The area has now lost a historic natural habitat that would have been essential for biodiversity. Landowners hit with massive fines after illegal land clearing on private property: 'This type of behavior … will not be tolerated' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
“The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and H.H.S. will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a nonexistent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago.” — Andrew Dixon, spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services. - - - We in the federal governm … | Continue reading
If you need a distraction: 368 Chickens. Line up the chickens to rescue them. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org → | Continue reading
Trying to find alternatives to 24/7 streaming channels has lead to a realization: just why is so much classic animation stuck on DVD? | Continue reading
OpenAI has raised $40 billion in a new investment round led by SoftBank, vaulting the company to a $300 billion valuation. It’s the largest funding round for a private tech company in history, according to CNBC. OpenAI is set to receive $10 billion up front (SoftBank will invest … | Continue reading
"This means until the green up period arrives ... there will be elevated brush fire risks." Experts warn of heightened fire risks after rare meteorological phenomenon sparks widespread blazes — here's what you need to know first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
The tick may have actually been carrying Lyme disease and relapsing fever. Authorities raise red flag after tick discovered on dog in Montana: 'We should be on the lookout' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Open-Source Dev Board meets keyboard and touchscreen. The post Lilygo T-Deck Pro IoT Device, Development Board Launched first appeared on Good e-Reader. | Continue reading
The Hepworth View The grounds of Churchill College, Cambridge with Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture in the foreground. Photographes last Friday afternoon during a break from the unmissable annual conference of the Bennett Institute. Quote of the Day “I felt it myself, … Continue read … | Continue reading
LAST OCTOBER I published a short breakdown of four geopolitical ‘schools’ that might shape China strategy under Trump. That piece was a pre-election preview of a much larger report I was writing for the Foreign Policy Research Institute. I published the preview as security: Trump … | Continue reading
Their failed scheme killed several internationally protected birds. Authorities recover disturbing evidence after failed smuggling attempt causes deaths at sea: 'Justice was served' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
debug-gym New paper and code from Microsoft Research that experiments with giving LLMs access to the Python debugger. They found that the best models could indeed improve their results by running pdb as a tool. They saw the best results overall from Claude 3.7 Sonnet against SWE- … | Continue reading
VMware Workstation users report that the software's automatic update functionality is broken after Broadcom redirected the download URL to its generic support page, triggering certificate errors. [...] | Continue reading
After months of saving and indecision, we’ve finally booked the hotels and flights: Flying into Tōkyō, and spending a few days there. We generally prefer flying to Kansai because Ōsaka is our favourite Japanese city, but we got some jaw-dropping rates with JAL. Maybe it has somet … | Continue reading
The United States Disappeared Tracker is “tracking persons politically arrested, detained, or disappeared by the Trump regime since March 9, 2025”. | Continue reading
"As an EV owner this is infuriating to watch." EV driver exposes disturbing act of vandalism at charging station: 'This should actually be a crime' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
NASA’s Perseverance rover isn’t just hunting for signs of ancient life on Mars, it’s also testing spacesuit materials right on the Red Planet. After four years of exposure to its harsh environment, scientists are now studying how radiation, extreme cold, and corrosive dust have a … | Continue reading
The commercial space industry is booming, and it’s only expected to keep growing as more billionaire-led companies send rockets into the sky. Elon Musk’s SpaceX continues to dominate the space industry with dozens of launches each year, but it could soon have some serious competi … | Continue reading
"One of the most important ecosystems in the fight against climate change." Experts thrilled as critically endangered species resurfaces after years in hiding: 'Proven to be very effective' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
"It was a really wealthy neighborhood I was running through." Dumpster diver stumbles upon unlikely treasure in affluent neighborhood trash can: 'Make sure you inspect this and spray it' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
From a New Yorker profile of actor Jeremy Strong by Michael Schulman: As it turned out, “The Ballad of Jack and Rose” would change his life. The film, directed by Rebecca Miller, starred Miller’s husband, Daniel Day-Lewis, as an aging hippie living on an abandoned commune. Strong … | Continue reading
The view from Europe, courtesy of Zeit Online: Thanks America, That’ll Be All. “Now that lunacy has installed itself in Washington for the next four years, the time has finally come for Europe to once again try its hand at hosting the spirit of the age.” | Continue reading
I read a lot of technical newsletters, product announcements, feature update notices, and related messages as part of my job. I guard my personal email like a hawk, to the point where I have a filter that matches on the word unsubscribe. At work, I have to keep tabs on our suppli … | Continue reading
I changed the domain for Radio Free America and the Bluesky channel. It's not a Canadian site. Maybe at some time we can have a version of the news flow from Canada. We may need it! | Continue reading
Speaking during an interview for the Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood, the Star Wars sequels star discussed people's reactions to characters like Finn being positioned beyond supporting roles. | Continue reading
It’s not the only fast fashion company polluting the planet with its irresponsible policies. Major retailer sparks outrage with money-driven policy change — here's why it's being called greenwashing first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
We're introducing a new blog series called "Selling Software", named after the Netflix smash hit, Selling Sunset. DoltHub happens to be… | Continue reading
Photo Management I'm going to turn the tables today. Instead of giving YOU information on software, I'm going to ask you to give me some recommendations. Specifically, I am looking for a photos app. Since I am eliminating Google and Amazon from my online life, I won't have access … | Continue reading
NASA scientists are using space-based imaging technology to unlock the hidden world of flowers. By tracking wildflower blooms across California nature preserves using advanced spectrometers, researchers are uncovering how flower color and timing reflect broader environmental chan … | Continue reading
"She’s going to meet an animal someday who won’t give one." Tourist narrowly avoids disaster after crossing the line with wild animal: 'She's lucky it didn't want to hurt her' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
The release of Apple’s iOS 18.4 on Monday includes good news for robot vacuum owners. The update includes support for controlling robot vacuums and adding them to automations and scenes in the Apple Home app via the Matter protocol. With the official rollout of iOS 18.4, companie … | Continue reading
In other exciting news from the weekend, we picked up the keys to our allotment after 7 years on the waiting list - we fell very lucky with the condition of the plot. Now I need to build a whole new section in my digital garden about our actual garden! Thanks for reading this pos … | Continue reading
OpenAI has confirmed that its powerful AI agent "Deep Research" will begin rolling out to free users "very soon." At the moment, Deep Research is available only for Plus and Enterprise customers. [...] | Continue reading
A mini month in review... with a photo on 2nd Avenue by Derek Berg • After nearly 40 years, Sixth Street Specials prepares for its final ride in the East Village (March 20) • Staggering toward the April 1 start of outdoor dining in NYC (March 19) • An early spring report from 97 … | Continue reading
The company has continued to stay profitable even with disasters like wildfires and hurricanes. Major insurer sparks backlash with bold move to silence shareholder vote: 'A harbinger of what's to come' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
With the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and, especially, again in 2024, the adjacent possible of American society has shifted dramatically. For the Washington Post, Philip Bump asked a number of people who study systems of government and the erosion of democracy the following q … | Continue reading
The physical organic chemist and MIT professor for over 40 years is celebrated for his lasting impact on generations of chemists. | Continue reading
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2025 Uninquiring minds may not want to know: According to a new report in Mediaite, there she went again. "Shame on you," the youngster said—though we wouldn't say that she "shouted." The report begins in the manner shown, and it provides the videotape: ‘Shame o … | Continue reading
In present-day Colombia, the iconic Colombo‑colonial architectural style continues to captivate with its timeless charm. Barichara and its surroundings embody a construction heritage that appears “suspended in time,” yet its traditional aesthetics often limit contemporary spatial … | Continue reading
There’s a band I really like that I think more people should know about, and it’s called Valiant Hearts. It’s just two guys, Igor Serokvasha for the instrumentals and Tom Byrne for the vocals. These two guys have made some of my favorite songs of all time, all of which are off th … | Continue reading
Today, I’m happy to announce Amazon Q Developer support for Amazon OpenSearch Service, providing AI-assisted capabilities to help you investigate and visualize operational data. Amazon Q Developer enhances the OpenSearch Service experience by reducing the learning curve for query … | Continue reading
The new model is rolling out to paid users starting today. | Continue reading
AI is everywhere, promising to do everything. Take this recent speech by Keir Starmer, where he claims AI will: Diagnose a stroke Improve public services “Turbocharge” growth Learn Go and become the best at it in the world Help plan personalised classroom lessons Identify people … | Continue reading
A new study finds that intermittent fasting three days a week can lead to greater weight loss and better health outcomes than daily calorie counting, with less daily effort. A randomized clinical trial investigated whether 4:3 intermittent fasting leads to greater weight loss tha … | Continue reading
With season 3 of the HBO hit now in production, Bryan Condal addressed the Westeros-sized elephant in the room. | Continue reading
TL;DR: Imagiyo AI Image Generator lets you generate any AI images you dream up, and a lifetime subscription is now just $29 (reg. $345). Thanks to the power of AI, you don't need a background in animation or graphic design to bring your wildest dreams to life. — Read the rest The … | Continue reading
You don’t need a massive field, garden, or greenhouse to grow strawberries. Expert reveals genius strawberry-growing tip most gardeners don't know: 'This was so helpful' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
The James Webb Space Telescope has taken its first look at the near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 before a perilous close approach in 2032. The telescope confirmed Earth is safe, but the moon may still be in trouble. | Continue reading