Turkish mayor issues desperate plea for help as raging wildfires close in on power plant — Damned Report
August 4, 2021
Wednesday August 4, 2021
TURKEY
‘Our lungs are burning’: Turkish mayor issues desperate plea for help as raging wildfires close in on power plant
The mayor of a town in southwestern Turkey has desperately called for a firefighting helicopter or plane with night vision to be sent to the area, as disastrous wildfires close in on his town and its thermal power plant.
By RT
THE FUTURE IS FEMALE?
‘Cultural preferences’ for boys & prenatal sex-selection could lead to loss of 22 MILLION girls by 2100, researchers warn
Researchers have warned that men will dramatically outnumber women in the coming decades because of “cultural preferences” for boys and the prevalence of sex-selective abortion in certain countries.
By RT
YOUTUBE-GOOGLE
YouTube CEO calls for censorship of “legal but potentially harmful speech”
She claims free speech and pro-censorship policies can “coexist.”
By Tom Parker, Reclaim the Net
Free Speech and Corporate Responsibility Can Coexist Online
YouTube is working to balance competing interests. Government can set clear but flexible rules.
By Susan Wojcicki, Wall Street Journal
Rand Paul embraces Rumble after YouTube censorship
Another big name promotes the popular video sharing platform.
By Tom Parker, Reclaim the Net
Google demonetizes Piers Morgan for criticizing Simone Biles
The tech giant claimed Morgan’s article contained “dangerous or derogatory content.”
By Tom Parker, Reclaim the Net
AI
Pentagon believes its precognitive AI can predict events 'days in advance'
Machine learning could help the military make proactive decisions.
By Jon Fingas, Engadget
Lawmakers Propose OMB-Led AI Training Program for Government Buyers
The program would train procurement officials about artificial intelligence as a technology and its risks.
By Brandi Vincent, Next Gov
DHS Tech Directorate Sets Goals to Guide Risk-Aware Artificial Intelligence Use
It’s meant to complement the department’s broader enterprise strategy and could prove helpful to other agencies.
By Brandi Vincent, Next Gov
INSURRECTION
TWO more DC police officers involved in Capitol riot response die by suicide, bringing total to at least 4
Two Washington, DC police officers who took part in the response to the riot in the US Capitol have taken their own lives, their department confirmed, bringing the total number of police suicides in the wake of the unrest to four.
By RT
BBC
BBC threatens to report commenters to the “relevant authorities”
The BBC is accused of reaching new levels of “bullying” its audience by threatening to report those who disagree with it to the police.
By Didi Rankovic, Reclaim the Net
FACIAL RECOGNITION
What One City Hopes to Learn by Pausing Use of Facial Recognition Technology
A ban in Baltimore would restrict the city from purchasing facial recognition technology and temporarily restrict use by city agencies, residents and businesses (but not the police).
By Andrea Noble, Next Gov
HACK
Household data of 35 million US residents exposed in database mess up
Comparitech researchers published a report revealing details of an unprotected marketing database that leaked private details of about 35 million residents across Chicago, San Diego, and Los Angeles. Interestingly, the owner of this database hasn’t yet been identified.
By Waqas, HackRead
SOUTH AFRICA
South African unrest was ‘dry run’ for more violence, sought to topple Ramaphosa – veteran politician & Zulu leader to RT
The recent deadly South African riots sought to topple President Cyril Ramaphosa, and the worst may be yet to come, a veteran politician and Zulu tribal leader has told RT.
By RT
SPACE
SpaceLink to improve International Space Station comms with relay satellites
Significantly faster communications could be coming to the International Space Station in 2024, after SpaceLink won funding to test its incoming relay satellites.
By Jason Rainbow, Space News
Modern civilization would be lost without GPS
Aircraft, cars, trucks, trains and ships rely on GPS for location data, while GPS timing signals underpin cellular communications and financial transactions.
By Anusuya Datta, Space News
US NAVY
Naval Ops Chief Calls Out Defense Industry ‘Lobbying’
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday called out defense companies for their lobbying and slow bureaucracy.
By Hercules Reyes, Defense Post
US Navy Tests Upgraded Extended Range Anti-Radiation Missile
The US Navy has live-tested an AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER) for the first time.
By Inder Singh Bisht, Defense Post
MILITARY MEDICINE
US Military to Conduct Clinical Trial of Anti-Aging Pill Next Year
The US Special Operations Forces Command plans to conduct clinical trials of an oral anti-aging drug next year.
By Inder Singh Bisht, Defense Post
PROMO
003 | Saipan, Cryptofrontier and eCash | Work Not Words
Alex and Tobias talk about cryptofrontier in Saipan, what problems they encountered both on the island and in the crypto realm. They explain how they solved those issues and why they chose eCash as their preferred cryptocurrency of choice.
IRAQ
Iraq Reclaims 17,000 Looted Artifacts, Its Biggest-Ever Repatriation
The cuneiform tablets and other objects had been held by the Museum of the Bible, founded by the family that owns the Hobby Lobby craft store chain, and by Cornell University.
By Jane Arraf, The New York Times
CHINA
China’s Delta Outbreak Cuts Travel, Prompting GDP Downgrades
China’s broadest Covid-19 outbreak since the beginning of the pandemic in late 2019 is hampering tourism and spending during the peak summer holiday, prompting analysts to review their economic growth projections as risks escalate.
By Bloomberg News
CUOMO
Biden Calls on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to Resign
U.S. President Joe Biden is calling on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign from office after an independent report that found credible allegations of harassment from 11 current and former state workers.
By Elizabeth Crisp, Newsweek
Defiant Cuomo shares montage of himself kissing people as explosive report says he sexually harassed 11 women
An investigation has concluded that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, including current and former state employees, civilians, and even a state trooper on his security detail. The governor is crying foul.
By RT
CVD-19
New York becomes first US city to require proof of Covid-19 vaccination for indoor dining, gyms, & performances
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced an aggressive new strategy to get people vaccinated against Covid-19, confirming that activities like indoor dining and attending gyms will soon be exclusively for the inoculated.
By RT
One Fifth of New COVID Cases in the U.S. Are in Florida
Data from the CDC shows that Florida is one of the several states that have less than 50 percent of its population fully vaccinated against COVID.
By Matthew Impelli, Newsweek
TN Governor Bill Lee: Incentives for COVID Shot Isn't Government's Role
"Tennesseans have every incentive to get the COVID-19 vaccine – it's free and available in every corner of the state with virtually no wait," said Casey Black, a spokesperson for Lee.
By Maggie Gile
Give Vaccine Passports a Chance | Opinion
The New York vaccine passport simply acknowledges what public health experts have understood since early in the pandemic, crowds of people, indoors, without masks create an epidemiological powder keg just waiting for a spark. The real questions to ask are whether this provides enough safety, and if so, should it be implemented nationally?
By Robert D. Morris, Newsweek
RUSSIA-CHINA
Russia, China See Eye-to-Eye on Steps to End Israeli-Palestinian Fighting
Senior Russian and Chinese officials said their nations "have similar views on the current situation in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli crisis."
By Tom O’Connor, Newsweek
JAPAN-CHINA
Japan to Deploy Island Missile Defenses to Counter China Military Blockade
Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters on August 3 that the government would request funds for the additional deployment, which is expected to take place in 2022.
By Jon Feng, Newsweek
MCCLOSKEY SAGA
Missouri governor pardons St. Louis couple who brandished guns at BLM protesters
Missouri Governor Mike Parson has pardoned Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who rose to national prominence last year after they aimed guns at a group of protesters in their gated St. Louis community, resulting in misdemeanor charges.
By RT