Lemmings.world

An appeals court judge claimed on Monday that Nazis were given more rights to contest their removal from the United States during the second world war than Venezuelan migrants deported by the Trump administration.

The comments came during a contentious hearing shortly after a lower court thwarted the Trump administration’s effort to deport the immigrants under a roughly 225-year-old war powers law.

Summary

A security breach involving Trump’s national security team occurred when leaked Signal group chat revealed that Trump-appointed officials accidentally shared classified U.S. war plans with journalist Jeffrey Goldberg.

The chat included top officials like Pete Hegseth, JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

This breach raises concerns about using unclassified apps for sensitive data, violating laws on classified information and record retention.

The incident highlights the risks of appointing unqualified individuals to critical roles, echoing broader patterns of mismanagement during Trump's administration.

Israeli settlers beat up one of the Palestinian co-directors of the Oscar-winning documentary film “ No Other Land ” on Monday in the occupied West Bank before he was detained by the Israeli military, according to two of his fellow directors and other witnesses.

The filmmaker Hamdan Ballal was one of three Palestinians detained in the village of Susiya, according to attorney Lea Tsemel, who is representing them. Police told her they were being held at a military base for medical treatment, but she said Tuesday morning that she had not been able to reach them and had no further information on their whereabouts.

Summary

Tesla’s EU vehicle sales dropped 49% in January and February 2025, with registrations falling to 19,046.

Analysts link the decline to Elon Musk’s political alignment with Trump and nationalist European parties, sparking backlash, including arson and vandalism at Tesla facilities.

Compounding issues, newer Chinese-made EVs are surpassing Tesla sales in Europe, with Tesla’s market share falling from 18.4% to 7.7% year-to-date.

From Harry Collins

Going all the way back to 2016 for this encounter between a squirrel checking out a nesting great horned owl. The squirrel was actually nesting in the same tree right above the owl.

Archived

[The} first satellite of a planned joint Czechia-Ukraine constellation of orbiting surveillance platforms had successfully entered orbit in January, according to a report.

The project resulted from the October 2022 agreement between Prague and Kyiv to develop mutually desirable defense programs in the face of Russian aggresion.

This first orbiting platform designated “TROLL,” was manufactured by the Brno-based company TRL Space. Its key element is the onboard hyperspectral camera which is not only capable of producing ultra-high quality “conventional” visible images with a resolution of five meters per pixel but uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze other parts of the spectrum.

The system is able to differentiate between natural and artificial material, such as camouflaged vehicles and locations; to monitor the presence or use of chemical and biological materiel; uncover environmental anomalies caused by ground, vegetation and watercourse disturbance; monitor energy and heat sources linked to military and civilian infrastructure; use soil analysis to identify areas suitability for both friendly and enemy military defensive structures or heavy equipment movement.

[...]

The administration officials gave Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic a front-row seat to the planning for the strike against the Houthis – a stunning intelligence leak that has caused anger against Republicans who called for criminal investigations against Hillary Clinton and others for playing fast and loose with sensitive information.

On the face of it, the strike against the Houthis had far more to do with the administration’s policies on protecting maritime trade and containing Iran than its concerns about Europe freeloading on US defense spending and military prowess.

But Vance appears determined to push that angle as a reason to postpone the strike.

“I think we are making a mistake,” wrote Vance, adding that while only 3% of US trade goes through the Suez canal, 40% of European trade does. “There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary,” he added. “The strongest reason to do this is, as [Trump] said, to send a message.”

Summary

A Tokyo court ordered the dissolution of the Unification Church, stripping it of legal status and tax exemptions, after investigating ties to the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The South Korea-based church, founded in 1968 and also known as "Moonies," can appeal the ruling.

The decision follows revelations of extensive links between the church and Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Japan's Education Ministry sought the dissolution over alleged manipulative practices.

The church condemned the order as a violation of religious freedom and human rights.

From the Article:

“If you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again,” Vance replied. Hegseth agreed that “I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC.” But, he added, “we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this.”

Miller, the Trump confidant, effectively ended the conversation by saying that the president had been clear. “Green light, but we soon make clear to Egypt and Europe what we expect in return.”

A senior White House official has hinted at the possibility of the U.S. utilizing its gold reserves to acquire more Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC).

"If we actually realize the gains on the U.S. gold holdings, that would be a budget-neutral way to acquire more bitcoin," Hines said adding that there's been "countless ideas" and the “best ideas" will be enacted by President Donald Trump.

Summary

Experts warn that mass federal worker firings under Trump’s government overhaul could pose major national security risks.

Thousands of laid-off workers with insider knowledge may become targets for foreign adversaries like Russia and China.

Counterespionage challenges increase as sensitive data from various agencies, including the Pentagon and Department of Energy, becomes vulnerable.

Intelligence and cybersecurity experts caution that foreign entities may exploit job-seeking ex-employees via fake job ads or consultancy offers.

The Director of National Intelligence plans to investigate leaks but has not addressed counterespionage risks directly.

The Australian government’s scientific agency has joined more than a dozen universities in being sent a questionnaire from the Trump administration asking to confirm whether it aligns with US government interests.

On Tuesday, the CSIRO revealed it had received the correspondence from the US. A spokesperson at the CSIRO said it was aware of a “small number” of researchers who had received the questionnaire in recent weeks and was “determining an appropriate response”.

Not to make this too US-centric, but it relates to the need for Europe to organize a defense against social media misinformation networks. Jon Stewart highlights the various "right-wing funnels" on social media and points out the nuance between "content" and free speech.

This is the official The Daily Show YouTube, so there are may be some restrictions based on country of origin.

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/19077622

Article from January 2025:

The United States Health and Human Services Department (HHS) published a landmark report on intersex health equity last week, calling for an end to medically unnecessary non-consensual surgeries on children born with intersex variations.

The report, based on a literature review and listening sessions with intersex people, ethicists, and medical professionals, states that “the over 5 million intersex people in our nation deserve to live healthy and fulfilling lives free from stigma and discrimination.”

Children born with variations in their sex characteristics, sometimes called intersex traits, are often subjected to “normalizing” surgeries that are irreversible, risky, and medically unnecessary. Approximately 1.7 percent of people have an intersex trait, meaning intersex variations are not uncommon, but often misunderstood.

Genuinely amazed this managed to still be released under the current regime and wasn't buried. Directly goes against Trump's EO that there are only two sexes.

From Ryan Humphrey

Missing them already...

Our official champion, the Saw Whet is returning to the Great North until next winter. Thank you for blessing us with your presence these last few months! 🥰