Odds and Ends — 15 April 2024

@preparedwombat 77

about 1 year ago

oddsandends

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, and Debt:

Tesla to lay off more than 10% of its staff, Electrek reports

WTF? Bitcoin Halving Has Crypto Miners Racing for 'Epic Sat' Potentially Worth Millions

Coronavirus News, Analysis, and Opinion:

Young nose cells may help children fight off Covid

Politics:

https://twitter.com/MarkJacob16/status/1779494613960540641

It’s Hard to Get Excited About Trump’s First Criminal Trial

In watching some of the breathless coverage of Donald Trump’s ‘hush money’ trial, I’m reminded of the 2004 quote from former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that, ‘You go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you might want.’
People want the hush money case to be the big case that can take down Trump because it may be the only one that goes to trial before the election…
I have a hard time even mustering a ‘meh.’ Trump may not be convicted of a felony in the case, and if he is, there’s a reasonable chance of an eventual reversal on appeal. Besides, the charges are so minor I don’t expect they will shake up the presidential race. They may actually make that situation worse.

https://twitter.com/smc429/status/1779150716118217089

Russia Runs a Hidden Prison System for Ukrainian Detainees—In Crimea

https://twitter.com/TikiTye96/status/1779162926621794685

Biden to meet with Iraqi PM amid tension over troops, renewed ISIS threats

Former NATO leader urges US not to withhold Ukraine aid: Putin ‘will not stop’

https://twitter.com/RachelBitecofer/status/1779563676812640456

Iran’s Attack Seems Like It Was Designed to Fail. So What Comes Next?

https://twitter.com/Angry_Staffer/status/1779588917278187909

Far Right’s Ties to Russia Sow Rising Alarm in Germany

To enter a secret session of Germany’s Parliament, lawmakers must lock their phones and leave them outside. Inside, they are not even allowed to take notes. Yet to many politicians, these precautions against espionage now feel like something of a farce.
Because seated alongside them in those classified meetings are members of the Alternative for Germany, the far-right party known by its German abbreviation, AfD.
In the past few months alone, a leading AfD politician was accused of taking money from pro-Kremlin strategists. One of the party’s parliamentary aides was exposed as having links to a Russian intelligence operative. And some of its state lawmakers flew to Moscow to observe Russia’s stage-managed elections.

https://twitter.com/RyanShead/status/1779612445012820389

Iran’s Attack on Israel Has U.S. Politicians Scrambling

https://twitter.com/MarkHertling/status/1779490285426294917