cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/40210471

December 3, 2025

On a chilly evening in mid-November, about 135 people gathered along a highway in Boone, North Carolina, a small Appalachian college town not known as a hotbed of leftist protest. They held signs reading “Nazis were just following orders too” and “Time to melt the ICE,” and chanted profane rebukes at Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents rumored to be in the area. “They came here thinking they wouldn’t be bothered,” one Appalachian State University student told The Appalachian at the impromptu rally. “Boone is a small, southern, white, mountain town. We need to let them know they’ll be bothered anywhere they go.” In a region often stereotyped as silently conservative, this flash of defiance was a startling sign that the battle line

Peter Link

2025-12-12 05:30:46

“Real” America Is Turning Against Trump’s Mass Deportation Regime

December 3, 2025

On a chilly evening in mid-November, about 135 people gathered along a highway in Boone, North Carolina, a small Appalachian college town not known as a hotbed of leftist protest. They held signs reading “Nazis were just following orders too” and “Time to melt the ICE,” and chanted profane rebukes at Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents rumored to be in the area. “They came here thinking they wouldn’t be bothered,” one Appalachian State University student told The Appalachian at the impromptu rally. “Boone is a small, southern, white, mountain town. We need to let them know they’ll be bothered anywhere they go.” In a region often stereotyped as silently conservative, this flash of defiance was a startling sign that the battle line

“Real” America Is Turning Against Trump’s Mass Deportation Regime

In Appalachia and the Southeast, everyday Americans are standing up to ICE arresting their immigrant neighbors.

^{Alain Stephens (The Intercept)}

December 3, 2025

On a chilly evening in mid-November, about 135 people gathered along a highway in Boone, North Carolina, a small Appalachian college town not known as a hotbed of leftist protest. They held signs reading “Nazis were just following orders too” and “Time to melt the ICE,” and chanted profane rebukes at Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents rumored to be in the area. “They came here thinking they wouldn’t be bothered,” one Appalachian State University student told The Appalachian at the impromptu rally. “Boone is a small, southern, white, mountain town. We need to let them know they’ll be bothered anywhere they go.” In a region often stereotyped as silently conservative, this flash of defiance was a startling sign that the battle line

“Real” America Is Turning Against Trump’s Mass Deportation Regime

In Appalachia and the Southeast, everyday Americans are standing up to ICE arresting their immigrant neighbors.

^{Alain Stephens (The Intercept)}

Christmas is coming, we recently had a newborn, and we aren't sharing pictures of them on social media. But of course, we'd like to share photos with family, and a digital photo frame seems like an ideal way to do that.

I'm considering a solution with Immich, and found ImmichFrame. This doesn't recommend making it available to the internet, however, but running it on a Raspberry Pi with only the images we intend to share this way seems like a reasonable amount of risk.

Regarding Immich Frame, how does it handle when the server is unavailable, when say, my IP address changes? Ideally, I don't want this gift to become a series of tech support problems, there's good reason I haven't offered family access to anything else I self host.

Also, what frames do y'all recommend? Not looking to break the bank here, as I may be buying several. I assume something simple and Android would be best, maybe even something that can have its OS replaced with stock? I'd hate to get stuck with something locked down and unworkable, or that introduces its own broad privacy/security issues.

Lastly, please feel free to suggest other alternatives. Maybe there's a solution that sends images encrypted and decrypts them on device, and doesn't require me to self-host Immich, for example?

cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/40209973

December 11, 2025

SEIU Local 26 and UNITE HERE Local 17 organized the protest, joined by airport workers wearing Airport Workers United hats and community supporters. Additional co-sponsors included Jewish Community Action, Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance, the interfaith group ISAIAH, SEIU MN State Council, Indivisible Twin Cities, Women’s March Minnesota, Minnesota AFL-CIO, Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, and 50501: Minnesota.

The crowd marched from the terminal to the offices of Signature Aviation — a private aviation terminal used by some private charter planes for deportation flights.

Geof Paquette, lead internal organizer for UNITE HERE Local 17, opened a short rally, saying, “The labor movement is proud to be here today with members of our community to fight for immigrant rights.” He noted that both his union and SEIU Local 26 are largely composed of immigrant workers who “make the airport run” and generate millions in profits for airline companies. Food-service workers in the terminal, he added, recently voted to strike ahead of the busiest travel days of the year; their action prompted the Metropolitan Airports Commission to grant the largest pay increases ever won at the airport.

Peter Link

2025-12-12 05:16:29

Minnesotans Defend Somali Community, Immigrant Workers

December 11, 2025

SEIU Local 26 and UNITE HERE Local 17 organized the protest, joined by airport workers wearing Airport Workers United hats and community supporters. Additional co-sponsors included Jewish Community Action, Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance, the interfaith group ISAIAH, SEIU MN State Council, Indivisible Twin Cities, Women’s March Minnesota, Minnesota AFL-CIO, Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, and 50501: Minnesota.

The crowd marched from the terminal to the offices of Signature Aviation — a private aviation terminal used by some private charter planes for deportation flights.

Geof Paquette, lead internal organizer for UNITE HERE Local 17, opened a short rally, saying, “The labor movement is proud to be here today with members of our community to fight for immigrant rights.” He noted that both his union and SEIU Local 26 are largely composed of immigrant workers who “make the airport run” and generate millions in profits for airline companies. Food-service workers in the terminal, he added, recently voted to strike ahead of the busiest travel days of the year; their action prompted the Metropolitan Airports Commission to grant the largest pay increases ever won at the airport.

Minnesotans Defend Somali Community, Immigrant Workers - World-Outlook

Residents of Minneapolis and St. Paul — the Twin Cities — are organizing to defend their Somali neighbors and other immigrants targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), challenging the rhetoric of U.S.

^{world-outlook.com (World-Outlook)}

cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/40209973

December 11, 2025

SEIU Local 26 and UNITE HERE Local 17 organized the protest, joined by airport workers wearing Airport Workers United hats and community supporters. Additional co-sponsors included Jewish Community Action, Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance, the interfaith group ISAIAH, SEIU MN State Council, Indivisible Twin Cities, Women’s March Minnesota, Minnesota AFL-CIO, Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, and 50501: Minnesota.

The crowd marched from the terminal to the offices of Signature Aviation — a private aviation terminal used by some private charter planes for deportation flights.

Geof Paquette, lead internal organizer for UNITE HERE Local 17, opened a short rally, saying, “The labor movement is proud to be here today with members of our community to fight for immigrant rights.” He noted that both his union and SEIU Local 26 are largely composed of immigrant workers who “make the airport run” and generate millions in profits for airline companies. Food-service workers in the terminal, he added, recently voted to strike ahead of the busiest travel days of the year; their action prompted the Metropolitan Airports Commission to grant the largest pay increases ever won at the airport.

Peter Link

2025-12-12 05:16:29

Minnesotans Defend Somali Community, Immigrant Workers

December 11, 2025

SEIU Local 26 and UNITE HERE Local 17 organized the protest, joined by airport workers wearing Airport Workers United hats and community supporters. Additional co-sponsors included Jewish Community Action, Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance, the interfaith group ISAIAH, SEIU MN State Council, Indivisible Twin Cities, Women’s March Minnesota, Minnesota AFL-CIO, Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, and 50501: Minnesota.

The crowd marched from the terminal to the offices of Signature Aviation — a private aviation terminal used by some private charter planes for deportation flights.

Geof Paquette, lead internal organizer for UNITE HERE Local 17, opened a short rally, saying, “The labor movement is proud to be here today with members of our community to fight for immigrant rights.” He noted that both his union and SEIU Local 26 are largely composed of immigrant workers who “make the airport run” and generate millions in profits for airline companies. Food-service workers in the terminal, he added, recently voted to strike ahead of the busiest travel days of the year; their action prompted the Metropolitan Airports Commission to grant the largest pay increases ever won at the airport.

Minnesotans Defend Somali Community, Immigrant Workers - World-Outlook

Residents of Minneapolis and St. Paul — the Twin Cities — are organizing to defend their Somali neighbors and other immigrants targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), challenging the rhetoric of U.S.

^{world-outlook.com (World-Outlook)}

December 11, 2025

SEIU Local 26 and UNITE HERE Local 17 organized the protest, joined by airport workers wearing Airport Workers United hats and community supporters. Additional co-sponsors included Jewish Community Action, Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance, the interfaith group ISAIAH, SEIU MN State Council, Indivisible Twin Cities, Women’s March Minnesota, Minnesota AFL-CIO, Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, and 50501: Minnesota.

The crowd marched from the terminal to the offices of Signature Aviation — a private aviation terminal used by some private charter planes for deportation flights.

Geof Paquette, lead internal organizer for UNITE HERE Local 17, opened a short rally, saying, “The labor movement is proud to be here today with members of our community to fight for immigrant rights.” He noted that both his union and SEIU Local 26 are largely composed of immigrant workers who “make the airport run” and generate millions in profits for airline companies. Food-service workers in the terminal, he added, recently voted to strike ahead of the busiest travel days of the year; their action prompted the Metropolitan Airports Commission to grant the largest pay increases ever won at the airport.

Minnesotans Defend Somali Community, Immigrant Workers - World-Outlook

Residents of Minneapolis and St. Paul — the Twin Cities — are organizing to defend their Somali neighbors and other immigrants targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), challenging the rhetoric of U.S.

^{world-outlook.com (World-Outlook)}

cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/40209763

Abdel Qader Sabbah
and Sharif Abdel Kouddous
Dec 11, 2025

Since October 2023, 745,000 students in Gaza have been out of school, including 88,000 in college and beyond. According to the Gaza’s Government Media Office, some 165 schools, universities, and other educational institutions were completely destroyed by Israeli bombardment over the past two years, while another 392 sustained partial damage. Thousands of students, teachers, and staff were killed in the Israeli assault. There is scant electricity and internet. The systematic elimination of the Palestinian educational system in Gaza prompted UN experts last year to accuse Israel of “scholasticide.”

Despite the scale of the attacks, efforts to sustain education in Gaza have continued. Thousands of university students graduated over the past two years through remote learning. And since the so-called “ceasefire,” on October 10, administrators have worked to resume in-person classes.

Peter Link

2025-12-12 05:01:26

Gaza’s Schools Reopen in Defiance of Continued Israeli Attacks on Everyday Life

Abdel Qader Sabbah
and Sharif Abdel Kouddous
Dec 11, 2025

Since October 2023, 745,000 students in Gaza have been out of school, including 88,000 in college and beyond. According to the Gaza’s Government Media Office, some 165 schools, universities, and other educational institutions were completely destroyed by Israeli bombardment over the past two years, while another 392 sustained partial damage. Thousands of students, teachers, and staff were killed in the Israeli assault. There is scant electricity and internet. The systematic elimination of the Palestinian educational system in Gaza prompted UN experts last year to accuse Israel of “scholasticide.”

Despite the scale of the attacks, efforts to sustain education in Gaza have continued. Thousands of university students graduated over the past two years through remote learning. And since the so-called “ceasefire,” on October 10, administrators have worked to resume in-person classes.

Gaza’s Schools Reopen in Defiance of Continued Israeli Attacks on Everyday Life

Palestinian students flocked to Islamic University in Gaza after it resumed in-person classes in the midst of the rubble.

^{Abdel Qader Sabbah (Drop Site News)}

cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/40209763

Abdel Qader Sabbah
and Sharif Abdel Kouddous
Dec 11, 2025

Since October 2023, 745,000 students in Gaza have been out of school, including 88,000 in college and beyond. According to the Gaza’s Government Media Office, some 165 schools, universities, and other educational institutions were completely destroyed by Israeli bombardment over the past two years, while another 392 sustained partial damage. Thousands of students, teachers, and staff were killed in the Israeli assault. There is scant electricity and internet. The systematic elimination of the Palestinian educational system in Gaza prompted UN experts last year to accuse Israel of “scholasticide.”

Despite the scale of the attacks, efforts to sustain education in Gaza have continued. Thousands of university students graduated over the past two years through remote learning. And since the so-called “ceasefire,” on October 10, administrators have worked to resume in-person classes.

Peter Link

2025-12-12 05:01:26

Gaza’s Schools Reopen in Defiance of Continued Israeli Attacks on Everyday Life

Abdel Qader Sabbah
and Sharif Abdel Kouddous
Dec 11, 2025

Since October 2023, 745,000 students in Gaza have been out of school, including 88,000 in college and beyond. According to the Gaza’s Government Media Office, some 165 schools, universities, and other educational institutions were completely destroyed by Israeli bombardment over the past two years, while another 392 sustained partial damage. Thousands of students, teachers, and staff were killed in the Israeli assault. There is scant electricity and internet. The systematic elimination of the Palestinian educational system in Gaza prompted UN experts last year to accuse Israel of “scholasticide.”

Despite the scale of the attacks, efforts to sustain education in Gaza have continued. Thousands of university students graduated over the past two years through remote learning. And since the so-called “ceasefire,” on October 10, administrators have worked to resume in-person classes.

Gaza’s Schools Reopen in Defiance of Continued Israeli Attacks on Everyday Life

Palestinian students flocked to Islamic University in Gaza after it resumed in-person classes in the midst of the rubble.

^{Abdel Qader Sabbah (Drop Site News)}

Abdel Qader Sabbah
and Sharif Abdel Kouddous
Dec 11, 2025

Since October 2023, 745,000 students in Gaza have been out of school, including 88,000 in college and beyond. According to the Gaza’s Government Media Office, some 165 schools, universities, and other educational institutions were completely destroyed by Israeli bombardment over the past two years, while another 392 sustained partial damage. Thousands of students, teachers, and staff were killed in the Israeli assault. There is scant electricity and internet. The systematic elimination of the Palestinian educational system in Gaza prompted UN experts last year to accuse Israel of “scholasticide.”

Despite the scale of the attacks, efforts to sustain education in Gaza have continued. Thousands of university students graduated over the past two years through remote learning. And since the so-called “ceasefire,” on October 10, administrators have worked to resume in-person classes.

Gaza’s Schools Reopen in Defiance of Continued Israeli Attacks on Everyday Life

Palestinian students flocked to Islamic University in Gaza after it resumed in-person classes in the midst of the rubble.

^{Abdel Qader Sabbah (Drop Site News)}

https://www.newsweek.com/republican-civil-war-indiana-trump-redistricting-11198479

So I'm trying to get to the Win11 Update settings page and I can't. Did Microsoft break the Win11 update?

OS Build: 26200.7462

The first thing I saw this morning when I opened X was an AI-generated trailer for Avengers: Doomsday. Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom stood in a shapeless void alongside Captain America and Reed Richards. It was obvious slop but it was also close in tone and feel of the last five years of Disney’s Marvel movies. As media empires consolidate, nostalgia intensifies, and AI tools spread, Disney’s blockbusters feel more like an excuse to slam recognizable characters together in a contextless morass.

So of course Disney has announced it signed a deal with OpenAI today that will soon allow fans to make their own officially licensed Disney slop using Sora 2. The house that mouse built, and which has been notoriously protective of its intellectual property, opened up the video generator, saw the videos featuring Nazi Spongebob and criminal Pikachu, and decided: We want in.

Archive: archive.today/fau2g

404 Media

2025-12-11 16:48:39

Disney Invests $1 Billion in the AI Slopification of Its Brand

The first thing I saw this morning when I opened X was an AI-generated trailer for Avengers: Doomsday. Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom stood in a shapeless void alongside Captain America and Reed Richards. It was obvious slop but it was also close in tone and feel of the last five years of Disney’s Marvel movies. As media empires consolidate, nostalgia intensifies, and AI tools spread, Disney’s blockbusters feel more like an excuse to slam recognizable characters together in a contextless morass.

So of course Disney has announced it signed a deal with OpenAI today that will soon allow fans to make their own officially licensed Disney slop using Sora 2. The house that mouse built, and which has been notoriously protective of its intellectual property, opened up the video generator, saw the videos featuring Nazi Spongebob and criminal Pikachu, and decided: We want in.

According to a press release, the deal is a 3 year licensing agreement that will allow the AI company’s short form video platform Sora to generate slop videos using characters like Mickey Mouse and Iron Man. As part of the agreement, Disney is investing $1 billion of equity into OpenAI, said it will become a major customer of the company, and promised that fan and corporate AI-generated content would soon come to Disney+, meaning that Disney will officially begin putting AI slop into its flagship streaming product.

The deal extends to ChatGPT as well and, starting in early 2026, users will be able to crank out officially approved Disney slop on multiple platforms. When Sora 2 launched in October, it had little to no content moderation or copyright guidelines and videos of famous franchise characters doing horrible things flooded the platform. Pikachu stole diapers from a CVS, Rick and Morty pushed crypto currencies, and Disney characters shouted slurs in the aisles of Wal-Mart.

It is worth mentioning that, although Disney has traditionally been extremely protective of its intellectual property, the company’s princesses have become one of the most common fictional subjects of AI porn on the internet; 404 Media has found at least three different large subreddits dedicated to making AI porn of characters like Elsa, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Tinkerbell. In this case, Disney is fundamentally throwing its clout behind a technology that has thus far most commonly been used to make porn of its iconic characters.

After the hype of the launch, OpenAI added an “opt-in” policy to Sora that was meant to prevent users from violating the rights of copyright holders. It’s trivial to break this policy however, and circumvent the guardrails preventing a user from making a lewd Mickey Mouse cartoon or episode of The Simpsons. The original sin of Sora and other AI systems is that the training data is full of copyrighted material and the models cannot be retrained without great cost, if at all.

If you can’t beat the slop, become the slop.

“The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works,” Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, said in the press release about the agreement.

The press release explained that Sora users will soon have “official” access to 200 characters in the Disney stable, including Loki, Thanos, Darth Vader, and Minnie Mouse. In exchange, Disney will begin to use OpenAI’s APIs to “build new products” and it will deploy “ChatGPT for its employees.”

I’m imagining a future where AI-generated fan trailers of famous characters standing next to each other in banal liminal spaces is the norm. People have used Sora 2 to generate some truly horrifying videos, but the guardrails have become more aggressive. As Disney enters the picture, I imagine the platform will become even more anodyne. Persistent people will slip through and generate videos of Goofy and Iron Man sucking and fucking, sure, but the vast majority of what’s coming will be safe corporate gruel that resembles a Marvel movie.

OpenAI’s Sora 2 Copyright Infringement Machine Features Nazi SpongeBobs and Criminal Pikachus

The main use of Sora appears to generate brainrot of major beloved copyrighted characters, to say nothing of the millions of articles, images, and videos OpenAI has scraped.

^{Jason Koebler (404 Media)}

cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/40205962

Three Palestinians are killed by Israel west of the Yellow Line. A nine-month-old dies of exposure in Khan Younis. Aid groups report that they are unable to reach Gaza with supplies necessary to withstand the effects of its winter storms. Israel approves construction of an additional 764 houses in illegal West Bank settlements. The U.S. seizes a Venezuelan oil tanker. The U.S. is considering designating UNRWA a “foreign terrorist organisation.” The Pentagon spent $2 billion on anti-immigrant operations. House approves the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act. A U.S. citizen was assaulted and kidnapped by ICE in Minnesota. President Donald Trump threatens more sanctions on the International Criminal Court. Bolivia’s former President Luis Arce is arrested. Violence is surging in Sudan. Israeli soldiers fire at a UN convoy in Lebanese territory. Unidentified gunmen kill three soldiers in southeastern Iran. Burkina Faso releases its captive Nigerian soldiers. Fighting between Cambodia and Thailand enters its third day. Southern separatists threaten to attack Yemen’s capital. Drop Site releases a new report that shows how the Israeli state supports its settler militias as they terrorise Palestinians in the West Bank.

Peter Link

2025-12-12 01:54:18

U.S. seizes oil tanker off Venezuela; Palestinian baby dies of exposure as winter storms ravage Gaza

Three Palestinians are killed by Israel west of the Yellow Line. A nine-month-old dies of exposure in Khan Younis. Aid groups report that they are unable to reach Gaza with supplies necessary to withstand the effects of its winter storms. Israel approves construction of an additional 764 houses in illegal West Bank settlements. The U.S. seizes a Venezuelan oil tanker. The U.S. is considering designating UNRWA a “foreign terrorist organisation.” The Pentagon spent $2 billion on anti-immigrant operations. House approves the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act. A U.S. citizen was assaulted and kidnapped by ICE in Minnesota. President Donald Trump threatens more sanctions on the International Criminal Court. Bolivia’s former President Luis Arce is arrested. Violence is surging in Sudan. Israeli soldiers fire at a UN convoy in Lebanese territory. Unidentified gunmen kill three soldiers in southeastern Iran. Burkina Faso releases its captive Nigerian soldiers. Fighting between Cambodia and Thailand enters its third day. Southern separatists threaten to attack Yemen’s capital. Drop Site releases a new report that shows how the Israeli state supports its settler militias as they terrorise Palestinians in the West Bank.

U.S. seizes oil tanker off Venezuela; Palestinian baby dies of exposure as winter storms ravage Gaza

Drop Site Daily: December 11, 2025

^{Drop Site News}

cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/40205962

Three Palestinians are killed by Israel west of the Yellow Line. A nine-month-old dies of exposure in Khan Younis. Aid groups report that they are unable to reach Gaza with supplies necessary to withstand the effects of its winter storms. Israel approves construction of an additional 764 houses in illegal West Bank settlements. The U.S. seizes a Venezuelan oil tanker. The U.S. is considering designating UNRWA a “foreign terrorist organisation.” The Pentagon spent $2 billion on anti-immigrant operations. House approves the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act. A U.S. citizen was assaulted and kidnapped by ICE in Minnesota. President Donald Trump threatens more sanctions on the International Criminal Court. Bolivia’s former President Luis Arce is arrested. Violence is surging in Sudan. Israeli soldiers fire at a UN convoy in Lebanese territory. Unidentified gunmen kill three soldiers in southeastern Iran. Burkina Faso releases its captive Nigerian soldiers. Fighting between Cambodia and Thailand enters its third day. Southern separatists threaten to attack Yemen’s capital. Drop Site releases a new report that shows how the Israeli state supports its settler militias as they terrorise Palestinians in the West Bank.

Peter Link

2025-12-12 01:54:18

U.S. seizes oil tanker off Venezuela; Palestinian baby dies of exposure as winter storms ravage Gaza

Three Palestinians are killed by Israel west of the Yellow Line. A nine-month-old dies of exposure in Khan Younis. Aid groups report that they are unable to reach Gaza with supplies necessary to withstand the effects of its winter storms. Israel approves construction of an additional 764 houses in illegal West Bank settlements. The U.S. seizes a Venezuelan oil tanker. The U.S. is considering designating UNRWA a “foreign terrorist organisation.” The Pentagon spent $2 billion on anti-immigrant operations. House approves the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act. A U.S. citizen was assaulted and kidnapped by ICE in Minnesota. President Donald Trump threatens more sanctions on the International Criminal Court. Bolivia’s former President Luis Arce is arrested. Violence is surging in Sudan. Israeli soldiers fire at a UN convoy in Lebanese territory. Unidentified gunmen kill three soldiers in southeastern Iran. Burkina Faso releases its captive Nigerian soldiers. Fighting between Cambodia and Thailand enters its third day. Southern separatists threaten to attack Yemen’s capital. Drop Site releases a new report that shows how the Israeli state supports its settler militias as they terrorise Palestinians in the West Bank.

U.S. seizes oil tanker off Venezuela; Palestinian baby dies of exposure as winter storms ravage Gaza

Drop Site Daily: December 11, 2025

^{Drop Site News}

https://iclnoticias.com.br/reducao-pena-bolsonaro-acordo-supremo-com-tudo/

The Homeland Security secretary said she had to get to another meeting—which turned out to have been canceled.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly ended her time before the House Homeland Security Committee Thursday, angering lawmakers by stepping away from the hot seat to attend a highly anticipated meeting on the future of FEMA.

Except that meeting never happened.

The FEMA hearing was scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. Noem was reportedly informed at 12:26 p.m. that it had been canceled, a DHS spokesperson told The Hill.

Kristi Noem Literally Runs Out of House Hearing to Avoid Dem Questions

^{The New Republic}

The Trump administration sided with officials from Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran in a successful effort to block part of a United Nations report about the dire state of the planet because it called for phasing out fossil fuels, switching to clean energy and reducing plastics, according to two participants.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/11/climate/unep-climate-report-trump-administration.html?unlocked_article_code=1.708.zPI0.WBfrStwLGnBc

https://boingboing.net/2025/12/09/this-physics-professor-transformed-his-country-to-98-renewable-energy-in-five-years.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/us/politics/pentagon-boat-strike-survivors.html

My parents are looking into getting their own NAS to replace iCloud. I don't really have much experience with that, and zero experience with apple stuff. They are also not very techy, but at least enthusiastic.

Can sombody recommend easy NAS products where you basically just buy a device, do some basic setup, and then it functions as your at-home cloud? I don't want to get roped into doing too much admin for them, but they do already have DDNS for some other smart home crap. Bonus if it's non-US tech.

Personally I run a nextcloud server on a VPS that I could expand, that's not quite selfhosted, I don't know if that integrates well with apple though, are they better off if I just onboard them onto that?

Cheers in advance

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 312-112 on Wednesday night to pass the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, with 18 Republicans and 94 Democrats voting against it.

The bill, which is now bound for the Senate and which authorizes more than $900 billion, includes “critical pro-Israel provisions,” according to AIPAC.

https://www.jns.org/house-passes-900-billion-defense-bill-with-critical-pro-israel-provisions/