Links 23/03/2024: Inflation Increases (Again) and Growing Debt in Finland Contents [Leftovers](#m2322580701) [Hardware](#m2322580702) [Health/Nutrition/Agriculture](#m2322580703) [Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)](#m2322580704) [Security](#m2322580705) [Defence/Aggression](#m2322580707) [Transparency/Investigative Reporting](#m2322580709) [Environment](#m2322580710) [Finance](#m2322580713) [AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics](#m2322580714) [Censorship/Free Speech](#m2322580715) [Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press](#m2322580716) [Civil Rights/Policing](#m2322580717) [Internet Policy/Net Neutrality](#m2322580718) [Digital Restrictions (DRM)](#m2322580719) [Monopolies/Monopsonies](#m2322580720) – – Leftovers – Hackaday ☛ [R/C Smoke Grenade Rolls With The Changes](https://hackaday.com/2024/03/22/r-c-smoke-grenade-rolls-with-the-changes/) [Davis DeWitt] gets to do something that many of us only dream of — build cool working props for movies.This time, the director asked for a realistic smoke grenade that can roll up to a mark and stop on it every take, pouring out smoke the entire time.- Hackaday ☛ [Build Yourself A Vacuum Tube VU Meter](https://hackaday.com/2024/03/22/build-yourself-a-vacuum-tube-vu-meter/) Volume unit (VU) meters are cool — it’s an undeniable fact.For some reason, humans just dig lights that flash along with sounds.You can build a VU meter using LEDs, or bulbs if you’re trapped in 1972.Or, you could use special vacuum tubes.
[mircemk] did just that in their latest VU meter project.
– Hackaday ☛ [YouTuber Builds Onewheel With Tracks Instead And It’s Not Great](https://hackaday.com/2024/03/22/youtuber-builds-onewheel-with-tracks-instead-and-its-not-great/) The one-wheel is a triumph of modern sensor and control technology.That made it possible to sense the acceleration and position of a platform with a single wheel, and to control that single wheel to keep the platform stable and level, even in motion.[RCLifeOn] has now taken that same concept and made it more hilarious by swapping out the wheel for a track.- Silicon Angle ☛ [Meta updates Threads to connect with Mastodon and other fediverse social networks](https://siliconangle.com/2024/03/22/meta-updates-threads-connect-mastodon-fediverse-social-networks/)[Ed: Embrace, extend…]A new update to Meta Platforms Inc.’s social control media platform Threads will allow users to connect their social control media profiles to the fediverse, which will allow them to be visible on other platforms such as Mastodon.- New York Times ☛ [The A.C.L.U.
Said a Worker Used Racist Tropes and Fired Her.But Did She?](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/us/politics/aclu-employee-fired-race-bias.html) The civil liberties group is defending itself in an unusual case that weighs what kind of language may be evidence of bias against Black people.- Hackaday ☛ [Roll Your Own DRO With An Added Twist](https://hackaday.com/2024/03/22/roll-your-own-dro-with-an-added-twist/) When using a manual machine tool such as a lathe or milling machine, there can be a lot of pressure to read the position and feed the axes at the correct rate.That’s why modern machines typically have some form of digital read-out (DRO).
[Stefano Bertelli] has created a simple Raspberry Pi based DRO with an additional twist, that of a linked motor drive output.- Hardware – CNX Software ☛ [SolidRun’s first COM Express module is powered by the AMD Ryzen V3000 series APU](https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/03/22/solidrun-com-express-module-amd-ryzen-v3000-apu/) SolidRun has recently introduced the “Ryzen V3000 CX7” x86-based CoM Express 7 module powered by an AMD Ryzen V3000 Series V3C48 APU.
This module is designed with AMD’s 6nm ‘Zen3’ architecture and can reach speeds up to 3.8GHz.It supports up to 96 GB of DDR5 memory, which can be either ECC or non-ECC, offering strong performance for different uses.- Tom’s Hardware ☛ [US chip toolmakers skip Semicon China conference they sponsored amid ongoing trade war](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/semiconductors/us-chip-toolmakers-skip-semicon-china-conference-they-sponsored-amid-ongoing-trade-war) Several of Semicon China’s U.S.-based sponsors skipped the conference, as did companies like Micron and ASML.- – Health/Nutrition/Agriculture – Science Alert ☛ [Elon Musk Causes Stir With Ketamine Endorsement.Here’s The Science.](https://www.sciencealert.com/elon-musk-causes-stir-with-ketamine-endorsement-heres-the-science) Always seek medical advice first.- Science Alert ☛ [New ‘Exercise Pill’ Could Induce Fitness Benefits Without Exercise](https://www.sciencealert.com/new-exercise-pill-could-induce-fitness-benefits-without-exercise) Early tests in mice look promising.
– Science Alert ☛ [Time-Restricted Eating May Increase Risk of Early Death, Study Warns](https://www.sciencealert.com/time-restricted-eating-may-increase-risk-of-early-death-study-warns) Concerning new data.- Science Alert ☛ [There’s Another Amazing Use For Leftover Coffee Grounds, Scientists Say](https://www.sciencealert.com/theres-another-amazing-use-for-leftover-coffee-grounds-scientists-say) Is there anything coffee can’t do? – Science Alert ☛ [Havana Syndrome Mystery Deepens Further After Brain Scan Analysis](https://www.sciencealert.com/havana-syndrome-mystery-deepens-further-after-brain-scan-analysis) – Science Alert ☛ [Experts Reveal What Actually Happens When You Have Cataract Surgery](https://www.sciencealert.com/experts-reveal-what-actually-happens-when-you-have-cataract-surgery) Important to know.- Science Alert ☛ [World’s First Neuralink User Plays Chess Via Thought After Brain Implant](https://www.sciencealert.com/worlds-first-neuralink-user-plays-chess-via-thought-after-brain-implant) “It has already changed my life.” – New York Times ☛ [What’s Next for the Coronavirus?](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/health/coronavirus-evolution-immunity.html) Scientists studying the virus’s continuing evolution, and the body’s immune responses, hope to head off a resurgence and to better understand long Covid.- Reason ☛ [The Lesson of COVID-19: Don’t Give Government More Power](https://reason.com/2024/03/22/the-lesson-of-covid-19-dont-give-government-more-power/) The pandemic showed that America’s founders were right to create a system of checks and balances that made it hard for leaders to easily have their way.
– MIT Technology Review ☛ [How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets](https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/03/22/1090059/how-scientists-traced-a-mysterious-covid-case-back-to-six-toilets/) This article first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter.To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first, sign up here.
This week I have a mystery for you.- MIT Technology Review ☛ [The Download: tracing a mysterious covid strain, and fighting dengue with drones](https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/03/22/1090069/the-download-tracing-a-mysterious-covid-strain-and-fighting-dengue-with-drones/) How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets This week I have a mystery for you.- The Straits Times ☛ [Malaysian farmers worried about effects of heat wave and declining rain “dual combo”](https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysian-farmers-worried-about-effects-of-heat-wave-and-declining-rain-dual-combo) Farmers worry there will be a 10 per cent reduction in vegetable planting if weather conditions persists.- Science Alert ☛ [Scientists Reveal a Healthier Way to Cook Broccoli – But There’s a Catch](https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-reveal-a-healthier-way-to-cook-broccoli-but-theres-a-catch) Very surprising! – The Kent Stater ☛ [Healthcare workers speak out over national nurse shortage](https://kentwired.com/117441/latest-updates/healthcare-workers-speak-out-over-national-nurse-shortage/) Healthcare facilities across the United States are experiencing a shortage of registered nurses, causing a high burden on nurses and patient delays, distressing healthcare workers.In the past 2 years, over 100,000 registered nurses have left the workforce and 610,388 plan to leave by 2027, according to the American Hospital Association.- The Kent Stater ☛ [National Public Health Week to kickoff in April](https://kentwired.com/117455/latest-updates/national-public-health-week-to-kickoff-in-april/) National Public Health Week officially begins April 1, 2024, with a full week of in-person and online events aimed at promoting the efforts of the public health community.
Multiple campus and public health groups will present events during the week, including Delta Omega and the Public Health Student Alliance.- New York Times ☛ [Princess Kate’s Cancer Diagnosis Plunges Royal Family Into Uncertainty](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/world/europe/princess-kate-cancer-royal-family.html) First King Charles and now Catherine, Princess of Wales, are facing grave health concerns, stretching an already slimmed-down monarchy.- New York Times ☛ [Read Princess Kate’s Full Statement on Her Cancer Diagnosis](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/world/europe/kate-middleton-cancer-statement.html) The princess asked for privacy as she undergoes treatment, and said that “it has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family.” – New York Times ☛ [Catherine, Princess of Wales, Reveals She Has Cancer](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/03/22/world/princess-kate-middleton-cancer) The princess described the news as a “huge shock” and asked for “time, space and privacy” in a prerecorded video broadcast on the BillBC on Friday evening in Britain.- New York Times ☛ [Harry and Meghan Wish Princess Kate ‘Health and Healing’ After Cancer Diagnosis](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/world/europe/kate-cancer-royals-harry-charles.html) Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and King Charles III offered Catherine messages of encouragement.
– New York Times ☛ [Diagnosis of Princess Kate’s Cancer Followed Familiar Pattern, Doctors Say](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/health/kate-middleton-cancer-chemotherapy.html) The Princess of Wales did not reveal the type of cancer she has, but oncologists say the disease is often identified during other procedures.- YLE ☛ [Firms say berries will stay on bush as Finland suspends Thai berry-picking visas](https://yle.fi/a/74-20080493) The move follows numerous trafficking cases involving Thai pickers.
– The Kent Stater ☛ [Tens of millions of people in this country drink arsenic-contaminated water.It could get a lot worse](https://kentwired.com/117488/world-nation/tens-of-millions-of-people-in-this-country-drink-arsenic-contaminated-water-it-could-get-a-lot-worse/) It started with spots dappled across people’s chests and backs.
Unusual hard patches on the skin of their palms and soles of their feet.For some, a blackening of their toes.Doctors and researchers began noticing patients in Bangladesh presenting with these kinds of symptoms in the 1980s.- – Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Security Week ☛ [UN Adopts Resolution Backing Efforts to Ensure Artificial Intelligence is Safe](https://www.securityweek.com/un-adopts-resolution-backing-efforts-to-ensure-artificial-intelligence-is-safe/) The resolution, sponsored by the United States and co-sponsored by 123 countries, including China, was adopted by consensus with a bang of the gavel and without a vote, meaning it has the support of all 193 U.N.
member nations.- Bartosz Milewski ☛ [Neural Networks, Pre-Lenses, and Triple Tambara Modules](https://bartoszmilewski.com/2024/03/22/neural-networks-pre-lenses-and-triple-tambara-modules/) Neural networks are an example of composable systems, so it’s no surprise that they can be modeled in category theory, which is the ultimate science of composition.
Moreover, the categorical ideas behind neural networks can be immediately implemented and tested in a programming language.- – Security – Privacy/Surveillance – JURIST ☛ [Foreign intelligence agency ran operations out of New Zealand without government knowledge](https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/03/foreign-intelligence-agency-ran-operations-out-of-new-zealand-without-government-knowledge/) The Inspector General of Intelligence Services in New Zealand, Brendan Horsley, revealed on Thursday that a foreign intelligence agency has been operating inside the Government Communications and Security Bureau (GCSB).
Since 2013, the foreign agency has used the GCSB’s ability to host signals to “support action against military targets,” according to the report.- Privacy International ☛ [AI-powered employment practices: PI’s response to the ICO’s draft recruitment and selection guidance](http://privacyinternational.org/advocacy/5287/ai-powered-employment-practices-pis-response-icos-draft-recruitment-and-selection) – – – Defence/Aggression – The Strategist ☛ [How to bring the whole-of-nation with you](https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/how-to-bring-the-whole-of-nation-with-you/) The Australian government is embracing a whole-of-nation approach to international policy.
– Digital Music News ☛ [Members of Congress Receiving Threats Over Looming Fentanylware (TikTok) Ban](https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/03/22/congress-threats-tiktok-ban/) As legislation that may be an effective ban on Fentanylware (TikTok) winds its way through Congress—some representatives are receiving threats.
A new report from The Washington Post reveals that the U.S.Capitol Police are investigating a rise in reports of ‘threats and concerning messages’ surrounding the upcoming Fentanylware (TikTok) discussion.- New Yorker ☛ [The Misguided Attempt to Control TikTok](https://www.newyorker.com/news/fault-lines/the-misguided-attempt-to-control-tiktok)[Ed: But Fentanylware (TikTok) is trying to control your country by the skinnerboxes] The freedom to use social control media is a First Amendment right, even if it’s one we should all avail ourselves of less often.- New York Times ☛ [With Fentanylware (TikTok) Under Fire, Brands That Rely on It Worry](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/business/tiktok-beauty-fashion-companies.html) Many companies, particularly in the beauty and fashion industries, have boosted sales through the platform.They don’t really have a backup plan.
– Off Guardian ☛ [WATCH: Guerrilla Marketing – #SolutionsWatch](https://off-guardian.org/2024/03/22/watch-guerrilla-marketing-solutionswatch/) Between fighting the online censors and fighting to break through the wall of noise distracting the average smartphone zombie, it’s getting harder and harder for activists and infowarriors to reach people online with real news and information.- teleSUR ☛ [Suicide Attack in Afghanistan Leaves 23 Dead and 60 Injured](https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Suicide-Attack-in-Afghanistan-Leaves-23-Dead-and-60-Injured-20240322-0004.html) The attack took place in front of the Bank of Kabul, where people were waiting to receive their salaries.- RFERL ☛ [Ex-Prime Minister Of Bosniak-Croat Federation Begins Jail Term](https://www.rferl.org/a/bosnia-novalic-corruption-prison-novalic/32350526.html) Fadil Novalic, the former prime minister of the Bosniak-Croat federation, one of Bosnia’s two entities, has started serving a four-year prison sentence for corruption in a case regarding the purchase and importing of Chinese ventilators during the coronavirus pandemic.
– RFA ☛ [Episode 2: Turmoil in Tibet](https://www.rfa.org/english/insider/102-03222024145610.html) – New York Times ☛ [A Look at Previous U.S.
Vetoes of Gaza Cease-Fire Resolutions in the U.N.](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/world/middleeast/us-cease-fire-resolution-vetoes.html) Before a U.S.resolution in the United Nations Security Council calling for a cease-fire in Gaza was vetoed on Friday, the U.S.had vetoed three previous ones demanding a halt to the fighting.- New York Times ☛ [Ocasio-Cortez, in House Speech, Accuses Israel of ‘Genocide’](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/nyregion/aoc-genocide.html) Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had called for a permanent cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas, but had resisted labeling the conflict a genocide.- YLE ☛ [Appeals court rules police justified to forcibly remove hijabs from asylum seekers](https://yle.fi/a/74-20080455) The two women — citing their religious beliefs — refused to remove their head coverings for police to take registration photos, which were required in order to process their asylum applications.- YLE ☛ [Finland to reinstate UNRWA funding](https://yle.fi/a/74-20080418) The Finnish government suspended payments to the UN agency in January following allegations that several of its members were involved in the Hamas terror attacks in Israel on 7 October.- The Straits Times ☛ [Lebanon to complain to UN, saying Israel disrupts navigation systems](https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/lebanon-to-complain-to-un-saying-israel-disrupts-navigation-systems) CAIRO – Lebanon will file an urgent complaint with the U.N.Security Council over what it called Israel’s violation of its sovereignty by disrupting its navigation systems, the foreign ministry said on Friday.
– JURIST ☛ [Georgia House advances bill barring Chinese ‘agents’ from owning farm and military-adjacent land](https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/03/georgia-house-advances-bill-barring-chinese-agents-from-owning-farm-and-military-adjacent-land/) A Republican-sponsored bill that banned any Chinese “agent” from purchasing farmland or land near military installations passed the Georgia House of Representatives on Thursday.The vote was 97-67 along party lines.Republican representatives have argued the bill will help further national security.- JURIST ☛ [Denmark intelligence service finds elevated terrorism threat due to Israel-Hamas war](https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/03/denmark-intelligence-service-finds-elevated-terrorism-threat-due-to-israel-hamas-war/) The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) published its assessment report on Thursday, finding that the threat of terrorism in Denmark and against its interests abroad had increased because of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and a series of Quran burnings in Denmark in 2023.- TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ [US fighter jets strike storage facilities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen](https://www.twincities.com/2024/03/22/us-fighter-jets-strike-storage-facilities-in-houthi-controlled-areas-of-yemen/) U.S.
fighter jets from the USS Dwight D.
Eisenhower aircraft carrier struck three underground storage facilities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen late Friday, according to a U.S.official.- RFA ☛ [Airstrikes and shelling have killed 70 civilians in Myanmar’s Rakhine state](https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/rakhine-civilians-bombs-03222024151502.html) Bombs and artillery shelling have targeted towns where junta troops have recently been driven away.- Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine – RFA ☛ [Episode 1: From Russia With ‘Legos’](https://www.rfa.org/english/insider/101-03222024145250.html) – Latvia ☛ [Latvian municipal leaders will be subject to more security checks](https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/22.03.2024-latvian-municipal-leaders-will-be-subject-to-more-security-checks.a547662/) Local government officials will need a special permit for access to state secrets, the Saeima decided on Thursday, March 21, endorsing in the final reading amendments to the law proposed by the President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs.- Meduza ☛ [‘I’m afraid for my children’: In Kostiantynivka, mothers in Russia’s warpath weather bombs and a looming evacuation — Meduza](https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/03/22/i-m-afraid-for-my-children) – Meduza ☛ [Investigators accuse protesters of ‘armed resistance’ amid continuing crackdown in Russia’s Bashkortostan — Meduza](https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/03/22/investigators-accuse-protesters-of-armed-resistance-amid-continuing-crackdown-in-russia-s-bashkortostan) – Meduza ☛ [‘It can fly for as long as you want’: Russia selling Iran airships similar to the Chinese ‘spy balloon’ shot down over U.S., leaked documents show — Meduza](https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/03/22/it-can-fly-for-as-long-as-you-want) – Meduza ☛ [‘We are at war’: Putin spokesman says invasion of Ukraine has grown beyond ‘special military operation’ — Meduza](https://meduza.io/en/news/2024/03/22/we-are-at-war-putin-spokesman-says-invasion-of-ukraine-has-grown-beyond-special-military-operation) – New York Times ☛ [Jailed in Putin’s Russia for Speaking the Truth](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/opinion/gershkovich-kurmasheva-russia-putin.html) Two Americans are among the 22 journalists behind bars in Russia.- RFERL ☛ [EU Sanctions Russian Officials, Prison Guards Over Navalny’s Death](https://www.rferl.org/a/european-union-sanctions-navalny-death/32873642.html) The European Union has sanctioned dozens of Russian officials and two correctional colonies over the death last month in prison of opposition politician and outspoken Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny.
– Meduza ☛ [At least 12 reportedly killed, dozens injured in shooting at Moscow region music hall — Meduza](https://meduza.io/en/news/2024/03/22/at-least-12-reportedly-killed-dozens-injured-in-shooting-at-moscow-region-music-hall) – Meduza ☛ [In photos: Concert hall on fire outside Moscow after terrorist attack — Meduza](https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/03/22/in-photos-concert-hall-on-fire-outside-moscow-after-terrorist-attack) – Meduza ☛ [‘The crowd ran and they opened fire’ Meduza shares eyewitness accounts of the deadly concert hall shooting outside Moscow — Meduza](https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/03/23/the-crowd-ran-and-they-opened-fire) – Meduza ☛ [On the ground outside the Moscow concert hall attacked by terrorists — Meduza](https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/03/23/on-the-ground-outside-the-moscow-concert-hall-attacked-by-terrorists) – New York Times ☛ [Gunmen Killed Dozens at a Moscow Concert Hall](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/briefing/moscow-concert-hall-attack-trump-billions.html) Also, Princess Kate announced that she has cancer.Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.- New York Times ☛ [U.S.Says ISIS Was Responsible for Deadly Moscow Concert Hall Attack](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/world/europe/isis-moscow-attack-concert-hall.html) After a period of relative quiet, the Islamic State has been trying to increase its external attacks, according to U.S.counterterrorism officials.- New York Times ☛ [What We Know About ISIS-K, the Group That Claimed Responsibility for the Moscow Attack](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/us/politics/isis-k-moscow-attack.html) The Islamic State affiliate has been a major threat to the Taliban’s ability to govern Afghanistan.- The Straits Times ☛ [Explainer-Why did ISIS-K attack a Moscow theater?](https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/explainer-why-did-isis-k-attack-a-moscow-theater) WASHINGTON – The U.S.
has intelligence confirming Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for a deadly shooting attack at a concert near Moscow on Friday, a U.S.official told Reuters.- teleSUR ☛ [Terrorist Attack in Moscow Leaves 40 Dead and 100 Injured](https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Terrorist-Attack-Moscow-Leaves-40-Dead-100-Injured-20240322-0012.html) “Camouflaged people, at least 3, entered the ground floor of the concert hall and opened fire indiscriminately with automatic weapons” – JURIST ☛ [60 killed and 100+ injured in deadly attack on crowded Moscow music hall, ISIS claims responsibility](https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/03/gunmen-attack-crowded-music-hall-in-moscow/) Camoflauge-clad individuals opened fire on a crowded concert hall and shopping complex just outside of Moscow on Friday before setting the structure ablaze, according to local official statements and media reports.According to a number of social control media reports, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks.- France24 ☛ [Islamic State group claims responsibility for deadly Moscow concert hall attack](https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240322-gunmen-in-combat-fatigues-open-fire-at-moscow-concert-hall) Gunmen opened fire at a Moscow concert hall on Friday killing at least 60 people, wounding more than 145 and sparking an inferno, authorities said, with the Islamic State group claiming responsibility.
– Meduza ☛ [Police storm apartment after former soldier reportedly takes woman hostage in Russian Far East — Meduza](https://meduza.io/en/news/2024/03/22/police-storm-apartment-after-former-soldier-reportedly-takes-woman-hostage-in-russian-far-east) – RFERL ☛ [Russian Poet Gets 7 Years In Prison For Anti-War Verses](https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-poet-prison-putin-assassination/32873168.html) The OVD-Info rights group said on March 21 that a court in Moscow had sentenced poet Aleksandr Byvshev to seven years in prison on a charge of calling for terrorism and distributing false news about Russia’s military.- YLE ☛ [President Stubb approves Nato agreements, announces visit to Eastern Finland](https://yle.fi/a/74-20080547) Alexander Stubb and his spouse Suzanne Innes-Stubb will travel to the eastern border region next week, marking the president’s first domestic trip since taking office.
– – – Transparency/Investigative Reporting – Reason ☛ [Court Allows Media to Intervene to Unseal Documents in Lottery Winner’s Lawsuit](https://reason.com/volokh/2024/03/22/court-allows-media-to-intervene-to-unseal-documents-in-lottery-winners-lawsuit/) The lottery winner is suing an ex-girlfriend based on a non-disclosure agreement aimed at concealing his identity.(The intervention, at this point, is aimed at just unsealing various sealed documents in the case, not at disclosing the parties’ names.) – – Environment – Energy/Transportation – RFERL ☛ [Montenegro Delays Extradition Of South Korean ‘Cryptocurrency King’](https://www.rferl.org/a/montenegro-extradition-cryptocurrency-king-extradition-kwon-korea-delays/32870578.html) The Council of the Supreme Court of Montenegro has postponed the extradition of South Korean cryptocurrency entrepreneur Do Kwon to his home country despite what was said to be a final rejection earlier this week of an appeal in the Balkan state.- H2 View ☛ [China’s ‘first’ hydrogen-powered urban train completes test run: reports](https://www.h2-view.com/story/chinas-first-hydrogen-powered-urban-train-completes-test-run-reports/2107855.article/) China’s “first” home-grown hydrogen-powered urban train completed a test run at a speed of 160kph (99mph) on Thursday (March 21), according to local reports.- Reason ☛ [Review: How Ray Trapani Scammed the Crypto World and Got Away With it](https://reason.com/2024/03/22/bitconned/) Netflix’s Bitconned explores Centra Tech’s scammy business dealings.- – Overpopulation – YLE ☛ [Can fertility treatments revive Finland’s sluggish birth rate?](https://yle.fi/a/74-20080525)[Ed: It’s not a health problem, it is people choosing not to have kids (because their brains are healthy to figure this out)] The government wants to make private fertility treatments more affordable.- – – Finance – YLE ☛ [Finland to borrow additional €1.5bn as economy stalls](https://yle.fi/a/74-20080322) In total, the state needs to borrow nearly 13 billion euros this year to cover expenditures.- Mexico News Daily ☛ [Inflation increases in the first half of March, following February decline](https://mexiconewsdaily.com/business/inflation-mexico-goes-up-first-half-march/) Inflation data published one day after the Bank of Mexico cut their key rate to 11% shows an uptick in the first half of March.
– RFA ☛ [Victor Li ‘prays’ Hong Kong can keep global financial center status](https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/victorli-hk-comments-03222024064146.html) Fears are mounting that the city will lose its edge after the passing of the second security law.- Hong Kong Free Press ☛ [Passage of domestic security law a ‘glorious achievement,’ Hong Kong leader John Lee tells Beijing official](https://hongkongfp.com/2024/03/22/passage-of-domestic-security-law-a-glorious-achievement-hong-kong-leader-john-lee-tells-beijing-official/) The enactment of Hong Kong’s new domestic security law was a “glorious achievement,” Chief Executive John Lee has said in a meeting with Beijing’s top official on the city’s affairs.- Hong Kong Free Press ☛ [Hong Kong’s new, homegrown security law comes into effect](https://hongkongfp.com/2024/03/23/breaking-hong-kongs-new-homegrown-security-law-comes-into-effect/) Hong Kong’s homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance has come into effect, four days after the legislation was unanimously approved at the city’s opposition-free legislature.Separate to the 2020 Beijing-enacted security law, the new legislation – gazetted midnight on Saturday – targets treason, insurrection, sabotage, external interference, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage.It allows for […] – Reason ☛ [A GOP Plan To Raise the Retirement Age Reveals How Unserious Washington Is About Social Security](https://reason.com/2024/03/22/a-gop-plan-to-raise-the-retirement-age-reveals-how-unserious-washington-is-about-social-security/) An obvious, tepid reform was greeted with shrill partisan screeching.- University of Michigan ☛ [You’re boycotting wrong](https://www.michigandaily.com/opinion/youre-boycotting-wrong/) Boycotts are an essential part of American democracy.They have been catalysts of important moments in history, like the boycott of British goods during the American Revolution, the Montgomery bus boycotts during the Civil Rights movement and the Delano Grape strike that supported the rights of migrant workers.
– New York Times ☛ [‘Strike Madness’ Hits Germany While Its Economy Stumbles](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/world/europe/germany-strikes-economy.html)[Ed: Workers going on strike is not “Madness”; it’s often justified and necessary] A wave of strikes by German workers, feeling the sting of inflation and stagnant growth, is the latest sign of the bleak outlook for Europe’s economic powerhouse.- YLE ☛ [Political strikes prompt Nokian Tyres furlough](https://yle.fi/a/74-20080537) The company said it cannot deliver orders to customers due to the walkout by transport and logistics workers.
– – AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics – The Straits Times ☛ [North Korea, China held talks in Beijing, KCNA says](https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/north-korea-china-held-talks-in-beijing-kcna-says) SEOUL – North Korea and China held high-level talks in Beijing on Thursday and reaffirmed a commitment to further develop bilateral relations as Pyongyang expands its diplomatic engagement after COVID-19 lockdowns.
– RFA ☛ [High level North Korean delegation visits China](https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/nk-china-visit-03222024004842.html) The two sides discussed ‘external environment,’ situation on Korean Peninsula.
– RFA ☛ [Tension rises between Beijing and Manila over disputed reefs](https://www.rfa.org/english/news/southchinasea/spratly-dispute-03222024035840.html) China claims to have ‘thwarted’ Philippine marine expedition to strategic rocks in South China Sea.- The Straits Times ☛ [Honduras and China set $275 million cooperation agreement](https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/honduras-and-china-set-275-million-cooperation-agreement) TEGUCIGALPA – Honduras and China have signed a 6.8 billion lempiras ($275.99 million) cooperation agreement to help boost infrastructure for education establishments in the Central American nation, the Honduran government said in a social control media post on Friday.- The Straits Times ☛ [Peru awards China’s Jinzhao $405 million port construction contract](https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/peru-awards-chinas-jinzhao-405-million-port-construction-contract) LIMA – The Peruvian government said on Friday it has awarded a subsidiary of Chinese firm Jinzhao a contract to build a port in the south of the Andean nation, expected to require $405 million in investments.- The Straits Times ☛ [Pay to drink at a stranger’s home? Home bars a growing trend in China’s lonely big cities](https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/pay-to-drink-at-a-stranger-s-home-home-bars-a-growing-trend-in-china-s-lonely-big-cities) Some say the bars are part of a culture where young Chinese look online for companions to engage in activities.
– The Straits Times ☛ [ST Picks: Home bars a growing trend in China’s lonely big cities](https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/st-picks-home-bars-a-growing-trend-in-china-s-lonely-big-cities) – New Yorker ☛ [Why Robert Hur Described Joe Biden as an “Elderly Man with a Poor Memory”](https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/why-robert-hur-described-joe-biden-as-an-elderly-man-with-a-poor-memory) Jeannie Suk Gersen discusses her interview with the special counsel in the classified-documents investigation of President Biden, the first since he sparked an uproar with his description of Biden as having a deficient memory.- New Yorker ☛ [Trump’s Authoritarian Pronouncements Recall a Dark History](https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/trumps-authoritarian-pronouncements-recall-a-dark-history) Adam Gopnik considers how Hitler came to power, and what it tells us about the 2024 election.Plus, rewriting “Huckleberry Finn” from the point of view of Jim.- New York Times ☛ [The Supreme Court and Young Voter Turnout](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/us/politics/the-supreme-court-and-young-voter-turnout.html) A 2013 ruling triggered a slew of laws that attached restrictions to voting.
– JURIST ☛ [Three Wisconsin county prosecutors decline to pursue felony charges against Trump fundraising committee and Republican lawmaker](https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/03/three-wisconsin-county-prosecutors-decline-to-pursue-felony-charges-against-trump-fundraising-committee-and-republican-lawmaker/) The Wisconsin Ethics Commission announced in a memo Friday that the Wisconsin county prosecutors of Chippewa, Florence and Langlade Counties have declined to pursue felony charges for conspiring to evade campaign finance laws against the fundraising committee for former President Donald Trump and Wisconsin state Rep.Janel Brandtjen (R) due to “a conflict of interest.” – – Censorship/Free Speech – Techdirt ☛ [Ctrl-Alt-Speech: Murthy, Reddit, and the Speech Deciders](https://www.techdirt.com/2024/03/22/ctrl-alt-speech-murthy-reddit-and-the-speech-deciders/) Ctrl-Alt-Speech is a weekly podcast about the latest news in online speech, from Mike Masnick and Everything in Moderation‘s Ben Whitelaw.
– Reason ☛ [Journal of Free Speech Law: “Public Health Law’s Digital Frontier: Addictive Design, Section 230, and the Freedom of Speech,” by Prof.Matthew Lawrence](https://reason.com/volokh/2024/03/22/journal-of-free-speech-law-public-health-laws-digital-frontier-addictive-design-section-230-and-the-freedom-of-speech-by-prof-matthew-lawrence/) The article is here; the Abstract: A new generation of claims argues that addictive design by social control media companies has caused a national mental health crisis, and so seeks to join nascent state legislative efforts in making addictive design by technology companies public health law’s next frontier.- Reason ☛ [Florida Court Reverses Anti-Libel Injunction Entered During Discovery Dispute](https://reason.com/volokh/2024/03/22/florida-court-reverses-anti-libel-injunction-entered-during-discovery-dispute/) Florida appellate courts are pretty good about reversing unconstitutional injunctions against speech (though Florida trial courts seem to be pretty willing to enter such injunctions).- RFA ☛ [Detained Vietnamese activist denied access to lawyer](https://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/vietnam-activist-denied-lawyer-03212024215540.html) Phan Tat Thanh is accused of spreading anti-state propaganda on Facebook.- – Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press – Hong Kong Free Press ☛ [Ex-Hong Kong No.2 Anson Chan asked activists about ‘endgame’ of protests in 2020 meeting, Jimmy Lai trial hears](https://hongkongfp.com/2024/03/22/ex-hong-kong-no-2-anson-chan-asked-activists-about-endgame-of-protests-in-2020-meeting-jimmy-lai-trial-hears/) Former Hong Kong chief secretary Anson Chan met protesters and asked them if they had an “endgame” after months-long pro-democracy demonstrations and unrest in 2019, the national security trial of media mogul Jimmy Lai has heard.
– The Straits Times ☛ [New Hong Kong security law comes into force amid fears for freedoms](https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/new-hong-kong-national-security-law-comes-into-force-amid-international-criticism) The law took effect at midnight when it was published on a government website.- – Civil Rights/Policing – Techdirt ☛ [Grandmother Awarded Nearly $4 Million Over SWAT Raid Predicated On A Faulty ‘Find My Phone’ Ping](https://www.techdirt.com/2024/03/22/grandmother-awarded-nearly-4-million-over-swat-raid-predicated-on-a-faulty-find-my-phone-ping/) In January 2022, 77-year-old Ruby Johnson’s house was raided by the Denver Police Department.Supposedly seeking a stolen vehicle and several guns, the SWAT team descended on Johnson’s house.The officers ordered anyone inside to come out of the house.
Johnson complied, but that didn’t stop the SWAT team from attempting to destroy her house to find the contraband it was sure was located inside the home (which I guess includes the “stolen truck”).The SWAT team, with the home’s only resident in its temporary custody, proceeded to destroy her garage door with a battering ram, smash some ceiling panels (?), destroy some of her belongings, and otherwise leave her house in disarray.- Techdirt ☛ [‘Goon Squad’ Deputies Headed To Jail For Torturing Black Men For The Crime Of Being Black](https://www.techdirt.com/2024/03/22/goon-squad-deputies-headed-to-jail-for-torturing-black-men-for-the-crime-of-being-black/) They called themselves the “Goon Squad.” Six Mississippi deputies bestowed this name upon themselves, perhaps hoping to invoke the more violent era of the National Hockey League — an era overseen by “enforcers” fueled by cocaine and testosterone who gave the home crowd what they wanted: blood on the ice in return for any perceived slight during the game.- – Internet Policy/Net Neutrality – Techdirt ☛ [Confused NY Court Says That Section 230 Doesn’t Block Ridiculous Lawsuit Blaming Social Media For Buffalo Shooter](https://www.techdirt.com/2024/03/22/confused-ny-court-says-that-section-230-doesnt-block-ridiculous-lawsuit-blaming-social-media-for-buffalo-shooter/) Can you imagine what kind of world we’d live in if you could blame random media companies for tangential relationships they had with anyone who ever did anything bad? What would happen if we could blame newspapers for inspiring crime? Or television shows for inspiring terrorism? The world would be a much duller place.- Techdirt ☛ [FCC Outlaws Sleazy And Misleading Cable TV Fees](https://www.techdirt.com/2024/03/22/fcc-outlaws-sleazy-and-misleading-cable-tv-fees/) For decades, U.S.cable and broadband giants have advertised one price, then socked consumers with a much higher price once the bill actually arrives.This is usually accomplished via a bevy of bullshit below the line fees specifically built for the purpose.- Reason ☛ [Lawsuits Allege Michigan Sheriffs Colluded To End In-Person Jail Visits and Price Gouge Families for Calls](https://reason.com/2024/03/22/lawsuits-allege-michigan-sheriffs-colluded-to-end-in-person-jail-visits-and-price-gouge-families-for-calls/) Two class-action lawsuits say Michigan counties take cuts of the exorbitant costs of inmate phone calls while children go months without seeing their parents in person.
– AccessNow ☛ [The Sudan conflict: how internet shutdowns deepen a humanitarian crisis](https://www.accessnow.org/the-sudan-conflict-how-internet-shutdowns-deepen-a-humanitarian-crisis/) These stories from the Sudan conflict show the human impact of the internet shutdowns that plunged the country into darkness last month.- AccessNow ☛ [Digital Public Infrastructure: A Tool for Gender Equality?](https://www.accessnow.org/event/digital-public-infrastructure-a-tool-for-gender-equality/) This virtual event aims to discuss the critical need for a robust digital public infrastructure that supports and safeguards global public goods for everyone in order to fulfill the promise of the internet.- – Digital Restrictions (DRM) – New York Times ☛ [Joni Mitchell, Following Neil Young, Returns to Spotify After Protest](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/arts/music/joni-mitchell-spotify.html) Her music has quietly reappeared on the streaming service, two years after a departure over what she called “lies” about Covid-19 vaccines in podcasts.
– – New York Times ☛ [Justice Dept.Sues Apple, Smartphones and Children with Jonathan Haidt and Reddit’s I.P.O.](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/podcasts/hard-fork-apple-lawsuit-reddit-ipo.html) “We’ll see you in court.” – Digital Music News ☛ [Spotify, Epic, Deezer, Qobuz, and More Come Out in Favor of Justice Department Action Against Apple, Double Down on Legislation Push](https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/03/22/coalition-for-app-fairness-apple-action-comments/) Spotify, Epic Games, Deezer, Qobuz, and the other members of the Coalition for App Fairness have come out in support of the Justice Department’s action against Apple.The four-year-old Coalition for App Fairness, technically created by Epic but long supported by Spotify, just recently voiced its approval of the DOJ lawsuit against Apple.- New York Times ☛ [The Trustbuster Who Has Fashion Company Apple and Surveillance Giant Google in His Sights](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/technology/jonathan-kanter-apple-antitrust.html) Jonathan Kanter, the head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, made his boldest move on Thursday by accusing Fashion Company Apple of antitrust violations.- Patents – Unified Patents ☛ [$2,000 awarded for WristDocs biotelemetry patent monopoly prior art](https://www.unifiedpatents.com/insights/2024/3/22/2000-awarded-for-wristdocs-biotelemetry-patent-prior-art) Unified is pleased to announce [PATROLL](https://patroll.unifiedpatents.com/contests)crowdsourcing contest winners, Dinesh Swami and Ekta Aswal, who split a $2,000 award for their prior art submissions on [U.S.
Patent 9,392,970](https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/patents/patent/9392970), owned by WristDocs LLC, an NPE.The ‘970 patent monopoly provides a portable, disposable biotelemetry system, including one or more sensors, capable of being mounted on one or more extremities, particularly the wrist.The invention provides a biotelemetry system for disposition on the wrist.The device of the invention may be portable, untethered and in some instances, disposable.The features of the wrist biotelemetry system make it effective in stable, chronic or emergency medical settings.- Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ [Guidance on Examining Means Plus Function Claims](https://patentlyo.com/patent/2024/03/40096.html) This week USPTO Commissioner for Patents Vaishali Udupa issued a memorandum to all patent monopoly examiners entitled “Resources for Examining Means-Plus-Function and Step-Plus-Function Claim Limitations (35 U.S.C.112(f)).” The purpose of the memo is to remind examiners of the resources and guidance available when examining claims under 35 U.S.C.112(f), commonly referred to as “means-plus-function” or “step-plus-function” claims.
The memo summarizes key points regarding: […] – Kangaroo Courts – Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ [UPC “saisie-contrefaçon” Part III: the “C-Kore” case](https://patentblog.kluweriplaw.com/2024/03/22/upc-saisie-contrefacon-part-iii-the-c-kore-case/)[Ed: UPC is illegal, but they continue to talk about it as if all is OK because the crime was successful] Earlier this week, we examined the UPC’s first case on UPC “saisie-contrefaçon” (or “SC”, see here).Today, we turn our attention another order of this type, which has been rendered by the Paris local division.- – – Trademarks – TTAB Blog ☛ [TTAB Denies Bertini’s Petition for Cancellation of APPLE Registration Due to Failure of Proof of Abandonment](http://thettablog.blogspot.com/2024/03/ttab-denies-bertinis-petitition-for.html) Charles Bertini won a battle with Apple, Inc.last year [TTABlogged [here]](http://thettablog.blogspot.com/2023/04/cafc-reverses-ttabs-apple-jazz.html), but he lost this one.
Bertini petitioned to cancel a registration for the mark APPLE for a host of entertainment and other services in class 41, claiming that Fashion Company Apple Inc.abandoned the mark through nonuse.Bertini contended that the nonuse occurred “during a period of at least three years and six months after the date of the SOU, namely during November 11, 2011 – May 31, 2015.” However, Bertini failed to make a prima facie case of nonuse, and so the Board denied the petition.[Charles Bertini v.
Fashion Company Apple Inc.](http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/ttabvue-92068213-CAN-88.pdf), Cancellation No.92068213 (March 20, 2024) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Peter W.Cataldo).- – Copyrights – Digital Music News ☛ [Danish Man Sentenced to Prison Over Alleged Streaming Fraud Scheme — But an Appeal Is Already in Motion](https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/03/22/music-streaming-fraud-sentence/) Last month, a trial kicked off in Denmark over an alleged music streaming fraud operation.
Now, having been found guilty of data fraud as well as copyright monopoly infringement, the responsible individual is facing three months behind bars.- Hackaday ☛ [Generative AI Now Encroaching On Music](https://hackaday.com/2024/03/22/generative-ai-now-encroaching-on-music/)[Ed: CG and fusion, not “Hey Hi”] While it might not seem like it to a novice, music turns out to be a highly mathematical endeavor with precise ratios between chords and notes as well as overall structure of rhythm and timing.
This is especially true of popular music which has even more recognizable repeating patterns and trends, making it unfortunately an easy target for modern generative AI which is capable of analyzing huge amounts of data and creating arguably unique creations.
This one, called Suno, does just that for better or worse.
– Techdirt ☛ [NY Writer’s Copyright Suit Over ‘Abbot Elementary’ Dismissed By Court](https://www.techdirt.com/2024/03/22/ny-writers-copyright-suit-over-abbot-elementary-dismissed-by-court/) Ah, the idea/expression dichotomy strikes again! It really is incredible just how many copyright lawsuits and disputes are launched due to the fundamental lack of understanding of this particular nuance of copyright law.As a very quick reminder: you cannot copyright an idea, but you can copyright specific expression.For example, you cannot copyright the idea of a wise-cracking rabbit that outwits a human being, but you can copyright the character Bugs Bunny.- Monopolies/Monopsonies – * [Gemini (Primer)](/gemini) links can be opened using [Gemini software](https://gemini.circumlunar.space/software/).
It’s like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter..