India Lands Chandrayaan-3 Near South Pole of Moon
August 23rd, 2023Via: Space.com:
India has joined the moon-landing club.
The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft touched down softly near the moon’s south pole today (Aug. 23), notching a huge milestone for the nation. India is now the fourth country to stick a lunar landing, after the United States, the former Soviet Union and China.
Australia’s Misinfo Bill Paves Way for Soviet-Style Censorship
August 23rd, 2023Via: Brownstone Institute:
The Australian Government’s proposed new laws to crack down on misinformation and disinformation have drawn intense criticism for their potential to restrict free expression and political dissent, paving the way for a digital censorship regime reminiscent of Soviet Lysenkoism.
Under the draft legislation, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will gain considerable expanded regulatory powers to “combat misinformation and disinformation,” which ACMA says poses a “threat to the safety and wellbeing of Australians, as well as to our democracy, society and economy.”
Digital platforms will be required to share information with ACMA on demand, and to implement stronger systems and processes for handling of misinformation and disinformation.
ACMA will be empowered to devise and enforce digital codes with a “graduated set of tools” including infringement notices, remedial directions, injunctions and civil penalties, with fines of up to $550,000 (individuals) and $2.75 million (corporations). Criminal penalties, including imprisonment, may apply in extreme cases.
Controversially, the government will be exempt from the proposed laws, as will professional news outlets, meaning that ACMA will not compel platforms to police misinformation and disinformation disseminated by official government or news sources.
Maui Residents Who Disobeyed Barricade Survived Fires
August 23rd, 2023Remember: Maui Police Chief Was Incident Commander During 2017 Las Vegas Mass Shooting
Via: The Hill:
Those who disobeyed the barricaded road closures during the Maui fires survived the disaster, while many of those who heeded orders to turn around perished in their cars and homes with no way out, The Associated Press reported.
At least 114 people were killed in the fires earlier this month, and the FBI is estimating that up to 1,100 more are unaccounted for. Officials are facing increased scrutiny for the emergency response, including why the emergency sirens were not set off and whether closing the roads prevented people from getting to safety.
In the early hours of the Maui fires, there were more than 30 power poles downed alongside the Honoapiilani Highway at the south end of Lahaina — a historic town that was decimated in the fires earlier this month. Officials closed Lahaina Bypass Road due to the fires, blocking the only way out of Lahaina to the southern part of the island.
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said during a news conference that officers never stopped people from leaving the area, but the AP report suggests that residents were discouraged from disobeying the barricade.
Mask Mandates, Contact Tracing Coming Back?
August 22nd, 2023Via: Summit News:
There are reports circulating that colleges and offices are beginning to reinstate COVID mask mandates and contact tracing despite no new cases of the virus being reported.
The Feds Asked TikTok for Lots of Domestic Spying Features
August 22nd, 2023Via: Gizmodo:
US government regulators reportedly tried to come to an agreement with TikTok to prevent banning the app that would have granted the federal government vast powers over the app. That’s according to a draft of a deal between TikTok and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) obtained by Forbes, a contract that would have given multiple US agencies unprecedented access into the app’s records and operations. Many of the concessions the government asked of TikTok look eerily similar to the surveillance tactics critics have accused Chinese officials of abusing. To allay fears the short-form video app could be used as a Chinese surveillance tool, the federal government nearly transformed it into an American one instead.
Drone Video Day After Lahaina Maui Fire
August 22nd, 2023Via: Hawaii Real Estate:
Microplastics Detected in the Marine Air from Norway to the High Arctic
August 22nd, 2023Via: Science Switch:
You’d think the crisp ocean air would be pristine, even far from shore. But alarmingly, scientists have discovered microplastic particles floating thousands of miles from land.
An investigative team from Germany and Norway took air samples along the Norwegian coast up to the remote Arctic. Using specialized equipment aboard a research vessel, they measured plastic particles 12 meters above the sea surface. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, reveal microplastics are ubiquitous – even in the planet’s most isolated polar regions.
Illinois Tech: CO2 to Propane
August 22nd, 2023Via: Illinois Institute of Technology:
A paper recently published in Nature Energy based on pioneering research done at Illinois Institute of Technology reveals a promising breakthrough in green energy: an electrolyzer device capable of converting carbon dioxide into propane in a manner that is both scalable and economically viable.
…
What sets Asadi’s electrolyzer apart is its unique catalytic system. It uses inexpensive, readily available materials to produce tri-carbon molecules—fundamental building blocks for fuels like propane, which is used for purposes ranging from home heating to aviation.
EPA Finds Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Water Systems Across The US
August 21st, 2023Via: Zero Hedge:
The Aug. 17 finding comes after the U.S. Geological Survey found in July that perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl chemicals known as PFAS, were found in 45 percent of water taps in the United States.
The EPA’s separate findings are the latest evidence that these controversial chemicals are widespread in the environment.
PFASs are called “forever chemicals” because they build up and accumulate in a person’s body over time instead of breaking down and have been linked to a number of serious illnesses, including cancer and birth defects.
The chemicals are water resistant and do not break down in the environment and can remain in human bodies for years.
The EPA reported that the toxins could affect the drinking water of 26 million people, according to an environmental advocacy organization called the Environmental Working Group which analyzed the latest agency data.
XBlue Subscribers on X/Twitter Can Verify Identity by Taking a Selfie and Transmitting Government ID to Israeli Company
August 21st, 2023Optional for now. Mmm hmm.
Via: PC Magazine:
Twitter is working on a new way to verify a user’s identity, and the process involves submitting a selfie alongside government-issued ID.
As Engadget reports, the new system was discovered by app researcher Nima Owji, who shared a screenshot of the ID verification process. It takes about five minutes to complete, according to X, but requires submitting photos of your government-issued ID and taking a selfie.
The personal information submitted is handled by AU10TIX, an identity verification company based in Israel. The process requires users to consent to X storing their information for up to 30 days and sharing it with AU10TIX for an identity check to occur.
X states that the information, along with data collected from a user’s profile, will be used “for the purpose of safety and security, including preventing impersonation.”
More: X Blue users will need to send selfie, data to Israeli software company
