
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Security Week ☛ Cryptojacker Arrested, Charged for Defrauding Cloud Providers of $3.5 Million
Charles O. Parks III was arrested and charged with defrauding two cloud-services providers of $3.5 million.
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Silicon Angle ☛ EY launches blockchain-based business contract management solution on Ethereum [Ed: Snakeoil with decorative jargon]
Global professional services company Ernst & Young Global Ltd. today announced the launch of a blockchain-enabled solution that will help businesses execute complex business agreements and reduce costs while maintaining security.
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Atlantic Council ☛ What Iran’s attack on Israel means for global energy
On the weekend of April 13th, energy markets have shown a muted response to Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel. As Israel weighs its response, the risks to fuel prices and global energy security are extremely high. Our experts comment on what to watch for.
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Wildlife/Nature
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YLE ☛ More backyard bear sightings near Tampere
While brown bears in Finland can weigh up to 230kg, they very rarely attack humans.
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Finance
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YLE ☛ Finnish tax officials report rise in white-collar crime
Reported financial crimes rose by 15 percent last year, reaching an all-time high.
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The Strategist ☛ China extends anticorruption drive to Belt and Road
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is increasingly taking a stand against corruption in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
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New York Times ☛ Biden Bashes Trump in Pennsylvania as He Lays Out His Tax Plan
Speaking in Scranton, Pa., his hometown, the president used a speech about economic fairness as a new avenue of attack against his Republican rival, who was in a courtroom two hours away.
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YLE ☛ THL: Younger people have more negative opinions about gambling
People under the age of 45 are less keen on gambling than their older counterparts, according to a new study by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
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YLE ☛ Finland plans "difficult but necessary" spending cuts and tax rises
The budget for 2025-2028 will see the country's general rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) increase to 25.5 percent from the current level of 24 percent, with cuts to education and healthcare also in the pipeline.
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YLE ☛ Stubb's presidential campaign cost €2.7m [Ed: Buying an election? Be a millionaire, or sell yourself to some.]
Pekka Haavisto, who was NCP candidate Alexander Stubb's second-round opponent, spent 1.9m euros vying for the presidency.
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RFA ☛ Van Thinh Phat case tests investor confidence in Vietnam
The case highlights lax government oversight of the financial system, observers say.
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CS Monitor ☛ Pay was starting to outpace US inflation. Can it keep up?
Stubborn inflation is not only upsetting investors who await interest rate cuts. It’s also threatening to undermine the rise in workers’ real wages.
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Reason ☛ Study Finds Occupational Licensing Laws Depress Wages in Other Industries
A Cato Institute policy brief found that while licensed occupations see a nice bump in pay, licensing requirements lower wages for other similar occupations.
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New York Times ☛ The Global Turn Away From Free-Market Policies Worries Economists
More countries are embracing measures meant to encourage their own security and independence, a trend that some say could slow global growth.
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AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s foreign minister to visit Indonesia, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will visit Indonesia, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea this week, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. Wang’s trip will kick off on Thursday, April 18 and wrap up on April 23, foreign ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said. The foreign minister will chair a session of the China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation […]
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New York Times ☛ Why Elections Take So Long in India
The election is a giant undertaking that requires millions of poll workers, voting machines and security forces to cover deserts, mountains, forests and megacities.
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CS Monitor ☛ Not everyone is watching the elections in Solomon Islands. Why China will be.
China has been courting influence with countries in the South Pacific – and the Solomon Islands have been its biggest success. An election this week could change that.
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The Straits Times ☛ Solomon Islands votes in election watched by China, US for regional security impact
The Solomon Islands began voting in a national election on Wednesday, the first since Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in 2022 struck a security pact with China and drew the Pacific Islands nation closer to Beijing.
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RFA ☛ Solomon Islands observes campaign blackout ahead of election
Nearly 400 independent observers are monitoring the voting in national and provincial elections.
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France24 ☛ Solomon Islands voters go to polls as China's influence draws scrunity
Solomon Islanders began voting Wednesday in an election that could reshape regional security, with citizens effectively choosing if their Pacific nation will deepen ties with China
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RFA ☛ Solomon Islanders vote in key election for their country, region
The election is the first since pro-Beijing Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare switched diplomatic recognition to China.
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Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Team set up to rebut ‘slanders’ of new security law here to stay, Hong Kong says, citing ongoing ‘misinformation’
A team established to rebut criticism of Hong Kong’s new security law will continue to operate, the government has said, citing continued “misinformation and slanders from time to time.”
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Censorship/Free Speech
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Reason ☛ No Sealing of Allegedly Defamatory Statements in Libel Lawsuit
"Dr. Morrison brought this lawsuit. He chose to challenge the accuracy of these statements in a public courtroom. If disclosing the allegedly-defamatory statements invades his privacy or causes him injury, it is solely the result of his own actions and decisions."
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RFA ☛ China axes hundreds of TV dramas depicting family tensions
Crackdown comes amid the government's push for women to bear more children.
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The Kent Stater ☛ Shooting survivor joins students to protest Kyle Rittenhouse’s campus visit
Several student organizations were joined by Paul Prediger during the Ohio Student Association press conference on April 16 to voice their concerns over Kyle Rittenhouse’s presence on campus.
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The Kent Stater ☛ Applause inside, boos outside: Kyle Rittenhouse speaks to supporters, protestors during campus visit
Gun-rights activist Kyle Rittenhouse was met with protesters holding signs and chanting outside the KIVA Tuesday evening, but inside the venue during his speech, he was met with plenty of praise.
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The Kent Stater ☛ ‘Hey ho, Rittenhouse has got to go’: Students protest on the K
Editors note: The name of a source, Acieno Leipply-Caban, was updated to reflect their identity accurately, Aciano Rosales.
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The Kent Stater ☛ ‘Get the f*** off our campus’: Protesters voice concerns over Kyle Rittenhouse
Protesters outside the KIVA screamed “Get the f*** off our campus” and “shame” as attendees left pro-gun rights activist Kyle Rittenhouse campus speech Tuesday evening.
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Reason ☛ Brussels Mayor Attempts To Shut Down National Conservatism Conference by Force
It's a good thing opponents of the move can appeal to the liberal values of free speech, free association, and equal treatment under law.
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New York Times ☛ USC Cancels Valedictorian’s Speech After Claims of Antisemitism
The university cited security concerns at the graduation. But the student, who is Muslim, said the school was “succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice.”
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Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
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New York Times ☛ U.S. Lays Out Protections for Assange if He Is Extradited
American officials sought to reassure the U.K. about Julian Assange’s treatment should the former WikiLeaks founder, who has been indicted by the U.S., be sent there.
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Press Gazette ☛ MPs accuse BillBC of ‘sweeping bad news’ of local radio cuts ‘under the rug’
MPs examining the BBC's Across the UK strategy raised concerns over cuts to dedicated local radio programming.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong court rejects media mogul Jimmy Lai’s challenge against decision to bar British lawyer from trial
A Hong Kong court has rejected media mogul Jimmy Lai’s challenge against a national security committee’s decision to bar a British lawyer from taking part in his ongoing security trial.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Jimmy Lai hoped to lead 2019 protests amid concern ‘radicals’ would dampen global support, court hears
Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai wanted to “lead” protesters in 2019 amid concerns that the violent actions of “radicals” would threaten the movement’s international support, an activist has testified during the Apple Daily founder’s national security trial.
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Civil Rights/Policing
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JURIST ☛ California sues city of Huntington Beach after passing voter identification laws
California officials filed suit against the city of Huntington Beach Monday after it passed Measure A, a voter identification law. The ballot measure would “authorize, but not require, the City to; verify the eligibility of Electors by voter identification…” and “monitor ballot drop boxes located within the City for compliance with all applicable laws.”
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Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
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Zimbabwe ☛ Africa’s Digital Divide: The Case of .africa Top-Level Domain
Africa, the world’s second-largest and second-most populous continent, is often celebrated for its rich cultural diversity and vast potential. However, when it comes to its digital presence, the continent lags significantly behind other regions. >
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New Yorker ☛ How I Use the Internet, According to Nineties Action Movies
I pull up a digitized photo on the screen. Leaning in, I drag a bright-green box around a detail in the image, type rapidly for a full fifteen seconds, and then softly say, “Enhance.”
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Tom's Hardware ☛ Researchers create 'quantum drums' to store qubits — one step closer to groundbreaking internet speed and security
Quantum drums capable of storing and converting existing light data (i.e. fiber optic cables) may be integral to the future of a quantum-powered Internet with interconnected quantum computing devices.
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Bruce Schneier ☛ X.com Automatically Changing Link Text but Not URLs
Brian Krebs reported that X (formerly known as Twitter) started automatically changing twitter.com links to x.com links. The problem is: (1) it changed any domain name that ended with “twitter.com,” and (2) it only changed the link’s appearance (anchortext), not the underlying URL. So if you were a clever phisher and registered fedetwitter.com, people would see the link as fedex.com, but it would send people to fedetwitter.com.
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Techdirt ☛ Congress Decides To Give FBI Another Free Pass On Section 702 Abuses
It looks like we’re headed to several more years of the same old abuse. The House vote on Section 702 reauthorization — something postponed several times since EOY2023 due to infighting and out-fighting — has indicated that whatever concerns people might have about warrantless access to US persons’ communications can be handled the next time Section 702 is up for renewal.
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Digital Music News ☛ Justice Department Reportedly Set to File Live Nation Antitrust Complaint ‘In the Coming Weeks’
The better part of two years after reportedly initiating an antitrust investigation into Live Nation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly preparing to file a related lawsuit against the Ticketmaster parent “in the coming weeks.” ]
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Patents
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JUVE ☛ R2 Semiconductor and defective chip maker Intel take chip battle to London
R2 Semiconductor and defective chip maker Intel are currently engaged in a Europe-wide battle over on-chip voltage regulators, which are features of the latter company’s portfolio of mobile phones, laptops and server-processor chips. Today, the UK High Court in London will commence a two-and-a-half-week trial, with Richard Hacon as presiding judge.
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Unified Patents ☛ Mimzi audio recording patents prior art found
Unified is pleased to announce prior art has been found on three patents owned by Mimzi LLC, an NPE. The patents generally relate to systems for recording audio conversations. The patents have been asserted against Foursquare, TripAdvisor, HTC, Acer, ASUSTek, and Samsung.
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Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Use of Mandated Public Disclosures of Clinical Trials as Prior Art Against Study Sponsors
Salix Pharms., Ltd. v. Norwich Pharms. Inc., 2024 WL 1561195 (Fed. Cir. Apr. 11, 2024)
Human clinical trials play an essential role in the discovery, development, and regulatory approval of innovative drugs, and federal law mandates the public disclosure of these trials. Pharmaceutical innovators are voicing concern that these disclosures are increasingly being used as prior art to invalidate patents arising out of, or otherwise relating to, these trials, in a manner that threatens to disincentivize investment in pharmaceutical innovation. A recent Federal Circuit decision, Salix Pharms., Ltd. v. Norwich Pharms. Inc., illustrates the concern.
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Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Proposed Changes to Patent Law’s Proper Venue Statute: Venue Equity and Non-Uniformity Elimination Act of 2024
Law school civil procedure courses spend very little time on proper venue because, in most cases venue is proper so long as the district court has personal jurisdiction over the defendant.
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Trademarks
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Techdirt ☛ Bandai Namco Sends Threat Letter To Modding Site Over Supposed Trademark Issues
Here we go again. There seems to be a thing happening among a select few big name video game publishers that have decided for some reason that they want to go to war with their own modding communities. The reasons for doing so vary, but they all amount to wanting to strictly control the experience gamers have with their products. Which is absolutely silly. Mods only exist because people want them. And they want them because they enhance the gaming experience they have with these games, thereby making them more attractive for purchase and continued play.
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TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: How Did These Three Recent 2(d) Appeals Turn Out?
A TTAB judge once said to me that one can predict the outcome of a Section 2(d) appeal 95% of the time just by looking at the marks and the involved goods/services. Here are the three such appeals recently decided by the TTAB. How do you think these three came out? No hints this time. [Answers in first comment.]
In re Suarez Industries, Inc., Serial No. 97602779 (April 10, 2024) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Michael B. Adlin). [Section 2(d) refusal of EDENPURE for household cleaners in view of the registered mark EDEN'S PURE for body care products.]
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Copyrights
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Public Domain Review ☛ Annie Besant and Charles Leadbeater’s Occult Chemistry (1908)
A chemistry treatise that weds the hard sciences with theosophical insight, making a microscope of the psychic mind.
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Digital Music News ☛ Taylor Swift Album Release Machine Goes Into Overdrive with ‘Spotify Library Installation’ in LA
The Taylor Swift album release machine goes into overdrive this week with a ‘Spotify library installation,’ leading up to the Friday release of her new album, Tortured Poets Department.
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Monopolies/Monopsonies
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