Film of the Week, Sirāt

Óliver Laxe’s Sirāt lands Euronews Culture’s Film of the Week for transforming a family’s search into a strange, spiritual odyssey that actually jolts the soul between sequels. Imagine that, cinema doing cinema.

UK Migrant Housing Plan Faces Tory Fire

Former immigration minister Kevin Foster blasted the idea of moving asylum seekers from hotels to student flats as a hotel by another name, a rebrand that swaps mini bars for microwaves without fixing the underlying mess.

Greek Abbot on Trial Over Byzantine Relics

A Greek abbot on trial for allegedly stealing centuries-old relics says they belonged to his grandmother, because nothing says family heirloom like a 900 year old icon. He and five others remain in pre-trial detention.

Charlie Kirk Case, Manhunt Intensifies

Authorities released video of a person of interest sprinting across a Utah Valley University rooftop moments after the fatal shot, then fleeing to the street. Investigators recovered a bolt action rifle, prints, and possible DNA, and said they have received more than 7,000 tips. Gov. Spencer Cox vowed to pursue the death penalty if warranted. Reports also describe national vigils and senior officials on scene, with some accounts saying Vice President JD Vance helped carry a flag draped casket and President Donald Trump plans to attend the Arizona funeral. This is a grave, fast moving investigation, and details may continue to evolve.

Naval Academy Hoax Alert Spurs Chaos

A false active shooter alert at the U.S. Naval Academy triggered a lockdown and panic. Authorities traced the hoax to a former midshipman. Amid the confusion, a student mistook a police officer for the gunman and struck him with a rifle. The officer returned fire, wounding the student’s arm. Both are expected to recover.

Brazil Ruling on Bolsonaro

Brazil’s Supreme Court reportedly convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro of plotting a 2022 coup and issued a 27 year sentence, a historic moment that suggests there are sometimes receipts for undermining democracy. U.S. political figures, including Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, called the outcome surprising and said Washington would respond accordingly.

Paramount Skydance Eyes Warner Bros. Discovery

Paramount Skydance is reportedly prepping a majority cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, because nothing says creativity like fewer competitors and a spreadsheet with feelings.

Prince Harry Visits Kyiv

Prince Harry made a surprise visit to Kyiv to meet wounded troops and expand Invictus Games support, a rare moment where compassion politely elbows its way to the front.

Also Noted

Elsewhere, audience driven questions focused on why the Kirk case triggered a fugitive manhunt, NATO jets reportedly downing Russian drones over Poland, and how ICE collateral arrests ripple through mixed status families.

F5 Buys CalypsoAI

F5 will acquire CalypsoAI for 180 million dollars, folding adaptive AI inference security into its application delivery and security platform. It locks down AI workloads and model outputs across apps, and gives executives another reason to say AI during earnings calls with a straight face.

Nepal Protest Death Toll Rises

Police say the death toll in Nepal’s anti corruption protests has risen to 51. A stark and tragic marker of public anger that demands accountability, not slogans.

Starmer’s Full Confidence, That Old Tune

No 10 says the Prime Minister has full confidence in chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and the top team, who are getting on with the important work of government. In Westminster, full confidence is the soothing lullaby that often precedes the fire alarm test.

34 Year Sentence in London Child Shooting

Javon Riley was sentenced to 34 years in prison for a gang related shooting that left a 9 year old girl with a bullet lodged in her brain during an attack at an east London restaurant. A harrowing case, and a reminder that justice can punish, but never undo the harm.

Marvel's Rivals mashes multiverses in a free-to-play 6v6

Marvel's Rivals is a team-based hero shooter that slams iconic heroes and villains into six-on-six chaos. It is free upfront, but expect the real endgame in the cosmetics shop, where capes, colorways, and wallet gravity do most of the damage.

Ninja Gaiden: Bound by Rage cuts back to 2D

The Game Kitchen and DotEmu are resurrecting Ryu Hayabusa with razor-sharp sprites and modern fluidity. It is a love letter to 1992, only with fewer mullets and more parry windows, nostalgia weaponized for maximum slice.

Borderlands 4 returns with new Vault Hunters and a universe of guns

Gearbox is back with four fresh Vault Hunters, a new planet, and a weapons catalog that again ignores the concept of enough. Billions of guns, because apparently a sensible number failed the focus group.

Reminder from NANOG: MD5 is obsolete, not security

In a NANOG thread, back-of-the-envelope math highlighted how modern GPU rigs can churn through MD5 at staggering rates. Translation, in 2025 anyone serious about security should have retired MD5 years ago, unless historical reenactment is the goal.

Prince Harry visits Ukraine to back care for war-wounded

Prince Harry made an unannounced trip to Ukraine, pledging to do everything possible to support rehabilitation for soldiers injured in Russia's war. A rare royal headline with substance, focused on care, recovery, and long-haul support.

Ireland says it will boycott Eurovision 2026 if Israel participates

Public broadcaster RTÉ signaled Ireland will sit out the contest if Israel is included, citing the loss of life in Gaza. Even a glitter-heavy songfest cannot duck geopolitics, and organizers now have a diplomatic headache with sequins.

Liam Williams still without a club as new season starts

The former Wales and British and Irish Lions fullback remains a free agent while navigating personal challenges. No snark here, only hope he finds the right setup and support.

UK growth stalls in July

Official figures show zero growth after June's 0.4 percent rise. Expect policymakers to brand stalled as stable, but the economy added nothing to momentum and the spin cycle is doing more work than the GDP.

Skegness tourism dips amid tensions over asylum seeker housing

Coach tours are being canceled and bookings dropped as a long-running row over migrant accommodation boils over. Some hotels are hoisting flags and signs saying they are not housing asylum seekers after threats and rumors, while officials shuffle placements at a glacial pace. The result, a seaside economy taking the hit while fearmongers and slow-moving bureaucracy set the agenda.

South Africa chase a monumental upset in Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final

In their first quarter-final, South Africa lean on breakout No. 8 Aseza Hele against powerhouse New Zealand. Hele has been a tournament standout, now comes the part where belief has to tackle the hierarchy.

Detained South Korean workers at Georgia Hyundai plant return home

More than 300 workers were swept up in a U.S. immigration raid, with the detained South Koreans now back in their country. A reminder that in a global supply chain, a factory floor can become a checkpoint in a blink.

SpaceX launches Indonesian satellite after three-day delay

SpaceX launches Indonesian satellite after three-day delay, finally lofting a communications payload into orbit Thursday night from Florida’s Space Coast after a string of scrubs. Because nothing says “precision engineering” like three false starts and a flawless finish. The satellite boosts Indonesia’s communications coverage, and SpaceX adds another tick to its manifest—fashionably late, safely delivered.

Senate Republicans invoke the nuclear option to advance Trump nominees over Democratic opposition

Senate Republicans invoke the nuclear option to advance Trump nominees over Democratic opposition—rewriting Senate rules so Majority Leader John Thune can approve batches of non-judicial picks instead of grinding through them one by one. Thune blasted Democrats for slow-walking confirmations as average timelines balloon, while Chuck Schumer called the slate “historically bad” and warned the GOP will regret torching another norm. The move clears a simple-majority path for 48 nominees across EPA, Energy, Interior and Defense, plus marquee picks like Callista Gingrich to Switzerland and Kimberly Guilfoyle to Greece—because nothing says deliberative body like a Costco multipack of ambassadors.

Phillies Complete Sweep of Mets at Citizens Bank Park

Phillies Complete Sweep of Mets at Citizens Bank Park, and the Amazins looked anything but: a four-game dustpan job that left Mets fans begging for the offseason detonator. New York sputtered through long hitless stretches and lifeless at-bats while Philly, even without Zack Wheeler and Trea Turner, kept chipping away, padded an 11-game NL East cushion, and started peeking at the top seed. For the Mets, this felt like the season’s nadir; for the Phils, it looked like October dress rehearsal.

Live updates: FBI releases new footage of suspect in Kirk homicide

Live updates: The FBI has released new footage of the suspect in the Kirk homicide, as President Trump, speaking outside the White House en route to New York, said Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, is “devastated, absolutely devastated” a day after the fatal campus shooting in Utah. Trump added that investigators are “making big progress” and that he has “an indication” of the motive.

Phillies weather first-inning outburst to complete sweep of Mets in NL East

Phillies weather first-inning outburst to complete sweep of Mets in NL East, erasing a 4-0 hole to win 6-4 in the teams’ final regular-season meeting at Citizens Bank Park. After Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto jump-started New York and Starling Marte capped the opening barrage, Jesus Luzardo flipped the script—retiring 22 straight to finish eight innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks, an audition tape that screams “October-caliber” after the early turbulence. Otto Kemp detonated a 433-foot homer, then tied it with a deep fly Jeff McNeil treated like it was a mirage; Harrison Bader punched the go-ahead single, and Bryce Harper twice scorched the right-field line while Pete Alonso played matador at first. Jhoan Duran slammed the door at 102 mph, striking out Soto, Alonso, and Mark Vientos in order as Phillies pitching retired the last 25 Mets. Philadelphia moves to 87-60, up 11 in the division with a magic number of five, hosting the Royals next before heading to Los Angeles—revenge sweep complete, Mets’ first-inning flex promptly filed under “missing persons.”

CISA Tries To Reinforce CVE Program While Budget Ax Hovers

CISA rolled out a new vision and roadmap for the globally used CVE vulnerability catalog, aiming to modernize the plumbing of patch panic even as funding threats and internal churn linger. Translation, upgrade the engine while the budget committee shakes the couch cushions. If the money or staffing wobbles persist, the reforms risk living only on a slide deck.

Capture the Flag, Capture the Skills

Cybersecurity Capture the Flag contests, highlighted by Enoflag’s Nicolas Werner, continue to prove their worth by training talent through hands-on offense, not checkbox theater. From software flaws to reverse engineering and even physical security, these games let defenders learn how exploits really work, ideally before those exploits write tomorrow’s headline.

Southern Water Tells Billionaire’s Private Lake, No Refills

Southern Water has reportedly ordered tanker deliveries to Stephen Schwarzman’s private lake to stop. A rare moment when a utility says no to a very large wallet, and the rest of the drought-prone countryside does a polite golf clap.

Progress 93 Launches With Groceries, Returns With Garbage

Russia’s unpiloted Progress 93 cargo ship is en route to the ISS after a midday launch from Kazakhstan, hauling fresh supplies to the station. Once the astronauts unpack, it will take out the orbital trash, because even in microgravity someone still draws chore duty.

Bayer’s Nonhormonal Hot Flash Drug Posts Strong Data, FDA Still Mulling

Bayer released full study results suggesting long term safety and efficacy for its new hot flash treatment while the FDA delays a decision. Relief may be ready, but it is waiting in the lobby while regulators finish reading the fine print.

Bolsonaro Reportedly Gets 27 Years In Attempted Coup Case

A Brazilian court has reportedly sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro to more than 27 years over an alleged attempt to overturn the 2023 election. Prosecutors have alleged the plot may have included plans to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Appeals and further legal steps are expected. Serious allegations, and the stakes for Brazil’s institutions are higher than any punchline.

House Passes Bill Raising Penalties For Unlawful Border Crossings

The House approved the Stop Illegal Entry Act, increasing penalties in an attempt to deter illegal entry into the United States. A familiar Washington ritual, a bigger stick offered in place of a comprehensive plan that might require competence, compromise, and math.

Utah’s Political Fault Line and the Normalization of Danger

Utah continues to reflect a national crisis, where permissive gun laws meet performative grievance and institutional paralysis. In the gap between secular Salt Lake City and a heavily armed statehouse, open carry at rallies, permitless concealed carry, and stalled mental health safeguards are creating a feedback loop that treats public anxiety as policy, then treats the consequences as inevitable. The headline is violence, the subhead is preventable.

Looping with a Tape-Delay Synth

Looping with a Tape-Delay Synth: a gloriously hands-on antidote to sterile plugins, built by wrapping one-inch magnetic tape around a circular slab of inch-thick Perspex and spinning it with a variable-speed stepper motor. Tape heads ring the perimeter like tiny air-traffic controllers—each read head into its own preamp and mixer—joined by record and erase heads for proper analog mischief. The setup invites feedback loops and sequence generation, turning the machine into both an instrument and an effect, especially in the prototype phase with a movable read head. Under the hood, it’s equal parts craft and stubbornness: a reinforced motor mount to stop enclosure flex, a gearbox for extra torque, and meticulous disk balancing. We get a demo/performance now, and a promised follow-up to squash an erase-circuit click and squeeze the contraption into a more compact enclosure. Because if you’re going to build a tape-delay synth, you might as well make it look like a Space Age cheese wheel that grooves.

One Week of Tube Strikes Amid Dispute Over Closed-Shop Policies and Union Demands

One Week of Tube Strikes Amid Dispute Over Closed-Shop Policies and Union Demands: London has endured a week of disrupted commutes as union leaders and Transport for London wrangle over closed-shop practices and pay demands. Critics claim Sadiq Khan’s previous £30 million sweetener to end walkouts only primed the pump for more, and the forecast is more strikes on the horizon. Commuters get delays; union chiefs and City Hall trade press releases; and the rest of us watch Groundhog Day on rails—minus the charm, plus the peak-hour surcharge.

Blind Item #12

Blind Item #12: A “streaming beach” actress quietly completed a 30-day rehab stint without anyone noticing—proof the paparazzi can miss a tide. Good for her; the PR machine can catch up later.

Live updates: Utah briefing on Kirk case postponed amid rapid developments; FBI releases photos, announces $100,000 reward

Live updates: Utah briefing on the Kirk case was postponed amid rapid developments, as the FBI released photos and announced a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of whoever killed conservative commentator Charlie Kirk the day before. Investigators earlier said they had recovered what they believe is the rifle used in the shooting, and officials cited the pace of new leads as the reason for delaying the briefing.

Help Needed with KEA DHCPv6 High-Availability Failover

Help Needed with KEA DHCPv6 High-Availability Failover: T. Marc Jones, posting via NANOG on Sep 11, directed Aaron to the Kea Users mailing list, where the community can comment and respond. Translation: take your DHCPv6 failover woes to the one place designed to handle them—the mailing list, still the internet’s most reliable, least glamorous help desk.

Over 300 South Koreans return home following ICE detention

Over 300 South Koreans returned home following ICE detention, with a passenger jet carrying 316 South Korean nationals and 14 others departing Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport late Thursday morning. Bureaucracy moves people like luggage, and today’s baggage claim was in Seoul.

Fine-Tuning Jobs Delayed

Fine-Tuning Jobs Delayed: Engineers have identified an issue that only jams the finalizing step of new fine-tuning runs—because naturally the last mile is where the wheels wobble. Jobs start but finish late; inference with fine-tuned models is unaffected. A fix is in development, with degraded performance confined to the fine-tuning component.

Retrocomputing: Intel 4004 SBC Tames a 15-Volt Diva

A custom single-board computer revives the Intel 4004 and 4040 with a modern assist, pairing the chips with a 4201A clock generator, crystal, and a 4289 interface to make that 4-bit bus talk nicely to 8-bit ROMs. Glue logic comes via an ATF22V10 PLD, a 74HCT138 for chip select, plus inverters to juggle the 4004’s +5 V and -10 V rails. The builder covers power, ROM and page mapping, serial I/O, RC2014 bus compatibility, RAM, and a multimodule interface on a tidy PCB. Inspired by Jim Loo’s 4004 SBC, backed by a demo video, and sprinkled with nods to hot-rodded 4004 builds. It is retrocomputing as diplomacy, turning a 15-volt diva into a polite RC2014 citizen.

Energy Storage: Korea Pushes Liquid Air Toward Prime Time

KIMM, under the National Research Council of Science and Technology, has developed and demonstrated key technologies for liquid air energy storage, banking excess power as liquid air and releasing it when the grid throws a tantrum. The promise is sturdier reliability and fewer blackout jitters. For once, an energy superhighway headline comes with engineering instead of a ribbon-cutting and a selfie.

Football: Postecoglou Says He Has Nothing to Prove

Ange Postecoglou starts his Nottingham Forest tenure declaring he does not have to prove anything to anyone, a bold position that tends to last until the first goalless home draw. Confidence is great, but the fixture list always asks follow-up questions.

UK Politics: Labour Installs New PPS Lineup

Labour named a fresh slate of Parliamentary Private Secretaries to shepherd legislation and link constituency work with Whitehall, including Number 10. Translation, more political plumbers in the engine room tightening bolts while assuring us the vessel is not taking on water. If it streamlines the agenda, cheers. If not, at least there is a new roster to hold the spanners.

US Politics: Greene Blasts GOP as a Good Old Boys Club

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told Georgia’s largest newspaper that Republicans are brushing off women and their issues at their own electoral peril. Keep running the clubhouse like it is 1957 and do not act shocked when half the electorate walks out. Intraparty mirror, meet message.

9/11 Commemoration: Solemn Tribute at the Pentagon

Donald Trump marked the 24th anniversary of the attacks by laying a wreath at the Pentagon memorial and honoring those killed, praising the courage and sacrifice of America’s heroes. A sober reminder of loss and duty, without the usual partisan noise.

College Football: OU Fans, Hot Mics, and a Philly Reality Check

After two Oklahoma beat writers were caught on a hot mic clowning Temple’s turnout and predicting a crimson takeover at the Linc, Philly replied with a house rule: only locals roast Temple. The twist, OU fans are reportedly top-tier, polite, and knowledgeable, even after blowouts. Big 12 crowds, pleasant. SEC branding, geography cosplay. Prediction, hope says Temple stuns, head says OU 31 to 13 with the Owls covering. Smart money liked Temple before the line drifted to plus 21.5.

Ubisoft trims nine roles to smooth launch of Tencent-backed spinoff

Ubisoft cut nine positions, mostly in publishing, framing it as grease for a smooth debut of a new Tencent-backed subsidiary. Translation: corporate calls it streamlining, workers call it Tuesday. The timing suggests the new venture gets the red carpet while a few actual humans pull it up from underneath.

After Russian drone crosses into Poland, Warsaw points to turbocharged rearmament

Following a drone incursion into Polish airspace, Poland highlighted a defense buildup it has accelerated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is now spending more, relative to its economy, than any other NATO member. Less chest beating, more check writing, and a lot of new hardware meant to make future incursions shorter and rarer.

BAFTA to celebrate 20 years of game music with live concert

BAFTA is launching Games in Concert to spotlight two decades of BAFTA-nominated and winning game scores. Consider it proof that a full orchestra can deliver as much adrenaline as a boss fight, with the added perk that the violins do not teabag you after.

Maker turns old phone into battery powered pico projector

A resourceful builder converted a sacrificial LCD phone into a handheld projector using a 20 W LED, a heatsink and fan, cells salvaged from a dead power bank, and a humble 5x magnifier for optics. Housed in foam board dressed with textured vinyl, it throws a surprisingly decent image in a dark room. It is not bright or razor sharp, but it is approachable, kid friendly with supervision, and the batteries should survive a full movie, unless the director insists on a three hour epiphany.

XR glasses startup VITURE adds 50 million dollars, bets on cinematic face screens

VITURE raised an extra 50 million dollars, bringing its Series B to 100 million and total funding to 121.5 million, per Crunchbase. The company says the cash goes to global retail, enterprise expansion, and its hardware plus AI software stack. Its Luma series and Beast tethered glasses use birdbath optics aimed at media and productivity, while Big Tech races to turn basic smart glasses into your phone’s nagging handler for notifications, navigation, and voice or AI queries. VITURE wants a TV on your nose. The giants want your shades to manage your calendar and your soul.

Study warns green fashion can backfire without policy guardrails

Researchers find that circular-economy darlings like rental, fiber-to-fiber recycling, and AI sorting can trigger rebound effects that spur more buying. A global average backfire of 1.6 means a 1 percent efficiency gain drives a 0.6 percent bump in new textile production, erasing progress in a sector tied to heavy water use, about 10 percent of global CO2, and roughly 92 million tonnes of waste, with under 1 percent recycled into new garments. Proposed fixes include Pigouvian taxes, production caps, durability incentives, and buy less or repair campaigns tailored to regional realities. Without real policy and behavior change, sustainable fashion is just fast fashion in a recycled halo.

Merck pulls plug on £1 billion UK expansion

Merck, also known as MSD in Europe, canceled a £1 billion UK buildout, citing a lack of investment in life sciences. Translation, fewer photo ops about a science superpower, more actual money needed. Britain’s biotech boosterism just got audited, and the ledger is not flattering.

MD5 still limps along, and the internet shrugs

A NANOG exchange concedes errors then settles back into the usual, MD5 stays the default, SHA-2 is sidelined, SHA-3 is not supported, and NIST’s guidance gets the polite nod reserved for gym memberships. In standards, aspiration is a press release, inertia is production.

Labour hedges on Mandelson support

Asked if Keir Starmer still backs Peter Mandelson after reports of emails offering guidance to Jeffrey Epstein, new migration minister Mike Tapp said, as far as I know. BBC Breakfast read out reported excerpts while Tapp clung to the arm’s-length endorsement. It is the political version of standing nearby without making eye contact.

IT pros cannot clock out when the dashboard never does

A survey says admins are doom-scrolling portals through nights, weekends, and vacations, because the corporate smoke alarm now lives in their pocket. Execs preach work-life balance, which apparently means being on call forever, but with mindfulness.

Emily Thornberry bows out of Labour deputy race

Thornberry withdrew, praised the brilliant women still running, and pledged unity. One fewer contender, same volume of loyalty vows. Now comes the expensive part, turning warm words into winning votes.

September 11 through the centuries, remembrance and resolve

From Stirling Bridge in 1297 to the attacks of 2001 and the 2012 assault in Benghazi, the date carries a sober weight. A moment to honor Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty, and to treat preparedness as more than a slogan. Reflection first, platitudes never.

Prepping on a political clock

A preparedness commentator argues the last three years of a potential second Trump term could be a window to get ready, one they say would close under a Harris-Walz administration, while also criticizing past deficit binges. Moral of the story, never outsource your risk timeline to campaign calendars.

Survivalist roundup, and a documentary with canned beans and camera pans

The Survivalist’s Odds and Ends urges identifying risks before you can mitigate them, while a mainstream film crew discovers preppers, equal parts earnest planning and outsider gawking. Learn what you can, ignore the apocalypse B-roll, and stock brains before beans.

AllSides tallies Trump pledges, cross-references Project 2025

AllSides is tracking which of President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign promises have been kept or remain unfulfilled as of September 10, 2025, and matching his actions against the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 blueprint, which has a Right bias. Think of it as governance with a companion guide, complete with side-by-side comparisons for anyone who likes their democracy with footnotes.

Pentagon finalizes CMMC 2.0 for defense contractors

The Pentagon issued its long awaited cybersecurity rule for the Defense Industrial Base, finalizing CMMC 2.0, a tiered certification framework meant to standardize protections after years of vendor input. Translation, contractors now have to prove their firewalls are more than decorative screens and that supply chain security means more than a sternly worded memo.

Leaders condemn political violence after fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk

After Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a Q and A at Utah Valley University, leading Democrats condemned political violence and repeatedly cited January 6 as context. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker blamed Donald Trump’s rhetoric and pardons of January 6 defendants, Senator Adam Schiff called the killing part of a grim pattern that includes the Capitol attack and other high profile assaults, Senator Elizabeth Warren dismissed claims the left is to blame and pushed for stronger gun laws, and Senator Chris Murphy argued Trump must answer for a culture that tolerates violence. Authorities said the suspected shooter is not in custody, and a person who was questioned was released. MSNBC rebuked analyst Matthew Dowd for suggesting Kirk’s rhetoric made him a target. This is a moment for sobriety, not score settling, and for institutions to take the threat of political violence seriously.

House GOP advances sweeping rollback of D.C. home rule

Declaring a “liberation day,” House Republicans used an Oversight Committee marathon markup to advance thirteen mostly party line bills tightening federal control over Washington, D.C., despite Metropolitan Police data showing violent crime well below 1990s levels and down from 2023. Proposals include making it easier for Congress to overturn local laws, giving the president greater power to appoint D.C. judges, abolishing the elected attorney general in favor of a presidential appointee, expanding pretrial detention and mandatory minimums, imposing cash bail for certain offenses, enabling more juveniles to be tried as adults, and cracking down on homeless encampments with fines and jail time. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton called it the largest rollback of home rule since 1973, while Democrat Dave Min crossed over on several public safety measures. Passage faces long odds in the Senate, but Republicans seem eager to force votes that put Democrats on record, a playbook that already killed D.C.’s criminal code rewrite in 2023. The rallying cry of states’ rights took another convenient vacation, and liberation, it seems, means freedom from local democracy.

Where Trump’s Campaign Promises Stand

Where Trump’s Campaign Promises Stand: AllSides is keeping a running scorecard on which of Trump’s 2024 pledges have been delivered and which are still wandering the countryside, pairing each with related legislation. It also tracks how closely those moves align with the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, spotlighting overlaps between the playbook and the president’s stated goals.

Koi Secures $48 Million to Protect AI Models, Code, and Extensions

Koi Secures $48 Million to Protect AI Models, Code, and Extensions, pitching itself as the fix for those “non-binary” software blind spots endpoint security tools keep pretending don’t exist. The startup says it provides centralized governance across browser extensions, AI models, and package code—territory legacy tools either miss or deny knowing. CEO Amit Assaraf casts Koi as the only player in this fast-growing risk category; translation: planting the flag before the rest of cybersecurity marketing shows up with a parade.

How AI Is Stirring Controversy

How AI Is Stirring Controversy: In the tight-knit world of ornithological illustration, artists who freeze on headlands and pore over “popsicle” specimens at Cornell are watching cruise ships hang what looks suspiciously like AI-prompted bird kitsch—hand-painted in bulk and still somehow soulless. Martin Elliott, a leading British illustrator fresh from an Antarctic voyage, is painting through the night to convince one line to swap its gallery of “revolting” impostors for work grounded in actual field observation. Veterans like Ian Lewington insist illustration is objective—either the wing, bill, and posture are right or they’re wrong—and note that AI’s generic churn can’t capture species-specific anatomy, let alone the “jizz” that makes a bird itself. Yes, AI may assist like any digital tool, but publishers chasing shortcuts and a saturated field-guide market are squeezing a craft already propped up by side hustles. The darker twist: the bigger threat isn’t silicon, it’s extinction—climate and pollution endangering the very birds these artists are trying to keep visible.

Report: Broadband access market grows 7% as fiber and FWA gain ground

Report: Broadband access market grows 7% as fiber and FWA gain ground — Dell’Oro Group says global broadband access equipment revenue reached $4.7 billion (€4bn) in Q2 2025, up 7% quarter-over-quarter and 1% year-over-year, with fiber builds and fixed wireless access doing the heavy lifting. Despite macroeconomic storm clouds, operators kept spending—apparently nothing terrifies them quite like subscribers rage-quitting over buffering.

Velocix and Verimatrix Collaborate

Velocix and Verimatrix Collaborate to arm streaming providers with people-centered security and CDN smarts, aiming to combat piracy, boost paid subscriptions, and cut delivery costs. The duo promises tools to detect, deny, and prevent unsanctioned usage—fewer free rides, more billable eyeballs.

FBI: Suspect Arrested in Case Involving Charlie Kirk

FBI: Suspect Arrested in Case Involving Charlie Kirk. The bureau said a suspect is in custody after conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was shot during a campus Q&A in Utah on Wednesday; President Donald Trump later announced Kirk’s death on Truth Social. Witnesses said Kirk was hit in the neck as attendees fled, and a Utah Valley University spokesperson said the shot appeared to come from a building roughly 200 yards away around 1:20 p.m. Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed a person of interest is in custody and vowed full accountability, while emphasizing the investigation is ongoing. Tragic, senseless, and now squarely in the hands of prosecutors who say they intend to move swiftly.