Prompt: The Apothecarium, a cannabis dispensary set to open in Berkeley, is in danger of losing its permit because of its landlord’s refusal to lease the premise after the dispensary has paid more than $145,000 to secure the premise since 2015, according to a lawsuit. BTHHM Berkeley LLC, owner of The Apothecarium, filed the lawsuit May 30 against Stewart Johnston, the landlord of the dispensary’s intended Berkeley location on 2578 Shattuck Ave. for alleged “breach of contract” and “other bad faith actions,” according to the lawsuit. BTHHM Berkeley LLC and Landmark Real Estate Management, on behalf of Johnston, entered into a

letter of intent in February 2015 to lease the property, the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit also states that the letter of intent clearly outlined the use of the premise as a marijuana dispensary, after receiving approval by the city. In September 2016, The Apothecarium became one of two marijuana dispensaries unanimously granted a permit by City Council after the city changed the legal limit of medical marijuana dispensaries from four to six. The Apothecarium and Berkeley Compassionate Care Center were selected out of five dispensary applicants. As location of the dispensaries was one of the factors considered in selection, by refusing to allow possession of the premise for months after receiving permit, the dispensary may lose its permit according to the lawsuit. In addition, the lawsuit states that BTHHM has spent more than $400,000 over the last two years, which includes $140,000 in rent toward Johnston, and additional fees to secure the location and obtain its permit. Johnston has insisted on making changes to terms which were agreed upon, which includes raising the base rent from $6,400 to $12,600 every month, raising the security deposit from $12,800 to $50,000 and making structural improvements to the property which is estimated to cost $700,000, according to the lawsuit. “Johnston’s actions since the Permit was issued make abundantly clear that Johnston has absolutely no intent of following through on his obligations under the Agreement to deliver passion of the Premises or execute a lease with BTHHM,” the lawsuit reads. City Councilmember Kriss Worthington said, however, that there have been cases, such as with the Berkeley Permit Group, in which a dispensary relocates without losing its permit as long as they go through the standard procedure. “I hope the sides can work out a compromise,” Worthington said. “I would be happy to help facilitate


Prompt: A Palestinian UN worker accused by Israel of aiding the Hamas terrorist group was sentenced to seven months’ jail on Wednesday, his lawyer said, in a plea deal that will see him released soon. Waheed Borsh was convicted of “rendering services to an illegal organization without intention,” his lawyer Lea Tsemel told AFP. With time already served, he is expected to be released on January 12. The case centered on accusations that rubble in Gaza under the responsibility of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) was misused by the terrorist group Hamas that controls the enclave. Get The Times of

Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up The engineer from Jabaliya in northern Gaza, who worked for the UNDP, was arrested on July 16. According to the Shin Bet security service, Borsh was recruited by a Hamas member to “redirect his work for UNDP to serve Hamas’s military interests.” During his interrogation, Borsh told investigators that in 2014, he was directed by Hamas to “focus on his work in the UNDP in a way that would allow Hamas to extract the greatest possible benefit from him,” the Shin Bet said at the time. The UNDP has operated in the West Bank and Gaza since the late 1970s. In recent years, its Gaza branch has focused on rebuilding the homes and businesses destroyed in the conflicts between Israel and Hamas. In August, Borsh was charged with diverting 300 tons of rubble from a UNDP project in the Gaza Strip, run by Hamas, to build a jetty for the Islamist movement’s naval force. After reviewing the charge sheet, the UNDP challenged Israel’s allegations and said Borsh diverted the rubble under instructions from the Palestinian Authority. Tsemel stressed that her client had been convicted only of unintentionally aiding Hamas by “moving some rubble.” “The prosecution claimed that he should have checked better as this could have helped Hamas.” The UNDP said it had “zero tolerance for wrongdoing”, but that the case did not prove deliberate intent. “This outcome confirms that there was no wrongdoing by UNDP,” the body said in a statement. UN officials argued that Borsh, as a UN employee, may qualify for immunity from prosecution and requested that they be allowed to visit him in jail. Israel however, rejected the UN request, saying “whoever assists a terror organization cannot hide behind a claim of


Prompt: In Local News, Public Transport / By Anthony Lim / 7 December 2016 10:22 am / 46 comments It looks like taxi drivers may have lost the champion of their cause. According to a Malay Mail Online report, Big Blue Taxi Services’ owner Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail has had a change of heart and is now backing the legalisation of ride-sharing services. He announced the turnaround after his company was supposedly robbed of RM8,000 by a driver three days ago. The driver, a man in his 50s and who had driven for Big Blue Taxi for six years, has since disappeared.

“I have helped him out so many times and this is how he repays me,” Shamsubahrin said. He had lodged a police report and will be taking the taxi company, which the missing driver had obtained his permit from, to court. The case will be filed under Section 43 of the Land Public Transport Act Section, which states that a company can be held responsible if a taxi driver is found guilty of any wrongdoing. Shamsubahrin claims this is the first time any taxi company is being brought to court under the section. “The existing law we have is already strong but Land Public Transport Commission must be more effective and proactive in ensuring that we don’t allow unethical and immoral people to work as taxi drivers,” he explained. With regards to ride-sharing services, Shamsubahrin said that because taxi drivers were unfazed by the competition from Uber and Grab by refusing to change, he was urging the government to speed up the process of regulating them. “I support the approval of Uber and GrabCar services,” he stated. This is a stark contrast to the stand taken previously. In October, he had said that the government’s idea of encouraging aspiring ride-sharing drivers with a RM4,000 rebate to purchase a Proton Iriz was a clear indicator of the government’s intention to wipe out the taxi industry in favour of ride-sharing companies. “You said you want to transform the taxi industry, but we saw nothing from the budget that was helpful to the taxi industry. Instead you promote the people to drive Uber,” he had then said. He also took a swipe at the government’s initiative in handing out 12,000 individual permits to qualified taxi drivers, saying the policies appeared to be half-baked. “There is nothing concrete. If they want to really help


Prompt: Jimmy McMillan is right. The candidate of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party may have lost the New York mayoral election to Bill DeBlasio. But it’s true — in New York and much of the United States, the rent really is too damn high. This graph, based on 2012 data by the consumer expenditure survey of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, breaks down consumer expenditures by pre-tax income: Advertisement: As a percentage of income, many expenditures are the same across income groups — in part because social programs for the poor like Medicaid and food stamps limit out-of-pocket costs

on food and health care for low-income Americans. But spending on housing as a share of income increases as income declines — only 29.9 percent for the highest 20 percent, housing costs are 37.6 percent for the second 20 percent and 39.9 percent for the lowest 20 percent. The classic rule is that you should not spend more than 30 percent of your income on housing, whether in the form of rent or a mortgage on a house or condo. But the polarization of income in the U.S., accompanied by the creation of mostly low-paying jobs, has made that prudent standard impossible for a growing number of Americans to meet. The problem was worsened, but not caused, by the Great Recession. Even before the economic downturn, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, the share of “cost-burdened” renters shelling out more than 30 percent of their pre-tax income to landlords was rising until nearly half of all renters were cost-burdened. The ratio of renters who pay more than 30 percent of their incomes in housing costs has risen from 1 in 4 in 1960 to 1 in 3 in 1980 to 1 in 2 today. Neither private supply nor public subsidies have compensated for rising renter stress. Let’s start with the supply side. To spend 30 percent or less of a $15,000 income, a renter would have to spend no more than $375 a month on shelter. But in 2011, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies, the median monthly rent was more than $1,000. Fewer than 5 percent of rental units rented for less than $400 and fewer than 34 percent for less than $800. Nor has social policy kept up. Low-income renters in the U.S. are helped by a patchwork of programs. These include the oldest


Prompt: These discussions will continue in coming weeks with other Times editors and reporters. Translating the Paper to the Web Q: I recently had the opportunity to have lunch with the publisher of the local daily paper here (there is only one local daily paper here). I told her of my preference to get my local and national news online, browsing several news sites as a part of my morning routine. However, I quickly discovered that I was missing important stories that had prominent placement in the print version but were impossible to find in the online version. In trying to

explain my difficulty with her site, I could only think of The Times as an excellent example of online news reporting. So, my question is, what makes your site such a great online version of your print product? Where are they going wrong? Why can’t I explain it clearly to someone else (don’t answer this)? Also, you use a serif font that I think is difficult to read in general, although it does not bother me on your site. Why did you choose what I think is such an non-traditional font for your site? A: First, thanks for the kind words. Whatever success we've had with making NYTimes.com a useful and engaging source for online news, in my opinion, comes from realizing that we're not just trying to re-create what's available to readers in the printed newspaper. Rather, we're trying to create something that's true to this medium, that borrows the best of what works in print and that takes advantage of the unique aspects of digital media. This means we pay a lot of attention to how people use our content online. That is, not just how they read it, but how they make use of it: how they might scan the page haphazardly rather than diligently reading from top to bottom; what parts of the page they look to first and last; what they expect to change from visit to visit; which visual cues are meaningful for them and which design flourishes they find useless. Advertisement Continue reading the main story There are a multitude of factors like these that we’re continually evaluating, though I admit that as an online business we’re certainly not alone in being mindful of them. I think what we do differently from any number of other sites, whether established news organizations or young


Prompt: C track: compiling C programs. It is important to understand that while some computer languages (e.g. Scheme or Basic) are normally used with an interactive interpreter (where you type in commands that are immediately executed), C doesn't work that way. C source code files are always compiled into binary code by a program called a "compiler" and then executed. This is actually a multi-step process which we describe in some detail here. The different kinds of files Compiling C programs requires you to work with four kinds of files: Regular source code files. These files contain function definitions, and have

names which end in " .c " by convention. Header files. These files contain function declarations (also known as function prototypes) and various preprocessor statements (see below). They are used to allow source code files to access externally-defined functions. Header files end in " .h " by convention. Object files. These files are produced as the output of the compiler. They consist of function definitions in binary form, but they are not executable by themselves. Object files end in " .o " by convention, although on some operating systems (e.g. Windows, MS-DOS), they often end in " .obj ". Binary executables. These are produced as the output of a program called a "linker". The linker links together a number of object files to produce a binary file which can be directly executed. Binary executables have no special suffix on Unix operating systems, although they generally end in " .exe " on Windows. There are other kinds of files as well, notably libraries (" .a " files) and shared libraries (" .so " files), but you won't normally need to deal with them directly. The preprocessor Before the C compiler starts compiling a source code file, the file is processed by a preprocessor. This is in reality a separate program (normally called " cpp ", for "C preprocessor"), but it is invoked automatically by the compiler before compilation proper begins. What the preprocessor does is convert the source code file you write into another source code file (you can think of it as a "modified" or "expanded" source code file). That modified file may exist as a real file in the file system, or it may only be stored in memory for a short time before being sent to the compiler. Either way, you don't have to worry about it, but


Prompt: Steven McCloskey, co-founder of a new virtual reality startup, manipulates objects in an immersive environment. Virtual reality (VR) headsets such as the Oculus Rift will line store shelves this holiday season, and UC San Diego alumni startup Nanome, Inc. plans to capitalize on that by creating VR apps for the consumer market, the classroom, and beyond. Nanome co-founder Steven McCloskey was part of the first graduating class of NanoEngineering at UC San Diego when he received his bachelor’s degree in 2015. Frustrated by the lack of tools available to nanoengineers for complex 3D modeling and simulation at the nanoscale, he

set out to try and rectify the problem. He and colleagues built the first molecular visualization, modeling and simulation tool for today’s VR platforms called nano-one. The application allows users to build molecules with carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen atoms. “Our goal is to provide the tools necessary to help people build new proteins and molecules and eventually also simulate their interactions,” said McCloskey. “You can see how the world works at this fundamental level, and re-make it.” Why VR? Everything is made out of atoms—cosmetics, computer hardware, everything. Take a chair, for example. A chair can’t just look like a chair, it has to act like one. If you’re going to be manipulating things in 3D, you also need to be able to change the material properties of an object, which is dictated by structures at the nanoscale level. McCloskey said he believes nanoscale virtual reality represents the future of engineering. “UC San Diego is where this has to happen—we have a NanoEngineering department, VR experts, Protein Databank, interdisciplinary researchers, and we’re located in Biotech Beach,” he said. Nano-one is now being tested in the UC San Diego Chemistry Department and in the consumer market for workflow integration, modeling precision, and optimal pattern-recognition and discovery. As nano-one was being developed, McCloskey and his colleagues had an idea for another VR tool that would help engineers with math. “When I was in Vector Calculus as a NanoEngineering major, I wanted better 3D graphics to go along with the instruction,” said McCloskey. Nanome co-founders Steven McCloskey and Keita Funakawa The team piloted a VR 3D-graphing calculator in Math20E over the summer. The calculator, called Calcflow, features intuitive ways for students to learn the foundations of vector calculus. “When you put on the headset, you can manipulate vectors with your hands, and


Prompt: The Los Angeles River is on the verge of a new era. In the few years since the flood control channel was reclassified as a “navigable waterway,” the region has re-embraced its oddball amalgam of concrete and nature, which winds roughly 51 miles from the San Fernando Valley out to the ocean in Long Beach. A $1-billion-plus plan to restore 11 miles north of Downtown LA is (slowly) working its way through federal approvals. Famed architect Frank Gehry is working with Los Angeles County officials and numerous nonprofits and stakeholder groups to create a comprehensive plan for the whole river.

The river was one of the selling points in the city’s winning bid for the 2028 Olympics. Developers are still clamoring to build along the river’s banks. The last time the LA River was reborn it was the late 1930s, and it had been drowning the young city periodically since its birth. At some points, the river was just a trickle; in other parts, it was uncontrollably wild, and flooded frequently and devastatingly. After a terrible flood in March 1938, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began work to lower the riverbed, widen the channel, and choke the whole thing in “a continuous trapezoidal concrete channel to carry the river from Elysian Park to Long Beach,” as described in The Los Angeles River: Its Life, Death, and Possible Rebirth. Gehry thinks the LA River can be great again with its concrete still intact; the Army Corps aims to remove at least some of it. In 2013, just as the LA River’s moment was beginning, we looked at 25 photos from the LA Public Library’s collection showing just how unrecognizable it was before it was paved. Peter Bennett, who runs the Los Angeles River Photos blog, found where nine of those photos were taken, and, using his iPad to match up with the originals, took the same shots of the river as it is in the 21st century. In an email, Bennett writes: The idea was to get as close to the original spot the older photos were taken, and try to match up the lens and framing with the original… There was a sense of time travel as I viewed the landscape as it is today and... as it was back in the ’30s. The visual contrast was quite striking, and the changes apparent in the 75 years or so


Prompt: Palestinians at the Gaza border fence, June 2, 2010 AP Like a robot lacking in judgment, stuck on a predetermined path - that's how the government is behaving in its handling of the aid flotillas to the Gaza Strip. The announcement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the security cabinet meeting Tuesday that the blockade of Gaza will continue and that Israel will keep on using force to prevent ships from entering Gaza's port suggests that the foolishness continues and no lessons have been learned from this week's incidents. The Netanyahu-Ehud Barak government is oblivious to the impact of the

failed takeover of the Turkish ship the Mavi Marmara, which ended with the killing of nine passengers. It is oblivious to the international condemnation of this country's actions - Israel once more finds itself isolated. Most serious of all, it is oblivious to the damage it is causing to Israel's strategic interests. The lethal operation is making it difficult for the U.S. administration to rally a majority in the UN Security Council for new sanctions against Iran and is eroding the international front against the Islamic Republic, which the United States has put together with great diplomatic effort. The naval operation challenges the negotiations with the Palestinians and weakens the bargaining ability of Netanyahu vis-a-vis U.S. President Barack Obama and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The operation also ruins essential relations with Turkey and will cost Israel in lost tourists and export deals. Instead of taking the initiative and developing a political exit strategy from the crisis, Netanyahu and Barak are digging themselves deeper into the quagmire. The government apparently believes its own public relations, according to which Israel was the victim of "Al-Qaida supporters." If this is the case, it must immediately dismiss the heads of the security and intelligence services who failed to issue warnings in time and did not prepare accordingly to meet this new and dangerous enemy. How does Israel plan to deal with the Irish ship the Rachel Corrie, which is on its way to the Gaza Strip? Will it also argue that the Irish government, which has given this ship its backing, is a member of Al-Qaida? Instead of insisting on continuing a policy that has failed, Netanyahu should pull himself together and minimize the damage of the naval operation. He must appoint a commission of inquiry that will investigate what happened and lift the


Prompt: It was a rock concert without the guitar. Skrillex jammed on a computer rather than a keyboard, playing a synthetic bass rather than a drum set. His avatar on the LED screen behind him made Skrillex seem larger than life, as if he were a puppeteer controlling the audience, which was sprinkled with neon, glow sticks and flashing finger lights. During his 300+ shows this year, Sonny Moore — as Skrillex — commanded the attention of a rock star but played the electronic music of an underground rave. “That’s what people are into, the rock star DJ,” said Alex Lin,

DJ and light producer with student company EasyLove Records at UC Santa Barbara. “It’s more about the experience, the rock star DJ that puts on a good show.” Americans enTRANCEd And people are into it. Skrillex is the first-ever dance artist to be Grammy-nominated for Best New Artist. He received four other Grammy nominations, and three went to house music producer deadmau5. Although the artists have been around for a few years, the difference is that in 2009 deadmau5 was confined to Lollapalooza’s electronic tent, Perry’s, and in 2011 he headlined the main stage. Like deadmau5, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) — though some people still mistakenly call it “techno” — has graduated from the kiddie table. “Perry’s tent used to be small, but this year it was massive. Every year it gets bigger and bigger,” said Chris Miller, who works at WaveMachine Labs, a Chicago-based music software company, and graduated from Northwestern University’s now extinct music technology major. EDM is gaining momentum, especially with the 18-21 crowd. Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) drew an audience of 230,000 this summer in Las Vegas, and this spring, the first-ever electronic music spring break for college students, Electro Beach, will take place in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. For the first time in history, EDM is in the American youth mainstream. The EDM Dictionary EDM: Electronic Dance Music (NOT techno). Techno: One genre of EDM, characterized by a more minimalistic and repetitive production style. House: Another style of EDM with a faster tempo, usually between 120 and 130 beats per minute. Trance: Style of EDM with slower, melodic build-ups and hypnotic qualities (hence the term “trance”). It is usually between 130 and 150 bpm. There are many subcategories of trance, as with most genres of EDM. Dubstep: Genre of EDM characterized by around 70 bpm with


Prompt: EU leaders have said there will be no talks on Britain’s future relationship with the bloc until the UK government makes “sufficient progress” on the Brexit divorce, including settling its bills and citizens’ rights. “Once, and only once we have achieved sufficient progress on the withdrawal, can we discuss the framework for our future relationship,” said Donald Tusk, the European council president. “Starting parallel talks will not happen.” Speaking as the EU’s draft negotiating guidelines were sent to national capitals, Tusk said the EU27 were united. Talks would be “difficult, complex and sometimes confrontational,” he said, but the bloc would

not seek to punish Britain. “Brexit itself is already punitive enough,” he said. 'No surprises really': politicians react to Tusk's draft EU negotiating guidelines Read more The guidelines make clear it will be for the council to decide when “sufficient progress” has been made on the withdrawal deal, whose priorities will include the rights of EU citizens in the UK and British citizens on the continent, and agreement on Britain’s legal and budgetary commitments and liabilities. Tusk rejected the description “Brexit bill” and said it was only fair that the UK paid what successive governments had signed up to. “It is only fair towards all those people, communities, scientists, farmers and so on to whom we, all the 28, promised and owe this money,” he said. The UK’s only land border with the EU, between Northern Ireland and the Republic, will also be a key priority in the divorce deal, with the EU calling for “flexible and imaginative solutions ... with the aim of avoiding a hard border”. Speaking alongside Tusk, Joseph Muscat, the prime minister of Malta, said the negotiations would undoubtedly be tough, “but it will not be a war” and the two sides needed to remain friends. The draft guidelines may well be revised over the next month, but are as likely to be strengthened as they are weakened. Tusk will chair a summit of the EU’s 27 prime ministers and presidents at the end of April to finalise the bloc’s negotiating position before talks with the UK begin. The European commission will then draft its more detailed negotiating directives, which are expected to be adopted at a meeting of European ministers on 22 May, after which formal talks between the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and Britain’s secretary of state for exiting the EU, David Davis,


Prompt: Even as the freshly minted Obama administration was pledging a "new era of open government" in 2009, officials were quietly adding new rules that had the potential to slow down public requests for documents. Those rules, detailed in memos reviewed by FoxNews.com, could even trip up present-day efforts to dig into the IRS' practice of targeting conservative groups. The rules detailed in the memos largely emanated from the Treasury Department and, specifically, the IRS. "It would seem to repudiate this notion that this is going to be the most transparent government in history," said Dan Epstein, executive director of Cause

of Action, the group that first obtained the memos. [pullquote] The memos follow reports about the administration's use of private email accounts, and coincide with ongoing debate about government transparency -- particularly with recent disclosures about widespread surveillance programs. More On This... Epstein said the document request procedures are "troubling" since the media are "really concerned about the limits of government power." According to the documents, the Treasury Department in 2009 set up an additional review for requests involving "sensitive information," which covered a broad range of items. The White House sometimes got involved, slowing down the process. The IRS also acknowledged having another review process for requests from "major media," but not for requests from private individuals. Members of the media often try to obtain documents not readily available by citing a law known as the Freedom of Information Act. The Treasury Department, though, in late 2009 erected speed bumps for some so-called FOIA requests. The rules were detailed in a November 2010 memo and report sent from the Treasury inspector general to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. The documents showed the Treasury Department set up an additional "formal level of review" for requests for "sensitive information." This category would cover everything from emails to memos to calendars to travel logs for top department officials, legal advisers, senior advisers and others. Once a request was deemed "sensitive," it would then go before a "review committee," made up of officials from several Treasury offices. Further, the document said a special report would be prepared for IRS requests from "major media." This covers requests from traditional news media as well as bloggers, and according to the report covered information that "was likely to attract news media or congressional interest, involved large dollar amounts, or involved unique or novel issues." This report would


Prompt: When you’re ready to give the green light on your explainer video project, you want to make sure that you choose the right company. Now, we know that our team is more than equipped to handle your production needs, but to be honest, we also have some pretty talented competitors. Here’s our list of the top 10 explainer video production companies to choose from (just in case we happen to pack up and move to Mars, you’ll have some good options). Of course we are a bit biased here, taking the top spot and all, but we are just that

confident in our abilities to produce killer videos. Our creative team is super talented, and dedicated to delivering exceptional productions that clients are more than happy to showcase. We pay close attention to detail, and every script and animation is triple checked against a rigid set of quality standards. Here’s a cool video that we produced for Paramount Studios. Got a project you want to discuss? Click here. Firestarter Video is an excellent production house based out of Hollywood, California. They have produced several explainer video’s for top companies including Magicjack and United Healthcare (UHC). Their work is known throughout the industry, and the creative team is just awesome. Here’s a neat little number that shows off their explainer video skills. Argentina based Yum Yum Video is number three on our list because of their high quality productions, and impressive portfolio. They have produced explainer videos for companies covering all facets of business, and the work is crisp and effective. Yum Yum also features a helpful blog for anyone looking for information on video marketing in general. This explainer video is a shining example of their fine work. Bread n Beyond has produced explainer videos for top companies including Paypal and Glass Door. Their work is beyond impressive, and they have the clientele to back up their credibility. With over 1,900 productions under their belt, it’s safe to say that clients are in good hands with this company. Here’s a sample of what you get with Bread n’ Beyond. New York based Big Drop Inc. produces stunning explainer videos. The company has an extensive portfolio that includes several animated and non-animated explainer videos (and a killer website for clients to browse.) This short number is a prime example of just how well they produce whiteboard explainer videos. mywebmobile.com from BigDropInc.com


Prompt: Image caption Andrew RT Davies (L) and Alun Cairns (R) will not take part in the debate A row has erupted between senior Welsh Tories after it emerged neither Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies nor Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns were taking part in Tuesday's BBC Wales leaders' debate. The Tories were represented by education spokesman Darren Millar AM. Mr Cairns said it was intended that Mr Davies would be the representative. But a spokesman for Mr Davies accused Mr Cairns of being "unwilling" to take part himself. He said Mr Davies had been happy to take part, but on

the basis that one candidate took part in the three Welsh TV debates. It had been expected that Mr Davies would take part in the earlier Ask The Leader BBC Wales debate, but prior to broadcast, the Conservative Party decided to put up Mr Cairns. It is understood Mr Davies - who had taken part in the ITV Wales debate earlier in May - is on holiday. The other parties put up their campaign leaders - Labour's Carwyn Jones, Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood, Lib Dem Mark Williams and UKIP's Neil Hamilton. Image caption Darren Millar is education spokesman for the Conservatives in the Welsh Assembly Mr Cairns told BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show that it was "always intended" that Mr Davies would be the debate's Conservative representative. The Welsh Secretary said he himself was "never" going to be part of the programme, and claimed Mr Davies could not be there for personal reasons. He said he was confident Mr Millar would do an "excellent job". Mr Cairns appeared for the Conservatives in last week's series of Ask the Leader programmes on BBC Wales. Mr Cairns' comments prompted a critical statement from a spokesman for Andrew RT Davies. He said: "With the Secretary of State unwilling to take part in the General Election debates, Andrew was more than happy to fill in - but that agreement was reached on the basis that it would be best for the party to put forward one candidate for all of the programmes. "Given that Alun was willing to take part in the Ask the Leader programmes, Andrew felt that it was no longer necessary to return from celebrating his wedding anniversary to do the debate. "It's a bit of a surprise that Alun isn't taking part tonight, but our Policy Director Darren will


Prompt: Michael Hogan: Brian, your speech at the recent Sandford St Martin Trust awards for religious broadcasting said TV was blighted by "ever-increasing vulgarity and ever-lower intellectual levels". Strong words. Did you have a particular programme in mind? Brian Sewell: Nothing and everything. Now it all conforms to a formula. Even Islam: The Untold Story (C4), to which we gave one of the awards, immediately descended into a travelogue and became virtually indistinguishable from anything in which Michael Palin rambles around. Religious broadcasting, all broadcasting, ought to be better than that. We looked at David Suchet's In the Footsteps of St

Paul and again, it just turned into a travelogue. Someone in the city of Tarsus said, "St Paul's father was a tentmaker here." Off at once goes Suchet to weave some canvas himself. Does someone sitting in a room in the 21st century weaving flax tell us anything about St Paul? It's childish and idiotic, but fits that Michael Palin formula which the BBC inflicts on everything. MH Not everything, surely? You talked in your speech about the "dread sameness" of the BBC, but the corporation has eight TV channels with a vast variety of programming – and a lot of it's brilliant. BS Yes, I'm not really talking about the entertaining things. Hateful though I find them, the BBC does those perfectly well. But anything they tackle that is intellectual, historical, biographical, cultural… It all turns into a travelogue of some kind. Whether it's Andrew Graham-Dixon on the Italian Renaissance or that rat-faced young man [Simon Reeve] wandering round Australia, it's the same, because this is what the BBC asks for. The channel controllers are of little education and no background. The editors are very technically clever but know nothing about the topic, so they fit everything to this comfortable format. We deserve better. It's patronising rubbish. MH But the Beeb's historical programming is admirable – all the way from CBBC's superb Horrible Histories to BBC2's recent Tudor season. BS All those Simon Schama and David Starkey programmes inevitably turn into walking about and arm-waving. Poor Mary Beard, trundling around the ruins of Rome on a bicycle. Why? These devices even creep into news bulletins: some wretched reporter suddenly emerges from behind a car or tree and walks towards the camera. For God's sake, you have news to communicate. Stand still and tell us what it is. I don't


Prompt: HOW TO ADD THE SKETCHBOOK! There seems to be a bit of confusion regarding how to go about getting the sketchbook, and for that, I apologize. Allow me to explain the process in better detail :) This is for ALL current and future backers. The 100 page digital sketchbook is now available and can be added to any and all pledge levels by simply increasing your current or future pledge, at any time, by an additional $10. There is no need to message me, because when you do, I am automatically notified that you have done so :) Easy as

that! 1st STRETCH GOAL UNLOCKED! *Both cards will be included in the "BAAKO WORLD WIDE" tier as well! The characters featured on these 2 new cards will be revealed in the coming days as well! 2nd STRETCH GOAL UNLOCKED! 3RD STRETCH GOAL UNLOCKED! Buttons will be 1 INCH* ADD AN ADDITIONAL BOOK FOR $15! Anyone interested in adding additional copies of the book, may do so by simply adding an extra $15 for each additional copy to their selected tier! This kickstarter will be a means to dedicate the necessary time and funds needed to finish and print the 1st of 3 books in a series and to make the book available for anyone and everyone via shops and online. The first book will be a 100+ page, fully-colored graphic novel written and illustrated by me (Joshua Covey.) WHY KICKSTARTER?: For the past 2 years, I have been working freelance in comic books. Freelance stuff is fun, don't get me wrong-- I truly appreciate every opportunity I've been given. Kickstarter though, is my chance of doing a book without limitations. It gives me the ability to do the book how I envision it, and it opens up so many other possibilities. For example, being able to have talented people that I have come to know and love, lend their own talents to the project. As well as the incentives, like the "creature creation" pledge. These are things I feel I wouldn't have the ability to do if I were to take the project to a publisher. The story is complete, but unfortunately, I lack the proper funding to really kick the production into full swing. I have started working on what I can between freelance gigs, but I fear it could be far too long before the book makes it


Prompt: Sidechains have been the source of increased excitement in the Bitcoin community over the past year due to the belief that this new technology will allow an endless number of features to be integrated into the Bitcoin protocol. There are still a few people out there who believe sidechains are nothing more than vaporware, but the sidechains concept has an experienced team of Bitcoin Core developers behind it, not to mention a startup, Blockstream, that announced a $21 million round of funding late last year. Blockstream recently released Sidechain Elements, which is a federated, alpha release of their originally outlined

pegged sidechains proposal. The idea is that this early version allows the community to test out the concept without making any changes to Bitcoin Core. Some have pondered whether it could take up to five years for a true, two-way peg implementation to make its way to Bitcoin. Although the timeframe for a real two-way peg is unclear, there seems to be a general path for this new functionality to make its way into Bitcoin. What Will It Take to Enable Two-Way Peg Support for Bitcoin? Cryptographer Adam Back is, perhaps, best known as the inventor of hashcash, which is the underlying proof-of-work system utilized by the Bitcoin blockchain. He’s also the President and Co-Founder of Blockstream, which means he should have a general idea of how decentralized, two-way peg sidechains will eventually be rolled out. In a recent email to CoinJournal, Back was able to describe what needs to happen in order for two-way peg support to be possible in Bitcoin: “Two-way peg support would generally be possible with any generic and sufficiently flexible scripting language, it is just a script that verifies a compact hash chain structure. Two-way peg appears almost — but probably not quite — possible today with Bitcoin script; however, I think we can fairly say this a historical accident due to slight limitations in bitcoin script, which had various opcodes disabled defensively for security reasons some years back. By doing some very advanced tricks across multiple transactions, it might even be just possible already (exercise for the reader).” When it comes to the “very advanced tricks,” Back also added, “If someone can solve that exercise for the reader via advanced Bitcoin script hacking, we’d be very happy to hear from them.” A BIP and Community Consensus According to Back, either an upgrade to Bitcoin


Prompt: Indoctrination is a new apocalyptic political thriller comic book series from comic writer and novelist Michael Moreci (Roche Limit, Burning Fields) and SuperPAC operator-turned-comics artist Matt Battaglia, published by Z2, delves into the powerful ideology that drives the terrifying underbelly of America. Mixing elements of True Detective with Se7en, Indoctrination confronts the very real horror of death cults and sleeper cells, serial killers and apocalyptic nightmares, in the 21st century. Indoctrination begins in the dusty southwest with a string of murders that portend the sinister designs of an infamous terrorist to bring about the end times. Only the rogue actions

of two FBI agents, who must rely on a potentially untrustworthy expatriate with deep ties to the terrorist, can stop the darkness. Indoctrination follows these two FBI agents as they develop a complicated relationship with an infamous terrorist, in an attempt to solve a string of grizzly, seemingly related murders. Here’s the making of the third issue cover… And while we’re at it, the retailer incentive covers to issue 1 and 2… with a little indoctrination of Michael Moreci’s own to comic book retailers… Moreci writes, Selling comics isn’t easy. That’s the no-brainer statement of the year, right? We know that all too well. When it comes to comics, we’re looking at a comparatively small group of readers that tend to have very particular, and habitual, tastes. That’s why selling new comics is especially difficult, like squeezing-a-watermelon- through-a-chain-link-fence difficult. You gotta push really hard. But, new comics are essential to the business of comics. They’re the most effective way to expand sales, whether through getting current readers to adopt a more robust reading list or bringing in new readers altogether with a different genre or offering. But, again, they’re difficult because they involve risk. Risk for the creators to make, retailers to order, and readers to buy. In my opinion, retailers are risking the most in this equation. You are, and I mean this without an ounce of hyperbole, the lifeblood of this industry. Retailers are on the front line of comics, taking financial risks every single week in order to literally keep the medium alive. Your job isn’t easy but, like creators, you are driven by your passion for comics and your insistence, beyond all reason (also like creators), to stay committed to this amazing medium. For that—for keeping comics alive through your love and dedication—I thank you. Because


Prompt: This article is about a family of birds. For the ornithological journal, see The Auk . For other meanings, see AUK "Auklet" redirects here. For the fishery patrol vessel, see MV Auklet An auk or alcid is a bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. The alcid family includes the murres, guillemots, auklets, puffins, and murrelets. Apart from the extinct great auk, all auks are notable for their ability to "fly" under water as well as in the air. Although they are excellent swimmers and divers, their walking appears clumsy. Several species have different common names in Europe

and North America. The guillemots of Europe are referred to as murres in North America, if they occur in both continents, and the little auk is referred to as the dovekie. Description [ edit ] Auks are superficially similar to penguins having black-and-white colours, upright posture and some of their habits. Nevertheless, they are not closely related to penguins, but rather are believed to be an example of moderate convergent evolution. Auks are monomorphic (males and females are similar in appearance). Extant auks range in size from the least auklet, at 85 g (3 oz) and 15 cm (5.9 in), to the thick-billed murre, at 1 kg (2.2 lb) and 45 cm (18 in). Due to their short wings, auks have to flap their wings very quickly in order to fly. Although not to the extent of penguins, auks have largely sacrificed flight, and also mobility on land, in exchange for swimming ability; their wings are a compromise between the best possible design for diving and the bare minimum needed for flying. This varies by subfamily, the Uria guillemots (including the razorbill) and murrelets being the most efficient under the water, whereas the puffins and auklets are better adapted for flying and walking. Feeding and ecology [ edit ] The feeding behaviour of auks is often compared to that of penguins; both groups are wing-propelled pursuit divers. In the region where auks live, their only seabird competition are cormorants (which are dive-powered by their strong feet). In areas where the two groups feed on the same prey, the auks tend to feed further offshore. Strong-swimming murres hunt faster schooling fish, whereas auklets take slower-moving krill. Time depth recorders on auks have shown that they can dive as deep as 100 m in the case of Uria guillemots, 40 m for


Prompt: It’s hard to anticipate every health problem that might occur on a trip to Mars, which could span years. But NASA is trying. It has a list of 100 conditions or events that are most likely to happen during spaceflight, including pancreatitis, lumbar spine fracture and lost fingernails due to ill-fitting spacesuit gloves. And the agency has highlighted 23 particular health risks of long-duration space travel that require further work to mitigate before a crewed spacecraft takes off for Mars in the 2030s (NASA’s schedule) or sooner (Elon Musk’s schedule). But nine of these risks are currently considered “red,” i.e.,

they have both a high likelihood of happening — defined as greater than a 1 percent chance of occurring, and high stakes (i.e., death, permanent disability or long-term health impact) if they do: space radiation, visual impairment, cognitive or behavioral conditions, the long-term storage of medications, inadequate food and nutrition, team performance issues, in-flight medical conditions, user issues with onboard technology and bone fracture. These are high priority and “really have to get worked out” before we go to Mars, said William Paloski, director of NASA’s Human Research Program, though he adds that space exploration is inherently risky and volunteers will have to be aware of all known risks, red or not. Radiation is a biggie. There are two types that are worrisome. Solar particles from the sun can deliver high doses of radiation unless people are shielded by a spacecraft, other sturdy shelter or sufficient water, said Dorit Donoviel, deputy chief scientist of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, a NASA-funded consortium of research institutions led by Baylor College of Medicine. These solar particle events can also be predicted, but sometimes only about 20 minutes in advance. The problem is, if you’re on the surface of Mars in a spacesuit or land vehicle, that may not be enough time to get to shelter. And if you’re exposed to one of these events, you could experience the kind of acute symptoms people suffered near the nuclear blast zone in Hiroshima, including severe nausea. “You are dead if you vomit in a spacesuit” because the fluid and particles glom up the air supply, Donoviel said. Even if that initial hit is survivable, the radiation wipes out blood cells, leaving you vulnerable to deadly infections. Better prediction tools would help give people more warning of a solar particle event and more time


Prompt: Samir Hussein/Getty After naked photos of about 20 celebrities leaked online last night, the internet scrambled to try and figure out exactly how the images became public. In the original 4chan thread where the hacker first posted the images, the consensus was that Apple's iCloud service was to blame. But how likely is it that Apple's encrypted cloud service led to the mass hack, and what are the other ways that the nude photos could have emerged? The original leaker behind the celebrity photos claimed that they accessed the images using the iCloud accounts of various celebrities. It's unlikely that

someone has broken into Apple's iCloud service. Instead the photos most likely emerged due to a type of hacking known as "social engineering." This exploit works by learning which online services your target uses, and then compiling as much data on them as possible before using that data to either spoof access, or to simply use their email address and a guessed password to log in to their account. Jennifer Lawrence is known to use iCloud after she let slip in a red carpet interview with MTV this year that she frequently has trouble with the service, remarking "My iCloud keeps telling me to back it up, and I'm like, I don't know how to back you up. Do it yourself." After discovering the iCloud account of a celebrity, it's trivially easy to access their online photo backup through Apple's Photo Stream utility and iCloud photo backups. Analysis of the embedded EXIF data (information about where and how the picture was taken that is frequently appended to digital photo images) included in one of the leaked images shows it was taken a few weeks ago, well within Photo Stream's limit of 30 days before images are deleted. However, actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead claimed on Twitter that the leaked photos of her included in the hack were taken "years ago." Dropbox or Google Drive Despite the original leaker claiming to have accessed the trove of photos thanks to an iCloud exploit, the range of devices showcased suggests that another service may have been to blame. Various naked celebrities are photographed taking selfies with Android devices and webcams. Leaked videos could not have originated from the iCloud photo backup service. The range of devices and media may mean that another backup service like Dropbox or Google Drive could be the originator of


Prompt: A group of feminist academics have rallied against plans to make street harassment illegal in France, on the grounds that new laws could “stigmatise” men with migrant backgrounds. “It is well known that racialised young men from the working classes already suffer more than other people from police violence and oppression,” assert the academics, in a letter opposing equality minister Marlène Schiappa’s announcement that MPs are working on legislation to reduce street harassment. “It would be enough to train the perpetrators on the ground to change their behaviour,” write the 15 signatories, stating: “Creating a new offence will only strengthen

the repression and control of men in disadvantaged groups.” In the letter, which was published by newspaper Libération, the academics also complain that plans to penalise harassment will be restricted to the street, when women can be subject to abuse at home and at their place of work. Stating that criminalising street harassment “will serve to identify what forms of sexism are illegitimate”, the letter warns it will “keep the abuse committed in high-end districts of town and in the offices of large corporations hidden in the shadows”. Can you blame them? https://t.co/mk6sRCbJhI — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 20, 2017 Speaking in September on what would be covered by the new legislation, the equality minister said: “You are a woman in an underground train. I am a man. I follow you. You get off the train. I get off. You get on another train. I get on too. I ask you for your telephone number. I ask again. I ask a third time. You feel oppressed. That is street harassment.” The crackdown followed the publication of a number of surveys which outlined the prevalence of street harassment in some parts of France. A 2015 study conducted in migrant-heavy French districts Seine-Saint-Denis and Essonne, carried out by the High Council for Equality between Women and Men (HCEfh) – concluded that 100 per cent of women had been subjected at least once in their lives to sexual harassment or sexual assault. In May, Breitbart London reported how some areas of Paris have become virtual “no-go” zones for women, who reported no longer being able to leave their homes without migrants subjecting them to verbal abuse. Local media described how, over the previous 12 months — as immigrants and drug dealers flooded the east Paris district of Chapelle-Pajol — the streets became crowded


Prompt: Bill Maurer is an anthropologist at the University of California, Irvine. He is one of a few scientists of the Arts who researched virtual currencies like Bitcoin. In this interview he explains what Bitcoin can tell us about money in the early 21th century – and why he finds it weird to think that money needs to be a commodity. “ … and from the beginning it was clear that we’d have to research this!” Hello Bill. You’re an anthropologist researching money and Bitcoin. How does this stick together? What question do the Arts have for Bitcoin? Yes, I’m an

anthropologist. Almost all of my research was about law and economy. I was looking at finance, how the offshore economy was received in local communities in the Caribbean, and that got me interested thinking more deeply about money. How do people understand money? How do they use money to express ideologies or to foster relationships? In 2007/2008 I researched the interface between money and new technologies. When Bitcoin came along, I was in the middle of a study about mobile phones and money in sub-Saharan Africa. We were thinking about the implications of mobile phones on money. How do digital transactions change the conversations about mobile money, not in terms of security or encryption, but more in terms of cultural effects? And then came Bitcoin. I remember clearly: I was sitting in a cafe, working on something else with my students. Then someone told us about Bitcoin, we downloaded the original Satoshi whitepaper describing the concept, and from the beginning it was clear that we’d have to research this. What was the question of your research? The first questions were: What is it? And why is it so interesting for people? We talked to technologists and scientists and found out that Bitcoin promises a future of nearly real time transactions, but in fact it will never be as fast as credit cards. And yet it is something a lot of people are interested in and invested money in. Why? What can Bitcoin tell us about money in the early 21th century? Why are people talking about money again? Why in this specific historical moment had money become an issue again? How was Bitcoin capturing so much attention in this moment in the history of money. “Can we remake money? How can we make it different?” One of the most disturbing


Prompt: CLOSE President Trump reprised his attacks on former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, telling supporters in Ky. that 'they like when people stand for the American flag.' Wochit Colin Kaepernick was selected as one of Time's 100 most influential people of 2017. (Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP file) Colin Kaepernick, whose national anthem protest sparked equal amounts of applaud and outrage, was named one of Time's 100 most influential people of 2017. The former Wolf Pack quarterback, who is an NFL free agent, began his protest of the anthem by first sitting and then kneeling as it was played before

NFL games. Other NFL players, including Nevada alum Brandon Marshall, followed his lead. During a game against Purdue, a dozen Wolf Pack players held a single fist in the air during the anthem. Kaepernick said his protest was over the oppression of minorities, including police brutality. "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told NFL Media about his protest. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." Kaepernick, who donned the cover of Time magazine last September, went on to say he loved America and his protest was being misunderstood and wasn't a statement against the military. He pledged to donate $1 million (he's donated $400,000 so far) and sent food, water and aid via plane to Somalia, which is experiencing a historic famine. He also started free "Know Your Rights" camps for youth. President Donald Trump, who has taken credit for Kaepernick being unemployed, was critical of the quarterback during the president race. “I think it’s personally not a good thing," Trump said of the protest. "I think it’s a terrible thing. And, you know, maybe he should find a country that works better for him. Let him try. It won’t happen.” Time listed Kaepernick among the "icons" in its 100 most influential list. His former 49ers' quarterback, Jim Harbaugh, penned the Time write-up applauding Kaepernick. Harbaugh initially said he was against the act – "I acknowledge his right to do it, but I don't respect the motivation or the action," he said – before changing his stance. "I thank Colin for all


Prompt: click to enlarge American Immigration Council. I got kicked out of a public, federal immigration court hearing yesterday because I’m a newspaper reporter. And it wasn't the judge who wanted me to leave. It was the Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorney. Here's what happened.For several months, I've been observing the immigration court in San Francisco. Mostly I've sat in on bond hearings and "removals," more commonly known as deportations. The entire time, ICE attorneys and private security guards have been attempting to limit my access.Yesterday was the worst.At 1 p.m., I walked into Courtroom 18, inside the 100 Montgomery Street

offices of the Department of Homeland Security, to observe several deportation cases on Judge Joren Lyons' calendar. I quietly sat down in the second row to the back. Eight other people, family members of two individuals whose cases were on the calendar, were also present.When the judge entered, he asked those of us sitting in the public seats if we were there for a particular case. The others all replied affirmatively, but none of them was made to identify their profession, state their name, or produce any identification.The judge then asked me. "I'm here to observe," I answered. And the judge had no problem with that.According to the official rules of the Executive Office of Immigration Review, which runs the immigration courts, hearings are generally open to the public unless a specific case involves an asylum request or an abused child or spouse, or where a sealed protective order has been filed. Parties to a case can also submit motions to the court in advance of a hearing to request it be closed. And judges have discretion to close hearings to protect parties, witnesses, and the public interest. But, generally, immigration courts are supposed to operate transparently. Open hearings that are accessible to everyone, including reporters who let the public know what their government is doing, are in the public interest.But before Judge Lyons could begin, the ICE attorney seated in the front of the courtroom turned around and looked straight at me. "Who are you?" he asked.I responded with a question of my own: "Why do you want to know?""Are you a member of the press?" he questioned me.I didn't answer his question. Instead, I asked again why he wanted to know if I was a reporter."I have a right to know if you are media," he said. "We


Prompt: "The unheralded scandal of the tobacco industry is the damage to land in developing nations" was the message of a presentation delivered at the Fifth World Conference on Smoking and Health in Canada on July 12, 1983.(1) This discussion paper will adddress, in more detail, the links with tobacco and deforestation, pesticide use, land use, environmental degradation, fires, litter and pollution. Deforestation is considered one of the most severe environmental problems worldwide. Modern cigarette manufacturing uses wood to cure the tobacco and to roll and package the cigarettes. In fact, a cigarette manufacturing machine uses four miles of paper per

hour to roll and package cigarettes. It is estimated that one tree is consumed for every 300 cigarettes produced.(2) In Brazil, the third largest producer and number one exporter of tobacco in the world(3), the country's farmers are estimated to need the wood of 60 million trees a year.4) This large scale deforestation damages the land and contributes to increased flooding, decreased food output and can affect the local climate. On a global scale, many scientists believe deforestation is changing the world's climate and contributing to global warming. The industry claims to encourage reforestation programs. But these programs are problematic in that small farmers in the developing world prefer to use their small amount of land to grow food rather than replacement trees. Eucalyptus trees grown for reforestation are used for building while native forests continue to be burned for curing. Small farmers in the developing world cure tobacco on their own land with their own barn, each having to find their own wood. Solar and central curing would save huge amounts of wood, but are not encouraged by the tobacco industry because they would cost the farmer more. Diversifying to grow other cash products isn't always feasible as the economic incentives provided by the tobacco companies make tobacco an irresistibly profitable commodity, especially to poor farmers. There is also a direct impact on the people living in developing countries. According to Dr. Judith MacKay, director of the Asian Consultancy of Tobacco Control in Hong Kong, the use of peasant farmland for tobacco growth "denies 10-20 million people food...where food has to be imported because the rich farmland is being diverted to tobacco production.."(4) Women in some developing countries carry the heaviest burden since they must carry out farming-related tasks and collect wood for the barns as well as for


Prompt: But before the MH17 crash, security concerns closed Ukrainian airspace. An airliner flies under smoke left by a Ukrainian military plane a few kilometres from the Russian border on July 16. Credit:AFP The US Federal Aviation Administration issued a "special notice" regarding Ukrainian airspace advising airlines to "exercise extreme caution due to the continuing potential for instability" and Eurocontrol warned pilots and airlines to avoid Ukrainian airspace due to serious risks. Aviation experts last night said operators continued to fly across the zone because it was the quickest and cheapest route for some flights. Brian Flynn, a spokesman for Eurocontrol,

which directs air traffic across Europe, said Ukrainian aviation authorities had closed the airspace below 32,000 feet on Monday after having earlier restricted the airspace below 26,000 feet, on July 1. In both cases, the closures came as a result of security concerns after rebels shot down Ukrainian military aircraft. Mr Flynn said it is up to the Ukrainian government to decide whether and how to restrict airspace, with Eurocontrol responsible for helping to implement those decisions. The plane crash site near the settlement of Grabovo. Credit:Reuters Before the crash, 300 commercial aircraft a day were flying through eastern Ukrainian airspace, with most serving as long-haul flights between Europe and Southeast Asia. Mr Flynn said such flights typically cruise at between 33,000 and 37,000 feet. Qantas said on Friday it had shifted the flight path for its London to Dubai route over Ukraine some 400 nautical miles to the south several months ago. A Qantas spokesman declined to comment on the reasons for the shift, which came amid heightened tensions between Kiev and pro-Moscow rebels. Mr Flynn said airlines can elect to avoid an area even if it’s not closed, but that he did not believe any had chosen to do so in eastern Ukraine. “I’m not aware of any airlines that were specifically avoiding that area,” he said. Norman Shanks, a former head of group security at airports group BAA, said: "Malaysia Airlines, like a number of other carriers, has been continuing to use it because it is a shorter route, which means less fuel and therefore less money. Attacks on aircraft in the area have been rife. In the past week alone two Ukrainian military aircraft were shot down and a third was damaged by a missile." Immediately after the crash yesterday, several other airliners followed the same


Prompt: Everyone knows corporations are evil, not to be trusted, and are completely willing to kill on a whim, but we don’t expect them to be so brazen about it. We want their decisions, especially the ones where they show they don’t care about their customers or the law, to be made behind closed doors, not in public view so we can make a list about them. Well OK, maybe you don’t want them to, but we do. That way, we can write about how … 10. Listerine Straight-Up Invented a Problem to Sell a Product Nobody Needs Listerine was once

used to clean floors. We’re not taking a pot shot at its nasty, foul taste that burns the roof of your mouth and makes orange juice taste like out-of-date acid someone spat in. It literally used to clean people’s floors. When its inventor realized nobody wanted to buy it, he realized he needed to give them a reason to do so, and that reason was smelly breath. This guy literally invented halitosis, a problem no one suffered from (because it didn’t exist) that his product could cure. To make it even better, Listerine doesn’t do jack. Sure, it cleans your mouth, but as for stopping bad breath, the reason it was supposedly invented, it can actually make bad breath worse. 9. Converse Adds an Unnecessary Layer of Fuzz to Skip Taxes If you happen to be a fan of Converse shoes, congratulations on paying $50 for ugly slippers. That’s not a slang term. As discussed here, the clever people at Converse add a fine layer of fuzz to the bottom of their shoes. This technically makes the shoe a house slipper, lowering the crap out of the import tariff Converse pays on shipping them into the country. So technically, Converse shoes are never supposed to be worn outside. Or ever really, if you ask us. You may think this sounds like a clever exploit of a loophole — which it is — but it’s also one on behalf of a huge company that is effectively robbing the US of millions in taxes. Not to mention the environmental cost of putting all that fuzz onto the soles of the shoes (they must shave a lot of animals to get it all.) Wait a second, maybe this is why pandas are going extinct. Don’t wear Converse kids, unless you want to live


Prompt: The recent rash of ContentID claims across YouTube has threatened to strike down a fair number of the site’s channels. For creators who hope to make a decent living off of online video, contesting these claims is a must, but that step requires a dive into the confusing field of copyright law. Luckily, there are lawyers willing to help. New Media Rights is a non-profit organization that, among other duties, provides legal services for online content creators besieged by copyright claims. Obviously, this field requires a thorough knowledge of YouTube copyright law, so we asked to New Media Rights attorney

Teri Karobonik for some tips on navigating ContentID. Tubefilter: Are there steps YouTube creators can take in order to ‘safeguard’ their videos from invalid ContentID claims? If so, what are they? Teri Karobonik: It’s hard to entirely prevent a ContentID claim. However, we recommend that creators use only use as much copyrighted content as they absolutely need to make their point. Also, in the wake of the drastic rise in ContentID claims, which involved ContentID matches to in-game music, creators incorporating video game footage in their videos should mute background music in game. When in doubt, get a license or used openly licensed content (like Creative Commons). We have a great guide on finding openly licensed content. TF: How can YouTube musicians protect cover songs from ContentID claims? TK: Cover songs, without the proper licenses, actually violate copyright law and can result in ContentID claims and DMCA takedowns. Some services (like Loudr) have recently popped up to help cover writers get the proper licenses for their cover songs. If you have a written license, it will be much easier to get the situation resolved if your video gets monetized or taken down. TF: How can YouTube creators tell what is considered fair use and what is not? That is, where is the “line” between fair use and copyright infringement? TK: Fair use is complex, and even for experienced lawyers, it’s very hard to tell where the ‘line’ is between fair use and copyright infringement. Unfortunately, most of the easy ‘fair use rules’ are myths; it’s not true that it’s OK to only use 20 seconds of a work, nor is journalistic use always allowed. It’s never a good idea to rely on legal myths when you’re creating your videos. Fair use relies on a complex four-factor balancing test to determine


Prompt: Discussion: Thunder and Tejas The Indian Air Force (IAF) finally inducted its first batch of Tejas multi-role fighters last week. Produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Tejas was under development for about 30 years, and it is the second homegrown fighter in the IAF’s history, the first being the HF-21 Marut. The Tejas is envisaged to replace the IAF’s legacy MiG-21bis fighters. There is not much to add except the fact that the Tejas is a potent and fully capable lightweight fighter. In fact, it even got a bit of intriguing fanfare from Dawn News (a leading Pakistani newspaper),

which stated that the HAL Tejas was “considered superior to counterparts like the JF-17.” Sadly, Dawn did not add much to qualify the statement, which has fed into a lot of noise and one-sided chiding from South Asian enthusiasts. The following is not a conventional comparison, nor is there a conclusion of which one is better. Rather, Quwa’s position that is that the two platforms are broadly comparable, but excel over one another in context, i.e. specific areas. The Tejas is already equipped with a helmet mounted display and sight (HMD/S) system in the form of the Elbit DASH. In fact, a fair assessment would also recognize that the Tejas’ radar, the Elbit EL/M-2032, is a credible and widely appreciated system. India also spent more time on airframe development, hence the reason why the Tejas entered service at a time when the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is fielding three full JF-17 squadrons. In exchange for its development time, the Tejas enters the field with a fully digital fly-by-wire (FBW) flight system, a heavy use of composite materials, and a credible turbofan engine (i.e. GE404). Today, the Tejas is the better equipped fighter. However, this does not mean that is the decisively superior platform. To suggest as much would be to claim that the PAF has capped all development of the JF-17, and as such, has no plans to configure the JF-17 with subsystems that are comparable to those on current and future Tejas variants. Moreover, the better unit does not mean its rival is not comparable, which is a far more important metric considering nothing remains static over the course of time. The JF-17’s development was driven by necessity, but it was also encumbered by Pakistan’s problems. In terms of the former, the JF-17 was designed from the onset as


Prompt: Team including ASU researchers develop paper-based virus diagnostic that can be easily administered around the world Editor's note: This story is being highlighted in ASU Now's year in review. To read more top stories from 2016, click here. Fear of the Zika virus is spreading as images of afflicted infants fill the news. Hoping to foil Zika’s rapid advance, researchers from the Wyss Institute in Boston, along with colleagues from Arizona State University, have developed a low-cost ($1 per test), practical diagnostic that can be easily administered, even in areas where resources and medical expertise are scarce. Alexander Green, an

ASU professor at the Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics and the School of Molecular Sciences, is a co-author of the new study. “My lab is focused on developing molecular tools to detect diseases,” he said. “… We can take our tools, put them on pieces of paper in a very stable and low-cost format, and they can be deployed around the world.” With the recent confirmation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the virus can cause serious brain abnormalities in infants born to Zika-infected mothers, the previously obscure virus has assumed center stage. Biodesign researchers and their colleagues report their findings in the advance online issue of the journal Cell. The platform they describe — which uses a small strip of paper imprinted with a testing array — holds the potential for diagnosing a broad range of infectious diseases. The growing need for accurate diagnosis Among infectious diseases, Zika is the great deceiver. Unlike its close cousin dengue — which produces symptoms of such excruciating severity it is often referred to as breakbone fever — a Zika infection, delivered through the bite from an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, often passes without notice. When symptoms do appear, they are typically mild, including fever and joint pain. For pregnant women who may have been exposed, uncertainty over the fate of their offspring can be a source of acute anxiety. Recent evidence indicates that the disease is also transmissible through sexual intercourse. Accurate diagnosis of Zika infection is challenging, but critical to public health. With an eventual vaccine against the virus likely years away, a widely available diagnostic test to confirm Zika infection and monitor the geographic range of the disease is an essential step in limiting the rising tide of infections. ZikaZika is named for a forest


Prompt: Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Some 100 Jewish families left rebel-held Donetsk in September after a prominent businessman was murdered Leaders of Ukraine's Jewish community have come out strongly in support of the Kiev government in its conflict with Russia, rejecting Moscow's accusations that their country is now a hotbed of anti-Semitism. But some are uneasy about the far-right extremists fighting with Ukrainian volunteer battalions in the east, as well as incidents of "everyday anti-Semitism" in Ukraine. Russian media and officials have been portraying Ukraine as a hotbed of far-right extremism, including anti-Semitism, ever since former President Viktor Yanukovych

was removed from power at the end of February. In his first public reaction to Mr Yanukovych's downfall, President Vladimir Putin told journalists on 4 March: "We see the rampage of reactionary forces, nationalist and anti-Semitic forces going on in certain parts of Ukraine, including Kiev." He used similar language in his speech declaring the annexation of Crimea two weeks later, when he said that the "coup" against Mr Yanukovych was the work of "nationalists, neo-Nazis, Russophobes and anti-Semites". The Association of Jewish Organisations and Communities (VAAD) of Ukraine responded with an open letter saying that President Putin's assertions about the rise of anti-Semitism in their country "did not match reality". Mr Putin's advisers "might have confused Ukraine with Russia where Jewish organisations registered a rise of anti-Semitism last year", it added. Fascists on both sides Shmuel Kaminetsky, a rabbi in Dnipropetrovsk, home to one of the country's largest Jewish communities, also rejects the idea that Ukraine is anti-Semitic. Image copyright EPA Image caption Russian media warn of the threat of Dmitry Yarosh's Right Sector, but the party's electoral support is not high Life is "easier and safer" for Jews in Ukraine than in Western countries such as Belgium and France, where radical Islam is on the rise, he said in a recent film about efforts to defend Dnipropetrovsk against the Russian-backed insurgency. Ever since Mr Yanukovych's downfall, Russian media have played up the threat from Ukrainian far-right organisations, such as Right Sector and the Freedom party. But neither of these parties has widespread support. In the presidential election in May their leaders obtained a combined vote of less than 2%. They also failed to breach the 5% threshold in the recent parliamentary election. Still, concerns remain about the presence of far-right extremists in some parts of Ukrainian society, especially


Prompt: Whenever something momentous happens in superhero comics history, mysterious figures always seem to appear and observe proceedings. In the Marvel Universe, it's the Watcher (we still have no idea why he was at the Black Panther/Storm wedding. I'm betting it was for the hors d'oeuvres). In the DC Comics Universe of the 1980s, the Monitor observed the actions of heroes and villains. In the new DC Universe ushered in by the publisher's New 52 initiative, the latest arcane observer -- and the record holder for the most appearances of a single comic book character within one month ( 53 to

be precise) -- goes to the enigmatic and sensational character find of 2011, The Woman in the Red Hood. We don't know her true name or powers yet, which definitely cuts down on her potential to become a DC Direct action figure, but she does give the attentive comics reader a seek-and-find game in the style of Where's Waldo? I've read the New 52 comics and found the Woman in the Red Hood hidden in each and every comic, with varying degrees of difficulty. To paraphrase those Scrubbing Bubbles: I found her, so you don't have to. Red-Hooded Woman appears at the end of Flash's odyssey in Flashpoint #5 in the double-page spread on page 24-25 (all page references in this article are based on the story pages, not comic pages) and tells Barry Allen he's instrumental to weaving three earths together. Barry's able to put his universe back into place...but not quite . Fittingly for the first hero of the Silver Age, Barry's created this new DC Universe, a home of heroes and villains we're still exploring. But, with Barry's usual luck, he's not only created a world in which his mother was fated to die, but in which he hasn't (yet?) become romantically involved with wife Iris. Good job, Flash...and tough breaks. The Woman in the Red Hood won't speak again throughout the first month of the New 52, but she appears in one panel in each of DC's 52 relaunch comics , from Justice League to Voodoo . New 52, Week Zero - Justice League : She's in the bleachers at the Ford Titans football game starring Vic Stone (page 18, panel 2). No word on whether she was at the pre-game tailgate party. Why here rather than at the historic Batman/Green Lantern/Superman meeting? We'll find she


Prompt: Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. Aug. 28, 2016, 12:14 PM GMT / Updated Aug. 28, 2016, 1:37 PM GMT By The Associated Press AMATRICE, Italy — Bulldozers and other heavy equipment rolled through Italy's quake-devastated town of Amatrice on Sunday, pulling down dangerously overhanging ledges and clearing rubble as investigators tried to figure out if negligence in enforcing building codes added to the quake's high death toll. Investigations will focus on a number of structures, including an elementary school in Amatrice that crumbled when the quake

hit Wednesday. The school was renovated in 2012 to resist earthquakes at a cost of 700,000 euros ($785,000). Questions also surround a bell tower in Accumoli that collapsed, killing a family of four sleeping in a neighboring house — including a baby of 8 months and a 7-year-old boy. That bell tower also had been recently restored with special funds allocated after Italy's last major earthquake, in L'Aquila in 2009. Firefighters gather near the damaged Sant'Agostino church in Amatrice on Sunday. ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP - Getty Images The quake early Wednesday killed 290 people and injured hundreds as it flattened three medieval towns in central Italy. Giuseppe Saieva, the prosecutor in the regional capital of Rieti, said the high human death toll "cannot only be considered the work of fate." He said for now, police investigators remained focused on recovery efforts but once that emergency phase has passed, they will concentrate on the investigations. Italy's state museums, meanwhile, embarked on a fundraising campaign, donating their proceeds Sunday to relief and reconstruction efforts in the earthquake zone. Wednesday's 6.2 magnitude quake destroyed not only private homes but also churches and other centuries-old cultural treasures. The idea is to use art for art — harnessing the nation's rich artistic heritage to help recover and restore other objects of beauty in the hard-hit towns. Related: Tears Flow as Italy Holds Mass Funeral for Quake Victims Overnight was relatively calm, the first since the quake struck without strong aftershocks. In all, the region has seen 1,820 aftershocks, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. On Saturday, mourners prayed, hugged, wept and even applauded as coffins carrying earthquake victims passed by at a state funeral in the town of Ascoli Piceno. The caskets of 35 people had been brought to a community


Prompt: The percentage of working-age Canadians who aren’t working – who aren’t even looking for a job – is at a historic high years after the economy supposedly bounced back from the recession. The labour participation rate for Canadian men in their working prime – ages 25 through 54 – is the lowest it’s been since Statistics Canada started collecting that data. Women’s participation rate, rising since the 1950s, has been largely stagnant since 2006. Canadians want to work. They’re settling for temp, seasonal or part-time jobs, without the stability of a pension or benefits, to stay in the workforce. But

for many, the numbers just don’t add up. They go back to school; they settle for seasonal, contract work; some just throw in the towel. Read the series Government response: What the feds had to say about Canadians’ labour instability trap ‘Like banging your head against a wall’ Jillanne Mignon quit her job because she couldn’t afford it. She was working a decent gig for the city of Winnipeg’s 311 service – a job she’d left her university program to take so she could support her toddler son, Michael. But even with that salary, she found herself in a cycle of debt just to pay for child care. “When there’s a subsidy, there’s no spaces. When there are spaces, there’s no subsidy. … “When you have people depending on you and you can’t give them all that you want, it’s nightmarish.” Watch: Mark McAllister looks into why so many Canadians have stopped looking for work. Ultimately, she realized it just didn’t make sense. “I’m going to work to pay for childcare because I don’t want to be on welfare. “But then it’s better if I go on welfare because then I don’t have to worry about childcare because welfare won’t force me to go to work until my kid is six. So I’m tired. And I don’t know what I want to do. “It’s like banging your head against a wall.” So she quit her job. Moved to Toronto, where the combination of family support and all-day kindergarten helped with child care. Swallowed her pride and went on welfare. “When you have student loans and you still have to go on welfare, that hurts. Because you’ve tried to educate yourself so you don’t have to be dependent on the government for social assistance,” she said. It sounds like an inconceivable


Prompt: The Ork ‘Decurion’ pieces are starting to come out – Come see the latest formations that fit in the Ork Jig-saw puzzle! via Captain Citadel, 2-25-2016 via Games Workshop Here is where these formations will fit in the Ork “decurion” detachment we saw earlier in the week: via hordrak On dakkadakka We now have a pretty good picture of how this all fits together. The Waaagh-Band is the new “greentide” replacement and then you take the Council of the Waaagh to get Ghaz and his crew. Sprinkle in some other formations like the Dakkajets or Painboy mob and you’ve got

your self a big green wrecking ball. Digital Edition $32.99 Waaagh Ghazghkull – a Codex: Orks Supplement is your complete guide to Ghazghkull’s crusade. Inside you will find the full background tale of the rise of the greatest Ork Warlord to ever stomp across the galaxy. As well as rules for fielding an army worthy of Ghazghkull in your games of Warhammer 40,000, you will find a lavish showcase demonstrating the impressive range of models, as well as colours and icons of the many units and formations fighting in the warlord’s force. DESCRIPTION It has long been said that should the disparate Orks ever unify beneath one leader they would crush all of the so-called civilised peoples of the galaxy. That doomsday draws nearer, for the great greenskin Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka has arisen, and Orks from all clans muster to his bellowing warcry. He is not just a mighty warrior, but a master strategist and the living Prophet of Gork and Mork – the brutal greenskin gods. Already star systems burn upon his orders, and more will soon follow. Ghazghkull has called the Great Waaagh!, drawing towards him the most warlike of his savage race. Goff warbands, Speed Freeks, Dread Mobz – all have crossed the stars in their seething multitudes to join the greatest Ork crusade in a millennium. This time, nothing will stop the green tide. In this book you will find: A comprehensive history of Ghazghkull Thraka, his battle to become supreme amongst the greenskins, and his wars against the Imperium A showcase of incredible Ork Citadel Miniatures A brand new detachment with which to build your Ork army: the Great Waaagh!-band 14 formations that can be used in any Ork horde Special rules, Warlord Traits and Kustom Gubbinz unique to Waaagh! Ghazghkull forces 3 Altar of


Prompt: • Arsène Wenger confident over transfer after productive talks • Alexis Sánchez says he has decided where he will play next season Arsène Wenger is increasingly confident of completing what stands to be an Arsenal record transfer for the striker Alexandre Lacazette after productive talks with Lyon. The manager is keen to strengthen in attacking areas, particularly as he fights to keep hold of Alexis Sánchez, who is wanted by Manchester City, among other clubs, and he has seen a €35m (£30.7m) bid turned down by Monaco for the left winger Thomas Lemar. Monaco are adamant Lemar will not be

sold. Arsenal emotions run high with talk of change not yet matched by actions Read more But Arsenal are making progress on their move for Lacazette, whom Jean-Michel Aulas, the Lyon president, has said is worth €65m. Aulas has told Arsenal they must “be in those waters” as Atlético Madrid were ready to pay that before they were banned from registering players until January 2018. Arsenal value Lacazette at €50m, which they have indicated they are willing to pay, but they are prepared to go higher, most likely with performance-related add-ons, to close the deal. They are hopeful that Aulas will compromise slightly. Lacazette, 26, whom Wenger has tried to sign in the past, has 11 France caps and is under contract to 2019. Arsenal’s transfer record is the £42.5m paid to Real Madrid for Mesut Özil in 2013. Sánchez has made up his mind about where he will play next season but the striker would not say whether it would still be at Arsenal. Sánchez has one year to run on his contract and has given no indication he is ready to sign another one, despite the club’s desperation to tie him down. Manchester City are confident of signing the 28-year-old for around £50m. They believe they have the means to beat Arsenal in terms of a salary package. Sánchez is playing in the Confederations Cup in Russia where Chile will play Germany in the final on Sunday. He was presented for interview on Friday alongside his international team-mate Claudio Bravo, who plays at City. Sánchez was asked whether he would be a club-mate of Bravo’s next season. “Good question,” he replied. “Right now, I am focused on the Confederations Cup. When this is finished, I will see if I stay or if I go. I don’t know.” He


Prompt: Show of hands, please: Who thought, back in February, that we’d be approaching Memorial Day with the Baltimore Orioles in possession of the second-best record in the American League? Uh-huh; not many of you. Now: Who thought instead, three months ago, that the 2016 Orioles would be fortunate to end the season with 75 wins? A few more, and we are among you. We won’t revisit our thinking, if you can call it that. We will point out, though, that the Orioles will certainly come partway back to earth. First of all, none of the other teams in the AL

East are going to be pushovers. More importantly, the Orioles have been somewhat fortunate so far this year, just as they were somewhat unfortunate last year. Their record today is 26-17; their Pythagorean projection (we’ll assume you know what we mean) has them more like 24-19. Conversely, the 2015 Orioles finished 81-81, whereas their Pythagorean projection had them more like 83-79—which, over 43 games, makes for 22 wins. The small difference between the seasons can be fully accounted for by the acquisition of Mark Trumbo and the advent of Kevin Gausman. We confess to being mistaken about the Orioles not only in bulk but at retail. Sure, we (sort of) touted Joey Rickard before (we think) anyone else, and we’re proud of it (although he certainly has cooled off). But we didn’t envision a bounceback by Chris Tillman. And the guy we absolutely adored on draft day was Pedro (.191/.300/.351) Alvarez. You know how MLB might try to make games shorter by using automatic intentional walks? We propose automatic strikeouts, starting with Pedro. Don’t even bother having him approach home plate. So our Orioles picks have been wrong. But perhaps our next Orioles pick will be right. In fact, we’re sure it will be: Mike Wright, starting pitcher. His story so far, in telegraphese: right-handed, 26 years old, former good-not-great prospect, 6.04 ERA in 9-start audition last season, 4.97 ERA in 7 starts this season, durable, hard thrower, good stuff, command problems, misses too few bats, owned in 1% of Yahoo and ESPN leagues. A compelling addition to your Fantasy squad, correct? Wright is nonetheless extremely interesting, because he and his surroundings have a virtually pharmaceutical purity if you’re inclined to see them, as we are, as elements of a laboratory experiment. Our regular readers, if there are any, know


Prompt: Although my wife and I have taken several trips together since getting married, we still haven’t gone on an official honeymoon. My old job required me to work weekends and I couldn’t take any time off around the date of our wedding ceremony, so I was back in the office two days after saying “I do.” As such, my wife and I didn’t get to do the typical newlywed travel activities. You know, things like toasting each other with champagne every night for a week, lounging on the beach and giggling as we call each other Mr. and Mrs. Baseel,

or beating the hell out of a convenience store clerk, like the Chinese newlyweds who are not only just married, but were also just arrested in Japan. On the morning of Saturday, September 26, a pair of newlywed Chinese nationals, the groom 36 and the bride 25, walked into a convenience store in the Chuo Ward of Sapporo, the largest city on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. Apparently craving a post-breakfast treat, they grabbed a package of ice cream from the cooler box, opened it up, and started munching away on it in the store. Unless you’re the Dalai Lama, however, Japanese convenience stores prefer you pay for the merchandise before you start consuming it. When the 24-year-old Japanese male clerk who was on-duty spotted what the couple was doing, he gestured for them to leave the store. It’s unclear whether he first tried to speak to the couple in Japanese, or why he gestured for them to leave the store instead of pay for their ice cream. What is clear, though, is that the couple responded by punching him in the face, kicking him, and grabbing his hair. While two-on-one-ing a common opponent with that move set will get you a high score in Double Dragon, it’s generally frowned upon in the real world of inexpensive snack commerce. The police were called, arrived to find the assault ongoing, and promptly arrested the pair. The husband, who told the authorities he is a banker from Shanghai and that he and his wife are on their honeymoon in Japan, said that he felt the clerk was being disrespectful, giving his statement as “I thought my wife was being insulted. It is true that I hit him.” The pair remain in police custody, and now face the possibility of having to downgrade


Prompt: Pin Share 27 Shares The Authors Guild had the ground cut out from under them today in an important copyright lawsuit. The Second Circuit of Appeals released a ruling this morning which largely upheld Judge Harold Baer's October 2012 decision in The Authors Guild v HathiTrust, and went one step better. The court affirmed that the HathiTrust's book scanning efforts were fair use, and they also ruled that The Authors Guild had no standing to sue in the first place. The HathiTrust Digital Library is a consortium of universities and public libraries. Firmed in 2008, this group had the goal

of digitizing out of print and rare tomes in their collections in order to preserve the works and make them more widely available. A number of these organizations have also participated in the similar Google Books project, but unlike Google HathiTrust has no plans to commercialize their efforts. The Authors Guild, along author groups in Canada, Norway, Australia, and Sweden, sued the HathiTrust in 2011, alleging that the book scanning amounted to copyright infringement. In October 2012 Judge Baer ruled in favor of the HathiTrust, issuing a summary judgement which stated, in part, "Although I recognize that the facts here may on some levels be without precedent, I am convinced that they fall safely within the protection of fair use". The author groups of course appealed the ruling, and today they lost. The Appeals Court ruled that "the doctrine of fair use allows defendants-appellees to create a full-text searchable database of copyrighted works and to provide those works in formats accessible to those with disabilities", thus giving the HathiTrust a green light to continue their work. In addition, the Appeals Court also sidestepped one of the issues, noting that the HathiTrust's intention to let member organizations create a replacement copy of a scanned book was outside the scope of this trial. The Appeals Court pointed out that it's not clear "whether the plaintiffs own copyrights in any works that would be effectively irreplaceable at a fair price by the Libraries and, thus, would be potentially subject to being copied by the Libraries in case of the loss or destruction of an original". And finally, the Appeals Court declined to rule on the University of Michigan's related Orphan Works Project, stating that "the infringement claims asserted in connection with the OWP were not ripe for adjudication because the project has been


Prompt: U.S. Army officials announced that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured and spent five years in captivity in Afghanistan after leaving his post, has been charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. (Department of Defense) Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. soldier who slipped away from his patrol base in Afghanistan in 2009 and was held in captivity for five years, has been charged with desertion and misbehaving before the enemy, Army officials said Wednesday, setting the stage for emotionally charged court proceedings in coming months. The charges were announced by the service at Fort Bragg, N.C., hours after the

28-year-old was handed a charge sheet, according to one of his attorneys. Bergdahl will next face a preliminary Article 32 hearing, which is frequently compared to a grand jury proceeding in civilian court. [Checkpoint: For first time, Bowe Bergdahl describes publicly his harsh treatment in captivity] If convicted, he faces the possibility of life in prison. The Army’s decision comes after nearly 10 months of debate about whether Bergdahl should face charges and about the circumstances of his recovery. Critics — and an independent review by the Government Accountability Office — said President Obama broke the law in authorizing the release of five Taliban detainees held by the United States in exchange for Bergdahl without consulting Congress. Others have insisted that Washington had a responsibility to bring Bergdahl home by any means necessary. Army officials declined Wednesday to elaborate on the decisions they made, citing the ongoing investigation. The charges were authorized by Gen. Mark A. Milley, the commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command. [Anger from those who consider Bowe Bergdahl a deserter] Members of Bergdahl’s defense team said Wednesday that they still have not been granted access to the contents of an Army investigation launched last year to look into his disappearance, and the lawyers disputed reports that they had been engaged in plea negotiations. “We ask that all Americans continue to withhold judgment until the facts of the case emerge,” the lawyers said in a statement. “We also ask that government officials refrain from leaking information or engaging in other conduct that endangers our client’s right to a fair trial.” Bergdahl’s attorneys released a lengthy March 2 letter they wrote to Milley urging leniency in light of his time in captivity. They also released a statement to Milley from Bergdahl in which he described being chained to