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Tall tales, campfire singalongs and Oldham slang: the White Stripes’ 20 best songs – ranked!
Thu, 05 Dec 2024 14:00:06 GMT
As Meg White turns 50, we select the ‘sibling’ duo’s finest tracks, from garage rockers to childlike rhymes and de facto sports anthems
Not, as one might initially assume, a reference to the Merseybeat band from noted scholar of 60s obscurity Jack White, but a rare White Stripes protest song (of sorts), decrying the US automobile industry’s penchant for engineering planned obsolescence in cars. Perhaps more importantly: mammoth, sludgy, distorted and thoroughly electrifying sound.
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Imagine a world in which you can do transactions and many other things without having to give your personal information. A world in which you don’t need to rely on banks or governments anymore. Sounds amazing, right? That’s exactly what blockchain technology allows us to do.
It’s like your computer’s hard drive. blockchain is a technology that lets you store data in digital blocks, which are connected together like links in a chain.
Blockchain technology was originally invented in 1991 by two mathematicians, Stuart Haber and W. Scot Stornetta. They first proposed the system to ensure that timestamps could not be tampered with.
A few years later, in 1998, software developer Nick Szabo proposed using a similar kind of technology to secure a digital payments system he called “Bit Gold.” However, this innovation was not adopted until Satoshi Nakamoto claimed to have invented the first Blockchain and Bitcoin.
A blockchain is a distributed database shared between the nodes of a computer network. It saves information in digital format. Many people first heard of blockchain technology when they started to look up information about bitcoin.
Blockchain is used in cryptocurrency systems to ensure secure, decentralized records of transactions.
Blockchain allowed people to guarantee the fidelity and security of a record of data without the need for a third party to ensure accuracy.
To understand how a blockchain works, Consider these basic steps:
Let’s get to know more about the blockchain.
Blockchain records digital information and distributes it across the network without changing it. The information is distributed among many users and stored in an immutable, permanent ledger that can't be changed or destroyed. That's why blockchain is also called "Distributed Ledger Technology" or DLT.
Here’s how it works:
And that’s the beauty of it! The process may seem complicated, but it’s done in minutes with modern technology. And because technology is advancing rapidly, I expect things to move even more quickly than ever.
Even though blockchain is integral to cryptocurrency, it has other applications. For example, blockchain can be used for storing reliable data about transactions. Many people confuse blockchain with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum.
Blockchain already being adopted by some big-name companies, such as Walmart, AIG, Siemens, Pfizer, and Unilever. For example, IBM's Food Trust uses blockchain to track food's journey before reaching its final destination.
Although some of you may consider this practice excessive, food suppliers and manufacturers adhere to the policy of tracing their products because bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella have been found in packaged foods. In addition, there have been isolated cases where dangerous allergens such as peanuts have accidentally been introduced into certain products.
Tracing and identifying the sources of an outbreak is a challenging task that can take months or years. Thanks to the Blockchain, however, companies now know exactly where their food has been—so they can trace its location and prevent future outbreaks.
Blockchain technology allows systems to react much faster in the event of a hazard. It also has many other uses in the modern world.
Blockchain technology is safe, even if it’s public. People can access the technology using an internet connection.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had all your data stored at one place and that one secure place got compromised? Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to prevent your data from leaking out even when the security of your storage systems is compromised?
Blockchain technology provides a way of avoiding this situation by using multiple computers at different locations to store information about transactions. If one computer experiences problems with a transaction, it will not affect the other nodes.
Instead, other nodes will use the correct information to cross-reference your incorrect node. This is called “Decentralization,” meaning all the information is stored in multiple places.
Blockchain guarantees your data's authenticity—not just its accuracy, but also its irreversibility. It can also be used to store data that are difficult to register, like legal contracts, state identifications, or a company's product inventory.
Blockchain has many advantages and disadvantages.
I’ll answer the most frequently asked questions about blockchain in this section.
Blockchain is not a cryptocurrency but a technology that makes cryptocurrencies possible. It's a digital ledger that records every transaction seamlessly.
Yes, blockchain can be theoretically hacked, but it is a complicated task to be achieved. A network of users constantly reviews it, which makes hacking the blockchain difficult.
Coinbase Global is currently the biggest blockchain company in the world. The company runs a commendable infrastructure, services, and technology for the digital currency economy.
Blockchain is a decentralized technology. It’s a chain of distributed ledgers connected with nodes. Each node can be any electronic device. Thus, one owns blockhain.
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, which is powered by Blockchain technology while Blockchain is a distributed ledger of cryptocurrency
Generally a database is a collection of data which can be stored and organized using a database management system. The people who have access to the database can view or edit the information stored there. The client-server network architecture is used to implement databases. whereas a blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, stored in a distributed system. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, timestamp and transaction information. Modification of data is not allowed due to the design of the blockchain. The technology allows decentralized control and eliminates risks of data modification by other parties.
Blockchain has a wide spectrum of applications and, over the next 5-10 years, we will likely see it being integrated into all sorts of industries. From finance to healthcare, blockchain could revolutionize the way we store and share data. Although there is some hesitation to adopt blockchain systems right now, that won't be the case in 2022-2023 (and even less so in 2026). Once people become more comfortable with the technology and understand how it can work for them, owners, CEOs and entrepreneurs alike will be quick to leverage blockchain technology for their own gain. Hope you like this article if you have any question let me know in the comments section
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Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the most popular digital assets today, capturing the attention of cryptocurrency investors, whales and people from around the world. People find it amazing that some users spend thousands or millions of dollars on a single NFT-based image of a monkey or other token, but you can simply take a screenshot for free. So here we share some freuently asked question about NFTs.
NFT stands for non-fungible token, which is a cryptographic token on a blockchain with unique identification codes that distinguish it from other tokens. NFTs are unique and not interchangeable, which means no two NFTs are the same. NFTs can be a unique artwork, GIF, Images, videos, Audio album. in-game items, collectibles etc.
A blockchain is a distributed digital ledger that allows for the secure storage of data. By recording any kind of information—such as bank account transactions, the ownership of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), or Decentralized Finance (DeFi) smart contracts—in one place, and distributing it to many different computers, blockchains ensure that data can’t be manipulated without everyone in the system being aware.
The value of an NFT comes from its ability to be traded freely and securely on the blockchain, which is not possible with other current digital ownership solutionsThe NFT points to its location on the blockchain, but doesn’t necessarily contain the digital property. For example, if you replace one bitcoin with another, you will still have the same thing. If you buy a non-fungible item, such as a movie ticket, it is impossible to replace it with any other movie ticket because each ticket is unique to a specific time and place.
One of the unique characteristics of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) is that they can be tokenised to create a digital certificate of ownership that can be bought, sold and traded on the blockchain.
As with crypto-currency, records of who owns what are stored on a ledger that is maintained by thousands of computers around the world. These records can’t be forged because the whole system operates on an open-source network.
NFTs also contain smart contracts—small computer programs that run on the blockchain—that give the artist, for example, a cut of any future sale of the token.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) aren't cryptocurrencies, but they do use blockchain technology. Many NFTs are based on Ethereum, where the blockchain serves as a ledger for all the transactions related to said NFT and the properties it represents.5) How to make an NFT?
Anyone can create an NFT. All you need is a digital wallet, some ethereum tokens and a connection to an NFT marketplace where you’ll be able to upload and sell your creations
When you purchase a stock in NFT, that purchase is recorded on the blockchain—the bitcoin ledger of transactions—and that entry acts as your proof of ownership.
The value of an NFT varies a lot based on the digital asset up for grabs. People use NFTs to trade and sell digital art, so when creating an NFT, you should consider the popularity of your digital artwork along with historical statistics.
In the year 2021, a digital artist called Pak created an artwork called The Merge. It was sold on the Nifty Gateway NFT market for $91.8 million.
Non-fungible tokens can be used in investment opportunities. One can purchase an NFT and resell it at a profit. Certain NFT marketplaces let sellers of NFTs keep a percentage of the profits from sales of the assets they create.
Many people want to buy NFTs because it lets them support the arts and own something cool from their favorite musicians, brands, and celebrities. NFTs also give artists an opportunity to program in continual royalties if someone buys their work. Galleries see this as a way to reach new buyers interested in art.
There are many places to buy digital assets, like opensea and their policies vary. On top shot, for instance, you sign up for a waitlist that can be thousands of people long. When a digital asset goes on sale, you are occasionally chosen to purchase it.
To mint an NFT token, you must pay some amount of gas fee to process the transaction on the Etherum blockchain, but you can mint your NFT on a different blockchain called Polygon to avoid paying gas fees. This option is available on OpenSea and this simply denotes that your NFT will only be able to trade using Polygon's blockchain and not Etherum's blockchain. Mintable allows you to mint NFTs for free without paying any gas fees.
The answer is no. Non-Fungible Tokens are minted on the blockchain using cryptocurrencies such as Etherum, Solana, Polygon, and so on. Once a Non-Fungible Token is minted, the transaction is recorded on the blockchain and the contract or license is awarded to whoever has that Non-Fungible Token in their wallet.
You can sell your work and creations by attaching a license to it on the blockchain, where its ownership can be transferred. This lets you get exposure without losing full ownership of your work. Some of the most successful projects include Cryptopunks, Bored Ape Yatch Club NFTs, SandBox, World of Women and so on. These NFT projects have gained popularity globally and are owned by celebrities and other successful entrepreneurs. Owning one of these NFTs gives you an automatic ticket to exclusive business meetings and life-changing connections.
That’s a wrap. Hope you guys found this article enlightening. I just answer some question with my limited knowledge about NFTs. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comment section below. Also I have a question for you, Is bitcoin an NFTs? let me know in The comment section below
In the rapidly advancing landscape of AI technology and innovation, LimeWire emerges as a unique platform in the realm of generative AI tools. This platform not only stands out from the multitude of existing AI tools but also brings a fresh approach to content generation. LimeWire not only empowers users to create AI content but also provides creators with creative ways to share and monetize their creations.
As we explore LimeWire, our aim is to uncover its features, benefits for creators, and the exciting possibilities it offers for AI content generation. This platform presents an opportunity for users to harness the power of AI in image creation, all while enjoying the advantages of a free and accessible service.
Let's unravel the distinctive features that set LimeWire apart in the dynamic landscape of AI-powered tools, understanding how creators can leverage its capabilities to craft unique and engaging AI-generated images.
This revamped LimeWire invites users to register and unleash their creativity by crafting original AI content, which can then be shared and showcased on the LimeWire Studio. Notably, even acclaimed artists and musicians, such as Deadmau5, Soulja Boy, and Sean Kingston, have embraced this platform to publish their content in the form of NFT music, videos, and images.
Beyond providing a space for content creation and sharing, LimeWire introduces monetization models to empower users to earn revenue from their creations. This includes avenues such as earning ad revenue and participating in the burgeoning market of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). As we delve further, we'll explore these monetization strategies in more detail to provide a comprehensive understanding of LimeWire's innovative approach to content creation and distribution.
LimeWire Studio welcomes content creators into its fold, providing a space to craft personalized AI-focused content for sharing with fans and followers. Within this creative hub, every piece of content generated becomes not just a creation but a unique asset—ownable and tradable. Fans have the opportunity to subscribe to creators' pages, immersing themselves in the creative journey and gaining ownership of digital collectibles that hold tradeable value within the LimeWire community. Notably, creators earn a 2.5% royalty each time their content is traded, adding a rewarding element to the creative process.
The platform's flexibility is evident in its content publication options. Creators can choose to share their work freely with the public or opt for a premium subscription model, granting exclusive access to specialized content for subscribers.
As of the present moment, LimeWire focuses on AI Image Generation, offering a spectrum of creative possibilities to its user base. The platform, however, has ambitious plans on the horizon, aiming to broaden its offerings by introducing AI music and video generation tools in the near future. This strategic expansion promises creators even more avenues for expression and engagement with their audience, positioning LimeWire Studio as a dynamic and evolving platform within the realm of AI-powered content creation.
The LimeWire AI image generation tool presents a versatile platform for both the creation and editing of images. Supporting advanced models such as Stable Diffusion 2.1, Stable Diffusion XL, and DALL-E 2, LimeWire offers a sophisticated toolkit for users to delve into the realm of generative AI art.
Much like other tools in the generative AI landscape, LimeWire provides a range of options catering to various levels of complexity in image creation. Users can initiate the creative process with prompts as simple as a few words or opt for more intricate instructions, tailoring the output to their artistic vision.
What sets LimeWire apart is its seamless integration of different AI models and design styles. Users have the flexibility to effortlessly switch between various AI models, exploring diverse design styles such as cinematic, digital art, pixel art, anime, analog film, and more. Each style imparts a distinctive visual identity to the generated AI art, enabling users to explore a broad spectrum of creative possibilities.
The platform also offers additional features, including samplers, allowing users to fine-tune the quality and detail levels of their creations. Customization options and prompt guidance further enhance the user experience, providing a user-friendly interface for both novice and experienced creators.
Excitingly, LimeWire is actively developing its proprietary AI model, signaling ongoing innovation and enhancements to its image generation capabilities. This upcoming addition holds the promise of further expanding the creative horizons for LimeWire users, making it an evolving and dynamic platform within the landscape of AI-driven art and image creation.
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Upon completing your creative endeavor on LimeWire, the platform allows you the option to publish your content. An intriguing feature follows this step: LimeWire automates the process of minting your creation as a Non-Fungible Token (NFT), utilizing either the Polygon or Algorand blockchain. This transformative step imbues your artwork with a unique digital signature, securing its authenticity and ownership in the decentralized realm.
Creators on LimeWire hold the power to decide the accessibility of their NFT creations. By opting for a public release, the content becomes discoverable by anyone, fostering a space for engagement and interaction. Furthermore, this choice opens the avenue for enthusiasts to trade the NFTs, adding a layer of community involvement to the artistic journey.
Alternatively, LimeWire acknowledges the importance of exclusivity. Creators can choose to share their posts exclusively with their premium subscribers. In doing so, the content remains a special offering solely for dedicated fans, creating an intimate and personalized experience within the LimeWire community. This flexibility in sharing options emphasizes LimeWire's commitment to empowering creators with choices in how they connect with their audience and distribute their digital creations.
After creating your content, you can choose to publish the content. It will automatically mint your creation as an NFT on the Polygon or Algorand blockchain. You can also choose whether to make it public or subscriber-only.
If you make it public, anyone can discover your content and even trade the NFTs. If you choose to share the post only with your premium subscribers, it will be exclusive only to your fans.
Additionally, you can earn ad revenue from your content creations as well.
When you publish content on LimeWire, you will receive 70% of all ad revenue from other users who view your images, music, and videos on the platform.
This revenue model will be much more beneficial to designers. You can experiment with the AI image and content generation tools and share your creations while earning a small income on the side.
The revenue you earn from your creations will come in the form of LMWR tokens, LimeWire’s own cryptocurrency.
Your earnings will be paid every month in LMWR, which you can then trade on many popular crypto exchange platforms like Kraken, ByBit, and UniSwap.
You can also use your LMWR tokens to pay for prompts when using LimeWire generative AI tools.
You can sign up to LimeWire to use its AI tools for free. You will receive 10 credits to use and generate up to 20 AI images per day. You will also receive 50% of the ad revenue share. However, you will get more benefits with premium plans.
For $9.99 per month, you will get 1,000 credits per month, up to 2 ,000 image generations, early access to new AI models, and 50% ad revenue share
For $29 per month, you will get 3750 credits per month, up to 7500 image generations, early access to new AI models, and 60% ad revenue share
For $49 per month, you will get 5,000 credits per month, up to 10,000 image generations, early access to new AI models, and 70% ad revenue share
For $99 per month, you will get 11,250 credits per month, up to 2 2,500 image generations, early access to new AI models, and 70% ad revenue share
With all premium plans, you will receive a Pro profile badge, full creation history, faster image generation, and no ads.
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In conclusion, LimeWire emerges as a democratizing force in the creative landscape, providing an inclusive platform where anyone can unleash their artistic potential and effortlessly share their work. With the integration of AI, LimeWire eliminates traditional barriers, empowering designers, musicians, and artists to publish their creations and earn revenue with just a few clicks.
The ongoing commitment of LimeWire to innovation is evident in its plans to enhance generative AI tools with new features and models. The upcoming expansion to include music and video generation tools holds the promise of unlocking even more possibilities for creators. It sparks anticipation about the diverse and innovative ways in which artists will leverage these tools to produce and publish their own unique creations.
For those eager to explore, LimeWire's AI tools are readily accessible for free, providing an opportunity to experiment and delve into the world of generative art. As LimeWire continues to evolve, creators are encouraged to stay tuned for the launch of its forthcoming AI music and video generation tools, promising a future brimming with creative potential and endless artistic exploration
In 2025, AI is poised to change every aspect of democratic politics—but it won’t necessarily be for the worse.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has used AI to translate his speeches for his multilingual electorate in real time, demonstrating how AI can help diverse democracies to be more inclusive. AI avatars were used by presidential candidates in South Korea in electioneering, enabling them to provide answers to thousands of voters’ questions simultaneously. We are also starting to see AI tools aid fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts. AI techniques are starting to augment more traditional polling methods, helping campaigns get cheaper and faster data. And congressional candidates have started using AI robocallers to engage voters on issues. In 2025, these trends will continue. AI doesn’t need to be superior to human experts to augment the labor of an overworked canvasser, or to write ad copy similar to that of a junior campaign staffer or volunteer. Politics is competitive, and any technology that can bestow an advantage, or even just garner attention, will be used...
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Ruling comes on top of damages fighter was ordered to pay last month after a jury found he had assaulted Hand in a Dublin hotel
The Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor has been ordered to pay the entire legal costs, estimated at €1.5m (£1.24m), in relation to a civil rape case brought by a woman in Dublin, a judge has ruled.
It comes on top of the near €250,000 damages he was ordered to pay last month after a jury found he had assaulted Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel after a Christmas party in 2018.
Continue reading...Eddie Ratcliffe, who was 15 when he and a friend murdered the schoolgirl, wanted 20-year minimum jail term to be cut
One of the two teenagers convicted of the murder of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey has failed in his attempt to reduce the length of his sentence after claiming a judge failed to take into account his “immaturity”.
Eddie Ratcliffe was detained for life with a minimum term of 20 years in February for the murder, along with Scarlett Jenkinson, who received a minimum term of 22 years.
Continue reading...Malik Muhammad, a disabled Army veteran with PTSD, received the harshest federal sentence for the George Floyd protests.
The post Oregon Prison Limits Solitary to 90 Days. This BLM Protester Has Been in the Hole for 250. appeared first on The Intercept.
Supreme Court conservatives cited overseas laws to defend draconian legislation in Tennessee banning gender-affirming care.
The post To Deprive Trans Kids of Medical Care, Supreme Court Looks to Britain and Sweden appeared first on The Intercept.
George Mason University suspended its Students for Justice in Palestine chapter and effectively kicked out the group’s co-president.
The post Police Raid Pro-Palestine Students’ Home in FBI-Led Graffiti Investigation appeared first on The Intercept.
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The acting director of the US Secret Service, Ronald Rowe, laid out a series of changes that the agency is enacting following the attempted assassination attempt against Donald Trump at a campaign rally in July.
Rowe told the House task force examining the assassination attempt that the Secret Service has created an aviation unit for drone surveillance of potential threats, expanded the use of counter-drone systems, streamlined communication at protective sites and increased security of Trump throughout the rest of the presidential campaign.
Continue reading...Chamber votes 206-198 against publication of report into former Florida representative, who resigned last month
The House on Thursday voted 206-198 to block the release of the ethics committee’s long-awaited report investigating allegations of sexual misconduct and potential illegal activities involving former Florida Republican representative Matt Gaetz.
The report in question details allegations that Gaetz engaged in illicit drug use, misuse of campaign funds and sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl, and allegations of obstructing the House investigation. Gaetz has consistently denied the claims.
Continue reading...Republican representative accuses agency’s acting director at hearing over response to Trump assassination attempts
A hearing examining the Secret Service’s response to the assassination attempts against Donald Trump went off the rails on Thursday, when a screaming match broke out between the agency’s acting director, Ronald Rowe, and a Republican representative.
The hearing, hosted by the House taskforce established shortly after the first assassination attempt against Trump in July, was meant to explore the steps that the Secret Service has taken to improve security measures of protectees, but Pat Fallon, a Republican of Texas, took the questioning of Rowe in a different direction.
Continue reading...Lawmakers will soon vote on a bill directing a nonprofit to draft curriculum on atrocities carried out by communist regimes.
The post Just Say No: Congress Considers Neocon Lesson Plans to Keep Kids Off Communism appeared first on The Intercept.
American troops are in Syria on questionable legal grounds. They continue to get attacked, according to new Pentagon data.
The post As Civil War Heats Back Up, U.S. Troops Are Still Deployed in Syria — And Under Fire appeared first on The Intercept.
Most rappers venerate the single mothers who brought them up – but Eminem shockingly lambasted his. Yet even he couldn’t keep up the enmity for long
Hip-hop has long been a culture that honours single mothers and their many sacrifices. “She was barely even grown and became my momma!” rapped a tearful Cee-Lo Green over a wounded piano on Goodie Mob’s criminally underrated 1995 song Guess Who. “I never knew my dad, so even when the times got bad / I was glad, because I had my momma.”
On the powerful hood-gospel song, Dear Mama, 2Pac famously paid tribute to the persistence of his own family matriarch, the Black Panther political revolutionary Afeni Shakur. He rapped the empathetic line: “Even as a crack fiend, momma / You always was a Black queen.” It’s one of only a few rap songs selected for preservation at the National Recording Registry in the US Library of Congress.
Continue reading...Hannah Byrne joined Facebook to combat far-right extremism. She’s now convinced the tech giant can’t be trusted with such power.
The post She Joined Facebook to Fight Terror. Now She’s Convinced We Need to Fight Facebook. appeared first on The Intercept.
Private equity firms play a key role in America’s prison system. If Trump carries out his plans for mass deportations, they stand to benefit.
The post Guess Who Profits From Trump’s Deportation Plan? Private Equity Firms. appeared first on The Intercept.
Draconian new laws allow mass incarceration of women and children forced to beg because of work ban
Destitute Afghan women arrested for begging under draconian new Taliban laws have spoken of “brutal” rapes and beatings in detention.
Over the past few months, many women said they had been targeted by Taliban officials and detained under anti-begging laws passed this year. While in prison, they claim they were subjected to sexual abuse, torture and forced labour, and witnessed children being beaten and abused.
Continue reading...With Trump returning to the White House, only mass commutations will stop another federal execution spree.
The post Biden Has “Pardoned” Eight Turkeys. Will He Spare the Lives of 40 Human Beings? appeared first on The Intercept.
Climate Justice Alliance was the only program grantee to speak out on Palestine — and the only one whose funding is delayed.
The post Biden Makes His Own Attack on Nonprofit Over Palestine appeared first on The Intercept.
After 250 years of armed attacks, forced relocations, ethnic cleansing, and genocide of Native Americans, the U.S. military wants to celebrate.
The post Happy Native American Heritage Month From the Army That Brought You the Trail of Tears appeared first on The Intercept.
Local police across New York state regularly work with ICE. Before Trump can start rounding up immigrants, advocates are pushing for change.
The post The Fight to Stop New York Cops From Conspiring With ICE appeared first on The Intercept.
ESA and Thales Alenia Space have signed a contract amendment today at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan to extend the Lunar View refuelling module for the lunar Gateway.
In this week’s Feast newsletter: Everything about the holidays makes me happy, even light-up earrings. But my favourite thing is whipping up treats for loved ones
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Last Christmas, a chef I regularly work with admitted he hates homemade gifts. Needless to say, I was aghast; who doesn’t love a homemade edible gift?! Perhaps he has been scarred by endless jars of hedgerow jams and allotment veg chutney over the years (although I’m not sure I could ever get sick of homemade chutney, especially if it is one of Chetna Makan’s recipes). This chef is a dear friend, so I have done what any good friend would do and, ever since, have given him a homemade gift each time I’ve given him a present. It got me thinking about edible gifts, what constitutes a good one and why I love them so much.
I’ll start with a disclaimer: I adore Christmas. I’m talking light-up earrings, carols around the village Christmas tree and Felicity Cloake’s mulled wine on repeat – I love it all. However, I do get overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that appears at this time of year. Do we need more stuff? Family and friends will ask me: “What do you want? What do you need?” There is, in fact, very little that I need, and what I actually want is the recipe for your infamous chocolate cake or your granny’s recipe for her slow-cooked ragu. (Clearly I’m not the only one, given the success of online sensation Pasta Grannies.) Or perhaps a bottle of that premixed margarita you made last time I visited your house. To be honest, you could bottle up any of these pitcher-style cocktails and I’d be thrilled. I love it all.
Continue reading...Will lowering cortisol levels help with puffiness? Do you need to take magnesium? What’s underconsumption core? We’re here to help
We all want to be well – to feel good or, at least, not feel bad. For the most part, we know how to do this: eat nutritious food, move your body, get adequate sleep, manage stress and nurture your relationships.
But eating leafy greens, going on walks and journaling aren’t terribly exciting. New trends that promise to revolutionize our health and wellbeing are more intriguing. Often, these trends are old ideas in shiny new packaging (eg detoxing). Sometimes, they are genuine advancements whose implications may not yet be fully understood (eg microbiome testing).
Continue reading...You can’t really stab your food with it like a real fork, and you can’t really scoop your soup
Since Auguste Comte, philosophers have assumed that progress is an inevitable feature of history. As the father of positivism, Comte argued that the human condition always improves as science and technology advance.
A single commonplace object proves Comte’s assertion absurd and fallacious: the spork.
Continue reading...In this week’s Down To Earth newsletter: The oldest known newspaper column in existence has run since 1904, and gives an insight into the natural world that’s a striking reflection of the times
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Obsessed with the weather? If you’re a British reader, then the answer is certainly yes. Thanks to our seasonal climate, we have always been a nation with one eye on the sky – and it’s only a short hop from there to observing how our flora and fauna respond to these ever-shifting conditions. Being in early winter now, it’s the time of year for geese and gales, starlings and mistletoe, tree rot and fungi in staggering variety. There is always, always something changing about our wildlife, day by day.
This is the foundation on which the Guardian’s Country diary column flourishes. It’s a sort of slow-motion version of the BBC programme Springwatch – one short piece each day, from a different writer in a different part of the UK, each focusing on a different aspect of nature.
Fury as US argues against climate obligations at top UN court
‘Straight in harm’s way’: can Trump open up Alaska’s 19m-acre refuge for drilling?
The night-time farm is alive with unseen wildlife
A snowy blow-in brings a blizzard of visitors
Spotted! A black squirrel outside my school kitchen
‘It signifies renewal’: recipients of Sycamore Gap saplings announced
Spain introduces paid climate leave after deadly floods
On the Grenadian island of Carriacou, even the dead are now climate victims
‘Climate bomb’ warning over $200bn wave of new gas projects
Countries call for binding targets to cut plastic production after talks fail
Continue reading...TV presenter denies fresh claims of incidents that Shannon Kyle alleges happened when she was working on his 2012 autobiography
The ghostwriter of Gregg Wallace’s 2012 autobiography has claimed he sexually harassed her when she was working on the book.
Shannon Kyle told BBC Newsnight that Wallace touched her thigh inappropriately while she was sitting in the passenger seat of his sports car and touched her bottom during an appearance at the Good Food Show.
Continue reading...Rice wine enshrined as part of ‘cultural heritage of humanity’
Sake is perhaps more Japanese than the world-famous sushi. It’s brewed in centuries-old mountaintop warehouses, savoured in the country’s pub-like izakayas, poured during weddings and served slightly chilled for special toasts.
Now, the smooth rice wine that plays a crucial role in Japan’s culinary traditions - and is a favoured tipple of celebrities such as Cate Blanchett – has been enshrined by Unesco, which has put it on its list of the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity”.
Continue reading...Researchers say risk could be reduced by 21% but connection ‘controversial’
Eating a few pieces of dark chocolate five times a week while avoiding milk chocolate has been linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
The connection between chocolate consumption and type 2 diabetes risk is “controversial”, according to researchers, although they highlight that most previous studies did not explore the difference between types of chocolate.
Continue reading...Private equity firms play a key role in America’s prison system. If Trump carries out his plans for mass deportations, they stand to benefit.
The post Guess Who Profits From Trump’s Deportation Plan? Private Equity Firms. appeared first on The Intercept.
Need a generic but thoughtful gift? Here’s our inspiring list of affordable, and often useful, failsafe presents we buy time and again
We’ve all been there: royally stumped for a present for someone, be it a newly acquired father-in-law whose taste you don’t yet know, or a birthday you’d forgotten about. That’s when you reach for your fail-safes – the gifts you’ve bought time and again because, well, they’re a winner every time.
From a kids’ game and a box of iced biscuits to rejuvenating bath foam and a box of charity teabags, these presents have all been gratefully received by their recipients, over and over.
Continue reading...From alcohol-free prosecco to dealcoholised wine, here are our top picks for no-booze bubbles with plenty of sparkle
Party season is around the corner, but that doesn’t have to mean overdoing the booze until we try to undo the excesses in Dry January.
If you’re avoiding alcohol, there are plenty of good alternatives to sparkling wine that still feel celebratory and make that great sound when you pop the cork. And, for once, we can toast to “our good health” and actually mean it.
Continue reading...Draconian new laws allow mass incarceration of women and children forced to beg because of work ban
Destitute Afghan women arrested for begging under draconian new Taliban laws have spoken of “brutal” rapes and beatings in detention.
Over the past few months, many women said they had been targeted by Taliban officials and detained under anti-begging laws passed this year. While in prison, they claim they were subjected to sexual abuse, torture and forced labour, and witnessed children being beaten and abused.
Continue reading...A weekly email from Yotam Ottolenghi, Meera Sodha, Felicity Cloake and Rachel Roddy, featuring the latest recipes and seasonal eating ideas
Each week we’ll send you an exclusive newsletter from our star food writers. We’ll also send you the latest recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi, Nigel Slater, Meera Sodha and all our star cooks, stand-out food features and seasonal eating inspiration, plus restaurant reviews from Grace Dent and Jay Rayner.
Sign up below to start receiving the best of our culinary journalism in one mouth-watering weekly email.
Continue reading...Biden said that the truce could be a prelude to a ceasefire in Gaza. Netanyahu’s actions seem to indicate otherwise.
The post Israel Agrees to Stop Bombing Lebanon — So It Can Keep Bombing Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
Style, with substance: what’s really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved, direct to your inbox every Thursday
Style, with substance: what’s really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved, delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday
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Imagine a world in which you can do transactions and many other things without having to give your personal information. A world in which you don’t need to rely on banks or governments anymore. Sounds amazing, right? That’s exactly what blockchain technology allows us to do.
It’s like your computer’s hard drive. blockchain is a technology that lets you store data in digital blocks, which are connected together like links in a chain.
Blockchain technology was originally invented in 1991 by two mathematicians, Stuart Haber and W. Scot Stornetta. They first proposed the system to ensure that timestamps could not be tampered with.
A few years later, in 1998, software developer Nick Szabo proposed using a similar kind of technology to secure a digital payments system he called “Bit Gold.” However, this innovation was not adopted until Satoshi Nakamoto claimed to have invented the first Blockchain and Bitcoin.
A blockchain is a distributed database shared between the nodes of a computer network. It saves information in digital format. Many people first heard of blockchain technology when they started to look up information about bitcoin.
Blockchain is used in cryptocurrency systems to ensure secure, decentralized records of transactions.
Blockchain allowed people to guarantee the fidelity and security of a record of data without the need for a third party to ensure accuracy.
To understand how a blockchain works, Consider these basic steps:
Let’s get to know more about the blockchain.
Blockchain records digital information and distributes it across the network without changing it. The information is distributed among many users and stored in an immutable, permanent ledger that can't be changed or destroyed. That's why blockchain is also called "Distributed Ledger Technology" or DLT.
Here’s how it works:
And that’s the beauty of it! The process may seem complicated, but it’s done in minutes with modern technology. And because technology is advancing rapidly, I expect things to move even more quickly than ever.
Even though blockchain is integral to cryptocurrency, it has other applications. For example, blockchain can be used for storing reliable data about transactions. Many people confuse blockchain with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum.
Blockchain already being adopted by some big-name companies, such as Walmart, AIG, Siemens, Pfizer, and Unilever. For example, IBM's Food Trust uses blockchain to track food's journey before reaching its final destination.
Although some of you may consider this practice excessive, food suppliers and manufacturers adhere to the policy of tracing their products because bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella have been found in packaged foods. In addition, there have been isolated cases where dangerous allergens such as peanuts have accidentally been introduced into certain products.
Tracing and identifying the sources of an outbreak is a challenging task that can take months or years. Thanks to the Blockchain, however, companies now know exactly where their food has been—so they can trace its location and prevent future outbreaks.
Blockchain technology allows systems to react much faster in the event of a hazard. It also has many other uses in the modern world.
Blockchain technology is safe, even if it’s public. People can access the technology using an internet connection.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had all your data stored at one place and that one secure place got compromised? Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to prevent your data from leaking out even when the security of your storage systems is compromised?
Blockchain technology provides a way of avoiding this situation by using multiple computers at different locations to store information about transactions. If one computer experiences problems with a transaction, it will not affect the other nodes.
Instead, other nodes will use the correct information to cross-reference your incorrect node. This is called “Decentralization,” meaning all the information is stored in multiple places.
Blockchain guarantees your data's authenticity—not just its accuracy, but also its irreversibility. It can also be used to store data that are difficult to register, like legal contracts, state identifications, or a company's product inventory.
Blockchain has many advantages and disadvantages.
I’ll answer the most frequently asked questions about blockchain in this section.
Blockchain is not a cryptocurrency but a technology that makes cryptocurrencies possible. It's a digital ledger that records every transaction seamlessly.
Yes, blockchain can be theoretically hacked, but it is a complicated task to be achieved. A network of users constantly reviews it, which makes hacking the blockchain difficult.
Coinbase Global is currently the biggest blockchain company in the world. The company runs a commendable infrastructure, services, and technology for the digital currency economy.
Blockchain is a decentralized technology. It’s a chain of distributed ledgers connected with nodes. Each node can be any electronic device. Thus, one owns blockhain.
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, which is powered by Blockchain technology while Blockchain is a distributed ledger of cryptocurrency
Generally a database is a collection of data which can be stored and organized using a database management system. The people who have access to the database can view or edit the information stored there. The client-server network architecture is used to implement databases. whereas a blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, stored in a distributed system. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, timestamp and transaction information. Modification of data is not allowed due to the design of the blockchain. The technology allows decentralized control and eliminates risks of data modification by other parties.
Blockchain has a wide spectrum of applications and, over the next 5-10 years, we will likely see it being integrated into all sorts of industries. From finance to healthcare, blockchain could revolutionize the way we store and share data. Although there is some hesitation to adopt blockchain systems right now, that won't be the case in 2022-2023 (and even less so in 2026). Once people become more comfortable with the technology and understand how it can work for them, owners, CEOs and entrepreneurs alike will be quick to leverage blockchain technology for their own gain. Hope you like this article if you have any question let me know in the comments section
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White House games last-minute strategy to bolster Ukraine, including $20bn in loans and sweeping sanctions on Russia
The White House has gamed out a last-minute strategy to bolster Ukraine’s war position that involves an avalanche of military assistance and sweeping new sanctions against Russia, according to a background briefing from a National Security Council spokesperson.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan met with the head of the office of the Ukrainian president Andriy Yermak for more than an hour on Thursday, committing to provide Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of additional artillery rounds, thousands of rockets and hundreds of armored vehicles by mid-January, according to the briefing shared with the Guardian.
Continue reading...Hannah Byrne joined Facebook to combat far-right extremism. She’s now convinced the tech giant can’t be trusted with such power.
The post She Joined Facebook to Fight Terror. Now She’s Convinced We Need to Fight Facebook. appeared first on The Intercept.
Officials blast Trump’s national intelligence director pick for lack of experience and embracing conspiracy theories
Nearly 100 former US diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have called for the Senate to hold closed-door briefings on Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence for her alleged “sympathy for dictators like Vladimir Putin and [Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad]” and other concerns.
In an open letter, the officials blasted Tulsi Gabbard, a former presidential candidate and representative from Hawaii, for her lack of experience in the field of intelligence, embracing conspiracy theories regarding the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and “aligning herself with Russian and Syrian officials” after an “uncoordinated” meeting with Assad in Damascus in 2017.
Continue reading...American troops are in Syria on questionable legal grounds. They continue to get attacked, according to new Pentagon data.
The post As Civil War Heats Back Up, U.S. Troops Are Still Deployed in Syria — And Under Fire appeared first on The Intercept.
Soldiers and marines discover drugs in Sinaloa, while separately authorities arrest more than 5,200 migrants
Mexican security forces have impounded more than a ton of fentanyl pills in what officials have called the biggest seizure of the synthetic opioid in the country’s history.
Soldiers and marines found the fentanyl at two properties in the northern state of Sinaloa, late on Tuesday – exactly a week after Donald Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico unless the two neighbouring countries cracked down on the flow of immigrants and drugs across their borders with the US.
Continue reading...Leaders cast the other as ill-prepared after Trump threatens to apply 25% taxes on goods from both countries
Mexico’s president has said Canadians “could only wish they had the cultural riches” of her country as tensions mount between the two nations, caught in a feud over tariffs and trade exacerbated by Donald Trump.
The US president-elect threatened in a social media post last week to apply devastating levies of 25% on all goods and services from both countries, and to keep them in place until “such time as drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country!”
Continue reading...Private equity firms play a key role in America’s prison system. If Trump carries out his plans for mass deportations, they stand to benefit.
The post Guess Who Profits From Trump’s Deportation Plan? Private Equity Firms. appeared first on The Intercept.
Sheila Duncan says Labour has to address the problems facing Britain with passion if it wants public support. Plus letters from David Diprose and Maureen Tilford
John Harris raises some important issues in his article (Labour’s big relaunch won’t solve its biggest problem: this government doesn’t speak human, 1 December), but it’s crucial to dig deeper into the relationship between politics and emotion. Politicians like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage are not more “human” than those in the centre or on the left. They just know how to manipulate dark human emotions – fear, anger and resentment – in societies where there is profound inequality, very little taxation of the rich and barely regulated privatisation of all that makes civilised life possible – health services, education, water, energy and transport.
They particularly know how to manipulate resentment – the emotion that underlies fascism – when so many people struggle for survival as they watch the smug satisfaction of those who don’t.
Continue reading...In 2025, AI is poised to change every aspect of democratic politics—but it won’t necessarily be for the worse.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has used AI to translate his speeches for his multilingual electorate in real time, demonstrating how AI can help diverse democracies to be more inclusive. AI avatars were used by presidential candidates in South Korea in electioneering, enabling them to provide answers to thousands of voters’ questions simultaneously. We are also starting to see AI tools aid fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts. AI techniques are starting to augment more traditional polling methods, helping campaigns get cheaper and faster data. And congressional candidates have started using AI robocallers to engage voters on issues. In 2025, these trends will continue. AI doesn’t need to be superior to human experts to augment the labor of an overworked canvasser, or to write ad copy similar to that of a junior campaign staffer or volunteer. Politics is competitive, and any technology that can bestow an advantage, or even just garner attention, will be used...
Malik Muhammad, a disabled Army veteran with PTSD, received the harshest federal sentence for the George Floyd protests.
The post Oregon Prison Limits Solitary to 90 Days. This BLM Protester Has Been in the Hole for 250. appeared first on The Intercept.
In a new 300-page report, the human rights group joins a growing chorus of legal scholars and activists describing Israel’s assault on Palestinians as genocide.
The post Amnesty International Concludes That Israel Is Committing Genocide in Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
The opposition leader says UN vote to end Palestine occupation leaves Australia ‘less safe’. Follow today’s news headlines live
Plea for overhaul of mental healthcare
Australia’s mental healthcare system has critical workforce shortages and is increasingly difficult to navigate, the Australian Medical Association say in its position statement on mental health and wellbeing, released today.
Mental healthcare is already chronically underfunded, but severe workforce shortages and inadequate staffing, the complexity of presentations, and increasing patient loads are further contributing to a system reaching breaking point.
It is vital the key areas of the mental health workforce, including psychiatry and general practice, are adequately resourced and structured to be able to provide the best possible care for people who desperately need help.
I unequivocally condemn the attack on a Melbourne synagogue early this morning.
I have zero tolerance for anti-semitism. It has absolutely no place in Australia. This violence and intimidation and destruction at a place of worship is an outrage.
This deliberate, unlawful attack goes against everything we are as Australians and everything we have worked so hard to build as a nation.
Continue reading...This blog has now closed. You can read our latest story here
The acting director of the US Secret Service, Ronald Rowe, laid out a series of changes that the agency is enacting following the attempted assassination attempt against Donald Trump at a campaign rally in July.
Rowe told the House task force examining the assassination attempt that the Secret Service has created an aviation unit for drone surveillance of potential threats, expanded the use of counter-drone systems, streamlined communication at protective sites and increased security of Trump throughout the rest of the presidential campaign.
Continue reading...Top donor with links to Musk to offer leadership on ‘two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness’
Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he was nominating podcaster and former PayPal chief operating officer David Sacks to be his White House artificial intelligence and crypto czar, continuing a pattern of rewarding big donors with political power.
Sacks, a venture capitalist and Silicon Valley insider, hosted big spenders at his San Francisco mansion in June to support the Trump campaign, with tickets ranging up to $300,000 a head. The event reportedly raked in more than $12m.
Continue reading...Republican representative accuses agency’s acting director at hearing over response to Trump assassination attempts
A hearing examining the Secret Service’s response to the assassination attempts against Donald Trump went off the rails on Thursday, when a screaming match broke out between the agency’s acting director, Ronald Rowe, and a Republican representative.
The hearing, hosted by the House taskforce established shortly after the first assassination attempt against Trump in July, was meant to explore the steps that the Secret Service has taken to improve security measures of protectees, but Pat Fallon, a Republican of Texas, took the questioning of Rowe in a different direction.
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In this week’s Down To Earth newsletter: The oldest known newspaper column in existence has run since 1904, and gives an insight into the natural world that’s a striking reflection of the times
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Obsessed with the weather? If you’re a British reader, then the answer is certainly yes. Thanks to our seasonal climate, we have always been a nation with one eye on the sky – and it’s only a short hop from there to observing how our flora and fauna respond to these ever-shifting conditions. Being in early winter now, it’s the time of year for geese and gales, starlings and mistletoe, tree rot and fungi in staggering variety. There is always, always something changing about our wildlife, day by day.
This is the foundation on which the Guardian’s Country diary column flourishes. It’s a sort of slow-motion version of the BBC programme Springwatch – one short piece each day, from a different writer in a different part of the UK, each focusing on a different aspect of nature.
Fury as US argues against climate obligations at top UN court
‘Straight in harm’s way’: can Trump open up Alaska’s 19m-acre refuge for drilling?
The night-time farm is alive with unseen wildlife
A snowy blow-in brings a blizzard of visitors
Spotted! A black squirrel outside my school kitchen
‘It signifies renewal’: recipients of Sycamore Gap saplings announced
Spain introduces paid climate leave after deadly floods
On the Grenadian island of Carriacou, even the dead are now climate victims
‘Climate bomb’ warning over $200bn wave of new gas projects
Countries call for binding targets to cut plastic production after talks fail
Continue reading...The leaker went to jail for a patriotic, if illegal, act. She has a lot to offer the world if she’s allowed to move on
In late November, Reality Winner – who turned 33 this week – finished her lengthy punishment for sending a government document to a news organization.
It’s past time for her to be pardoned so that she can move on with her life and, particularly, her education. She wants to be a veterinary technician, get a good-paying job and move out of her mother’s Texas house, but having a felony in one’s background doesn’t help with any of that.
Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture
Continue reading...Pete Hegseth, who has been accused of drunken, irresponsible and predatory behavior, would be in charge of the world’s most powerful military
It takes a lot to get a man’s mother to declare him an “abuser of women”. Mothers, as a rule, are not known for their ungenerous assessments of their sons’ behavior. But Penelope Hegseth, the mother of the Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Defense, once did just that in an email to her son.
“I have no respect for a man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego,” Hegseth’s mother wrote to him. “You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains and embarrasses me to say that, but it’s the sad, sad truth.” The email – which Hegseth’s mother later disavowed – appears to have come around the time of the dissolution of Hegseth’s second marriage; during Hegseth’s first marriage, according to a new report by Vanity Fair, he confessed to no fewer than five affairs.
Moira Donegan is a Guardian US columnist
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It’s been the biggest year for elections in human history: 2024 is a “super-cycle” year in which 3.7 billion eligible voters in 72 countries had the chance to go the polls. These are also the first AI elections, where many feared that deepfakes and artificial intelligence-generated misinformation would overwhelm the democratic processes. As 2024 draws to a close, it’s instructive to take stock of how democracy did.
In a Pew survey of Americans from earlier this fall, nearly eight times as many respondents expected AI to be used for mostly bad purposes...
The Intercept asked companies that store personal data if they will help Trump conduct mass deportations. Few had anything to say.
The post These Tech Firms Won’t Tell Us If They Will Help Trump Deport Immigrants appeared first on The Intercept.
The ruling People Power party had said it was against impeachment, but that stance may be shifting
South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol could put citizens in “great danger” if he is not suspended, the head of the ruling party said on Friday, increasing the likelihood that parliament will vote to impeach the president over Tuesday’s failed martial law declaration.
“[If] President Yoon continues to hold the office of the presidency, there is a significant risk that extreme actions similar to the martial law declaration could be repeated, which could put the Republic of Korea and its citizens in great danger,” the head of the People Power party, Han Dong-hoon, told an emergency party leadership meeting.
Continue reading...The ruling People Power party had said it was against impeachment, but that stance may be shifting
South Korea’s ruling party leader has said President Yoon Suk Yeol needs to be removed from authority for the safety of the country for trying to impose martial law, but stopped short of urging members to vote for impeachment.
Yoon shocked the nation and his own ruling People Power Party on Tuesday when he announced he was imposing martial law in order to root out “anti-state forces” and overcome obstructionist political opponents.
Continue reading...Video of party spokesperson grappling with rifle-wielding soldier has gone viral as symbol of defiance against martial law
A South Korean party spokesperson seen grappling with a rifle-wielding soldier in a video that went viral as a symbol of defiance against martial law has insisted that she was not especially brave.
President Yoon Suk Yeol was forced to abandon his declaration of martial law this week after 190 lawmakers defied a contingent of soldiers in helmets and body armour and voted unanimously to reject it.
Continue reading...Large crowds gathered outside the South Korean national assembly building in Seoul on Thursday for a candlelit vigil calling for the resignation of the president, Yoon Suk Yeol, who attempted to declare a state of martial law on Tuesday
Continue reading...People Power party says it will vote against impeachment bill brought by opposition amid outrage over Yoon’s attempt to declare martial law
South Korea’s ruling party says it will block a move by the opposition to impeach the beleaguered president, Yoon Suk Yeol, as police said they were investigating Yoon for alleged insurrection over his botched attempt to impose martial law.
The floor leader of the People Power party vowed on Thursday that its lawmakers would “unite” to defeat the opposition-led motion to impeach the deeply unpopular leader.
Continue reading...In today’s newsletter: Yoon Suk Yeol’s shock declaration – and subsequent reversal – has sent South Korea into political chaos, and left their president facing impeachment
Good morning. South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, is facing impeachment after he sent heavily armed forces into Seoul’s streets with his baffling and sudden declaration of martial law on Tuesday. The move stirred memories of past dictatorships in the country, moving thousands to come out on to the streets and protest, with the military powerless, or unwilling, to do anything about it.
Opposition parties submitted an impeachment motion hours after parliament unanimously voted to cancel Yoon’s declaration, forcing him to lift martial law just six hours after it began. Impeaching Yoon requires the support of two-thirds of the national assembly and at least six of the nine constitutional court justices. The liberal opposition Democratic party holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament and has called for Yoon’s resignation. A vote on his impeachment could come as early as tomorrow. Today we’ll look at what happened and why.
Continue reading...Rebels within kilometres ‘on three sides’ of city, seen as crucial to Assad regime’s defence of the capital, Damascus
Syrian rebels encircled the key central city of Hama “from three sides” on Wednesday, a war monitor said, despite a counteroffensive launched by government forces to retain control of the city.
Hama is strategically located in central Syria and, for the army of Bashar al-Assad, is crucial to safeguarding the capital and seat of power, Damascus. The fighting around Hama follows a lightning offensive by Islamist-led rebels who in a matter of days wrested swathes of territory, most significantly Syria’s second city, Aleppo, from the president’s grasp.
Continue reading...Since the separation of the Koreas in 1953, our elders have experienced the suspension of normal civil rights many times. But for the younger generation, this was a horrifying and instructive first
At 10.23pm on 3 December in Seoul, I was already in bed, alternating between reading a book and watching YouTube cooking reels. That was when Yoon Suk Yeol, the president, declared emergency martial law in South Korea for the first time since 1979.
In an unannounced televised address, Yoon said the imposition of martial law was “aimed at eradicating pro-North Korean forces and protecting the constitutional order of freedom”.
Continue reading...Statement comes as Ukrainian intelligence says Russia will send mercenaries to support flagging troops allied to Damascus
Moscow has condemned “external forces” seeking to escalate violence in Syria, despite reports from Ukrainian military intelligence that Russia is to send mercenaries to support flagging troops allied to Damascus.
The Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova blamed outside actors for instigating a recent sweeping insurgent offensive, after Islamist militants spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took control of the city of Aleppo at the weekend in a shock advance.
Continue reading...South Korea’s president Yoon Suk Yeol sparked major protests by announcing martial law. He reversed his decision in the face of massive opposition
Continue reading...The Philadelphia school ordered teachers to “stay neutral” on Israel’s war on Gaza, but they helped students make pro-Palestine posters.
The post Three Teachers Tried to Give Palestinian Students a Safe Haven — and It Cost Them Their Jobs appeared first on The Intercept.
Climate Justice Alliance was the only program grantee to speak out on Palestine — and the only one whose funding is delayed.
The post Biden Makes His Own Attack on Nonprofit Over Palestine appeared first on The Intercept.
New liquefied natural gas projects could produce 10 gigatonnes of emissions by the end of the decade, close to the annual emissions of all coal plants
A $200bn wave of new gas projects could lead to a “climate bomb” equivalent to releasing the annual emissions of all the world’s operating coal power plants, according to a report.
Large banks have invested $213bn into plans to build terminals that export and import gas that is chilled and shipped on ocean tankers. But a report has warned that they could be more damaging than coal power.
Continue reading...Police say two people were seen spreading accelerant inside Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea
Anthony Albanese has condemned a suspicious fire at a Melbourne synagogue as a “deliberate, unlawful attack”, saying antisemitism has no place in Australia.
A large blaze engulfed the Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea in Melbourne’s south-east on Friday morning, and is being treated as a deliberately lit fire.
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Continue reading...Adelaide city councillor Henry Davis, who parodied the lord mayor this week by dressing in drag, to challenge Alex Antic-installed frontrunner
Adelaide city councillor Henry Davis, who this week dressed in drag as the Adelaide lord mayor complete with pearls and falsetto, is set to challenge the frontrunner for Simon Birmingham’s Senate spot.
He says firebrand conservative senator Alex Antic wants a “clean sweep” to power in the Liberal party, including by installing current state party president, Leah Blyth, in the casual vacancy created by Birmingham’s resignation last week.
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Continue reading...Marc Felman KC says demonstration ‘should be stopped’ because it’s being used to pressure company during negotiations over pay and conditions
Woolworths has described a picket line outside one of its key distribution centres in Melbourne as a “metaphorical gun” pointed at its head, as the supermarket giant seeks to restart warehouse operations amid an industrial dispute.
Worker strikes at five distribution centres – including the picketed regional distribution centre in Melbourne’s south – have disrupted grocery supplies at some Woolworths stores leading to bare shelves and reduced sales in the pre-Christmas trading period.
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Continue reading...Hi r/technology! I’m Gene Berdichevsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Sila, a next-gen battery materials company. My journey in battery innovation began as the 7th employee at Tesla, helping lead the development of the Roadster battery, the world’s first safe, mass-produced lithium-ion battery system for EVs.
At Tesla, I realized that conventional lithium-ion batteries had reached their energy limits, due to the use of graphite anodes. The lack of progress in lithium-ion battery performance is a major barrier to improvements in EV range, charge time, and cost—critical factors for mass adoption. I knew there had to be a better solution, and at Sila we engineered one. Using silicon as an anode material has been the holy grail within battery innovation circles because of its ability to store 10x more charge than graphite. However, the powerful properties of silicon were hard to tame for safe, commercial use in batteries. After more than a decade of research, we cracked the code.
We introduced the first next-gen battery material to the market. Our anode, Titan Silicon, boosts energy density by 20-40% to enable smaller, more powerful batteries. Our tech debuted in the Whoop 4.0 fitness tracker and is now powering multiple devices. We recently launched a Battery Engineering Service to help device manufacturers bring ambitious product innovations to the market, powered by next-gen battery performance.
Designing batteries for cars—a “computer on four wheels”—taught me how to create batteries that can power major platform shifts. Now, I’m applying these principles at Sila to address the growing demands of consumer electronics, a fast-evolving market driven by AI and AR. As brands race to market, battery design has become a critical focus in product development. If battery life falls short, consumers will switch brands, making battery performance a top priority.
Ask me anything about silicon anode technology, designing batteries for new products, or how we’re working to ensure that battery life is not left behind in the wave of power-hungry devices embedded with AI and AR. I’ll be here until 10am PT to answer your questions!
My proof: https://imgur.com/a/LXeppqw
*edit 10:30am -- hopping off now and will check back in later to tackle a few more questions! so if anythings pressing, feel free to drop your question below. thanks everyone for the great questions and conversation!!
Interesting analysis:
We introduce and explore a little-known threat to digital equality and freedomwebsites geoblocking users in response to political risks from sanctions. U.S. policy prioritizes internet freedom and access to information in repressive regimes. Clarifying distinctions between free and paid websites, allowing trunk cables to repressive states, enforcing transparency in geoblocking, and removing ambiguity about sanctions compliance are concrete steps the U.S. can take to ensure it does not undermine its own aims.
The paper: “...
On The Intercept Briefing, we discuss college crackdowns on Palestine solidarity protests and the chilling effect on free speech.
The post The “Palestine Exception” appeared first on The Intercept.
With Trump returning to the White House, only mass commutations will stop another federal execution spree.
The post Biden Has “Pardoned” Eight Turkeys. Will He Spare the Lives of 40 Human Beings? appeared first on The Intercept.
Palestinians from Gaza feel relief for the people of Lebanon. We are also heartbroken that we are still being slaughtered.
The post There’s a Ceasefire in Lebanon, but Israel Keeps Gaslighting Palestinians About Ending the Assault on Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
Local police across New York state regularly work with ICE. Before Trump can start rounding up immigrants, advocates are pushing for change.
The post The Fight to Stop New York Cops From Conspiring With ICE appeared first on The Intercept.
Russia is engaging in a 'shadow war' with Nato states, which is reportedly part of a deliberate strategy to undermine the alliance’s ability to support Ukraine. At the same time Russia's military industrial complex is producing arms at a formidable rate, and with Nato countries struggling to keep up in term of numbers, the arms race is having a big impact on the frontline. Josh Toussaint-Strauss finds out how Russia is using hybrid warfare alongside boosting its arms industry to outpace Nato, and what this all means for the war in Ukraine
West’s spy chiefs alarmed at recklessness of Russian counterparts
Russia to raise defence budget by 25% to highest level on record
‘A lot higher than we expected’: Russian arms production worries Europe’s war planners
Supreme Court conservatives cited overseas laws to defend draconian legislation in Tennessee banning gender-affirming care.
The post To Deprive Trans Kids of Medical Care, Supreme Court Looks to Britain and Sweden appeared first on The Intercept.
American troops are in Syria on questionable legal grounds. They continue to get attacked, according to new Pentagon data.
The post As Civil War Heats Back Up, U.S. Troops Are Still Deployed in Syria — And Under Fire appeared first on The Intercept.
Lawmakers will soon vote on a bill directing a nonprofit to draft curriculum on atrocities carried out by communist regimes.
The post Just Say No: Congress Considers Neocon Lesson Plans to Keep Kids Off Communism appeared first on The Intercept.
The Intercept asked companies that store personal data if they will help Trump conduct mass deportations. Few had anything to say.
The post These Tech Firms Won’t Tell Us If They Will Help Trump Deport Immigrants appeared first on The Intercept.
Private equity firms play a key role in America’s prison system. If Trump carries out his plans for mass deportations, they stand to benefit.
The post Guess Who Profits From Trump’s Deportation Plan? Private Equity Firms. appeared first on The Intercept.
In 2025, AI is poised to change every aspect of democratic politics—but it won’t necessarily be for the worse.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has used AI to translate his speeches for his multilingual electorate in real time, demonstrating how AI can help diverse democracies to be more inclusive. AI avatars were used by presidential candidates in South Korea in electioneering, enabling them to provide answers to thousands of voters’ questions simultaneously. We are also starting to see AI tools aid fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts. AI techniques are starting to augment more traditional polling methods, helping campaigns get cheaper and faster data. And congressional candidates have started using AI robocallers to engage voters on issues. In 2025, these trends will continue. AI doesn’t need to be superior to human experts to augment the labor of an overworked canvasser, or to write ad copy similar to that of a junior campaign staffer or volunteer. Politics is competitive, and any technology that can bestow an advantage, or even just garner attention, will be used...
It’s been the biggest year for elections in human history: 2024 is a “super-cycle” year in which 3.7 billion eligible voters in 72 countries had the chance to go the polls. These are also the first AI elections, where many feared that deepfakes and artificial intelligence-generated misinformation would overwhelm the democratic processes. As 2024 draws to a close, it’s instructive to take stock of how democracy did.
In a Pew survey of Americans from earlier this fall, nearly eight times as many respondents expected AI to be used for mostly bad purposes...
Chamber votes 206-198 against publication of report into former Florida representative, who resigned last month
The House on Thursday voted 206-198 to block the release of the ethics committee’s long-awaited report investigating allegations of sexual misconduct and potential illegal activities involving former Florida Republican representative Matt Gaetz.
The report in question details allegations that Gaetz engaged in illicit drug use, misuse of campaign funds and sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl, and allegations of obstructing the House investigation. Gaetz has consistently denied the claims.
Continue reading...Republican representative accuses agency’s acting director at hearing over response to Trump assassination attempts
A hearing examining the Secret Service’s response to the assassination attempts against Donald Trump went off the rails on Thursday, when a screaming match broke out between the agency’s acting director, Ronald Rowe, and a Republican representative.
The hearing, hosted by the House taskforce established shortly after the first assassination attempt against Trump in July, was meant to explore the steps that the Secret Service has taken to improve security measures of protectees, but Pat Fallon, a Republican of Texas, took the questioning of Rowe in a different direction.
Continue reading...This blog has now closed. You can read our latest story here
The acting director of the US Secret Service, Ronald Rowe, laid out a series of changes that the agency is enacting following the attempted assassination attempt against Donald Trump at a campaign rally in July.
Rowe told the House task force examining the assassination attempt that the Secret Service has created an aviation unit for drone surveillance of potential threats, expanded the use of counter-drone systems, streamlined communication at protective sites and increased security of Trump throughout the rest of the presidential campaign.
Continue reading...Top donor with links to Musk to offer leadership on ‘two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness’
Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he was nominating podcaster and former PayPal chief operating officer David Sacks to be his White House artificial intelligence and crypto czar, continuing a pattern of rewarding big donors with political power.
Sacks, a venture capitalist and Silicon Valley insider, hosted big spenders at his San Francisco mansion in June to support the Trump campaign, with tickets ranging up to $300,000 a head. The event reportedly raked in more than $12m.
Continue reading...Officials blast Trump’s national intelligence director pick for lack of experience and embracing conspiracy theories
Nearly 100 former US diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have called for the Senate to hold closed-door briefings on Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence for her alleged “sympathy for dictators like Vladimir Putin and [Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad]” and other concerns.
In an open letter, the officials blasted Tulsi Gabbard, a former presidential candidate and representative from Hawaii, for her lack of experience in the field of intelligence, embracing conspiracy theories regarding the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and “aligning herself with Russian and Syrian officials” after an “uncoordinated” meeting with Assad in Damascus in 2017.
Continue reading...Pete Hegseth, who has been accused of drunken, irresponsible and predatory behavior, would be in charge of the world’s most powerful military
It takes a lot to get a man’s mother to declare him an “abuser of women”. Mothers, as a rule, are not known for their ungenerous assessments of their sons’ behavior. But Penelope Hegseth, the mother of the Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Defense, once did just that in an email to her son.
“I have no respect for a man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego,” Hegseth’s mother wrote to him. “You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains and embarrasses me to say that, but it’s the sad, sad truth.” The email – which Hegseth’s mother later disavowed – appears to have come around the time of the dissolution of Hegseth’s second marriage; during Hegseth’s first marriage, according to a new report by Vanity Fair, he confessed to no fewer than five affairs.
Moira Donegan is a Guardian US columnist
Continue reading...The Green party made history in the general election, winning four seats for the first time. But how much will it be able to achieve in parliament when facing the gravity of the climate crisis? The Guardian’s John Harris sits down with Carla Denyer, the Greens’ co-leader and MP for Bristol Central, to ask her what comes next for the party.
In today’s newsletter: Yoon Suk Yeol’s shock declaration – and subsequent reversal – has sent South Korea into political chaos, and left their president facing impeachment
Good morning. South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, is facing impeachment after he sent heavily armed forces into Seoul’s streets with his baffling and sudden declaration of martial law on Tuesday. The move stirred memories of past dictatorships in the country, moving thousands to come out on to the streets and protest, with the military powerless, or unwilling, to do anything about it.
Opposition parties submitted an impeachment motion hours after parliament unanimously voted to cancel Yoon’s declaration, forcing him to lift martial law just six hours after it began. Impeaching Yoon requires the support of two-thirds of the national assembly and at least six of the nine constitutional court justices. The liberal opposition Democratic party holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament and has called for Yoon’s resignation. A vote on his impeachment could come as early as tomorrow. Today we’ll look at what happened and why.
Continue reading...Hannah Byrne joined Facebook to combat far-right extremism. She’s now convinced the tech giant can’t be trusted with such power.
The post She Joined Facebook to Fight Terror. Now She’s Convinced We Need to Fight Facebook. appeared first on The Intercept.
Vice-president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah avoids runoff vote, as win extends Swapo party’s 34-year hold on power
Namibia has elected its first female leader, with Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah declared the winner of last week’s presidential election in a result that will extend the ruling Swapo party’s 34-year hold on power.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, the current vice-president, won with 57% of the vote, according to official results, defying predictions that she might be forced into a runoff. Swapo has ruled the country since its independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.
Continue reading...Big public universities, historically at the forefront of catalyzing activist movements, are now using legal action, disciplinary efforts, and rule changes to chill speech and dissent.
The post How Universities Are Trying to Stop Another Year of Anti-War Activism appeared first on The Intercept.
Climate Justice Alliance was the only program grantee to speak out on Palestine — and the only one whose funding is delayed.
The post Biden Makes His Own Attack on Nonprofit Over Palestine appeared first on The Intercept.
Nana Kwame Bediako is challenging the status quo with an unorthodox run for presidency appealing to younger voters
It was a bombastic statement from the man who wants to disrupt Ghana’s two-party political scene. “I’m here to represent Africa’s greatest hope,” Nana Kwame Bediako told an audience in a Palace of Westminster committee room in central London in October, referring to younger people on the continent.
After the event, a social media post by Bediako suggested the trip had involved a presentation in parliament itself, rather than an address to a committee room.
Continue reading...The opposition leader says UN vote to end Palestine occupation leaves Australia ‘less safe’. Follow today’s news headlines live
Plea for overhaul of mental healthcare
Australia’s mental healthcare system has critical workforce shortages and is increasingly difficult to navigate, the Australian Medical Association say in its position statement on mental health and wellbeing, released today.
Mental healthcare is already chronically underfunded, but severe workforce shortages and inadequate staffing, the complexity of presentations, and increasing patient loads are further contributing to a system reaching breaking point.
It is vital the key areas of the mental health workforce, including psychiatry and general practice, are adequately resourced and structured to be able to provide the best possible care for people who desperately need help.
I unequivocally condemn the attack on a Melbourne synagogue early this morning.
I have zero tolerance for anti-semitism. It has absolutely no place in Australia. This violence and intimidation and destruction at a place of worship is an outrage.
This deliberate, unlawful attack goes against everything we are as Australians and everything we have worked so hard to build as a nation.
Continue reading...White House games last-minute strategy to bolster Ukraine, including $20bn in loans and sweeping sanctions on Russia
The White House has gamed out a last-minute strategy to bolster Ukraine’s war position that involves an avalanche of military assistance and sweeping new sanctions against Russia, according to a background briefing from a National Security Council spokesperson.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan met with the head of the office of the Ukrainian president Andriy Yermak for more than an hour on Thursday, committing to provide Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of additional artillery rounds, thousands of rockets and hundreds of armored vehicles by mid-January, according to the briefing shared with the Guardian.
Continue reading...Adelaide city councillor Henry Davis, who parodied the lord mayor this week by dressing in drag, to challenge Alex Antic-installed frontrunner
Adelaide city councillor Henry Davis, who this week dressed in drag as the Adelaide lord mayor complete with pearls and falsetto, is set to challenge the frontrunner for Simon Birmingham’s Senate spot.
He says firebrand conservative senator Alex Antic wants a “clean sweep” to power in the Liberal party, including by installing current state party president, Leah Blyth, in the casual vacancy created by Birmingham’s resignation last week.
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Continue reading...President says he will remain in power until 2027, amid political turmoil following collapse of government
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has ruled out resigning, saying he will stay in power until the end of his term in 2027 and will appoint a new prime minister in the coming days, after the government’s historic collapse plunged France into political turmoil.
“You have given me a democratic mandate of five years and I’ll carry it out fully until its term,” he said in a televised speech to the French people late on Thursday.
Continue reading...Approval for Marks & Spencer to rebuild flagship London store ends three-year planning battle over art deco building
Marks & Spencer has been given the green light to demolish its flagship Oxford Street store, ending a fierce three-year planning battle over the art deco building.
The housing secretary, Angela Rayner, ruled on Thursday that the plans could go ahead.
Continue reading...They might have sounded a tad familiar, but the prime minister is hoping these pledges will win back trust
Sir Keir Starmer’s speech on Thursday mentioned the word “milestone” eight times and “missions” 13 times. There were also three “promises” and a “pledge”.
This all added up to one big thing: the prime minister attempting to turn the tide after a difficult start in government, by setting targets it must reach by the end of this parliament.
Continue reading...  | submitted by /u/Well_Socialized [link] [comments] |
The leaker went to jail for a patriotic, if illegal, act. She has a lot to offer the world if she’s allowed to move on
In late November, Reality Winner – who turned 33 this week – finished her lengthy punishment for sending a government document to a news organization.
It’s past time for her to be pardoned so that she can move on with her life and, particularly, her education. She wants to be a veterinary technician, get a good-paying job and move out of her mother’s Texas house, but having a felony in one’s background doesn’t help with any of that.
Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture
Continue reading...Language experts rounded up the year’s winners (losers?) in the US and UK – and provided the correct pronunciations
At the Democratic national convention, Kamala Harris’s nieces explained how to pronounce Harris’s name. Chappell Roan gave fans a friendly “final warning” about the pronunciation of hers. And Zendaya settled the matter on video.
All three helped to define 2024 – and spent the year hearing people get their names wrong: each appears on lists of the year’s most mispronounced words in the US and UK, produced by the language-learning website Babbel, which reminds us that they’re pronounced COM-a-la HAR-iss, CHAP-uhl ROHN and Zen-DAY-a.
The Dutch Kooikerhondje (COY-ker-HUND-che), a breed of dog owned by the world’s best baseball player, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani’s dog won fans after “throwing” the first pitch at a game (he carried the ball from the pitcher’s mound to his crouching owner at home plate).
Shein, the fast-fashion site – it’s SHE-in, not SHEEN or SHINE.
The drug in the weight-loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy is semaglutide (sem-ah-GLOO-tide).
Phryge, the mascot of the Paris Olympics and summer Paralympics, is pronounced FREE-je. It was a nod to the Phrygian cap, an emblematic accessory of the French revolutionaries.
The flygskam (FLEEG-skam) – or flight-shame – movement is pushing people to cut down on flying to help the planet.
Also in the word of professional sports: Joško Gvardiol (YOSH-ko GVAR-dee-ol) plays soccer (FOOT-ball) for Manchester City and Croatia.
And the mispronunciation of the word espresso (es-PRESS-oh) as ex-PRESS-oh sparked outrage among some coffee fans. The word has been in the news thanks to the song by Sabrina Carpenter, who also made headlines for her relationship with Keoghan.
Continue reading...Eru Kapa-Kingi has become the most recognised face of a movement against the government’s policy direction for Māori
Māori activist Eru Kapa-Kingi may have just led a historic march on Indigenous rights in New Zealand but he is reluctant to take credit for it.
“We just opened the door, and [thousands] stepped through,” Kapa-Kingi tells the Guardian from his Auckland home, two weeks after a rally he helped mobilise became the largest protest in support of Māori rights and one of the biggest demonstrations in New Zealand’s history.
Continue reading...Soldiers and marines discover drugs in Sinaloa, while separately authorities arrest more than 5,200 migrants
Mexican security forces have impounded more than a ton of fentanyl pills in what officials have called the biggest seizure of the synthetic opioid in the country’s history.
Soldiers and marines found the fentanyl at two properties in the northern state of Sinaloa, late on Tuesday – exactly a week after Donald Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico unless the two neighbouring countries cracked down on the flow of immigrants and drugs across their borders with the US.
Continue reading...Leaders cast the other as ill-prepared after Trump threatens to apply 25% taxes on goods from both countries
Mexico’s president has said Canadians “could only wish they had the cultural riches” of her country as tensions mount between the two nations, caught in a feud over tariffs and trade exacerbated by Donald Trump.
The US president-elect threatened in a social media post last week to apply devastating levies of 25% on all goods and services from both countries, and to keep them in place until “such time as drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country!”
Continue reading...George Mason University suspended its Students for Justice in Palestine chapter and effectively kicked out the group’s co-president.
The post Police Raid Pro-Palestine Students’ Home in FBI-Led Graffiti Investigation appeared first on The Intercept.
Sheila Duncan says Labour has to address the problems facing Britain with passion if it wants public support. Plus letters from David Diprose and Maureen Tilford
John Harris raises some important issues in his article (Labour’s big relaunch won’t solve its biggest problem: this government doesn’t speak human, 1 December), but it’s crucial to dig deeper into the relationship between politics and emotion. Politicians like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage are not more “human” than those in the centre or on the left. They just know how to manipulate dark human emotions – fear, anger and resentment – in societies where there is profound inequality, very little taxation of the rich and barely regulated privatisation of all that makes civilised life possible – health services, education, water, energy and transport.
They particularly know how to manipulate resentment – the emotion that underlies fascism – when so many people struggle for survival as they watch the smug satisfaction of those who don’t.
Continue reading...Infected people described as having flu-like symptoms including high fever and severe headaches
An unknown disease killed 143 people in a south-west province of Democratic Republic of the Congo in November, local authorities told Reuters.
Infected people had flu-like symptoms including high fever and severe headaches, Remy Saki, the deputy governor of Kwango province, and Apollinaire Yumba, the provincial minister of health, said on Monday.
Continue reading...After 250 years of armed attacks, forced relocations, ethnic cleansing, and genocide of Native Americans, the U.S. military wants to celebrate.
The post Happy Native American Heritage Month From the Army That Brought You the Trail of Tears appeared first on The Intercept.
Local police across New York state regularly work with ICE. Before Trump can start rounding up immigrants, advocates are pushing for change.
The post The Fight to Stop New York Cops From Conspiring With ICE appeared first on The Intercept.
In a Hear Here special, we round up five of the best unscripted shows, and five of the best video game podcasts
Rachel Aroesti chooses five of the best unscripted podcasts, from a long-running improv sketch show to a musical podcast with a difference
Off Book: The Improvised Musical
Improv is one of the bedrocks of popular comedy in the US – a fact reflected in the phenomenally impressive skillsets of its best practitioners. They include Jessica McKenna and Zach Reino, who joined forces in 2017 for this musical theatre podcast. Usually accompanied by an equally talented guest, each episode of Off Book sees our hosts masterfully ad-lib an entire musical from scratch. Themes include mice and Denmark, but the subject is largely irrelevant: whatever the topic, you’ll be spellbound by their ability to magic up a hilarious – yet still convincing – songbook and script on the spot.
It Can’t Just Be Me, a frank life advice show from Anna Richardson, host of couldn’t-be-franker nude dating show Naked Attraction.
We Live Here Now, in which progressive journalists Lauren Ober and Hanna Rosin meet their election-denying, January 6-linked neighbours.
HyperFixed, a new getting-to-the-bottom-of-things show from Reply All’s Alex Goldman.
Continue reading...Donna Nelson sentenced to six years in prison after court finds her guilty of bringing methamphetamine into country
The jailing of an Australian woman in Japan is “really distressing” for her family, the federal government has acknowledged as it committed to doing all it could to help her.
The Australian federal health minister, Mark Butler, made the promise a day after Donna Nelson was sentenced to six years for smuggling methamphetamine into Tokyo in January 2023, despite her claims she had been the victim of an online romance scam.
Continue reading...Since the separation of the Koreas in 1953, our elders have experienced the suspension of normal civil rights many times. But for the younger generation, this was a horrifying and instructive first
At 10.23pm on 3 December in Seoul, I was already in bed, alternating between reading a book and watching YouTube cooking reels. That was when Yoon Suk Yeol, the president, declared emergency martial law in South Korea for the first time since 1979.
In an unannounced televised address, Yoon said the imposition of martial law was “aimed at eradicating pro-North Korean forces and protecting the constitutional order of freedom”.
Continue reading...Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzy Wrack, Emma Duffy, and Tom Garry to round up the latest international fixtures and more
On today’s podcast: the panel reviews the goalless draw between England and the USA at Wembley. Was Emma Hayes right to feel disappointed? Are the Lionesses lacking firepower in their forward line, and why did it take so long to notice that it didn’t hit Alex Greenwood’s arm?
Also, we look ahead to the Euro 2025 playoff second legs, along with the Lionesses' final game of 2024, as they take on Switzerland.
Continue reading...“Contributing to land theft and unlawful evictions of Palestinians in the West Bank would be a direct violation of the Supply Chain Act.”
The post Palestinians File German Complaint on Media Giant Axel Springer’s Business in Israeli Settlements appeared first on The Intercept.
A previously undisclosed email and new documents show the Project Nimbus deal isn’t covered by Google’s general terms of service.
The post Documents Contradict Google’s Claims About Its Project Nimbus Contract With Israel appeared first on The Intercept.
With Trump returning to the White House, only mass commutations will stop another federal execution spree.
The post Biden Has “Pardoned” Eight Turkeys. Will He Spare the Lives of 40 Human Beings? appeared first on The Intercept.
Most rappers venerate the single mothers who brought them up – but Eminem shockingly lambasted his. Yet even he couldn’t keep up the enmity for long
Hip-hop has long been a culture that honours single mothers and their many sacrifices. “She was barely even grown and became my momma!” rapped a tearful Cee-Lo Green over a wounded piano on Goodie Mob’s criminally underrated 1995 song Guess Who. “I never knew my dad, so even when the times got bad / I was glad, because I had my momma.”
On the powerful hood-gospel song, Dear Mama, 2Pac famously paid tribute to the persistence of his own family matriarch, the Black Panther political revolutionary Afeni Shakur. He rapped the empathetic line: “Even as a crack fiend, momma / You always was a Black queen.” It’s one of only a few rap songs selected for preservation at the National Recording Registry in the US Library of Congress.
Continue reading...Interesting analysis: An Internet Voting System Fatally Flawed in Creative New Ways.
Abstract: The recently published “MERGE” protocol is designed to be used in the prototype CAC-vote system. The voting kiosk and protocol transmit votes over the internet and then transmit voter-verifiable paper ballots through the mail. In the MERGE protocol, the votes transmitted over the internet are used to tabulate the results and determine the winners, but audits and recounts use the paper ballots that arrive in time. The enunciated motivation for the protocol is to allow (electronic) votes from overseas military voters to be included in preliminary results before a (paper) ballot is received from the voter. MERGE contains interesting ideas that are not inherently unsound; but to make the system trustworthy—to apply the MERGE protocol—would require major changes to the laws, practices, and technical and logistical abilities of U.S. election jurisdictions. The gap between theory and practice is large and unbridgeable for the foreseeable future. Promoters of this research project at DARPA, the agency that sponsored the research, should acknowledge that MERGE is internet voting (election results rely on votes transmitted over the internet except in the event of a full hand count) and refrain from claiming that it could be a component of trustworthy elections without sweeping changes to election law and election administration throughout the U.S...
In the rapidly advancing landscape of AI technology and innovation, LimeWire emerges as a unique platform in the realm of generative AI tools. This platform not only stands out from the multitude of existing AI tools but also brings a fresh approach to content generation. LimeWire not only empowers users to create AI content but also provides creators with creative ways to share and monetize their creations.
As we explore LimeWire, our aim is to uncover its features, benefits for creators, and the exciting possibilities it offers for AI content generation. This platform presents an opportunity for users to harness the power of AI in image creation, all while enjoying the advantages of a free and accessible service.
Let's unravel the distinctive features that set LimeWire apart in the dynamic landscape of AI-powered tools, understanding how creators can leverage its capabilities to craft unique and engaging AI-generated images.
This revamped LimeWire invites users to register and unleash their creativity by crafting original AI content, which can then be shared and showcased on the LimeWire Studio. Notably, even acclaimed artists and musicians, such as Deadmau5, Soulja Boy, and Sean Kingston, have embraced this platform to publish their content in the form of NFT music, videos, and images.
Beyond providing a space for content creation and sharing, LimeWire introduces monetization models to empower users to earn revenue from their creations. This includes avenues such as earning ad revenue and participating in the burgeoning market of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). As we delve further, we'll explore these monetization strategies in more detail to provide a comprehensive understanding of LimeWire's innovative approach to content creation and distribution.
LimeWire Studio welcomes content creators into its fold, providing a space to craft personalized AI-focused content for sharing with fans and followers. Within this creative hub, every piece of content generated becomes not just a creation but a unique asset—ownable and tradable. Fans have the opportunity to subscribe to creators' pages, immersing themselves in the creative journey and gaining ownership of digital collectibles that hold tradeable value within the LimeWire community. Notably, creators earn a 2.5% royalty each time their content is traded, adding a rewarding element to the creative process.
The platform's flexibility is evident in its content publication options. Creators can choose to share their work freely with the public or opt for a premium subscription model, granting exclusive access to specialized content for subscribers.
As of the present moment, LimeWire focuses on AI Image Generation, offering a spectrum of creative possibilities to its user base. The platform, however, has ambitious plans on the horizon, aiming to broaden its offerings by introducing AI music and video generation tools in the near future. This strategic expansion promises creators even more avenues for expression and engagement with their audience, positioning LimeWire Studio as a dynamic and evolving platform within the realm of AI-powered content creation.
The LimeWire AI image generation tool presents a versatile platform for both the creation and editing of images. Supporting advanced models such as Stable Diffusion 2.1, Stable Diffusion XL, and DALL-E 2, LimeWire offers a sophisticated toolkit for users to delve into the realm of generative AI art.
Much like other tools in the generative AI landscape, LimeWire provides a range of options catering to various levels of complexity in image creation. Users can initiate the creative process with prompts as simple as a few words or opt for more intricate instructions, tailoring the output to their artistic vision.
What sets LimeWire apart is its seamless integration of different AI models and design styles. Users have the flexibility to effortlessly switch between various AI models, exploring diverse design styles such as cinematic, digital art, pixel art, anime, analog film, and more. Each style imparts a distinctive visual identity to the generated AI art, enabling users to explore a broad spectrum of creative possibilities.
The platform also offers additional features, including samplers, allowing users to fine-tune the quality and detail levels of their creations. Customization options and prompt guidance further enhance the user experience, providing a user-friendly interface for both novice and experienced creators.
Excitingly, LimeWire is actively developing its proprietary AI model, signaling ongoing innovation and enhancements to its image generation capabilities. This upcoming addition holds the promise of further expanding the creative horizons for LimeWire users, making it an evolving and dynamic platform within the landscape of AI-driven art and image creation.
Sign Up Now To Get Free Credits
Upon completing your creative endeavor on LimeWire, the platform allows you the option to publish your content. An intriguing feature follows this step: LimeWire automates the process of minting your creation as a Non-Fungible Token (NFT), utilizing either the Polygon or Algorand blockchain. This transformative step imbues your artwork with a unique digital signature, securing its authenticity and ownership in the decentralized realm.
Creators on LimeWire hold the power to decide the accessibility of their NFT creations. By opting for a public release, the content becomes discoverable by anyone, fostering a space for engagement and interaction. Furthermore, this choice opens the avenue for enthusiasts to trade the NFTs, adding a layer of community involvement to the artistic journey.
Alternatively, LimeWire acknowledges the importance of exclusivity. Creators can choose to share their posts exclusively with their premium subscribers. In doing so, the content remains a special offering solely for dedicated fans, creating an intimate and personalized experience within the LimeWire community. This flexibility in sharing options emphasizes LimeWire's commitment to empowering creators with choices in how they connect with their audience and distribute their digital creations.
After creating your content, you can choose to publish the content. It will automatically mint your creation as an NFT on the Polygon or Algorand blockchain. You can also choose whether to make it public or subscriber-only.
If you make it public, anyone can discover your content and even trade the NFTs. If you choose to share the post only with your premium subscribers, it will be exclusive only to your fans.
Additionally, you can earn ad revenue from your content creations as well.
When you publish content on LimeWire, you will receive 70% of all ad revenue from other users who view your images, music, and videos on the platform.
This revenue model will be much more beneficial to designers. You can experiment with the AI image and content generation tools and share your creations while earning a small income on the side.
The revenue you earn from your creations will come in the form of LMWR tokens, LimeWire’s own cryptocurrency.
Your earnings will be paid every month in LMWR, which you can then trade on many popular crypto exchange platforms like Kraken, ByBit, and UniSwap.
You can also use your LMWR tokens to pay for prompts when using LimeWire generative AI tools.
You can sign up to LimeWire to use its AI tools for free. You will receive 10 credits to use and generate up to 20 AI images per day. You will also receive 50% of the ad revenue share. However, you will get more benefits with premium plans.
For $9.99 per month, you will get 1,000 credits per month, up to 2 ,000 image generations, early access to new AI models, and 50% ad revenue share
For $29 per month, you will get 3750 credits per month, up to 7500 image generations, early access to new AI models, and 60% ad revenue share
For $49 per month, you will get 5,000 credits per month, up to 10,000 image generations, early access to new AI models, and 70% ad revenue share
For $99 per month, you will get 11,250 credits per month, up to 2 2,500 image generations, early access to new AI models, and 70% ad revenue share
With all premium plans, you will receive a Pro profile badge, full creation history, faster image generation, and no ads.
Sign Up Now To Get Free Credits
In conclusion, LimeWire emerges as a democratizing force in the creative landscape, providing an inclusive platform where anyone can unleash their artistic potential and effortlessly share their work. With the integration of AI, LimeWire eliminates traditional barriers, empowering designers, musicians, and artists to publish their creations and earn revenue with just a few clicks.
The ongoing commitment of LimeWire to innovation is evident in its plans to enhance generative AI tools with new features and models. The upcoming expansion to include music and video generation tools holds the promise of unlocking even more possibilities for creators. It sparks anticipation about the diverse and innovative ways in which artists will leverage these tools to produce and publish their own unique creations.
For those eager to explore, LimeWire's AI tools are readily accessible for free, providing an opportunity to experiment and delve into the world of generative art. As LimeWire continues to evolve, creators are encouraged to stay tuned for the launch of its forthcoming AI music and video generation tools, promising a future brimming with creative potential and endless artistic exploration
On The Intercept Briefing, we discuss college crackdowns on Palestine solidarity protests and the chilling effect on free speech.
The post The “Palestine Exception” appeared first on The Intercept.
Tell us about your standout stage production of the year – we’ll feature a selection of your favourites
We would like to hear about your favourite theatre shows of 2024. Which play captured your heart? Maybe a dance company moved you? Please briefly explain why (100 words max) by filling in the form below and we will feature a selection of them.
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Are you looking for a new graphic design tool? Would you like to read a detailed review of Canva? As it's one of the tools I love using. I am also writing my first ebook using canva and publish it soon on my site you can download it is free. Let's start the review.
Canva has a web version and also a mobile app
Canva is a free graphic design web application that allows you to create invitations, business cards, flyers, lesson plans, banners, and more using professionally designed templates. You can upload your own photos from your computer or from Google Drive, and add them to Canva's templates using a simple drag-and-drop interface. It's like having a basic version of Photoshop that doesn't require Graphic designing knowledge to use. It’s best for nongraphic designers.
Canva is a great tool for small business owners, online entrepreneurs, and marketers who don’t have the time and want to edit quickly.
To create sophisticated graphics, a tool such as Photoshop can is ideal. To use it, you’ll need to learn its hundreds of features, get familiar with the software, and it’s best to have a good background in design, too.
Also running the latest version of Photoshop you need a high-end computer.
So here Canva takes place, with Canva you can do all that with drag-and-drop feature. It’s also easier to use and free. Also an even-more-affordable paid version is available for $12.95 per month.
The product is available in three plans: Free, Pro ($12.99/month per user or $119.99/year for up to 5 people), and Enterprise ($30 per user per month, minimum 25 people).
To get started on Canva, you will need to create an account by providing your email address, Google, Facebook or Apple credentials. You will then choose your account type between student, teacher, small business, large company, non-profit, or personal. Based on your choice of account type, templates will be recommended to you.
You can sign up for a free trial of Canva Pro, or you can start with the free version to get a sense of whether it’s the right graphic design tool for your needs.
When you sign up for an account, Canva will suggest different post types to choose from. Based on the type of account you set up you'll be able to see templates categorized by the following categories: social media posts, documents, presentations, marketing, events, ads, launch your business, build your online brand, etc.
Start by choosing a template for your post or searching for something more specific. Search by social network name to see a list of post types on each network.
Next, you can choose a template. Choose from hundreds of templates that are ready to go, with customizable photos, text, and other elements.
You can start your design by choosing from a variety of ready-made templates, searching for a template matching your needs, or working with a blank template.
Inside the Canva designer, the Elements tab gives you access to lines and shapes, graphics, photos, videos, audio, charts, photo frames, and photo grids.The search box on the Elements tab lets you search everything on Canva.
To begin with, Canva has a large library of elements to choose from. To find them, be specific in your search query. You may also want to search in the following tabs to see various elements separately:
The Photos tab lets you search for and choose from millions of professional stock photos for your templates.
You can replace the photos in our templates to create a new look. This can also make the template more suited to your industry.
You can find photos on other stock photography sites like pexel, pixabay and many more or simply upload your own photos.
When you choose an image, Canva’s photo editing features let you adjust the photo’s settings (brightness, contrast, saturation, etc.), crop, or animate it.
When you subscribe to Canva Pro, you get access to a number of premium features, including the Background Remover. This feature allows you to remove the background from any stock photo in library or any image you upload.
The Text tab lets you add headings, normal text, and graphical text to your design.
When you click on text, you'll see options to adjust the font, font size, color, format, spacing, and text effects (like shadows).
Canva Pro subscribers can choose from a large library of fonts on the Brand Kit or the Styles tab. Enterprise-level controls ensure that visual content remains on-brand, no matter how many people are working on it.
Create an animated image or video by adding audio to capture user’s attention in social news feeds.
If you want to use audio from another stock site or your own audio tracks, you can upload them in the Uploads tab or from the more option.
Want to create your own videos? Choose from thousands of stock video clips. You’ll find videos that range upto 2 minutes
You can upload your own videos as well as videos from other stock sites in the Uploads tab.
Once you have chosen a video, you can use the editing features in Canva to trim the video, flip it, and adjust its transparency.
On the Background tab, you’ll find free stock photos to serve as backgrounds on your designs. Change out the background on a template to give it a more personal touch.
The Styles tab lets you quickly change the look and feel of your template with just a click. And if you have a Canva Pro subscription, you can upload your brand’s custom colors and fonts to ensure designs stay on brand.
If you have a Canva Pro subscription, you’ll have a Logos tab. Here, you can upload variations of your brand logo to use throughout your designs.
With Canva, you can also create your own logos. Note that you cannot trademark a logo with stock content in it.
With Canva, free users can download and share designs to multiple platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Slack and Tumblr.
Canva Pro subscribers can create multiple post formats from one design. For example, you can start by designing an Instagram post, and Canva's Magic Resizer can resize it for other networks, Stories, Reels, and other formats.
Canva Pro subscribers can also use Canva’s Content Planner to post content on eight different accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Slack, and Tumblr.
Canva Pro allows you to work with your team on visual content. Designs can be created inside Canva, and then sent to your team members for approval. Everyone can make comments, edits, revisions, and keep track via the version history.
When it comes to printing your designs, Canva has you covered. With an extensive selection of printing options, they can turn your designs into anything from banners and wall art to mugs and t-shirts.
Canva Print is perfect for any business seeking to make a lasting impression. Create inspiring designs people will want to wear, keep, and share. Hand out custom business cards that leave a lasting impression on customers' minds.
The Canva app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. The Canva app has earned a 4.9 out of five star rating from over 946.3K Apple users and a 4.5 out of five star rating from over 6,996,708 Google users.
In addition to mobile apps, you can use Canva’s integration with other Internet services to add images and text from sources like Google Maps, Emojis, photos from Google Drive and Dropbox, YouTube videos, Flickr photos, Bitmojis, and other popular visual content elements.
In general, Canva is an excellent tool for those who need simple images for projects. If you are a graphic designer with experience, you will find Canva’s platform lacking in customization and advanced features – particularly vectors. But if you have little design experience, you will find Canva easier to use than advanced graphic design tools like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator for most projects. If you have any queries let me know in the comments section.
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