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● 05.12.23

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● Links 12/05/2023: More Microsoft Layoffs, Apple Antitrust Risk

Posted in News Roundup at 8:39 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

Server

=> ↺ Kubernetes Blog ☛ Blog: Kubernetes 1.27: In-place Resource Resize for Kubernetes Pods (alpha)

• If you have deployed Kubernetes pods with CPU and/or memory resources specified, you may have noticed that changing the resource values involves restarting the pod. This has been a disruptive operation for running workloads… until now.

• In Kubernetes v1.27, we have added a new alpha feature that allows users to resize CPU/memory resources allocated to pods without restarting the containers. To facilitate this, the resources field in a pod’s containers now allow mutation for cpu and memory resources. They can be changed simply by patching the running pod spec.

• This also means that resources field in the pod spec can no longer be relied upon as an indicator of the pod’s actual resources. Monitoring tools and other such applications must now look at new fields in the pod’s status. Kubernetes queries the actual CPU and memory requests and limits enforced on the running containers via a CRI (Container Runtime Interface) API call to the runtime, such as containerd, which is responsible for running the containers. The response from container runtime is reflected in the pod’s status.

• In addition, a new restartPolicy for resize has been added. It gives users control over how their containers are handled when resources are resized.

• Besides the addition of resize policy in the pod’s spec, a new field namedallocatedResources has been added to containerStatuses in the pod’s status. This field reflects the node resources allocated to the pod’s containers.

• In addition, a new field called resources has been added to the container’s status. This field reflects the actual resource requests and limits configured on the running containers as reported by the container runtime.

=> ↺ Peter Czanik: The syslog-ng insider 2023-05: learning; UDP; upgrading;

• Dear syslog-ng users…

=> ↺ Peter ‘CzP’ Czanik ☛ The syslog-ng insider 2023-05: learning; UDP; upgrading;

• The May syslog-ng newsletter is now on-line [...]

• .

=> ↺ SUSE’s Corporate Blog ☛ SUSE Awarded 16 Badges in G2 Spring 2023 Report

• Spring is here and so are the latest G2 Badges! I’m happy to share that G2 has awarded 15 badges to SUSE in its 2023 spring report, including the overarching ‘Users Love Us’ badge (again).

Audiocasts/Shows

=> ↺ The BSD Now Podcast ☛ BSD Now: 506: A greener BSD

• Comparing Modern Open-Source Storage Solutions, FreeBSD Q1 Status Report, Hello Systems 0.8.1 Release, OpenBSD: Managing an inverter/converter with NUT, Tips for Running a Greener FreeBSD, BSDCAN Registration open

=> ↺ Jupiter Broadcasting ☛ Linux Action News 292

• We get you up to speed on two serious flaws, Linux’s recent gaming loss, Ubuntu doubling down on RISC-V, and news from the Open Source Summit North America.

Applications

=> ↺ Linux Links ☛ Best Free and Open Source Alternatives to Apple Font Book

• In 2020, Apple began the Apple silicon transition, using self-designed, 64-bit ARM-based Apple M1 processors on new Mac computers. Maybe it’s the perfect time to move away from the proprietary world of Apple, and embrace the open source Linux scene.

• Font Book is propriety software and not available for Linux. We recommend the best free and open source alternatives.

Instructionals/Technical

=> ↺ Beyond Clusters: Mastering the Art of Blending Components in Kubernetes

• The Importance of Kubernetes in Modern Software Development Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration tool originally developed by Google. It has quickly become the industry standard for managing and deploying containerized applications at scale.

=> ↺ Dividing and Conquering: Separating Internal and External Services in Kubernetes

• Introduction Kubernetes has become the standard for container orchestration in modern software development. It provides an efficient way to manage and deploy applications at scale, while also allowing developers to focus on writing code instead of worrying about infrastructure.

=> ↺ Barry Kauler ☛ Show in folder fix for Chromium

• When Thanos reported this, I assumed that it was a bug in Chromium:

• https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=8645

• However, Caramel found that the problem was in /usr/local/bin/xdg-open (see reply in above link).

=> ↺ Linux Links ☛ Alternatives to popular CLI tools: cut

• This article spotlights alternative tools to cut.

=> ↺ UNIX Cop ☛ How to install LaTeX on Ubuntu 22.04

• In this post, you will learn how to install Latex on Ubuntu 22.04. The process is simple, but it can help you if you want to have support for this language. Introduction – What is LaTeX? L

Desktop Environments/WMs

=> ↺ Linuxiac ☛ System76’s COSMIC Desktop Environment Makes Progress

• System76, a computer manufacturer specializing in the sale of notebooks, desktops, and servers, is a strongly Linux-faced company utilizing free and open-source software and offering its own Ubuntu-based Linux distribution, Pop!_OS.

• About a year and a half ago, due to a heated discussion between the developers of Pop!_OS and GNOME, System76 decided to go its way and develop a desktop environment from scratch, COSMIC, which to better suits its vision and understanding of functionality.

• Recent desktop environment updates have been exciting as more and more COSMIC is beginning to take shape.

GNOME Desktop/GTK

=> ↺ Caolán McNamara: GNOME Logout Inhbit

• Recently added support in LibreOffice towards 7.6 for GNOME logout inhibit if LibreOffice has open documents with unsaved changes.

Distributions and Operating Systems

=> ↺ Make Use Of ☛ The 9 Best Live USB Linux Distros You Can Use on the Go

• Linux on a USB stick can run fine if you pick the right distribution. This list includes distributions that have been historically successful in meeting the needs for live booting.

• Although live booting is fine for temporary or task-specific usage, if you want to experience and explore the true potential of Linux, it’s better to install it bare-metal on your machine, either standalone or dual-boot.

Fedora Family / IBM

=> ↺ ZDNet ☛ Red Hat advances with new Enterprise Linux releases

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 is out, and RHEL 8.8 will follow shortly.

=> ↺ Fedora Project ☛ Fedora Community Blog: Wrapping up the Fedora Websites and Apps Community Initiative: Part II

• This is the second post in a series covering details about the journey of the Fedora Websites and Apps community Initiative, those who were involved in making it a grand success, and what lies ahead down the road for the team. If you have not already, read the previous post before delving into this one.

• We started off with having recorded meetings on video conferencing platforms like Jitsi Meet. Around August 2021 we decided against to accommodate more fruitful and open discussions. Eventually, we developed rules and regulations for in-call discipline to ensure that everyone in the meeting got equal representation.

=> ↺ Enterprisers Project ☛ Automation: 3 ways it boosts productivity and reduces burnout

• Reports of mass layoffs are all over the headlines these days.

Open Hardware/Modding

=> ↺ Liliputing ☛ Lilbits: Ubuntu on the VisionFive 2 RISC-V single-board PC, mini PCs with Ryzen 7040HS, and Google’s new Find My Network

• Canonical brings support for Ubuntu 23.04 to the StarFive VisionFive 2, a single-board PC with a 1.5 GHz quad-core JH7110 RISC-V processor with SiFive U74 CPU cores and Imagination BXE-4-32 MC1 graphics.

=> ↺ CNX Software ☛ Banana Pi BPI-Centi-S3 – An ESP32-S3 board with an 1.9-inch TFT display and a rotary encoder

• Banana Pi BPI-Centi-S3 is an ESP32-S3 WiFi & BLE IoT board with a 1.9-inch color TFT display, a rotary encoder, and a few I/Os, which offers an alternative to the T-Track ESP32-S3 board with AMOLED and trackball we covered a few days ago. The Banana Pi board also comes with a 2MB on-chip PSRAM, an 8MB SPI flash, a USB Type-C port for power and debugging, two buttons, a buzzer, and an RGB LED.

Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

=> ↺ Forbes ☛ Google Reveals New Security And Privacy Features For Android And Gmail

=> ↺ 9to5Google ☛ Motorola MA1 Android Auto adapter coming to UK and Europe

=> ↺ Make Use Of ☛ How to Turn Any Android Phone Into a Camera Monitor

=> ↺ How to protect your Android from cyberattacks with one great feature | Fox News

=> ↺ Android Central ☛ The Pixel Fold finally fixes Android’s garbage multitasking UI | Android Central

=> ↺ Make Use Of ☛ 5 Exciting AI-Powered Features Coming to Android

=> ↺ The Independent UK ☛ The best VPN for Android: The fastest, most secure options

=> ↺ Phone Arena ☛ Here’s why you might see different prices inside Android apps in the coming weeks – PhoneArena

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

=> ↺ It’s FOSS ☛ FOSS Weekly #23.19: New Zinc Distro, Terminal Fonts, Tux Story and More

• There is a new distro in the town, again. Learn about it in this edition of FOSS Weekly newsletter.

=> ↺ OSI Blog ☛ The Cyber Resilience Act introduces uncertainty and risk leaving Open Source projects confused

• What might happen if the uncertainty persists around who is held responsible under the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)? The global Open Source community is averse to legal risks and generally lacks access to counsel, so it’s very possible offers of source code will simply be withdrawn rather than seeking to resolve the uncertainty.

Events

=> ↺ David Revoy ☛ La Réunion des Communs 2023

• Hey, I’m back home after 10 days at the Réunion des Communs, an event hosted at the library of Saint-Joseph on the Réunion island.

• The Réunion island is a French island, located in the Indian Ocean, approximately 600km/400mi east of the island of Madagascar.

• The event was about all the commons and a big part was about Free/Libre and Open-Source software and Free/Libre culture. Here is a quick report of what I did during the event.

Programming/Development

=> ↺ Daniel Stenberg ☛ 30,000 GitHub stars [Ed: What are you bragging about, Daniel? Being Microsoft's slave? This is proprietary software, a GPL violation machine, and worse. Also, GitHub had two rounds of layoffs this year. It might be offline in a few years. There's no business model.]

• Keeping up with the tradition. A little over two years since the curl reaching 20,000 GitHub stars celebrations I am here to post a new photo as we just surpassed 30,000 stars on curl/curl.

=> ↺ Dave Patrick Caberto: GSoC 2023: Introduction

• I am Dave Patrick Caberto, a first-year Electronics Engineering student from Bataan Peninsula State University, Philippines. This summer, I will be working on the Rust and GTK 4 rewrite of Bustle, a D-Bus activity visualizer, with the guidance of my mentors, Bilal Elmoussaoui and Maximiliano Sandoval.

• Weirdly enough, I first discovered Linux five years ago on a failed attempt to do Hackintosh. I got bored with Windows that I decided to try something new and different, and that’s when I eventually stumbled upon Linux, specifically Elementary OS. It did not last for me since I still depend a lot on applications that are only available with Windows.

• Fast-forward two years later, I decided to give Linux another try with KDE Neon and migrate my workflows to open-source applications such as LibreOffice, Inkscape, and Kdenlive. I remember feeling adventurous and breaking my system numerous times, though I considered it as part of the learning process. I was intrigued by the idea of being a part of a community of passionate developers and enthusiastic users. I also liked the customization it had. However, as I grew with it, I started to realize that I had spent way too much time configuring things and forgetting to focus on what was really important, and that is when I discovered GNOME.

Python

=> ↺ Nikhil Marathe ☛ Python Gotcha: Idiomatic file iteration has bad performance

• Here is a performance footgun I encountered at work in a more complicated form.

• Python allows iterating over a file object. However, this iteration is defined as yielding lines, regardless of if the file is a text or binary file. In fact IOBase specifically says:

• IOBase (and its subclasses) supports the iterator protocol, meaning that an IOBase object can be iterated over yielding the lines in a stream. Lines are defined slightly differently depending on whether the stream is a binary stream (yielding bytes), or a text stream (yielding character strings).

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Seaborn Cluster Map

• The “sb.clustermap()” function is used for plotting statistical visuals based on the matplotlib software that is connected with “pandas” data structures.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Seaborn Rotate Axis Labels

• The “ticklabels()” method can be used in Python to rotate the seaborn plot axis labels position. The seaborn provides a lot of figure customization.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Python Requests Delete Method

• The “request.delete()” method is used to delete records or resource files that take some arguments and values that are used to communicate with the server.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ SciPy Optimize Curve_fit

• To obtain the optimized parameter for a provided function that fits the specified dataset, the “curve_fit()” function can be used.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Cumulative Product Pandas

• In Python, the “cumprod()” method is used to calculate the cumulative product that contains current values and all the previous values in the form of an array.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Matplotlib Log Scale

• Matplotlib supports logarithmic scaling on both the x-axis and y-axis, making it easy to visualize large and small data values.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Matplotlib Grid

• To create and customize grid lines, the “plt.grid()” function of the “Matplotlib” library is used along with various attributes in Python.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ List Index Out of the Range Python

• The “list index out of range” is a common error in Python that occurs when trying to access an index that is outside the range of a list.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Isupper() Method in Python

• The built-in method “isupper()” can be used to check if all the characters in a string are in uppercase or lowercase or others.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ How to Use Matplotlib Trend Line

• In Python, the “Matplotlib” library functions like “plt.polyfit()”, “poly1d()” and “plt.plot()” etc. are used together to add a “Trend Line” to a graph.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Geometric Mean Pandas

• To calculate the “geometric mean” in Python, use the combined “pow()” and “len()” functions, the “gmean()” function, or the “statistics” module.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Calculation of Hamming Distance in Python

• To calculate the “hamming distance” in Python, apply the “built-in function hamming(), use loops”, or utilize “List Comprehension” approach.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Typeerror: ‘list’ Object is Not Callable [Solved]

• The “Typeerror: ‘list’ Object is Not Callable” error occurs when users access the list incorrectly or call a function same name as the list in the same code.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ How to Use the Matplotlib imshow() Method

• The matplotlib “imshow()” method is used for creating an image from 2-D numpy array and generated image will include one square for each element of the array.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Matplotlib Line Thickness

• To change the line width/thickness in Python, the “matplotlib” library can be used. It creates interactive visualization, animation, and static.

Java

=> ↺ What is a Supplier in Java

• In Java, a supplier is a functional interface from the Java.util.function package that represents a supplier of results. It does not take any arguments and returns a value of the specified type.

=> ↺ What is a Provider in Java

• In Java, a Provider is a class or interface that provides a way to obtain or create instances of a specific type or service. read more »

Standards/Consortia

=> ↺ Simon Josefsson ☛ Simon Josefsson: Streamlined NTRU Prime sntrup761 goes to IETF

• The OpenSSH project added support for a hybrid Streamlined NTRU Prime post-quantum key encapsulation method sntrup761 to strengthen their X25519-based default in their version 8.5 released on 2021-03-03. While there has been a lot of talk about post-quantum crypto generally, my impression has been that there has been a slowdown in implementing and deploying them in the past two years. Why is that? Regardless of the answer, we can try to collaboratively change things, and one effort that appears strangely missing are IETF documents for these algorithms.

Leftovers

Education

=> ↺ YLE ☛ 15 Kenyan practical nursing students’ studies suspended in Lappeenranta after Nandi County fails to pay fees

• Local authorities and vocational colleges are now actively seeking jobs for the students, as well as some way for them to complete their studies.

=> ↺ New Yorker ☛ The Parents Who Fight the City for a “Free Appropriate Public Education”

• Children with disabilities have a constitutional right to accommodation in public schools. Securing those rights can bring their families to a breaking point.

Hardware

=> ↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Stanford Researchers Leverage Palladium for Disruptive Memristor Design

• Researchers with Stanford University have singled out a compound of palladium that seems to serve all the functions required from a memristor-based design. It’s an approach to working memory that promises to improve performance while reducing energy consumption.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ ‘De-Americanize’: How China Is Remaking Its Chip Business

• Seven months after Washington unveiled tough curbs, Chinese companies are doubling down on homegrown supply chains and drawing billions in cash from Beijing and investors.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ U.S. Focuses on Invigorating ‘Chiplets’ to Stay Cutting-Edge in Tech

• Chiplets, a way to design chips for higher performance, has become a key prong of U.S. industrial policy. But pushing for more of this activity domestically is challenging.

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

=> ↺ Latvia ☛ Healthcare workers and patients rally for funding increase

• The Latvian Junior Doctors’ Association, together with the Latvian People with Special Needs Cooperation Organization “Sustento”, and several other Latvian patient organizations and associations representing medical workers, hold a picket at the Saeima on Thursday, May 11, requesting politicians to promise stable health care funding.

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Up to 25% of young Hongkongers have suffered from mental disorders, HKU research reveals

• Up to a quarter of young Hong Kong people were found to have suffered from probable mental health issues, with depression ranked as the most prevalent disorder, according to research conducted by the University of Hong Kong (HKU).

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ WHO Says Mpox No Longer A Global Health Emergency

• In the last three months, positive cases have been reduced by 90 percent worldwide.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ W.H.O. Ends Mpox Global Emergency

• The virus was contained in most countries with a combination of vaccination and behavioral change.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Disability commission finds litany of care failings

• The case of two teenage brothers left naked in a room with the door handles removed has laid bare failings by government agencies to protect young people with disabilities, a federal inquiry has heard.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ What to Know About Prince Harry’s Lawsuits Against the British Tabloids

• Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has three ongoing lawsuits against newspapers. One of the cases went to trial this week and involves accusations of phone hacking.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Eisai, Biogen Alzheimer’s Drug Leqembi Would Cost US Medicare up to $5 Billion a Year, Study Finds

=> ↺ Three generations of female doctors in one family make history

• A graduating U-M medical student, her mother and her grandmother will make up the only living trio of three generations of women physicians from one family in the United States.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ This Mother’s Day, Let’s Improve Black Maternal Health

• Unconscious bias and a lack of maternity care can place women of color at risk of tragic birth outcomes.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Environmental Groups Sue Shell Over Air Quality at Massive New Pennsylvania Petrochemical Plant

• An environmental group says in a new lawsuit that Shell is putting residents’ health at risk by persistently violating air quality standards at its massive new petrochemical refinery in western Pennsylvania

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ WHO Declares Global Mpox Outbreak Over

Proprietary

=> ↺ Essel Group ☛ LinkedIn layoffs: Woman says her job offer was rescinded before she could join

• LinkedIn, the Microsoft-owned professional networking platform, on Wednesday announced layoffs in its sales, operations, and support departments. But apart from full-time employees losing their jobs, media reports indicate that offer letters previously extended to new hires were also rescinded.

• One such individual is Lea Schuhmacher, a former intern at LinkedIn and a participant in the company’s Business Leadership Programme, which has been discontinued.

• Schuhmacher revealed in a LinkedIn post that the company had offered her a role back in September 2022. However, after months of anticipation, the offer was unexpectedly revoked, leaving her in a state of uncertainty.

=> ↺ Microsoft layoffs impact over 150 jobs; no raises for employees

• According to a new listing on the state Employment Security Department’s website, the company will let another 158 employees go permanently. These layoffs are separate from the 10,000 layoffs the company announced back in January.

=> ↺ The Street ☛ Stocks Higher, Tesla Gets Twitter Boost, New Microsoft Headache, Regional Banks Lift, Debt Ceiling Progress – 5 Things To Know [Ed: New Microsoft layoffs, not "New Microsoft Headache"]

=> ↺ Free Press Journal ☛ Microsoft employees who survived layoff to lose out on salary hike this year [Ed: This is amplifying sheer noise from Microsoft to cover up the real news: mass layoffs at Microsoft (yes, again)]

=> ↺ Why is Microsoft cutting off more jobs in the US? Read to know [Ed: This headline does not match the summary; it helps the CEO googlebomb the news about layoffs with some blurb about salaries, in effect controlling the news cycle with pure junk]

Linux Foundation

=> ↺ ZDNet ☛ Open source and Linux skills are still in demand in a dark economy [Ed: SJVN acting like an LF PR person, as the employer in this case receives LF money for such puff pieces]

Security

Privacy/Surveillance

=> ↺ Citizen Lab ☛ The risks commercial spyware poses to journalists, activists and government officials – PBS NewsHour

=> ↺ RFA ☛ Blinken remarks on mass DNA collection in Tibet, Xinjiang spark backlash from China

• The US Secretary of State says the effort is a form of control and surveillance.

=> ↺ EDRI ☛ The CSA Regulation: how did it reach this point?

• How did we reach this point of even discussing a law (Child Sexual Abuse Regulation) that so manifestly undermines our democratic structures, threatens to override the fundamental rights that generations have been fighting for, and ignores solid evidence and unanimous professional expertise?

=> ↺ EDRI ☛ EU Parliament sends a global message to protect human rights from AI

• Today, the Internal Market Committee (IMCO) and the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) committees took several important steps to make this landmark legislation more people-focused by banning AI systems used for biometric surveillance, emotion recognition and predictive policing. Disappointingly, the MEPs stopped short of protecting the rights of migrants.

=> ↺ uni Michigan ☛ Data Den service now supports storage of sensitive data

• The university’s Data Den Research Archive, a service for preserving electronic data generated from research activities, now supports the storage of sensitive data, including medical and educational information.

Defence/Aggression

=> ↺ RFA ☛ Activists burn Chinese flag amid growing anger its support for junta

• Beijing has come under fire for projects that fund the regime’s oppression of the people.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ Lithuanian glider factory signs contract with Belarusian drone manufacturer in possible breach of sanctions

• Lithuanian glider manufacturer Sportinė Aviacija ir Ko has signed a contract with a Belarusian-owned company producing unmanned aerial vehicles.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Reporters notebook: Idlib, the last Islamist rebel bastion in Syria

• FRANCE 24’s jihadism expert Wassim Nasr recently travelled to Idlib, the northwestern Syrian province controlled by the armed Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and a desired target for President Bashar al-Assad and his regime. During his visit, Nasr became the first-ever French journalist to meet with Abou Mohammed al-Joulani – the former chief of al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch turned HTS leader and today a sworn enemy of jihadists. Travelling from the Turkish border through to Idlib via Harem, Atmeh, Ariha, Jisr al-Choughour and the Christian village of Yacubiyeh, Nasr shares his notes and observations.

=> ↺ Defence Web ☛ SAAF hosting Saudi delegation

• A Saudi Arabian military delegation has arrived in South Africa to strengthen bilateral relations and examine possible collaboration.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Israeli Strikes Continue Across Gaza Border Amid Cease-Fire Talks

• After the militant organization Islamic Jihad fired hundreds of projectiles at Israel, Israeli forces stepped up its campaign of killing top commanders of the group in airstrikes.

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ Gaza and Israel fire more rockets. Can Egypt broker peace?

• Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed a fourth militant commander, bringing the death toll to 25 in this latest round of fighting. Rocket attacks on southern Israel persist despite Egyptian efforts to broker a cease-fire, as West Bank tensions keep spiking.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Judge in Virginia Strikes Down Federal Limit on Age of Handgun Buyers

• The ruling in Richmond is one of the first successful challenges to gun control laws under the Supreme Court’s landmark 2022 Bruen decision.

Transparency/Investigative Reporting

=> ↺ American Oversight ☛ Harlan Crow Among Attendees at Pompeos’ Controversial ‘Madison Dinner’ in 2019, Records Show

Environment

Energy/Transportation

=> ↺ European Commission ☛ Speech of EVP Timmermans at the World Hydrogen Summit 2023 in Rotterdam

• European Commission Speech Rotterdam, 11 May 2023 Executive Vice President Timmermans speeches at the World Hydrogen Summit 2023 in Rotterdam about how the EU is now the first and only major market that has ambitious hydrogen targets, solid funding schemes as well as a solid policy framework for hydrogen production and consumption.

=> ↺ H2 View ☛ University of Malta researchers explore integrating offshore wind, energy storage and hydrogen production

• University of Malta researchers are exploring ways to integrate offshore wind, offshore energy storage and hydrogen production in the Mediterranean.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ World’s biggest steel maker eyes new green plant in WA

• Western Australia is in the running to host a green steel plant bankrolled by the world’s biggest steel maker, China Baowu Group. During talks with Trade Minister Don Farrell in Beijing, company chairman Chen Dorong said the availability of clean energy and ore make Western Australia ideal as a site for the new facility.

=> ↺ H2 View ☛ American Bureau of Shipping signs MoU with Korea to study near-shore green hydrogen production

• The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) joined Korean industry leaders in the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to produce a feasibility study for a near-shore floating platform of green hydrogen production and liquefaction.

=> ↺ European Commission ☛ State aid: Commission approves €837 million Spanish scheme to support the production of batteries for electric and connected vehicles to foster the transition to a net-zero economy

• European Commission Press release Brussels, 11 May 2023 The European Commission has approved a €837 million Spanish scheme to support the production of batteries for the industrial chain of electric and connected vehicles to foster the transition to a net-zero economy, in line with the Green Deal Industrial Plan.

Wildlife/Nature

=> ↺ YLE ☛ €100 reward on offer for reporting new golden eagle nest

• Metsähallitus, Finland’s state-owned natural resource management enterprise, is offering a reward of 100 euros to anyone reporting a previously unknown golden eagle nest this summer.

=> ↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Researcher discovers over 100 new spider species in Iran

• Iran is known for its diverse range of flora and fauna, yet the country’s invertebrate wildlife has not been extensively studied. To address this gap in knowledge, MSc Alireza Zamani conducted a comprehensive survey of spiders in Iran, analyzing over 9,000 specimens collected from various habitats across the country. Zamani’s doctoral research resulted in the discovery of 147 new spider species, as well as 11 new spider genera. The findings reveal the incredible diversity of spider life in Iran, where the known number of spider species now stands at 935.

Overpopulation

=> ↺ RFA ☛ Scarce drinking water in North Korea during severe spring drought

• Satellite imagery shows that reservoirs have a net loss of water over the past year.

Finance

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Dutton vows to tackle cost of living pressures

• The coalition would ease cost of living pressures, Peter Dutton has vowed as he used his budget reply speech to highlight policies targeted at families while hitting out against an increase in migration.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Emotional plea to pass social, affordable housing fund

• An emotional plea has been issued to strip the politics out of efforts to establish a national housing fund to kickstart the building of new social and affordable homes.  C

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Foxconn Shares Fall After Apple Supplier’s Q1 Profit Plunges

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ Foxconn’s quarterly results are proof that people are buying fewer smartphones

• Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturer of iPhones and other signature Apple devices, reported a 56% year-on-year plunge in its first-quarter profit, thanks in part to weak global smartphone sales.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Yellen Calls Invoking 14th Amendment to Raise Debt Limit ‘Legally Questionable’

• The Treasury secretary warned that a default would lead to a “very substantial downturn.”

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Meeting Between Biden and Republicans Delayed as Sides Pursue Debt Limit Deal

• The decision to delay Friday’s expected meeting to next week was cast as a positive development, one that could allow officials to find agreement before the United States defaults on its debt.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Vulnerable Republicans Caught in the Middle in Debt Limit Fight

• House G.O.P. lawmakers in competitive seats who could be crucial to averting a catastrophic default are being fawned over by Democrats one minute and pummeled the next.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Labor policies pressure housing and families: Dutton

• Labor’s migration settings and growing cost of living impost on families are expected to feature in the federal opposition leader’s budget reply. Liberal leader Peter Dutton will formally respond to the Albanese government’s second budget in parliament on Thursday night.

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ SoftBank halved its loss last year, but only because it sold a chunk of its Alibaba stake

• SoftBank has recorded yet another yearly loss, with its flagship Vision Fund posting a record loss, but it could have been worse.

=> ↺ European Commission ☛ Statement by Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager following today’s Court judgments on the Lufthansa and SAS State aid cases

• European Commission Statement Brussels, 10 May 2023 “Today’s judgments by the General Court annul the Commission’s 2020 decisions raising no objections to State aid granted by Germany to Deutsche Lufthansa AG…

=> ↺ Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico’s housing prices up nearly 12% over last year

• Demand, inflation and speculation helped raise home prices in Mexico in the last year, especially in the north of Mexico, say experts.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

=> ↺ Axios ☛ Trump appeals jury’s liable verdict in E. Jean Carroll’s sexual battery, defamation lawsuit

• Former President Trump on Thursday appealed a New York jury’s decision this week to hold him liable for sexual abuse and defamation in writer E. Jean Carroll‘s civil suit against him.

=> ↺ Erdoğan will have to respect election results if he loses, says rival

• “They cannot refuse to hand over the administration, they will hand it over easily,” Kılıçdaroğlu has said.

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ Why House GOP is unlikely to expel criminally charged Santos

• As Republican Rep. George Santos faces criminal charges, his fellow GOP members weigh expelling him against protecting their already narrow House majority. They are likely to follow past precedents in Congress and wait for the legal process to play out.

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ US border cities prepare for migrant influx as Title 42 ends

• A provision that allowed the U.S. to expel asylum-seekers during the pandemic sunsets today. As the Biden administration and Republicans clash over immigration policy, border communities prepare for an influx of migrants.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ E. Jean Carroll May Sue Trump a Third Time After ‘Vile’ Comments on CNN

• In an interview, her lawyer said that the former president’s mocking comments in a town hall broadcast could create fresh legal jeopardy.

=> ↺ Marcy Wheeler ☛ DOJ Attempts to Stave Off May 24 Trump Deposition in Peter Strzok Lawsuit

• As things currently stand, Peter Strzok has a May 24 deposition scheduled with Donald Trump. But DOJ is trying to forestall that.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Trump Suggests He Knowingly Took Documents From White House

• The former president, in his appearance on CNN, misstated the law governing presidential records, saying he was allowed to take the material now at the heart of a Justice Department investigation.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ House Approves Stringent G.O.P. Border Bill, Attacking Biden on Immigration

• The legislation, which seeks to revive, codify and stiffen a series of border policies pursued by the Trump administration, was timed to be considered on the eve of an expected border surge.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Erdogan’s Election Prospects Take a Hit as a Challenger Drops Out

• With Turks going to the polls on Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had hoped for a swift victory. But the departure of one challenger is likely to benefit his main competitor.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Erdogan Faces a Tough Vote in Turkey’s Election. Here’s What to Know.

• Sunday’s vote is the toughest for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his 20 years as the country’s premier politician. The withdraw of one of his three challengers made it even tougher.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Kemal Dervis, Who Eased Turkey’s Economic Crisis, Dies at 74

• Changes he spearheaded in 2001 helped avert disaster. He later led the United Nations Development Program.

=> ↺ Erdoğan ‘sorry’ that İnce quits presidential race, Kılıçdaroğlu invites him to opposition alliance

• The two major candidates have reacted to İnce’s withdrawal from the presidential race three days into Turkey’s parliamentary and presidential elections.

=> ↺ Immigrants from Turkey in the Netherlands or Cemal’s Cultural Dilemma

• 27-year-old Fikret says he feels 60 percent Turkish and 40 percent Dutch, and seems to enjoy this mixed identity, while 25-year-old third generation Eda describes the risk of being characterized as a “foreigner’ in a Turkish context when “she cannot speak the Turkish language as people in Turkey do.”

=> ↺ TURKEY ELECTIONS: İnce announces withdrawal from presidential race

• The former CHP member has been seen as a potential threat to the opposition’s chances of defeating President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Sunday’s polls.

=> ↺ Turkey elections: Kılıçdaroğlu close to victory in first round, poll suggests

• The opposition candidate’s voting rate is above 49 percent while Erdoğan is lagging behind, according to the KONDA poll.

=> ↺ Q&A WITH HDP’S DANIŞ-BEŞTAŞ: Turkey elections will mark the ‘end of a long-lasting coup’

• The well-known Kurdish politician, who narrowly avoided a life-threatening traffic accident while on the campaign trail, reflects on her “virtual election campaign,” as well as Erdogan’s rhetoric and his attacks on the opposition.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ ‘Matter of Opinion’: What if We Just Paid Clarence Thomas $1 Million?

• What to think about the scandal-prone justice and the Supreme Court? Our hosts talk it through.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ The Second Phase of the Biden Presidency

• How to survive in the age of acceleration.

=> ↺ KOBANİ CASE: Selahattin Demirtaş: ‘This case will end on May 14′

• “Best wishes for the elections. Both the trial and the pleadings ended for me. This case is a political one, and this process will end on May 14,” the imprisoned ex-chairperson of the People’s Democratic Party told the court in the Kobani case.

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ Thailand’s youth is taking on the military and monarchy in the general election

• Thailand’s political fate hangs in the balance as citizens head to the polls on May 14 for a general election. The two leading candidates are the daughter of a billionaire political dynasty, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and the former head of the country’s military junta and incumbent prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha.

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Rise of Thailand’s youth party reflects still potent protest demands

• Thailand was rocked by student-led protests three years ago.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Your Friday Briefing: A Guide to the Thai Elections

• Today, our Southeast Asia bureau chief explains what’s at stake in the Thai election. Also, a court in Pakistan ordered the release of Imran Khan.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Pakistan’s Supreme Court Orders Release of Imran Khan

• The Supreme Court said the arrest of the former prime minister in connection with a corruption case was unlawful. His detention this week had been met with protests across Pakistan.

=> ↺ RFA ☛ Chinese court jails veteran activist Guo Feixiong for eight years

• Guo’s sentence for ‘subversion’ is linked to a website he set up calling for constitutional democracy

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Chinese foreign minister to visit Australia in July, says report

• Tensions have eased between the two countries since Australia elected a Labor government in May 2022.

Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ YouTuber Who Staged Airplane Crash Will Plead Guilty to Obstructing Probe, Prosecutors Say

• The U.S. Justice Department says an influencer who staged a California plane crash to make a YouTube video of himself parachuting to safety has agreed to plead guilty to obstructing the investigation by destroying the wreckage

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ US ‘YouTuber’ Pilot Who Intentionally Crashed Small Plane Agrees to Plea Deal

Censorship/Free Speech

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ Who gets free speech? Battle for diversity on Wisconsin campuses.

• The fight for free speech and racial equity is on at Wisconsin college campuses. Republicans look to defund university diversity efforts after claiming there is bias against conservative speakers.

=> ↺ NYPost ☛ Oregon parents outraged over sexually explicit language used during tenth-grade health lesson on porn

• “I think it would make a lot of grown-ups blush,” Oregon Moms Union co-founder MacKensey Pulliam told Fox.

=> ↺ RFA ☛ Hong Kong newspaper axes political comic strip after government criticism

• Zunzi’s satirical comic strip recently took aim at electoral rule changes and attempts to lure talent to the city

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Chinese ministry takes down Bollywood-inspired brownface video after criticisms

• The video was meant to promote road safety.

=> ↺ New Yorker ☛ The Dark Side of Defamation Law

• A revered Supreme Court ruling protected the robust debate vital to democracy—but made it harder to constrain misinformation. Can we do better?

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

=> ↺ YLE ☛ BBC mistakes bolero-clad Käärijä fan as Käärijä

• The broadcaster has apologised for believing a superfan was Finland’s Eurovision entrant.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ Public service media needs to be where its audience is – LRT director general

• To meet the audience where it is and to reach those groups of people who remain unseen – these are the goals of the public service broadcaster, said LRT director general Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė at the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) Media Summit event.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ David Miranda, Gay Rights Activist and Snowden Ally in Brazil, Dies at 37

• Emerging from Rio’s slums, he helped Edward Snowden reveal classified documents and lobbied for his asylum before rising to his country’s Congress.

Civil Rights/Policing

=> ↺ ACLU ☛ The Fight for Asylum: An American Imperative

• For decades, the ACLU has worked alongside our allies to protect the right to seek asylum. Families and individuals have long sought safety in the United States after fleeing danger in their home countries, and those with a “well-founded fear of persecution” on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group have the right to apply for asylum. This is longstanding law, clearly established following the atrocities of World War II. Yet many administrations have steadily chipped away at the right to asylum, leaving countless people in need of safety adrift and in danger.

=> ↺ Federal News Network ☛ Migrants rush across US border in final hours before Title 42 expires

• Migrants are rushing across the Mexico border in hopes of entering the U.S. in the final hours before pandemic-related asylum restrictions are lifted at midnight. Many migrants fear that the change could make it more difficult for them to stay. Late Thursday, however, the Biden administration was dealt a potentially serious legal setback when a federal judge temporarily blocked its attempt to more quickly release migrants when Border Patrol holding stations are full. With the late-night deadline looming, misinformation and confusion buffeted migrants as they paced the border at the Rio Grande, often unsure of where to go or what to do next.

=> ↺ Mexico News Daily ☛ Moms of the missing take to the streets for Mother’s Day march

• Mother’s Day wasn’t a day of celebration for Mexico’s madres buscadoras, the women who spend their days looking for missing family members.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Mexico to Launch Database of Over 100,000 ‘Disappeared’ People

=> ↺ Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico to send more National Guard troops to the southern border

• President López Obrador said the mandate to send extra soldiers as the U.S.’ Title 42 migration rule expires wasn’t a request from Joe Biden.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Federal Judge Says Border Patrol Can’t Forgo Release Notices to Ease Backups

• The order does not affect the expiration of the pandemic-era Title 42 immigration restrictions, according to an expert. But it could complicate efforts to manage how many migrants cross into the United States.

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Philippine court acquits top critic of Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’

• Despite her acquittal, De Lima will not immediately be released because of another case pending in court.

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ US Agents Carry Out Drill to Contain Mass Migration

• With the end of Title 42 on Thursday at midnight, Mexican and U.S. authorities expect a surge in the number of migrants seeking entry into the United States.

=> ↺ uni Michigan ☛ Q&A: Maybe the best gift for mom is giving her a break

• Mother’s Day should serve as a reminder to mothers to be good to themselves and to celebrate their accomplishments, says Brenda Volling, professor of psychology.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Daniel Penny Will Be Charged in Subway Chokehold Killing of Jordan Neely

• Mr. Penny choked Mr. Neely for several minutes on the floor of an F train. He is expected to surrender on Friday and be charged with manslaughter.

Digital Restrictions (DRM)

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ Disney+ is losing subscribers, thanks to India’s obsession with cricket

• Walt Disney Co’s flagship streaming service Disney+ shed four million subscribers in the March quarter, with a cricketing gala in India playing a major role in the loss./p>

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ A struggling Disney+ needs Hulu to boost US subscribers

• Disney+ is trying to bring the Hulu eyeballs into its fold.

Monopolies

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Microsoft to Defend Activision Deal in Gamers’ Lawsuit in US Court [Ed: Yet another barrier and this will mean the death of XBox! Microsoft has a lot of debt it may attempt to offload onto companies it buys, then liquidate them.]

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Microsoft to Defend Activision Deal in Gamers’ Lawsuit in US Court [Ed: Yet another barrier and this will mean the death of XBox! Microsoft has a lot of debt it may attempt to offload onto companies it buys, then liquidate them.]

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Microsoft to Defend Activision Deal in Gamers’ Lawsuit in US Court [Ed: Yet another barrier and this will mean the death of XBox! Microsoft has a lot of debt it may attempt to offload onto companies it buys, then liquidate them.]

=> ↺ Silicon Angle ☛ Italy’s antitrust watchdog begins probe into Apple’s app market dominance

Patents

=> ↺ Unified Patents ☛ USPTO Proposed Rules Flawed – The Hill Op-Ed

• In an op-ed published on “The Hill” website, Jonathan Stroud summarizes the House Judiciary oversight hearing where USPTO Director athi Vidal testified regarding the Office’s proposed rulemaking.

=> ↺ JUVE ☛ Müller Schupfner & Partner boosts patent team with dual-qualified litigator [Ed: JUVE has become mostly a spamfarm for patent litigation companies; one single hire isn't news, so this is marketing spam disguised as journalism. Shame on JUVE. They used to do actual journalism.]

• Stefan Bianchin, who joined the Munich office of Müller Schupfner & Partner on 1 May, specialises in mechanical engineering, computer-implemented inventions, mobility and energy, measuring technology, and data processing.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ U.S. Trade Panel Votes to Investigate Lidar Tech Company Ouster’s Patent Suit Against Rival Hesai

=> ↺ Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Plausibility post G2/21 – Apixaban in the UK [Ed: The EPO'ss kangaroo court, which is controlled by the EPO junta or the coup plotters who profit from endless litigation]

• On 4 May 2023, a mere two weeks after the conclusion of the hearing, the Court of Appeal handed down its decision in Sandoz and Teva v BMS.

=> ↺ New case studies highlight how innovation fights cancer [Ed: EPO commits a lot of crimes and has repeatedly been compared to a cancer by its own employees; giving monopolies to cancer-related remedies does not solve cancer]

• Three new case studies on cancer technologies illustrate best practices in IP management and strategy

=> ↺ Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Petitioner’s Failure to Argue that Prior Art was Analogous to Challenged Patent Results in Reversal of IPR Decision

• Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GMBH v. Mylan Pharms Inc., 2023 WL 3311549, — F.4th — (Fed. Cir. May 9, 2023).

• The “analogous arts” test is used in patent law to determine whether a particular reference is relevant for the purposes of an obviousness analysis. Under this two prong test, a reference is relevant if it is from the same field of endeavor as the invention at issue, or if it is reasonably pertinent to the problem the invention is trying to solve.  In re Bigio, 381 F.3d 1320, 1325 (Fed. Cir. 2004)

Trademarks

=> ↺ KOL412 | IP Law Tutorial, Part 3: Trademark, Trade Secret, and Other

• Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 412.

• As noted in KOL409 (Part 1: Patent Law) and KOL411 (Part 2: Copyright Law), although I’ve done dozens of speeches and interviews over the past 20 or so years on libertarian aspects of intellectual property, or IP, that is, on IP policy, I’ve never done any in depth lectures for libertarians on IP law itself. In KOL409, I did a brief overview of various types of IP law, and then focused on the patent law and patent application process itself. KOL411 was a tutorial on copyright law.

=> ↺ TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Affirms Genericnes Refusal of COOKIEBOT for ….. Guess What?

• Wrong. This case has nothing to do with baked goods. The Board upheld the USPTO’s refusal to register COOKIEBOT for “Software as a service (SAAS) services featuring software for monitoring and managing data collection and Internet usage tracking, for complying with privacy regulations regarding data collection and Internet usage tracking, and for user consent and permissions management regarding website access, data collection and Internet usage tracking,” on the ground of genericness. The Board also upheld an alternative refusal based on mere descriptiveness and lack of secondary meaning. In re Cybot A/S, Serial No. 90044987 (May 1, 2023) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Peter W. Cataldo).

Copyrights

=> ↺ Public Knowledge ☛ Generative AI is Disruptive, But More Copyright Isn’t the Answer.

• Progress in artificial intelligence seems to be something that happens, to paraphrase Ernest Hemingway, in two ways: gradually, then suddenly.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ How MTV Broke News for a Generation

• MTV News bridged a gap between news and pop culture without talking down to its young audience. As it prepares to shut down, Kurt Loder, Tabitha Soren, Sway Calloway and others reflect on its legacy.

=> ↺ Heather J Meeker ☛ Video: Generative AI, Open Source License Compliance, and Copyright Law [Ed: She needs to disclose her Microsoft connections]

• Check out FOSSA’s video on my recent talk.

=> ↺ Public Domain Review ☛ Photographs of the Los Angeles Alligator Farm (ca. 1907)

• These images of the LA Alligator Farm depict a level of casual proximity unthinkable today.

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