If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The UK government has published a policy paper, “Draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for Online Safety,” that sets sweeping censorship, surveillance, and online age verification demands before the regulator Ofcom, which is responsible for enforcing the Online Safety Act. The paper states that Ofcom “must have regard to the statement when exercising its regulatory functions on online safety matters” – meaning that while the implementation of the priorities laid out in the document is not a legal requirement, Ofcom is under legal obligation to consider them, demonstrate that it has done so, and explain why the priorities are not implemented, where that is the case. The first priority is “Safety by Design,” with the document’s authors invoking the Southport riots to once again focus on the alleged role of social platforms (rather than the events’ immediate or broader causes). But that narrative is used to cement the need for the government to “hold platforms to account” – at the same time pushing for development and implementation of age verification tech. While the controversial Online Safety Act is promoted as a way to protect children online, this paper speaks about it also serving “some adult users” who would “benefit from access to additional protections from content which does not meet the bar for illegality but could still be harmful.” “Safety by Design” also demands “robust” policies and tools from platforms to “minimize (…) misinformation and disinformation presenting a risk to national security or public safety.” Another thing that needs minimizing is “the damaging effects” of “emerging information threats” while the government worked in the obligatory concern about “AI coordinated inauthentic behavior at scale.” “Transparency and Accountability” is about Ofcom’s Advisory Committee on Disinformation and Misinformation (this body is now known as the Online Information Advisory Committee). Here, the government’s priority is to see “forward-looking, impact-focused advice” from the Committee – “so we can better understand how misinformation and disinformation can be tackled online.” “Agile Regulation” looks into developing technologies and the internet as a whole, from the point of view of those being sources of risk and challenges to citizens’ safety. More: The Digital ID and Online Age Verification Agenda The intent is to provide room for Ofcom to engage in “rolling censorship” – the constantly updated measures to keep up with these perceived, ever-developing risks and threats. Ofcom is also instructed to “mitigate risks to users emerging from the sharing of AI-generated content on regulated services, and the deployment of AI by regulated services on their platforms, such as AI-driven content recommendation systems and embedded AI tools for users.” This section praises the Global Online Safety Regulators Network but wants Ofcom and the government to engage in more international cooperation to “enhance regulatory coordination and coherence” globally. Ofcom is also expected to take action against “small but risky services” if they are found to spread “illegal misinformation” and “misogynistic content.” “Inclusivity and Resilience” speaks about the government “welcoming Ofcom research into risks and possible interventions” regarding “AI tools that are capable of generating realistic content.” “Technology and Innovation” pushes advanced age assurance tools as well as government-backed third-party solutions to “online harms.” If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post UK Government Issues Draft Strategic Priorities for Online “Safety,” Pressuring Ofcom to Enforce Censorship, Surveillance, and Age Verification Under Online Safety Act appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

David Hogg's Critique of Democrats: Men Want to Get Laid

Hamas to Release US Hostage -- For What?

The small ants have a potentially fatal sting.

In terms of human lifespans, this is like having your prognosis of 50 years being cut down to less than a trillionth of a second.

Credit: XScientists have released the first X-ray images of a mysterious spherical object found in Colombia that locals claim is of alien origin. The so-called “UFO” was spotted in March over the town of Buga, zigzagging across the sky in a pattern that defies description of conventional aircraft. The object was discovered shortly after landing and has since been analysed by scientists, who have found it to be made up of three layers of metal-like material and 18 microspheres surrounding a central core they call a “chip”, the Daily Mail reports. Radiologist Dr. Jose Luis Velasquez, who examined the sphere, said he found “no welds or joints” that would normally indicate man-made construction. He and his team concluded: “This is a man-made object, as it shows no signs of welding and its internal structure is composed of high-density elements. Further testing is needed to establish its origin.” The sphere also features symbols that the team compared to ancient scripts, including runes, the Celtic ogham script and Mesopotamian writing, the Daily Mail reports. Using artificial intelligence to decipher the design, the team interpreted the message as: “The origin of birth through union and energy in the cycle of transformation, the meeting place of unity, expansion and consciousness – individual consciousness.” “We interpret this as a message to humanity encouraging a collective shift in consciousness to help Mother Earth, especially given the current problems with pollution and environmental degradation,” the researchers said. The object was discovered on March 2 by a group of people who said it weighed about four and a half pounds and had the “temperature of a refrigerator” when touched. David Velez el Potro, one of those who discovered the object, recently appeared on a program hosted by journalist and ufologist Jaime Maussan, whose research has been controversial for nearly a decade. Maussan gained attention in 2017 when he claimed to have discovered alien mummies in Peru – findings that remain unconfirmed, the Daily Mail recalls. But Vélez el Potro maintains that the sphere is genuine and was found in the Buga Forest. He told Maussan that the man who found it, Jose, felt sick for several days after touching the object. “When I poured water on this object, it started to smoke and the water evaporated instantly,” added Velez el Potro, suggesting that it was hot inside and cold outside. However, there are no official reports or scientific studies to support the claims of a falling sphere – only eyewitness accounts, the Daily Mail notes. Velez el Potro said the government contacted him to hand over the sphere, but he refused, saying “it will never be seen again.” So he gave the object to Maussan and his team of experts in the hope that they would reveal the sphere’s origins. The researchers found that the sphere had jagged edges, “indicating that it was a solid object.” The outer layer was the densest — comparable to human bone. “The center of the sphere has lower radioacoustic density than the edges, indicating an internal structure that may be more porous or made of less dense material than the outer shell,” said Nacho Rojo, host of the YouTube channel Hidden Truth. The findings suggest the outer layer may have been made of titanium or steel, but the researchers noted that a full compositional analysis is needed to confirm this. Credit: Public Domain X-rays also revealed 18 small dots in the center of the object, which appeared to be non-randomly arranged, the Daily Mail reports. The team suggested that the 18 dots could be sensors, bolts or fragments of microspheres. “Obviously we don’t know the composition or how it was made, but it appears to be an object that was specifically designed to house these small metal components,” Rojo said, citing information obtained from X-ray analysis. Scientists now call these 18 dots a “chip” because of their precise location within the sphere. “The symmetry indicates advanced technology or clever engineering,” Rojo added. He also noted, “There are no signs of collapse at these 18 points, meaning the object remains structurally intact.” X-ray images showed that the dots extended about 0.5 centimeters into the sphere. The team also found a central band of different material that contained more small spheres. They believe these may have been placed inside before the object was sealed. However, X-ray images showed no visible signs of the assembly technique. The post Scientists studying spherical UFO report discovery of alien technology appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Over the weekend, the United States and China took a step back from their economic brinkmanship and reached a 90-day trade deal that rolled back much of the tariffs both sides were planning to levy on each other. But instead of portraying it as a victory for America as the Trump administration negotiated better trade deals, ABC’s Good Morning America treated it as though the pain of tariffs was the point, suggested Trump was just routed by China in a “dramatic retreat.” “And this is a breakthrough in talks between the world's two largest economies, but it's also a dramatic retreat from President Trump's 145 percent tariffs that he imposed on Chinese imports,” proclaimed ABC senior political correspondent Rachel Scott. “After all of the tough talk and hard lines, both sides agreeing to dramatically roll back their tariffs, at least for now.” After noting it was “a marathon weekend of negotiations,” Scott continued to portray it as Trump backing down from something he was willing to harm Americans with: The U.S. agreed to roll back its steep 145 percent tariff on Chinese imports to 30 percent. And China agreeing to lower its tax on American goods from 125 percent to 10 percent. For weeks, the President has been defiant about keeping his tariffs in place, even as markets tumbled and retailers warned their shelves could go empty. “China took a hardline too; insisted no matter how long the trade war lasts, ‘we'll never yield,’” was all Scott had to share about China’s position.     She even seemed to mock the deal being lower than Trump’s hinted suggestion of a lower rate, suggesting Trump gave up too much of his position: But just as both sides touched down in Geneva, Switzerland for those high-stakes talks, the President with a change in tone, suggesting he would be willing to drop his tariffs even lower to 80 percent. The deal the U.S. reached much lower than that. The segment ended with Scott scoffing at also Trump announcing an executive order to lower prescription drug costs: The president says he will be signing that executive order in just a few hours before he heads off on this foreign trip. It is aimed at lowering the price of prescription drugs. The goal here to force pharmaceutical companies to charge the U.S. the lowest price that they charge other companies. If implemented, this would likely have the largest impact on drugs covered by Medicare and that are administered in a doctor's office. But the White House not releasing any other details this morning and implementing this could be very complicated. ABC’s anti-American spin on the trade deal stood in stark contrast to the reporting of CBS Mornings and NBC’s Today. CBS co-host Gayle King called it “a major step forward in ending” the trade war, and correspondent Kelly O’Grady was happy the deal was “a vastly better outcome than, I think, anyone was expecting.” Over on NBC, correspondent Gabe Gutierrez commended the deal as “a major thaw in trade relations that resets the relationship between the world's two biggest economies…” The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s Good Morning America May 12, 2025 7:04:09 a.m. Eastern MICHAEL STRAHAN: We're going to turn to the latest on the president's trade war and news breaking overnight that China and the U.S. have reached a short term agreement. Our senior political correspondent Rachel Scott is tracking the latest on this trade deal. Good morning, Rachel. RACHEL SCOTT: Michael, good morning to you. And this is a breakthrough in talks between the world's two largest economies, but it's also a dramatic retreat from President Trump's 145 percent tariffs that he imposed on Chinese imports. After all of the tough talk and hard lines, both sides agreeing to dramatically roll back their tariffs, at least for now. [Cuts to video] This morning the Trump administration emerging from a marathon weekend of negotiations, announcing the U.S. has reached a trade deal with China to significantly lower most tariffs for 90 days. TREASURY SEC. SCOTT BESSENT: We have reached an agreement on a 90-day pause and substantially moved down the tariff levels. SCOTT: The U.S. agreed to roll back its steep 145 percent tariff on Chinese imports to 30 percent. And China agreeing to lower its tax on American goods from 125 percent to 10 percent. For weeks, the President has been defiant about keeping his tariffs in place, even as markets tumbled and retailers warned their shelves could go empty. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I know what the hell I'm doing. I know what I'm doing. And you know what I'm doing, too. SCOTT: China took a hardline too; insisted no matter how long the trade war lasts, “we'll never yield.” But just as both sides touched down in Geneva, Switzerland for those high-stakes talks, the President with a change in tone, suggesting he would be willing to drop his tariffs even lower to 80 percent. The deal the U.S. reached much lower than that. BESSENT: We concluded that we have shared interests. [Transition] The consensus from both delegations this weekend is neither side wants a decoupling. SCOTT: On Wall Street, stock futures surging as the U.S. and China returned back to the negotiating table in hopes of reaching a long term deal. [Cuts back to live] So, investors are rejoicing this morning, but the full economic impact of this on-and-off-again trade war still remains very unclear at this point. That question will be answered likely in 90 days, as two sides continue their negotiations. Michael. STRAHAN: Yeah, still a lot of that is still unclear, Rachel. But Rachel, the President posting on social media that he will sign an executive order aimed at lowering prescription drug costs? SCOTT: Yes, Michael. The president says he will be signing that executive order in just a few hours before he heads off on this foreign trip. It is aimed at lowering the price of prescription drugs. The goal here to force pharmaceutical companies to charge the U.S. the lowest price that they charge other companies. If implemented, this would likely have the largest impact on drugs covered by Medicare and that are administered in a doctor's office. But the White House not releasing any other details this morning and implementing this could be very complicated. Michael. STRAHAN: All right, Rachel Scott. Thank you so much.

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he would be signing an executive order to cut prescription prices "almost immediately, by 30% to 80%." The vehicle for these price reductions will be a new "MOST FAVORED NATION'S POLICY" mandating that the U.S. pays the same price for drugs as whichever country pays the lowest price globally. Trump has long discussed using an index of international drug prices — in countries such as Canada, Britain, and Japan — to set the price that Medicare would ultimately pay for drugs administered stateside by doctors. The plan, and related legislative initiatives, faced significant opposition by the pharmaceutical industry and its bipartisan allies in Congress. After signing a slew of executive orders in 2020 aimed at controlling and lowering drug prices, Trump issued an order on Sept. 13, 2020, seeking to establish most favored nation pricing for Medicare drug payments and to ensure that "Americans [do] not bear extra burdens to compensate for the shortfalls that result from the nationalized public healthcare systems of wealthy countries abroad." The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services subsequently issued an interim final rule implementing the executive order, which multiple pharmaceutical industry trade groups sued to kill. Not long after courts blocked the most favored nation rule, the Biden administration rescinded it. Trump evidently figures he has a better shot this time around, even though many of the price reduction plan's opponents are still in office. 'We are going to do the right thing, something that the Democrats have fought for many years.' "For many years the World has wondered why Prescription Drugs and Pharmaceuticals in the United States of America were SO MUCH HIGHER IN PRICE THAN THEY WERE IN ANY OTHER NATION, SOMETIMES BEING FIVE TO TEN TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE SAME DRUG, MANUFACTURED IN THE EXACT SAME LABORATORY OR PLANT, BY THE SAME COMPANY?" the president wrote on Truth Social. "It was always difficult to explain and very embarrassing because, in fact, there was no correct or rightful answer." According to recent analysis conducted by RAND Health Care on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. drug prices for both brands and generics were nearly 2.78 times as high as prices in comparison countries. Even after adjustments for American rebates, U.S. prices for brand drugs were apparently at least 3.22 times as high as in other countries. "The Pharmaceutical/Drug Companies would say, for years, that it was Research and Development Costs, and that all of these costs were, and would be, for no reason whatsoever, borne by the 'suckers' of America, ALONE," continued Trump. "Campaign Contributions can do wonders, but not with me, and not with the Republican Party. We are going to do the right thing, something that the Democrats have fought for many years." 'It jeopardizes the hundreds of billions our member companies are planning to invest in America.' Trump noted that while relative costs will come down for American buyers, they will "rise throughout the World in order to equalize and, for the first time in many years, bring FAIRNESS TO AMERICA!" Big Pharma lobbyists began complaining in advance of Trump signing the executive order, which the president indicated last week would be "one of the most important announcements that have been made in many years about a certain subject." "This Foreign First Pricing scheme is a bad deal for American patients. Importing foreign prices will cut billions of dollars from Medicare with no guarantee that it helps patients or improves their access to medicines," Stephen Ubl, the CEO of the lobbying group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said in a statement obtained by The Hill. "It jeopardizes the hundreds of billions our member companies are planning to invest in America, making us more reliant on China for innovative medicines," added Ubl. Trump has already taken action on the drug pricing front this year, directing his administration in February to increase enforcement of drug price transparency requirements and to promote "universal access to clear and accurate healthcare prices." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

How long is Doom The Dark Ages? It’s important to plan your tactical sick days ahead of your next big Doom binge. But how much time is the Slayer’s interdimensional epic going to take to clear? Doom The Dark Ages developer id Software has almost doubled the number of missions you can rip and tear through from the FPS game’s reboot series predecessors. What’s more, thanks to id Tech 8’s expanded capabilities, some of these maps include sprawling sandboxes for you to siphon secrets from and split skulls in. Read on to find out how long it’s going to take to traverse them all. Continue reading How long is Doom The Dark Ages? MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Doom The Dark Ages review, Best FPS games, Doom The Dark Ages release date

If there's one thing I've never really seen players complain about, it's a developer being too transparent. Oftentimes game development is shrouded in shadows, hidden behind an impenetrable curtain, for better or worse. But, in a new Reddit thread, Intrepid Studios, the developer of Ashes of Creation, has come under fire for publicly announcing its internal deadlines, some of which haven't yet been met. In response, creative director Steven Sharif has urged fans to keep a level head, noting that the team will maintain its transparent approach to development going forward, whether some players like it or not. Continue reading Ashes of Creation dev responds to complaints about being too transparent MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best MMORPGs, Ashes of Creation interview, New MMOs