Posts

Showing posts from June, 2020

New York City Council Speaker Expects Plan to Cut $1 Billion From NYPD to Pass

Image
(NEW YORK) — New York City lawmakers were expected Tuesday to approve shifting $1 billion from policing to education and social services in the coming year, acknowledging protesters’ demands to cut police spending — but falling short of what activists sought. City Council members were due to debate and vote on the plan Tuesday night, with time running short ahead of the budget year that begins Wednesday. Mayor Bill de Blasio supports the $88.2 billion spending plan and Council Speaker Corey Johnson said he was confident it would pass the council, but he expected a lot of “no” votes from members who want to cut more from police. The vote comes at an extraordinary moment when the nation’s biggest city is grappling with a $9 billion revenue loss due to the coronavirus pandemic and simultaneously with pressure to cut back on policing and invest more in community and social programs. Protesters have been camped outside City Hall , insisting that the city slash $1 billion from

The Hamilton Movie Is a Mesmerizing, Exuberant Delight

Image
The moment Lin-Manuel Miranda conceived the idea of telling the story of Alexander Hamilton almost exclusively with a cast of brown and Black actors was its own kind of big bang. People have tried before to jazz up the story of the founding fathers, with often miserable results (Exhibit A, from 1972: the lackluster film musical 1776 ). And theater companies have mounted productions of Shakespearean plays and other works from the white, English-speaking canon with casts made up wholly of people of color. But by focusing specifically on the early days of our nation’s fraught history, Miranda affirmed something few people had overtly recognized: That the history of the United States—a country founded by white men who first took land from native people, then built further riches from the labor of enslaved people—belongs to us all, regardless of color. It is ours both to own and to own up to, depending on who we are and who our forebears were, whether we benefited greatly from the

First COVID-19 Case Confirmed in Asylum Seeker Camp at U.S.-Mexico Border

Image
(CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico) — An international disaster relief organization reported Tuesday the first confirmed case of COVID-19 among migrants living in a tent encampment of asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. Global Response Management said that one person in the Matamoros, Tamaulipas camp across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas had tested positive. “Aggressive isolation and tracing measures have been enacted,” the U.S.-based relief organization said via Twitter. There are some 2,000 asylum seekers living in tents along the border. The migrants from Central America and other parts of the world have been stranded by the United States’ suspension of asylum hearings due to the pandemic through at least mid-July. Last week, Andrea Leiner, a spokeswoman for GRM, said they had implemented measures to try to reduce the risk of the virus’ spread, but conceded it was a challenge with confirmed infections cropping up among U.S. and Mexican immigration officials and i

Politicians Call For U.N. Probe Into China Forcing Birth Control on Uighurs

Image
Politicians around the world have called for a United Nations probe into a Chinese government birth control campaign targeting largely Muslim minorities in the far western region of Xinjiang, even as Beijing said it treats all ethnicities equally under the law. They were referring to an Associated Press investigation published this week that found the Chinese government is taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among Uighurs and other minorities, while encouraging some of the country’s Han majority to have more children. The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a group of European, Australian, North American, and Japanese politicians from across the political spectrum, demanded an independent U.N. investigation. “The world cannot remain silent in the face of unfolding atrocities,” the group said in a statement. The AP found that the Chinese government regularly subjects minority women in Xinjiang to pregnancy checks and forces intrauterine devices, sterilizati

Senate Temporarily Extends Small Business Coronavirus Relief Program

Image
(WASHINGTON) — Democrats drove a temporary extension of a popular subsidy program for small businesses through the GOP-controlled Senate late Tuesday, an unexpected development that came as spikes in coronavirus cases in many states are causing renewed shutdowns of bars and other businesses. The move by Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin came hours before a deadline for applying for the program, which was created in March and modified twice since. Cardin, the top Democrat on the Small Business Committee, asked for unanimous approval of the extension of the Paycheck Protection Program through Aug. 8. Minority lawmakers are hardly ever successful in such attempts, but the pressure swayed Republicans controlling the Senate, who have delayed consideration of a fifth coronavirus relief bill and are preparing to go home for a two-week recess. About $130 billion remains of $660 billion approved so far for the subsidy program, which provides direct subsidies to businesses harmed by the coron

Rapid improvement in Alzheimer’s disease after fecal microbiota transplant

Rapid improvement in Alzheimer’s disease after fecal microbiota transplant 3 by voisin | 0 comments on Hacker News.

Yann LeCun quits Twitter amid acrimonious exchanges on AI bias

Yann LeCun quits Twitter amid acrimonious exchanges on AI bias 57 by Yuqing7 | 52 comments on Hacker News.

Rethinking Easter Island’s Historic “Collapse”

Rethinking Easter Island’s Historic “Collapse” 5 by Hooke | 0 comments on Hacker News.

How the Entertainment Industry Is Reckoning With Racism, From Changing Band Names to Canceling TV Shows

Image
When protesters began flooding the streets of Minneapolis last month after the police killing of George Floyd , they were decrying police brutality and systemic racism . There’s little doubt that something as far-removed from that grave situation as The Golden Girls was anywhere near top of mind. But that 1980s sitcom, unrelated as it may seem, is one of the cultural institutions that has been affected by the reverberations of protests as they spread across the country and the globe . Statues are coming down ; leaders are resigning after being accused of perpetrating racist structures; cultural works from the present and past alike are being scrutinized through new lenses. And when, on June 27, Hulu pulled an episode of The Golden Girls in which Blanche and Rose wear mud masks resembling blackface, it was just one of many concrete actions taken in recent weeks as platforms, gatekeepers and creators reconsider both past output and the future of their organizations. He

Show HN: Program “Greppy”, a 2-wheeled robot, using a new robotics language

Show HN: Program “Greppy”, a 2-wheeled robot, using a new robotics language 22 by tlb | 5 comments on Hacker News.

Lisp as the Maxwell’s Equations of Software (2012)

Lisp as the Maxwell’s Equations of Software (2012) 9 by newswasboring | 1 comments on Hacker News.

Pompeo urges United Nations to extend Iran arms embargo

Image
Pompeo urges United Nations to extend Iran arms embargo Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seized on a U.N. report confirming Iranian weapons were used to attack Saudi Arabia in September and were part of an arms shipment seized months ago off Yemen's coast; State Department correspondent Rich Edson reports. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/31DdeKJ

Belgium dismantles statue of former monarch as king expresses 'deepest regrets' for DR Congo colonial abuses

Image
Belgium dismantles statue of former monarch as king expresses 'deepest regrets' for DR Congo colonial abuses Belgium on Tuesday dismantled the statue of King Leopold II, the former monarch held responsible for the deaths of millions of Africans, as the country’s current king expressed his “deepest regrets” for Belgium’s colonial past. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2NGa8NG

Coronavirus case at Mexico border refugee camp raises alarm

Image
Coronavirus case at Mexico border refugee camp raises alarm An international disaster relief organization reported Tuesday the first confirmed case of COVID-19 among asylum seekers living in a tent encampment at the U.S.-Mexico border. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2NIMsIz

Tehran medical clinic explosion kills at least 13, state media report

Image
Tehran medical clinic explosion kills at least 13, state media report A gas leak Tuesday at a medical clinic in Tehran caused an explosion that killed at least 19 people, according to Iranian state media. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/38edBwm

Putin nears goal of changing Russian constitution, letting him stay in power until 2036

Image
Putin nears goal of changing Russian constitution, letting him stay in power until 2036 Russian President Vladimir Putin is one step closer to cementing a set of constitutional changes that would allow him to remain in power until 2036. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2BsKM3c

Indian man attacks female employee who asked he wear a face mask

Image
Indian man attacks female employee who asked he wear a face mask A local government official in India beat a female employee with a chair leg after yanking her to the floor by her hair — all because she asked him to wear a mask, according to reports Tuesday. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2VtSK2Y

China's new Hong Kong security law would impose life sentences on anyone guilty of these charges

Image
China's new Hong Kong security law would impose life sentences on anyone guilty of these charges Anyone in Hong Kong found guilty of secession, subversion or terrorism will now be sentenced to life in prison under the controversial new security law passed by China this week. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2NElnpY

How much of the United States does China really own?

Image
How much of the United States does China really own? The American Security Institute recently released a report and launched a campaign to draw further attention to the extensive array of sectors the Chinese government and its partners have invested into. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/3gesotW

Man who beheaded US journalist Daniel Pearl to be freed from Pakistani prison

Image
Man who beheaded US journalist Daniel Pearl to be freed from Pakistani prison The British-born man convicted in the 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl is likely to walk out of jail a free man this week following a surprising ruling by Pakistan's supreme court.  via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/3dGfVNS

Mississippi Officially Removes Confederate Emblem From State Flag

Image
JACKSON, Miss. — With a stroke of the governor’s pen, Mississippi is retiring the last state flag in the U.S. with the Confederate battle emblem — a symbol that’s widely condemned as racist. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves on Tuesday signed the historic bill that takes the 126-year-old state flag out of law, immediately removing official status for the banner that has been a source of division for generations. “This is not a political moment to me but a solemn occasion to lead our Mississippi family to come together, to be reconciled, and to move on,” Reeves said in a statement. “We are a resilient people defined by our hospitality. We are a people of great faith. Now, more than ever, we must lean on that faith, put our divisions behind us, and unite for a greater good.” Mississippi has faced increasing pressure to change its flag since protests against racial injustice have focused attention on Confederate symbols. A broad coalition of legislators on Sunday passed the la

Mastering Jq: Part 1

Mastering Jq: Part 1 18 by code-faster | 5 comments on Hacker News.

Braille, and the Evolution of Software Development

Braille, and the Evolution of Software Development 4 by brendt_gd | 0 comments on Hacker News.

Jeff Bezos' Twitch temporarily bans Trump for 'hateful conduct'

Image
Jeff Bezos' Twitch temporarily bans Trump for 'hateful conduct' Streaming platform Twitch has temporarily banned President Trump’s account for 'hateful conduct' stemming from footage of the president’s speeches. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2BRFgqI

Trump retweets, deletes video with 'white power' chant

Image
Trump retweets, deletes video with 'white power' chant Fox News media analyst Howard Kurtz breaks down the tweet backlash. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2Zpbgus

Reddit bans ‘TheDonald’ and almost 2,000 other subreddits in hate speech crackdown

Image
Reddit bans ‘TheDonald’ and almost 2,000 other subreddits in hate speech crackdown Reddit is banning r/The_Donald along with almost 2,000 other online communities after updating its content policy to crack down harder on hate speech, the company announced on Monday. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/3ikFp79

Facebook bars some political posts

Image
Facebook bars some political posts Zuckerberg flips on violence, voter suppression. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2CKDhVG

Friedrich Hayek on Evolution and Spontaneous Order (1983)

Friedrich Hayek on Evolution and Spontaneous Order (1983) 3 by eigenvalue | 1 comments on Hacker News.

Learning to Cartoonize Using White-Box Cartoon Representations

Learning to Cartoonize Using White-Box Cartoon Representations 15 by gitgud | 1 comments on Hacker News.

Dependence on H-1B has fallen significantly, says Infosys CEO at virtual AGM

Dependence on H-1B has fallen significantly, says Infosys CEO at virtual AGM 12 by Amezarak | 5 comments on Hacker News.

The Antic Cyber Graphics Software (Prehistory of Autodesk 3D Studio)

The Antic Cyber Graphics Software (Prehistory of Autodesk 3D Studio) 5 by pavlov | 0 comments on Hacker News.

Washington mom says she still caught coronavirus despite taking slew of precautions to avoid it

Image
Washington mom says she still caught coronavirus despite taking slew of precautions to avoid it A Washington state mother says she tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this year despite taking all of the necessary precautions to avoid getting infected. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/38eCmZy

Dr. Marty Makary says US faces critical two months in coronavirus fight

Image
Dr. Marty Makary says US faces critical two months in coronavirus fight We do not want to go into the second wave with 250,000 COVID cases in the country, says Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marty Makary, professor of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins University of Public Health. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/3ih3yes

Swine flu strain with 'human pandemic potential' found in more Chinese pigs, scientists say

Image
Swine flu strain with 'human pandemic potential' found in more Chinese pigs, scientists say Chinese researchers have reportedly identified a new strain of the swine flu that has the potential to become a pandemic. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2ZosCaK

Some states scale back re-openings amid COVID-19 surge

Image
Some states scale back re-openings amid COVID-19 surge California joins Texas, Florida and Arizona by closing bars in some areas ahead of July Fourth weekend; Casey Stegall reports from Dallas. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2AfhbtH

President of the Texas Medical Association on fallout from rising number of coronavirus in Lone Star state

Image
President of the Texas Medical Association on fallout from rising number of coronavirus in Lone Star state Texas bars remain closed as COVID-19 cases continue to surge; insight from Dr. Diane Fite, president of the Texas Medical Association. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2Zo18lB

IHME professor on growing calls for federal government to take larger role in coronavirus

Image
IHME professor on growing calls for federal government to take larger role in coronavirus Dr. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and chief strategy officer for population health at the University of Washington, joins Neil Cavuto with insight on 'Your World.' via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/3eVXd64

Dr. Jha: Window is closing on action for coronavirus hotspots

Image
Dr. Jha: Window is closing on action for coronavirus hotspots Harvard Global Health Institute director Dr. Ashish Jha responds to HHS Sec. Azar's warning on curbing spread of COVID-19. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/3eMeJK5

Coronavirus patients experiencing 'terrifying' hospital delirium, reports say

Image
Coronavirus patients experiencing 'terrifying' hospital delirium, reports say Coronavirus patients are battling “hospital delirium” through “nightmarish visions,” delusions and “paranoid imaginings,” according to multiple reports.  via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/3gaN1a6

Dr. Goza: Goal should be to have students 'physically present' in school

Image
Dr. Goza: Goal should be to have students 'physically present' in school American Academy of Pediatrics president Dr. Sara Goza on importance of children being able to go back to school. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/2Bp7FVc

Coronavirus infects 28 members of California family, kills one: COVID-19 'is a real thing'

Image
Coronavirus infects 28 members of California family, kills one: COVID-19 'is a real thing' A California man claims he and more than two dozen members of his family were infected with the novel coronavirus, including his father who ultimately succumbed to the killer virus.  via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/3dH45CX

Draftbit (YC W18) Is Hiring a Technical Product Lead – Build Apps Visually

Draftbit (YC W18) Is Hiring a Technical Product Lead – Build Apps Visually 1 by Brushfire | 0 comments on Hacker News.

Guy Who Reverse-Engineered TikTok Reveals the Scary Things He Learned

Guy Who Reverse-Engineered TikTok Reveals the Scary Things He Learned 22 by ko3us | 4 comments on Hacker News.

Featherweight Java: A Minimal Core Calculus for Java and GJ (2002) [pdf]

Featherweight Java: A Minimal Core Calculus for Java and GJ (2002) [pdf] 9 by sendilkumarn | 1 comments on Hacker News.

A Spark of Insight into Neanderthal Behavior

A Spark of Insight into Neanderthal Behavior 6 by diodorus | 0 comments on Hacker News.

GOP Lawmakers Urge Action After Russia-Afghanistan ‘Bounties’ Briefing

Image
WASHINGTON — Eight Republican lawmakers attended a White House briefing Monday about explosive allegations that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan — intelligence the president himself was said to have not been fully read in on. Members of Congress in both parties called for additional information and consequences for Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, even as White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany insisted President Donald Trump had not been briefed on the findings because they hadn’t been verified. Eight Democrats were to be briefed Tuesday morning. The White House seemed to be setting an unusually high bar for bringing the information to Trump, since it is rare for intelligence to be confirmed without a shadow of doubt before it is presented to senior government decision-makers. McEnany declined to say why a different standard of confidence in the intelligence applied to briefing lawmakers th

BET Awards Show Highlights Black Lives Matter Movement and Black Voices

Image
(NEW YORK) — The BET Awards served as an extension of the voices of Black people protesting in the streets about the inequalities Black people face daily, as artists used their performances to highlight the Black Lives Matter movement, civil rights and the lives of those lost because of police officers, including George Floyd. DaBaby, with his face pressed against the ground as an officer’s knee crippled his neck — replicating the last moments of Floyd’s life — rapped a verse from the Black Lives Matter remix of his hit song “Rockstar.” His performance also featured images from protests, a reflection of the current world in the wake of Floyd’s death and the death of others, including Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. Sunday’s show, a virtual event because of the coronavirus pandemic, featured a number of highly produced, well-crafted and pre-taped performances. The BET Awards kicked off with Black artists rapping and singing anthems about the Black experience and fighting

USPS loses on average $1.10 for each package it delivers from China

USPS loses on average $1.10 for each package it delivers from China 35 by rjzzleep | 7 comments on Hacker News.

Zero-sum thinking on immigration will make America poorer

Zero-sum thinking on immigration will make America poorer 46 by betocmn | 12 comments on Hacker News.

Yelp: Local Economic Impact Report

Yelp: Local Economic Impact Report 14 by yasp | 1 comments on Hacker News.

Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E (802.11 n/AC/ax) – educated wireless router/AP upgrade decisions

Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E (802.11 n/AC/ax) – educated wireless router/AP upgrade decisions 35 by rdslw | 0 comments on Hacker News.

Linux Kernel Is Still Seeing Driver Work for the Macintosh II

Linux Kernel Is Still Seeing Driver Work for the Macintosh II 16 by caution | 4 comments on Hacker News.

After Trump Denies Knowledge of Reported Russian Bounties on U.S. Soldiers, Lawmakers From Both Parties Demand Answers

Image
Leaders of both parties pressed on Sunday for answers from the White House about reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin had put bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan and that the U.S. had taken no action in response. Democrats called for hearings to be held. In his first comment on the matter, President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday that “nobody briefed or told me” about the “so-called attacks,” a comment that his former national security adviser termed “remarkable.” The New York Times reported Friday on the alleged actions by Russian military intelligence — paying Taliban-linked militias to kill American and British troops — and that Trump and other top White House officials had been briefed on the matter months ago. Major elements were also reported by the Washington Post. In a follow-up story Sunday, the Times wrote that commandos and spies on the ground in Afghanistan had reported their findings to superiors in January and that they had first grown suspicious