Tootfinder

"Coalition to store energy with electric vessels on River Thames"
#UK #UnitedKingdom #Energy

Coalition to store energy with electric vessels on River Thames
A coalition of organizations are working to position battery-powered vessels on the River Thames to store and feed electricity back into the grid. They say the approach will increase London’s flexible energy capacity and reduce peak electricity demand.

I don't follow news from my home country #netherlands much, but I just saw that the coalition is going as fashy as possible. With the liberals (note for Americans, liberalism is not left wing in most of the world) being the most left wing party in the coalition.
Yikes...

"In today’s brief #Mozilla joins a broad coalition of advocates for openness and competition, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Creative Commons, Public Knowledge, iFixit, and the Digital Right to Repair Coalition. We hope the Ninth Circuit will fix the lower court’s mistake and hold that #interoperability

“Under Peter Dutton’s leadership they are still doing what the Coalition has been focused on doing for 10 years,” Zali Steggall tells Mike Seccombe, “which is trying desperately to keep more coal and gas in the system for as long as possible.”
https://www.

‘The most beige person’: The man behind the Coalition’s nuclear plans
Just two months after the 2019 election, Barnaby Joyce was making trouble for the new Morrison government. The dumped Nationals leader was part of a group of maverick MPs pushing for nuclear power. He reckoned he knew a way to make such a policy saleable. The Joyce plan, as articulated in The Sydney Morning Herald on July 21, was this: “If you can see the reactor [from your house], your power is for free. If you are within 50 kilometres of a reactor, you get power for half price.”

Scholz vows more arms purchases, new initiatives for Ukraine after meeting Macron, Tusk: https://benborges.xyz/2024/03/15/scholz-vows-more.html

Recycling brings environmental justice communities opportunities — and potential costs
#RealEstate #UrbanDevelopment #SmartCitiesDive

Beach Street bike lane!
I filled out the survey (only open til Saturday, hurry). Thanks @… for sharing
https://sfbike.org/news/protected-bike-lanes-coming-to…

Protected bike lanes coming to Beach Street
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

A U.S.-led alliance fended off Iranian barrage
Even before their missiles landed, Iranian leaders announced that, in their mind, the score had been settled.
“The matter can be deemed concluded,” the country’s mission to the United Nations posted late Saturday
They added a caveat: Should Israel “make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe.”
The U. S. position should be clear:
If Israel attempts a military strike on Iran they will d…

Israel mulls response after U.S.-led alliance fends off Iranian barrage
The nightmare scenario Israeli leaders had long warned about — a direct attack from Iran — showcased the regional coalition and high-tech systems built to repel it.

“Reject AIPAC” Fights Pro-Israel Attacks on Progressive Democrats
https://theintercept.com/2024/03/11/reject-aipac-democratic-party-israel-progressives/

The Left Is Finally Building a Response to AIPAC
The “Reject AIPAC” coalition looks to fight against the Israel lobby’s push to wipe out pro-Palestine progressives from the Democratic Party.

Sources: Sam Altman met with investors and officials in the UAE this week to push for more infrastructure investment to support the development of AI technology (Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/20

OpenAI’s Altman Pitches Global AI Coalition on Trip to Middle East
The CEO met with officials in the UAE this week to push for more infrastructure investment to support the development of artificial intelligence.

A Task-Driven Multi-UAV Coalition Formation Mechanism
Xinpeng Lu, Heng Song, Huailing Ma, Junwu Zhu
https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.05108 https://

A Task-Driven Multi-UAV Coalition Formation Mechanism
With the rapid advancement of UAV technology, the problem of UAV coalition formation has become a hotspot. Therefore, designing task-driven multi-UAV coalition formation mechanism has become a challenging problem. However, existing coalition formation mechanisms suffer from low relevance between UAVs and task requirements, resulting in overall low coalition utility and unstable coalition structures. To address these problems, this paper proposed a novel multi-UAV coalition network collaborative…

Geert Wilders gives up hope of being Dutch PM due to lack of support. Phew, the country can have a flicker of hope again.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/13/geert-wilders-gives-up…

Downtown Deceit
"Where Do We Go From Here?"
https://www.clongclongmoo.org/2024/04/14/downtown-deceit-where-do-we-go-from-here/

On cubic graphs having the maximal coalition number
Andrey A. Dobrynin, Hamidreza Golmohammadi
https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.06245 https://

On cubic graphs having the maximal coalition number
A coalition in a graph $G$ with vertex set $V$ consists of two disjoint sets $V_1, V_2\subset V$ such that neither $V_1$ nor $V_2$ is a dominating set, but the union $V_1\cup V_2$ is a dominating set in $G$. A partition of graph vertices is called a coalition partition $\mathcal{P}$ if every non-dominating set of $\mathcal{P}$ is a member of a coalition and every dominating set is a single-vertex set. The coalition number $C(G)$ of a graph $G$ is the maximum cardinality of its coalition partiti…

Downtown Deceit
"Where Do We Go From Here?"
https://www.clongclongmoo.org/2024/04/14/downtown-deceit-where-do-we-go-from-here/

To avoid a potential trial, conviction, and jail, the rightwing extremist Netanyahu created a fascist coalition to form Government, and went to war.
Sound familiar?
Vote for Democracy.

You can tell the New Hampshire Progressive Coalition are wonderful, cuz they're more likely to be found in Indianapolis, while the militarists of #NHPolitics are stuck with Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Just understood why all those anti-Shell billboards cropped up close to home: On 21st May there'll be mass mobilisation outside Shell’s AGM (happening at the InterContinental @ O2). Organised by Fossil Free London, War on Want, Climate Justice Coalition, XR, The People’s Health Tribunal, Christian Climate Action & others https://www.instagram.com/p/C6qMFCGI1pE/

The fight against Hindu nationalism in the United States is multifaith, says a newly formed coalition
https://religionnews.com/2024/04/05/a-multifaith-coalition-works-to/

The fight against Hindu nationalism in the United States is multifaith, says a newly formed coalition
(RNS) — A declaration from the newly formed coalition Savera: United Against Supremacy expressed the group's 'acute concern' of Hindu nationalism, which they say now 'finds itself in a deepening alliance with various facets of the American far-right.

A coalition of LGBTQ charities, teachers and human rights groups is urging the British public to oppose discriminatory new guidance that would see trans, non-binary and gender-questioning pupils "outed" to parents or carers, among other dangerous measures. A public consultation on the plans closes tomorrow.

Here's their press release from this morning:
Alt text here instead of in images due to length:
NEWS RELEASE Embargoed until April 24, 7:00am PST
Divest From Death USA
Media Contact: Media Liaisons, USC Divest From Death Coalition USCSolidarityOccupation@protonmail.com
USC Divest From Death Coalition to Begin Gaza Solidarity Occupation in University of
Southern California Campus
LOS ANGELES. (April 24, 2023) — USC Divest From Death Coalition today announced theit occupation of USC's Alumni Park, where the increasingly controversial 2024 Commencement is currently set to take place. The students taking part in the Gaza Solidarity Occupation are planning to occupy USC until their demands are met. The coalition joins other students groups across the country in the National Students for Justice in Palestine's "Popular University for Gaza," a coordinated mass movement of students, faculty and staff that disrupts universities, creating climates that push universities to answer community and international calls for full divestment from the Zionist entity, and all of the industries that sustain it.
1. End War Profiteering and Investment in Genocide. USC must fully disclose and divest its finances and endowment from companies and institutions that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and occupation in Palestine, including the US Military and weapons manufacturing. USC must comumit to accountability through full transparency of their financial investments.
2. Complete Academic Boycott of Israel. USC must end its study abroad programs at Hebrew University's Rothenberg International School and Reichman University and sever all academic ties and research cooperation with Israeli universities.
3. Protect free speech on campus and provide full amnesty to all students, staff, and faculty disciplined, penalized, or fired for their pro-Palestine ackivism. USC must abide by their self- proclaimed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion values and implement material policies protecting the safety of its marginalized students.
4. Stop the Displacement, from South Central to Palestine. No land grabs, whether in South Central, Tongva territory, or Palestine. Cease expansion, provide reparations, and support housing for low-income South Central residents. No development by USC without genuine community control.
5. No Policing on Campus. End the targeted repression and harassment of Black, Brown, and Palestinian students and their allies on and off campus, including through university disciplinary processes. Defund the Department of Public Safety and disclose and sever all ties with the LAPD.
6. End the Silence on the Genocide in Palestine. Release a public statement calling for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza, denouncing the ongoing genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people, and call on government officials o do so too.
"I'm participating in the Gaza Solidarity Occupation at USC to highlight and amplify the anti- zionist Jewish voice at USC and be in solidarity with the Palestinian fight for liberation," says a student organizer from USC's chapter of Jewish Voices for Palestine (JVP). "JVP USC feels our voice is especially important right now as many people at USC and across the country are equating zionism and Judaism, but we are here to say they are not the same! We stand by our belief of free speech, resistance to oppressive systems and solidarity with our valedictorian Asna and all other college campuses where pro-Palestine voices have been silenced."
The USC Divest From Death Coalition establishes the occupation mo st fundamentally in solidarity with the people of Palestine as they resist genocide and continue in their struggle for liberation. The occupation is also in resistance to attempts by USC and other universities to suppress the student movement for Palestine on its campuses, in resistance to the silencing of students that criticize the state of Israel, in resistance to the university administrators and boards of trustees who profit off the genocide of Palestinians; The students taking part are firm in their commitment to speaking out against the university's complicity in the genocide of the Palestinian people.
"USC's funding of the ongoing genocide perpetuated by the zionist entity is reflective of maintaining imperialist interests abroad, as well as solidifying the shared ideology of amerikan and zionist institutions in preserving racialized oppression," says a student organizer of the Gaza Solidarity Occupation. "To not stand in opposition to the expressly racist violence here and abroad is to ignore the calls for solidarity demanded by the majority of the world. USC acts in accordance with these oppressions, and to call against this is to recognize both the inhumanity of these systems and our own humanity in opposing them."
We have chosen to use the word "occupation” instead of "encampment" to draw attention to USC as an occupying force on unceded Gabrieleno/Tongva land, an occupying force in South Central through its expansion into, gentrification of, and destruction of the existing community, and as a complicit power in Israeli occupation of Palestine.
About USC Divest From Death
In joining the national "Cut Ties with Genocide: Divest from Death" campaign, USC Divest From Death pushes our institutions to divest from companies complicit in the genocide of Palestinians, in all its iterations, alongside thousands of campuses. The coalition's push for the advancement of the key demand points on campus is the first steps towards the liberation of all people by ending the complicity of the University of Southern California in the violence enacted on our communities. Through the intentional act of coalition building, the students of USC realize that we are part of an interconnected fight for freedom taking place on campus, in our communities and homelands. We envision campuses free from militarism, occupation, and war through the implementation of divestment at USC
About Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)
The student movement for the liberation of Palestine first began in the 1950s through the formation of the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS). From the U.S. to Palestine, GUPS chapters galvanized thousands of students towards a liberated Palestine. The 90s” wave of corrupt politicians and faulty deals changed the liberation movement as we knew it and many institutions, including the student movement, collapsed. In the absence of a Palestinian student movement, organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine emerged across occupied Turtle Island (U.S. and Canada) as a way to educate, advocate, and mobilize in support for Palestinian liberation. Nearly two decades after the formation of the first Students for Justice in Palestine, the movement for Palestine has taken colleges and universities across North America by storm. With over 200 campus Palestine solidarity organizations across the continent, students have been leaders in uplifting demands for freedom, Justice, and equality for the Palestinian people.

This summer’s Democratic National Convention could be hit by protests and scenes of chaos that undermine Joe Biden's reelection campaign.
Already, 65-plus organizations in Chicago and elsewhere have formed a coalition to “March on the DNC” when it opens there on Aug. 19.
Activists have sued in federal court, alleging First Amendment violations because the city has only offered permits for demonstrations miles from the United Center, where Biden is scheduled to accept the Dem…

Noting campus protests, Democrats are preparing for intense action at their summer convention
As pro-Palestinian demonstrations escalate on college campuses around the country, critics of President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war suggest this summer’s Democratic National Convention could be hit by protests and scenes of chaos that undermine his reelection. Already, more than 65 organizations in Chicago and elsewhere have formed a coalition to “March on the DNC” when it opens there on Aug. 19. Protesters preparing for the convention hope to channel the anger on many …

AI likely to increase energy use and accelerate climate misinformation – report
Claims that artificial intelligence will help solve the climate crisis are misguided, warns a coalition of environmental groups
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/202

Macron announces coalition to send Kyiv long-range missiles: https://benborges.xyz/2024/02/27/macron-announces-coalition.html

De Nederlandse regering viel vanwege een verzinsel, de nieuwe Nederlandse regering verzint een crisis om te kunnen gaan regeren, maar de Schotse regering doet niet moeilijk: die valt gewoon over een echte, bestaande, crisis.
Scotland’s coalition government collapses – POLITICO https://www.

Scotland’s coalition government collapses
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf kills agreement between SNP and Scottish Greens amid bitter row over climate targets.

I urge you to sign the @… petition urging the Democrats to stop accepting money from #AIPAC. That lobbying group's behavior is enabling the unacceptable actions of the #Netanyahu

Demand the Democratic Party reject AIPAC!
Now is the time for the whole of the Democratic Party to Reject AIPAC once and for all: if you agree, add your name to join our broad coalition of progressive organizations calling on Democratic elected officials to reject AIPAC →

I urge you to sign the @… petition urging the Democrats to stop accepting money from #AIPAC. That lobbying group's behavior is enabling the unacceptable actions of the #Netanyahu

Demand the Democratic Party reject AIPAC!
Now is the time for the whole of the Democratic Party to Reject AIPAC once and for all: if you agree, add your name to join our broad coalition of progressive organizations calling on Democratic elected officials to reject AIPAC →

This piece is about ostensibly about intellectual property—not my usual beat of climate, regeneration, ecology, business strategy, language, and belonging to the living world—but it holds a lesson about the processes of policy, legislation, and standards (aha, there's your clue) that may very much pertain to all the "sustainable business" and "ESG" people who are in the kitchen cooking up more alphabet soup.

TikTok plans to start automatically labeling some AI content, including from Dall-E and Adobe's Firefly, and joins the Adobe-led content credential coalition (Financial Times)
https://t.co/LnEnE3OB40

If Biden was Netanyahu there would only be a choice between two fascists. He's not and so there is a choice between a dictator and a democrat.
If the Democratic party was like the fascist coalition of Netanyahu's, there would only be a choice between two authoritarian regimes, neither of which could care less about genocide. It's not so there is a choice between democracy and authoritarianism.
Vote for Democracy
:mastodon:

“War in Ukraine: President Macron doesn't exclude sending troops on the ground.” right after hosting a meeting on Ukraine with 25 European heads of state and government plus reps from US and Canada.
https://…

War in Ukraine: President Macron doesn't exclude sending troops on the ground, announces missile coalition
Speaking after hosting a meeting of two dozen European leaders to discuss Ukraine, the French leader painted a grim picture of a Russia whose positions he said were "hardening," both at home and on the battlefield.

#Netanyahu’s Coalition ‘May Be in Jeopardy,’ Intelligence Report Says - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/us/politics/netany…

Netanyahu’s Coalition ‘May Be in Jeopardy,’ Intelligence Report Says
The document predicted that Israel would struggle to achieve its goal of destroying Hamas in Gaza.

“Chancellor Diermeier met our students not with dialogue but with security guards. And now the university has responded to a time-honored protest tactic, the sit-in, with punishment and expulsion,” Bjork-James said. “Our students stood up during a moral crisis, and we are failing them.”

Three students expelled following Student Accountability hearings, faculty criticize university response - The Vanderbilt Hustler
Outcomes of the preliminary hearings for the 27 suspended students include three expulsions, one suspension and over 20 disciplinary probations, according to the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition.

Republican Jewish Coalition takes on GOP who voted against Israel aid (Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/26/republican-jewish-coalition-takes-gop-who-voted-against-israel-aid/
http://www.memeorandum.com/240426/p9#a240426p9

A minimal coalition logic
Yinfeng Li, Fengkui Ju
https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.14704 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2403.14704

A minimal coalition logic
Coalition logic is a central logic in strategic reasoning studies. In this paper, we first argue that Coalition Logic models, concurrent game models, have three too-strong assumptions. The first one is the independence of agents; that is, the merge of two available joint actions of two disjoint coalitions is always available for the union of the two coalitions. The second one is seriality; that is, coalitions always have available joint actions. The third one is determinism, that is, the grand …

If Biden was Netanyahu there would only be a choice between two fascists. He's not and so there is a choice between a dictator and a democrat.
If the Democratic party was like the fascist coalition of Netanyahu's, there would only be a choice between two authoritarian regimes, neither of which could care less about genocide. It's not so there is a choice between democracy and authoritarianism.
Vote for Democracy
:mastodon:

TikTok plans to start automatically labeling some AI content, including from Dall-E and Adobe's Firefly, and joins the Adobe-led content credential coalition (Financial Times)
https://t.co/LnEnE3OB40

"Big Oil Clouded the Science on Extreme Weather. Now It Faces a Reckoning."
#Oil #Gas #FossilFuels

Big Oil Clouded the Science on Extreme Weather. Now It Faces a Reckoning.
As more communities sue oil majors following climate disasters, a collection of evidence reveals the industry’s efforts to deny the link between extreme weather and climate change.

The Coalition to Provide Armoured Vehicles to Ukraine Started Its Work in Poland: https://benborges.xyz/2024/03/29/the-coalition-to.html

“FuboTV and other smaller streamers are looking to take their battle against Fox, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery’s sports streaming joint venture to Washington D.C.
“‘Recent developments in the pay-TV market – including the programming giants’ new joint venture, a streaming TV service that would control 80% of national live sports broadcasts – raise serious competition concerns that call for Congress’s immediate oversight,’ the FuboTV-led coalition said.”

FuboTV-Led Coalition Asks Congress for Hearing on Disney-Fox-Warner Sports Streaming Platform
DirecTV, Dish Network and Newsmax also joined the call for hearings in Washington, D.C. into the future of pay TV competition and its impact on consumers.

Coalition That Crushed 'No Labels' Is Aiming Fire At RFK Jr - National Memo
https://www.nationalmemo.com/rfk-jr-2668156839

Coalition That Crushed 'No Labels' Is Aiming Fire At RFK Jr
The same coalition of groups that drove center-right group No Labels to abandon its efforts to run a 2024 presidential candidate has now identified its next target: Anti-vaccine activist-turned independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Q-ITAGS: Quality-Optimized Spatio-Temporal Heterogeneous Task Allocation with a Time Budget
Glen Neville, Jiazhen Liu, Sonia Chernova, Harish Ravichandar
https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.07902

Q-ITAGS: Quality-Optimized Spatio-Temporal Heterogeneous Task Allocation with a Time Budget
Complex multi-objective missions require the coordination of heterogeneous robots at multiple inter-connected levels, such as coalition formation, scheduling, and motion planning. The associated challenges are exacerbated when solutions to these interconnected problems need to both maximize task performance and respect practical constraints on time and resources. In this work, we formulate a new class of spatio-temporal heterogeneous task allocation problems that consider these complexities. We…

This https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.06245 has been replaced.
initial toot: https://mastoxiv.page/@arXiv_mat…

On cubic graphs having the maximal coalition number
A coalition in a graph $G$ with vertex set $V$ consists of two disjoint sets $V_1, V_2\subset V$ such that neither $V_1$ nor $V_2$ is a dominating set, but the union $V_1\cup V_2$ is a dominating set in $G$. A partition of graph vertices is called a coalition partition $\mathcal{P}$ if every non-dominating set of $\mathcal{P}$ is a member of a coalition and every dominating set is a single-vertex set. The coalition number $C(G)$ of a graph $G$ is the maximum cardinality of its coalition partiti…

Global Drone Coalition: Allies Supply Ukraine with Cutting-Edge Technology: https://benborges.xyz/2024/02/23/global-drone-coalition.html

Australian billionaire (and major #energytransition player) Andrew Forrest is hearing a lot of "nuclear energy 'bulldust'" and is having none of it. https://www…

Andrew Forrest slams fossil fuel industry and Coalition for nuclear energy 'bulldust'
In a searing Press Club speech, mining and clean energy magnate Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest slams the Coalition and fossil fuel lobby for using nuclear energy "bulldust" to delay the transition to a zero emissions economy.

Digital Twin-Empowered Task Assignment in Aerial MEC Network: A Resource Coalition Cooperation Approach with Generative Model
Xin Tang, Qian Chen, Rong Yu, Xiaohuan Li
https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.01555

Digital Twin-Empowered Task Assignment in Aerial MEC Network: A Resource Coalition Cooperation Approach with Generative Model
To meet the demands for ubiquitous communication and temporary edge computing in 6G networks, aerial mobile edge computing (MEC) networks have been envisioned as a new paradigm. However, dynamic user requests pose challenges for task assignment strategies. Most of the existing research assumes that the strategy is deployed on ground-based stations or UAVs, which will be ineffective in an environment lacking infrastructure and continuous energy supply. Moreover, the resource mutual exclusion pro…

"Big Oil Clouded the Science on Extreme Weather. Now It Faces a Reckoning."
#Oil #Gas #FossilFuels

Big Oil Clouded the Science on Extreme Weather. Now It Faces a Reckoning.
As more communities sue oil majors following climate disasters, a collection of evidence reveals the industry’s efforts to deny the link between extreme weather and climate change.

I believe one part of the reason Israel and Netanyahu are being allowed by governments to continue its genocidal war against Palestinians is due to the fact Israel is seen as a functional democracy. As horrible as he is, Netanyahu's party was legitimately and indisputably voted into power and he created a governing coalition that is now prosecuting this war.
He's not the only genocidal war monger voted into power.
Now imagine what the world would allow a Trump administrat…

Who do you think will pay $30-50B for US TikTok?
Google / Facebook / Amazon
Microsoft / Apple
A Republican-approved coalition
Those are all the same answer

SOmeone to watch - and perhaps a bill to advocate for:
https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/09/alex-lee-leads-social-housing-california/

Alex Lee has big plans to fix California's housing crisis
Four years after his shocking election, Asm. Alex Lee, the self-described Zoomer, bisexual, Bernie-endorsed socialist is finally building a public housing coalition. All he has to do now is to convince the governor.

SOmeone to watch - and perhaps a bill to advocate for:
https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/09/alex-lee-leads-social-housing-california/

Alex Lee has big plans to fix California's housing crisis
Four years after his shocking election, Asm. Alex Lee, the self-described Zoomer, bisexual, Bernie-endorsed socialist is finally building a public housing coalition. All he has to do now is to convince the governor.

You know what's obviously agreeable? Answer: the New Hampshire Progressive Coalition

Game-theoretic Distributed Learning Approach for Heterogeneous-cost Task Allocation with Budget Constraints
Weiyi Yang, Xiaolu Liu, Lei He, Yonghao Du, Yingwu Chen
https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.03974

Game-theoretic Distributed Learning Approach for Heterogeneous-cost Task Allocation with Budget Constraints
This paper investigates heterogeneous-cost task allocation with budget constraints (HCTAB), wherein heterogeneity is manifested through the varying capabilities and costs associated with different agents for task execution. Different from the centralized optimization-based method, the HCTAB problem is solved using a fully distributed framework, and a coalition formation game is introduced to provide a theoretical guarantee for this distributed framework. To solve the coalition formation game, a…

@… Appreciate it Eric! I don’t think we can (exclusively) tool our way out, though. We need a coalition!!

In a letter, 41 state AGs call on Meta to address the "dramatic increase" in Facebook and Instagram account takeovers and say hackers buy ads on its services (Dell Cameron/Wired)
https://www.wired.com/story/meta-hacked-users-draining-resources/…

Meta Abandons Hacking Victims, Draining Law Enforcement Resources, Officials Say
A coalition of 41 state attorneys general says Meta is failing to assist Facebook and Instagram users whose accounts have been hacked—and they want the company to take “immediate action.”

In the 3 months since the Dutch elections in November, the party of PM Rutte (seen as the next Secretary-general of NATO), now led by Yesilgöz, has been trying to build a coalition with far-right Russia-friendly PVV. Not a lot of progress has been made so far.

📢 Call for Submissions: CFP we are putting together an edited volume on anti-trans and anti-gender mobilisations in the (far) right. If that sounds like your cup of tea, send us a brief abstract and bio before 7 April 2024.📢
from: @cs_kunkeler

"AI likely to increase energy use and accelerate climate misinformation – report"
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Climate

Macron refuses to rule out putting troops on ground in Ukraine, announces long-range missile coalition: https://benborges.xyz/2024/02/28/macron-refuses-to.html

A coalition of collegiate and professional press freedom groups urges campus administrators to respect the rights of student journalists covering protests (College Media Association)
https://collegemedia.org/release-colle

RELEASE: Collegiate Media Associations, Supporters Urge Campus Administrators to Support Student Journalists - College Media Association
College Media Association, Associated Collegiate Press, Society of Professional Journalists, Student Press Law Center and Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression have joined together to urge campus administrators to be supportive of student journalists covering current events.

Trump fills a void in an increasingly secular America
The key to understanding Trump’s coalition is the intensity of his support among White people who are and who claim to be devout Christians
#White #evangelicals,
who make up about 14 percent of the population,
made up about one-quarter of v…

How Trump fills a void in an increasingly secular America
As secularization spreads, opportunistic populists such as Donald Trump are weaponizing religion.

"A coalition of lawyers domestic and abroad — including at least 20 that work in the Biden administration — are calling on President Joe Biden to halt military aid to Israel, arguing that its actions in Gaza do not comply with U.S. and international humanitarian law." https://www.politico.…

Game-theoretic Distributed Learning Approach for Heterogeneous-cost Task Allocation with Budget Constraints
Weiyi Yang, Xiaolu Liu, Lei He, Yonghao Du, Yingwu Chen
https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.03974

Game-theoretic Distributed Learning Approach for Heterogeneous-cost Task Allocation with Budget Constraints
This paper investigates heterogeneous-cost task allocation with budget constraints (HCTAB), wherein heterogeneity is manifested through the varying capabilities and costs associated with different agents for task execution. Different from the centralized optimization-based method, the HCTAB problem is solved using a fully distributed framework, and a coalition formation game is introduced to provide a theoretical guarantee for this distributed framework. To solve the coalition formation game, a…

The Oz government’s digital ID bill has become a lightning rod for conspiracy theories and fearmongering, despite it being “world’s best practice” and “completely sane,” privacy and security experts say.
Several Coalition and crossbench politicians claimed the bill was an attempt to introduce a Chinese Communist Party-style social credit score and a measure to control the public, despite no evidence or factual basis, after it passed the Senate.

How the digital ID bill became a lightning rod for conspiracies
The Albanese government's digital ID Bill has become a lightning rod for conspiracy theories, despite it being “completely sane”.

Paired coalition in graphs
Mohammad Reza Samadzadeh, Doost Ali Mojdeh, Reza nadimi
https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.10842 https://arxiv.org…

Paired coalition in graphs
\noindent A paired coalition in a graph $G=(V,E)$ consists of two disjoint sets of vertices $V_1$ and $V_2$, neither of which is a paired dominating set but whose union $V_1 \cup V_2$ is a paired dominating set. A paired coalition partition (abbreviated $pc$-partition) in a graph $G$ is a vertex partition $π= \lbrace V_1,V_2,\dots ,V_k \rbrace$ such that each set $V_i$ of $π$ is not a paired dominating set but forms a paired coalition with another set $V_j \in π$. The paired coalition graph …

"At the event we will hear from organizations that have developed strategies to successfully engage with external audiences, followed by a roundtable discussion and Q&A. This event will be useful for both those new to #webarchiving - perhaps considering a business case for this function at their own institution - and seasoned practitioners in search of new inspiration for reaching user…

"New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday that Wohl and Burkman had conceded to a $1 million judgment to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and individual plaintiffs."
Conservative operatives who targeted Black voters with robocalls could pay up to $1.25 million  | The Hill

Conservative operatives who targeted Black voters with robocalls could pay up to $1.25 million 
Two conservative operatives who attempted to stop Black voters in New York from voting by mail in the 2020 election have been ordered to pay up to $1.25 million in restitution. Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman were found liable in 2023 for targeting Black voters with false and threatening messages intended to discourage voting. U.S. District Judge…

Latvian defense minister: Drone coalition raises over $535 million to buy drones for Ukraine: https://benborges.xyz/2024/04/24/latvian-defense-minister.html

Way to go invading and "liberating" Iraq for "freedom" eh? "Iraq criminalises same-sex relationships with maximum 15 years in prison": https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/27/iraq-criminalis…

Add your name to say you support passing the
⭐️ Right to Safety amendment ⭐️that will make our communities safer from gun violence.
It's a small and simple action, but it will send a powerful message about the size and strength of the coalition to get this done. The time is now.

In a letter, 28 civil rights organizations, including noyb, urge the EDPB to reject Meta's approach of asking EU users to pay or consent to be tracked for ads (Natasha Lomas/TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2024/02/15/no-consent-or-pay-pls/

European digital rights group say the future of online privacy is on a knife edge | TechCrunch
A coalition of more than two dozen digital and democratic rights groups, NGOs and not-for-profits, including noyb and Wikimedia Europe, have written to A coalition of more than two dozen NGOs have written to the European Union's regulatory body for data protection urging it to reject a tactic that's been controversially seized upon by Meta in its latest bid to circumvent the bloc's privacy laws.

33 countries join International Coalition for Return of Ukrainian Children: https://benborges.xyz/2024/03/18/countries-join-international.html

"Netanyahu has till Sunday evening to present a fix to Israel’s controversial conscription law. If he fails, his government likely fails with him."
How ultra-Orthodox conscription could destroy Benjamin Netanyahu - Vox
https://www.vox.com/polit…

How ultra-Orthodox conscription could destroy Benjamin Netanyahu
Netanyahu has till Sunday evening to present a fix to Israel’s controversial conscription law. If he fails, his government likely fails with him.

LEAP: Optimization Hierarchical Federated Learning on Non-IID Data with Coalition Formation Game
Jianfeng Lu, Yue Chen, Shuqin Cao, Longbiao Chen, Wei Wang, Yun Xin
https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.00579

LEAP: Optimization Hierarchical Federated Learning on Non-IID Data with Coalition Formation Game
Although Hierarchical Federated Learning (HFL) utilizes edge servers (ESs) to alleviate communication burdens, its model performance will be degraded by non-IID data and limited communication resources. Current works often assume that data is uniformly distributed, which however contradicts the heterogeneity of IoT. Solutions of additional model training to check the data distribution inevitably increases computational costs and the risk of privacy leakage. The challenges in solving these issue…

Latvia to send first batch of drones to Ukraine as part of drone coalition: https://benborges.xyz/2024/04/16/latvia-to-send.html

Throwing some things out here that might be naive. Oh well. Why don't some democratically minded billionaires fight rightwing billionaires? Is it because billionaires by their very nature are all anti-democratic? I heard of one once that wasn't, but one hardly stands a chance against many with the same economic power among them. Why though would many others cede power and money to one, two, or a few? A coalition could quickly end preeminant power of a billionaire. They should.
…

How to explain Israel’s actions over the past week?
What accounts for its restraint, in a situation where hawks in the Israeli government were screaming for all-out assault?

Here’s my take: Israel is behaving like the leader of a regional coalition against Iran.
In its measured response, it appeared to be weighing the interests of its allies in this coalition
— Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan
— which all provided quiet help in last weekend’s sho…

The unspoken story of why Israel didn’t clobber Iran
One rule for containing a crisis is to keep your mouth shut. But I’ll tell you what appears to have happened between Israel and Iran.

Throwing some things out here that might be naive. Oh well. Why don't some democratically minded billionaires fight rightwing billionaires? Is it because billionaires by their very nature are all anti-democratic? I heard of one once that wasn't, but one hardly stands a chance against many with the same economic power among them. Why though would many others cede power and money to one, two, or a few? A coalition could quickly end preeminant power of a billionaire. They should.
…

"Coalition of civil society groups says Paris should return harsh reparations imposed on Caribbean state two hundred years ago"
France urged to repay billions of dollars to Haiti for independence ‘ransom’ | Haiti | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com…

Thousands of Israeli protesters call for Netanyahu’s removal
Thousands of people across Israel have joined families of hostages to protest against the government and call for the removal of Benjamin Netanyahu, as the Israeli prime minister grapples with one of the most serious threats yet to his coalition.
The protesters in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Be’er Sheva, Caesarea and other cities on Saturday demanded the release of those still held captive in Gaza and labelled the PM as …

Law enforcement from 11 countries, including the FBI and UK National Crime Agency, disrupt the LockBit gang and seize 11K domains used to facilitate ransomware (Jamie Tarabay/Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/20

FBI, UK National Crime Agency Say They Have Disrupted LockBit Hacking Gang
A coalition of international law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and UK National Crime Agency, said they have disrupted LockBit, one of the most prolific hacker groups of all time, including shutting down websites the organization used for ransomware payments.

Finland's defense minister calls for increased Western support for Ukraine: https://benborges.xyz/2024/03/03/finlands-defense-minister.html

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing his most challenging political threat since the start of the Gaza war because of a disagreement among members of his coalition about whether ultra-Orthodox Jews should retain their longstanding exemption from military service.
An unwieldy right-wing alliance of secular and ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, the coalition’s members are divided about whether the state should continue to allow young ultra-Orthodox men to study at religious seminaries inst…

Dispute in Israel Over Drafting Ultra-Orthodox Jews Threatens Netanyahu
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet is divided about whether ultra-Orthodox Jews should be required to join the Israeli army.

"Join Us":
Biden campaign urges Haley supporters to turn against Trump
Joe Biden’s presidential campaign released an ad targeting Republicans who supported Nikki Haley in her losing primary against Donald Trump.
“If you voted for Nikki Haley, Donald Trump doesn’t want your vote,” the president’s campaign ad says. “Save America. Join us.”
The ad shows clips of Trump disparaging Haley, the former South Carolina governor who was ambassador to the United Nations…

'Trump in 2028': GOP-aligned organization calls for abolition of presidential term limits - Alternet.org
https://www.alternet.org/trump-term-limits/

'Trump in 2028': GOP-aligned organization calls for abolition of presidential term limits
One of the coalition members of the far-right Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025" presidential transition plan is proposing to overhaul the US Constitution to keep former President Donald Trump in power beyond the eight-year limit.The American Conservative — one of the 100 advisory groups to Projec...

"Join Us":
Biden campaign urges Haley supporters to turn against Trump
Joe Biden’s presidential campaign released an ad targeting Republicans who supported Nikki Haley in her losing primary against Donald Trump.
“If you voted for Nikki Haley, Donald Trump doesn’t want your vote,” the president’s campaign ad says. “Save America. Join us.”
The ad shows clips of Trump disparaging Haley, the former South Carolina governor who was ambassador to the United Nations…

In 2018, Republicans accidentally legalized cannabis. Now 22 AGs want them to undo it | The Hill
https://thehill.com/homenews/4564181-2018-farm-bill-hemp-cannabis-attorneys-general/

In 2018, Republicans accidentally legalized cannabis. Now 22 AGs want them to undo it
A coalition of 22 state attorneys general is calling on Congress to address “the glaring vagueness” that has led to legal cannabis products being sold over the counter across the country — including sometimes from vending machines or online. A letter dated March 20 addresses the consequences of Republican lawmakers’ choice to legalize hemp production in the 2018 omnibus Farm Bill…

Israel High Court ruling on Haredim exemption could endanger Netanyahu rule - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/29/israel-haredim-high-court-military-service/

Court ruling on ultra-Orthodox in the army imperils Netanyahu’s coalition
The court order withdrawing funding from yeshiva students who shun military service could cost Benjamin Netanyahu’s government the support of the ultra-Orthodox parties.

Media: Germany likely wants to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine: https://benborges.xyz/2024/02/20/media-germany-likely.html

Americans may ask: What happens to laws passed under the previous masters of the house: the courts, state media, and business and other institutions stuffed by supporters of one side?
Rightwing populists have many countries in their grip.
Come to Poland to see how they can be pushed back
👉Poland, in the wake of an election last year that ended eight years of rule by the rightwing Law and Justice party in favour of a coalition headed by Donald Tusk’s Civil Platform, is in t…

The Project 2025 policy agenda states:
“Now that the Supreme Court has acknowledged that the Constitution contains no right to an abortion, the FDA is ethically and legally obliged to revisit and withdraw its initial approval [of mifepristone].”
p. 458
https://

Project 2025: Republicans' Plan to Ban Abortion Pills Nationwide - Ms. Magazine
Project 2025, a coalition of 90 right-wing orgs, calls on the next Republican president to direct the FDA to remove abortion pill mifepristone.

German media: Germany plans to send long-range missile systems, Taurus missiles not mentioned: https://benborges.xyz/2024/02/20/german-media-germany.html

"[#Trump's visit] has nothing to offer Eagle Pass, and Eagle Pass has nothing to gain from it," the group wrote on social media. "Not welcome here and you know it. Not a leader but a loser. Not a president, but a contender. Not a rebel but a threat. Not a friend but an enemy. **Not a patriot but a traitor**."
'Not welcome here': Texas residents slam Trump as …

'Not welcome here': Texas residents slam Trump as 'traitor' ahead of border trip
Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit the border town of Eagle Pass, Texas on Thursday, and local residents are loudly declaring that he doesn't speak for them.According to Newsweek, a group known as the Eagle Pass Border Coalition is denouncing the ex-president ahead of his arrival in...

Iraq criminalises same-sex relationships with maximum 15 years in prison | LGBTQ News | Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/27/iraq-criminalises-same-sex-relationships-with-maximum-15…

Iraq criminalises same-sex relationships with maximum 15 years in prison
The law is backed mainly by Shia Muslim parties who form the largest coalition in Iraq’s parliament.