Wearables: Monitoring movement in infants

Amazing stuff! However, it appears this research is not quite new, see e.g. A smart jumpsuit tracks infants’ motor development (published in 2022 by the same institution as the senior author of this research article)

From the editor's summary and abstract:

"Editor’s summary

Evaluation of infant spontaneous motor activity currently requires clinic visits and trained observers.

Airaksinen et al. used a wearable motion sensing jumpsuit to monitor infant movement and postures at home during free play.

Deep-learning classifiers objectively characterized 220 motor metrics in 92 typically developing infants aged 4 to 19 months, generating motor growth charts of emerging postures and their dynamics.

Approximately 91% of these motor metrics generalized to an independent clinical cohort of infants including both typical and atypical neurodevelopment, and 55% of the metrics statistically distinguished the two groups.

These findings suggest that wearable sensors could provide objective, home based quantitative measures of motor development dynamics to support routine care or to better understand developmental patterns. ...

Abstract

Early gross motor performance is a key component of neurodevelopmental assessments, and longitudinal follow-ups in personalized health care need better objective methods for measuring it. We studied how the detailed characteristics of infants’ gross motor development could be modeled with age-normative growth charts. We performed serial at-home measurements (total of 580 measurements, 1227 hours of free playtime) from a cohort of 92 typically developing infants at 4 to 19 months of age, using wearable suits with four movement sensors. A previously developed and validated, fully automated analysis pipeline detected postures and movements at a second-by-second resolution, to be used for deriving 220 detailed motor metrics of postures, movements, transition dynamics, locomotion types, and activity counts. The results showed that early gross motor development is sufficiently stable for constructing robust growth charts, most prominently for modeling evolving postures and their dynamics, and a wide range of motor metrics have sufficient temporal stability to provide reliable individual-level tracking. External validation in a clinical cohort with 39 infants, including participants with both typical and abnormal neurodevelopment, showed that the growth charts were highly generalizable (91% of the studied motor metrics were statistically comparable to those of the normative cohort), and 55% of the motor metrics showed statistical differentiation of abnormal neurodevelopment. These findings indicate that measurements of at-home wearables can provide assessments to meet a wide range of needs in health care and developmental science."

In Science Journals | Science

At-home wearable measurements provide detailed growth charts of infant early gross motor development (no public access)

English for trippers: Salad is not solid

But solidifying, but not like a bolide!

Is a solid valid?

The Case for Talking to Strangers

I try to do this every day myself and as often as possible or when an occasion happens! One of benefits of a an open and free society!

You never know who you run into or what fascinating things you might learn from a stranger.

And do not discriminate or dismiss anyone immediately because of looks etc. unless there is e.g. a clear and present danger or a genuine lack of time on your part.

With the spread of smartphones, the incentives for talking to strangers has become more diminished in our society. What a tragedy!

Caveat: This is not an endorsement of this book.

"A Little More Social, University of Chicago professor Nicholas Epley’s book that can help repair our frayed civic fabric, opens with a hat story.

Riding a commuter train, Epley watches a woman in an elegant red hat take the last open seat beside him. Around them, passengers sit with “heads bowed in silence on the hunt for their own isolated acreage of solitude.” Then Epley says, “I love your hat.” She lights up. Thirty minutes of conversation follow — about families, jobs, and “how often we choose to ignore each other” in situations like this. ..."

"There is a paradox at the core of human life. We are a highly social species uniquely equipped to connect with other people and doing so is better for us. Yet we so often choose to be unsocial.

We avoid talking to the stranger who sits next to us. We struggle to move beyond small talk with an acquaintance. We are reluctant to express our gratitude to people we appreciate.

Every day, we avoid opportunities to connect with strangers, neighbors, colleagues, friends, and family. By missing those moments, we miss out on all the benefits of a more social life—one that is happier and healthier for everyone. ..."

The Case for Talking to Strangers | The Daily Economy "Nicholas Epley’s new book argues that small acts of connection build the trust and goodwill on which a free society depends."

Source

Increasing geographical trade with non-U.S. markets in China and India could significantly decrease Canada’s reliance on the U.S. Really!

How many times has this been demanded or tried in the past several decades! What is the definition of insanity? Just kidding!

The issue and awareness of the high economic dependence of Canada on the US goes back at least to the 1960s as far as I remember.

Caveat: I did not read neither the article nor the study.

Opportunities to Diversify Canada’s Trade | Fraser Institute

Upward Mobility Is a Better Measure of Justice Than Income Equality (example France)

Agreed, concurred! What about e.g. ease of opening and doing business or government regulations affecting labor market, real and financial assets, businesses etc.?

Caveat: I did not read the entire article.

"A free society should be judged less by who becomes wealthy than by how easily people can improve their circumstances under impartial rules. Who gets wealthy matters less than how.  ..."

Upward Mobility Is a Better Measure of Justice Than Income Equality | The Daily Economy

An investigation into a hidden gene-editing therapy death of a 6-year old girl in China

Food for thought! Is the Communist Party of the superpower China pushing the envelope too fast in an attempt to stay ahead or just negligent and careless about human lives like other communist parties before? Or was this only a singular, isolated  incident?

Why the rush for this therapy? Perhaps, there would have been even a better therapy available in the near future.

Caveat: I did not read the two articles in their entirety. One of the articles is very long.

"On 24 March 2025, physicians and scientists in China tried to help a 6-year-old girl whose brain wasn’t developing properly because of a genetic mutation. They infused into her spinal fluid trillions of viruses that carried instructions to assemble a so-called base editor customized to fix the faulty gene in her brain cells.

Her condition was not likely to be fatal, but it could bring lifelong disability and serious medical issues. So her parents turned to an academic team, who developed the base editor and showed them evidence that it worked in the brains of mice and monkeys. The parents were told the risks were modest and decided treating their daughter was worth the gamble.

The trial went tragically wrong, however, according to a Science and Retraction Watch investigation written by Brendan Borell. The child, whose parents asked that she be called Mei (Chinese for “beautiful”), developed a fever and then signs of kidney damage. She died within a week after being treated. ..."

"... Doctors hoped to repair that mistake while her brain was still building itself. It would be a clinical trial of one, funded in part by $860,000 the parents had scraped together from their own savings and from relatives. ...

The parents felt they were in good hands. Xinhua Hospital, which is affiliated with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, was acclaimed for its pediatrics department. ...

Although news that base editing saved “Baby KJ” would soon rocket around the world—Science named the feat one of the runners-up for its 2025 Breakthrough of the Year—the story of what happened at Xinhua Hospital has remained hidden. An entry for the study posted to ClinicalTrials.gov has not been updated for more than a year. And when Qiu and his colleagues published proof-of-concept animal studies related to the trial in Nature early this year, they stripped the paper of references to the family and its financial contributions ...

That vague language glossed over tragedy: Seven days after the girl’s medical team infused trillions of viruses carrying the recipe for the base editor into her spinal fluid, she died of a severe immune reaction linked to the therapy, Science and Retraction Watch can now reveal. ..."

Four takeaways from our investigation into a hidden gene-editing death | Science | AAAS "Girl’s death in China raises questions about the safety and cost of gene therapy, China’s biotech push, and scientific publishing practices"

A fatal reaction A cutting-edge gene-editing trial in China went disastrously wrong. A family wants accountability

Image of the day

English translation: The political political of German Chancellor Merz (CDU) is mocking him that he soon will fire/dismiss himself! 😊

Source

President Trump warns Putin the Terrible, Xi Jinping against selling weapons to Iran and participating in the Iran war on Truth Social

Serious stuff! Why did President Trump make this threat now public and via social media?

Caution: Will the US enter World War III with so far very coward European powers! I hope and pray, I am wrong! However, if history is any guide what used to be a local/regional war with limited scope/scale have a way or can easily escalate and expand far beyond.

See also my previous, related blog post here.

"President Donald Trump on Friday warned Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin against selling weapons to Iran amid its conflict with the U.S.

Active fighting resumed in recent weeks following the collapse of the ceasefire agreement.

"President Xi, at our recent meeting in Beijing, China, told me that he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell Weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran — And that statement included Chinese Companies," he posted on Truth Social. "Considering our relationship, I take him at his word and, besides, l am doing him very big favors, also."

"Likewise, President Putin, despite the horrible War going on in Ukraine (The relationship remains, as it does with President Zelenskyy), told me that he would not sell Weapons to Iran," he added. "He understands that I do not sell Weapons to Ukraine, but to NATO Countries. They pay full price, and how those Weapons are distributed, I have no idea. Therefore, two major Countries that people speak of often in terms of Iran are, in my opinion, not participating. If they did, it would be very bad for them — Certainly not in their best interests." ..."

From the president's post on Truth Social:

"President Xi, at our recent meeting in Beijing, China, told me that he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell Weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran — And that statement included Chinese Companies. Considering our relationship, I take him at his word and, besides, l am doing him very big favors, also.

Likewise, President Putin, despite the horrible War going on in Ukraine (The relationship remains, as it does with President Zelenskyy), told me that he would not sell Weapons to Iran. He understands that I do not sell Weapons to Ukraine, but to NATO Countries. They pay full price, and how those Weapons are distributed, I have no idea.

Therefore, two major Countries that people speak of often in terms of Iran are, in my opinion, not participating. If they did, it would be very bad for them — Certainly not in their best interests. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

Trump warns Putin, Xi against selling weapons to Iran | Just The News

President Trump's post on Truth Social

The NIH’s All of Us Database Expands into Multiomics, a landmark data release

Good news! This could be a game changer!

"Late last month [June 2026], the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced an expansion of the All of Us database. The United States created the All of Us research program to capture the diversity of the American population by building a comprehensive database to help solve the country’s health challenges through research.

The latest update expands the program’s database, which now includes health data from over 747,000 participants and adds, for the first time, multiomics information such as proteomics and RNA sequencing (RNAseq) data. ...

Over the last seven years, the All of Us database has expanded significantly. The latest update brings the number of EHRs close to 482,000 and makes health information from over 747,000 participants available to researchers. These data, in turn, provide an in-depth look at participants’ genomic information, including more than 1.3 billion genetic variants, 553,000 genotyping arrays, and 96,000 structural variant records ... 

Additionally, the new dataset now encompasses 600,000 physical measurements and survey responses from 747,000 participants, providing social, environmental, and behavioral information. ..."

"Today [6/30/2026], the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program made history, unveiling the world's largest integrated dataset that combines unparalleled genomic depth with real-world clinical and wearable data. More than 747,000 participants across all 50 states and territories have shared data, enabling the linkage of nearly 482,000 electronic health records connected to 535,000 whole genome sequences. ...

This release moves All of Us beyond sequencing and into the multiomics era, providing researchers with unmatched statistical power.

• Short-Read Whole Genome Sequencing: The short-read Whole Genome Sequencing has grown to include more than 535,000 participants.
• Overlapping Multiomics Cohort: Over 8,000 participants of diverse genetic ancestry now have fully overlapping multiomics data across three advanced modalities: long-read sequences (>14,000 total available), proteomics (nearly 10,000 total), and RNA-seq (nearly 9,000 total).
• Over 1.3 Billion Total Genetic Variants: Providing unparalleled resolution to map rare and common diseases.
• Advanced Analytical Capabilities: New built-in tools allow for efficient, standardized analyses of relatedness, phasing, pharmacogenomics, and newly debuted HLA and mtDNA analysis.
• Targeted Callsets: Includes deep-dives into the exome, ClinVar, AC/AF thresholds, and CMGR to drastically improve variant-calling accuracy.

...

Transformative Real-World Data: EHR, Wearables & Environment

All of Us dramatically expands the real-world data available to researchers. Clinical utility has scaled massively, bridging the gap between genetic codes and real-world diagnoses.

• 22% Growth in Electronic Health Record (EHR) Data: Strategic expansion of EHR data sources for growth in phenotypic data offerings with participant-mediated EHR data (58K participants) and HIE EHR data from CLAD (15K participants). Linked EHR have grown to nearly 482,000, now connected to 535,000 WGS samples.
• First-Ever Clinical Notes Release – an unprecedented depth in phenotyping: Registered researchers now have secure access to unstructured clinical text, with 96 million NLP-derived concept codes extracted from 9.5 million clinical notes across more than 99,000 participants using the CLAMP tool, all mapped to the OMOP standard vocabulary for seamless cross-referencing with genomic data.
• World's Largest Accessible Fitbit Dataset: Active tracking data is now available for 68,000 participants, with Apple HealthKit integration coming soon for an initial 20,000.
• New Sleep Data Tables: Three new Fitbit sleep tables add granular longitudinal insights, including daily sleep stage summaries (REM, light, deep, wake) for 62,000 participants, derived sleep log metrics, and micro-indicators of sleep fragmentation.
• Geospatial & Environmental Data: An upcoming release will integrate residential and geographic data linkages, enabling researchers to study air quality, neighborhood resources, and social determinants of health alongside genetics.

...

To date, nearly 23,000 registered researchers at institutions across every state have used the All of Us Researcher Workbench, producing over 1,400 peer-reviewed publications.

This secure cloud-accessible platform democratizes science, giving a researcher at a small community college or a high school student the exact same computational power and data access as a Nobel laureate at a coastal institution. That access has already led to:

• A first-of-its-kind genetic test predicting inherited risk across eight cardiovascular conditions.
• A low-cost prostate cancer risk model now in clinical trial with 5,000 Veterans.
• Researchers identifying existing medications and novel genetic changes that may help prevent Alzheimer's disease..
• Data showing that 8,000 to 9,000 daily steps are a meaningful protective threshold across multiple chronic conditions.

..."

The NIH’s All of Us Database Expands into Multiomics | The Scientist "With RNAseq and proteomics data from thousands of people, the database provides scientists with diverse precision health data on almost 750,000 people to power research."

The All of Us Research Program Enters the Multiomics Era with Landmark Data Release (original news release)

NIH All of us database

The Never-Ending Credit Crunch and great stagnation in the UK since the 2008-09 financial crisis

Recommendable! Will the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham make a difference?

Caveat: I did not read the entire briefing.

"[Findings]:

• The UK is now around 40 per cent poorer per person than the US, having been on course for near economic parity as recently as 2007. If it were a US state, the UK would be the poorest in the union, ranked below Mississippi.
• Britain has not always been outpaced by the US. Between 1955 and 2008, the UK experienced an annual trend rate of real growth per person of 2.3 per cent, slightly faster than the US at 2.1 per cent.
• After the Global Financial Crisis, the US suffered a drop in the level of economic activity but then essentially returned to trend growth. In contrast, the UK experienced both a sharp drop in the level of economic activity and a decline in the subsequent rate of economic growth.
• Austerity cannot explain the UK’s underperformance since the US pursued a similar policy over the same period.
• The real cause was post-2009 banking regulation, which required banks to substitute perceived low-risk lending to governments for lending to business.
• The effects of regulation fell disproportionately on the UK’s bank-dependent economy, and undermined lending to small and medium-sized businesses, inhibiting their ability to grow. The US was less affected due to its greater reliance on non-bank credit and the abundance of small banks subject to fewer regulatory requirements.
• Whereas US lending to non-financial businesses recovered by mid-2013, in the UK bank lending remains 15 per cent below its early 2008 level.

"

The Never-Ending Credit Crunch "Britain’s weak recovery from the 2008-09 financial crisis was caused by post-crisis banking regulation, not fiscal austerity or an inevitable feature of deep recessions, according to a new briefing from the Institute of Economic Affairs. The briefing, by Tyler Goodspeed, formerly Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, sets out the case that Britain’s slow recovery was a policy choice rather than a historical inevitability. ..."

China Has Quietly Accepted a Nuclear North Korea

A concerning development if confirmed!

Did China indeed relent to the evolving closer cooperation between two rogue states, i.e. Russia under Putin the Terrible and North Korea?

"Xi Jinping has made a consequential strategic choice. Faced with Kim Jong Un’s growing partnership with Vladimir Putin, Xi is rebuilding Chinese political and economic support for North Korea and abandoning the pretense that Beijing is seriously pursuing its denuclearization.

The result will not be a more restrained Kim. It will be a more dangerous one.

Kim is now positioned to draw military assistance and treaty protection from Russia while continuing to receive the trade, money and political backing that only China can provide. As his nuclear arsenal and conventional forces improve, he will have stronger incentives to take risks against South Korea and the United States. Most alarmingly, should China initiate a conflict over Taiwan, Kim could see an opportunity to exploit America’s distraction. ...

For years, Chinese officials claimed that Beijing wanted both stability and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. Stability was always the higher priority, but China at least supported denuclearization negotiations and some efforts to constrain North Korea’s weapons programs.

That policy is effectively over.

During Xi’s June 2026 visit to Pyongyang, the first by a Chinese leader in seven years, Xi  omitted any meaningful reference to denuclearization. Premier of North Korea Pak Thae-song met with Xi in early July, where Xi again did not mention denuclearization. The silence was striking.

These instances followed other notable omissions, including at the 2025 North Korea-China summit.

The last time a Chinese official explicitly called for North Korean denuclearization was in May 2024 at the South Korea-China-Japan trilateral summit.  Beijing has tacitly accepted North Korea as a permanent nuclear power, hoping that in exchange it will regain influence over Kim.

Xi’s shift reflects the emergence of Kim’s “Russia option.”

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine [in 2022], North Korea has become an important supplier of artillery ammunition, ballistic missiles and military personnel to Moscow. In return, Russia has offered Kim economic support, diplomatic protection, military cooperation and assistance with missiles, satellites, air defenses and other advanced capabilities. Their 2024 comprehensive strategic partnership treaty includes a mutual-assistance commitment. ..."

China Has Quietly Accepted a Nuclear North Korea | American Enterprise Institute - AEI

Protecting Women’s Sports in the US, Including competitive Dancing!

Food for thought!

"... Since 2023, the world’s largest Irish dance organization, An Coimisiún le Rinci Gaelacha (CLRG), together with the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America (IDTANA), has permitted a young man who identifies as female to compete in girls’ competitions. He now participates in the Girls Under 17 category at the regional, North American, and world levels. ...

Even after President Donald Trump’s executive order banned men from women’s sports, CLRG, as an Irish organization, claimed immunity from American law. As a woman who competed up to the World Championship level in Irish dance, one of the authors of this piece has personally witnessed, and taken part in, the widespread response against this injustice. ..."

Protecting All Women's Sports

Russia Suspends/cancels several Bond Auctions: Could Putin the Terrible Default?

Good news!

Since the Russian Slav(e)s are too apathetic and lethargic to get rid of the megalomaniac and warmonger Putin the Terrible, perhaps the capital markets can do the job!

(263) Russia Suspends Bond Auctions: Could Putin Default? - YouTube

How Ukraine Is Stopping 90% of Russia's Drones

Recommendable! Drone warfare up close!

(257) How Ukraine Is Stopping 90% of Russia's Drones | WSJ - YouTube

Whodini - Freaks Come Out at Night (Official Video)

Enjoy! Don't come out at night!

(257) Whodini - Freaks Come Out at Night (Official Video) - YouTube

LL COOL J - Around The Way Girl (Official Music Video)

Enjoy! Be cool!

(257) LL COOL J - Around The Way Girl (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Bell & James: Livin' It Up (Friday Night)

Enjoy! Some kind of voodoo! No way to fake it!

(257) Livin' It Up (Friday Night) - YouTube

Oscar Winner Jon Voight Recreates Ben Franklin's "Prayer Speech"

Very recommendable! Rarely in history was there ever such a meeting of great minds than in 1776 or in 1787 in Philadelphia!

(256) Oscar Winner Jon Voight Recreates Ben Franklin's "Prayer Speech" | The White House Founders Museum - YouTube

Has Japan's Debt Crisis Finally Arrived?

Recommendable!

(256) Has Japan's Debt Crisis Finally Arrived? - YouTube

Japan attempts to mine rare earths from Pacific seabed in drilling test

Good news! Rare earths are not rare!

"... The Japanese scientific drilling vessel, Chikyu, completed a month-long mission in February near Minamitori Island, about 1,900 kilometres southeast of Tokyo, marking the world's first successful attempt to continuously lift rare-earth-bearing seabed mud from depths of around six kilometres. ..."

Japan pulls rare earths from Pacific seabed in drilling test - Nikkei Asia (behind paywall) "Move marks potential step to reduce reliance on China-centric supply chain"

Japan to test rare-earth mining 6km underwater "Japan is seeking to curb dependence on China for the valuable minerals used in an array of high-tech products from missiles to wind turbines."

Japan finds high rare earth concentration in deepsea Pacific mud

Location of Minamitori Island (in red circle)Telim tor

With no Iran war end in sight, Germany pulls back two navy ships eyed for post-war Hormuz mission. Really!

This is what the coward European powers have been doing! The US will remember next time!

Had the European navies shown presence and determination by e.g. escorting commercial ships or by removing mines etc., the Iran war might have ended already with Iran in serious and credible peace negotiations!

"The German government is pulling back two navy ships from the Gulf of Aden sent there weeks ago on stand-by to support an eventual post-war [???] Strait of Hormuz security mission, as hope is fading in Berlin that the conflict in Iran will end anytime soon.

Defense leaders ordered the mine hunter Fulda and the support vessel Mosel to redeploy from Djibouti, a European and international naval hub at the southern mouth of the Red Sea, to the eastern Mediterranean, the Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday. The ships and crew will hold there and await further instructions about whether an international Hormuz mission will come to pass at all. ..."

With no Iran war end in sight, Germany pulls back two navy ships eyed for Hormuz mission

Merz bildet die Regierung um – und alles wird noch schlechter

Neue Schlagzeilen aus der Bananenrepublik D!

"... Daher verlieren die Bürger zu recht immer stärker das Vertrauen in die und die Geduld mit den dysfunktionalen Eliten. In einer Demokratie würden sich nun die Wähler der Opposition zuwenden. Wenn die Sozialisten versagen, wählt man eben die Liberalen oder die Konservativen. Doch Liberale und Konservative gibt es nicht hinter der Brandmauer, auch keine liberalen und konservativen Parteien. Die Union hat brav in der Mitte zwischen den Roten und den Grünen Platz genommen. In Deutschland kann man nur noch zwischen links oder rechts wählen, wenn man bald überhaupt noch wählen kann. ..."

Merz bildet die Regierung um – und alles wird noch schlechter "Friedrich Merz verkauft die erzwungene Regierungsumbildung als Aufbruch. Doch er tauscht nur Versager gegen Ja-Sager und Unterwürfige. Das zeigt etwa die Berufung von Philipp Amthor zum Staatsminister als Belohnung für eifriges Beklatschen des Kanzlers. Fazit: neue Posten, alte Politik – und die Gewissheit, dass alles noch schlimmer wird."

New US Tariffs on 60 countries, Including in Europe and China, for goods produced with forced labor inspired by US Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh's dissent

Good news! A very interesting angle to impose import tariffs! 

Will President Trump try to go down in history as an abolitionist? Way to go!

How serious is modern slavery or indentured servitude or similar arrangements/conditions around the world even today at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century?

Caveat: I am not familiar with the details of President Trump's latest imposition of tariffs.

"... Trump imposed the latest tariffs, ranging from 10-12.5 percent, under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. They follow an investigation under Section 301 finding failure to prevent the importation of goods as a result of forced labor in the respective countries.

Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 is one of the pathways forward that Kavanaugh highlighted in the dissent when the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s worldwide International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which he imposed on April 2, 2025. ..."

"Today, Ambassador Jamieson Greer is taking final action, at President Trump’s direction, under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 by imposing tariffs on 60 economies for their failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.  Today’s action comes after the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) investigations, which included two rounds of public hearings, more than 2,100 public comments, and engagement with our trading partners to remedy these longstanding concerns.

“President Trump recognizes that decades of moral suasion have not eradicated forced labor from global supply chains.  The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” said Ambassador Greer.  “Today’s action will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere.  I am encouraged by the trading partners who have moved quickly to adopt forced labor import prohibitions, and look forward to ensuring their effective enforcement.” ..."

U.S. Tariffs 60 Trading Partners, Including Europe and China, for Slave Labor Product Imports "United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer on Thursday announced “tariffs on 60 economies for their failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.”"

Trump’s Tariffs on 60 Countries Adopt Method Justice Brett Kavanaugh Laid Out in SCOTUS Ruling "The tariffs that President Donald Trump imposed on 60 countries Thursday night utilize one of the mechanisms that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh laid out in the dissent of February’s Supreme Court ruling striking down Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs."

USTR Takes Action in Forced Labor Section 301 Investigations (original government news release)

Trump's Newest Tariffs Are Likely Illegal Too (a critical voice) "The Section 301 tariffs announced on Thursday overstep the powers granted by Congress and likely run afoul of the major questions doctrine."

Over 140 U.S. living billionaires are immigrants. Only 9 live in Texas.

Texas Governor Abbott is not doing enough to attract billionaires? Just kidding!

"... There were 144 foreign-born billionaires living in the United States in 2026, worth more than $2.2 trillion collectively, Forbes found, compared with 125 immigrant billionaires in 2025 and 92 in 2022. ..."

"... For the second straight year, India is the birthplace of the most immigrant billionaires, with a record 19. That’s up from 12 a year ago thanks to new entrants including venture capitalist Hemant Taneja, semiconductor firm Astera Labs’ cofounders Sanjay Gajendra and Jitendra Mohan, and Palantir's chief technology officer, Shyam Sankar. It’s the only country, in fact, that produced more than one newcomer this year, on top of welcoming five last year. Israel and Taiwan once again follow with 11 apiece. ..."

The richest immigrant billionaires in Texas, according to Forbes

Houston Chronicle

Forbes America’s Richest Immigrants 2026

Evolving Markets Drove the Remote Work Revolution in the US

Recommendable! Good news!

"Back in 2020 ... “The dramatic rise in telework amid the pandemic is a radical experiment, but its effects will be long-lasting.” ... Rates of full-time, in-office work plummeted during the pandemic, and while many employers have since shifted from fully remote work to hybrid work schedules, hybrid work levels have remained stable since 2022.

In 2025, 78% of full-time remote-capable U.S. employees are either hybrid or fully remote, with hybrid as the most common arrangement. ...

The most common arrangement sees workers commute two days a week and work remotely the other three. Most workers appreciate the flexibility, with a mere 6% of remote-capable workers saying they prefer to work on-site full-time.

An analysis from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that across industries, the rise in remote work and total factor productivity growth may be positively correlated, and many employees report higher productivity at home. Some research also suggests that hybrid and fully remote work may have positive effects on individual employee productivity, satisfaction, and physical health, as well as employee retention. ..."

Evolving Markets Drove the Remote Work Revolution "Free choices—not mandates—have made flexible work a lasting reality."

On Homer’s The Odyssey movie 2026

I did not yet watch the movie!

Lot's of criticism has been published so far about this movie claiming it is woke, infested with/motivated by DEI ideology etc.

If this movie can inspire many viewers to become more interested in the fascinating history of Ancient Greece, its philosophers (e.g. Socrates), stories, wisdom and achievements etc., then this would be really great!

How to Make an Invisible Drone - Computational design generates a spinning drone that’s nearly transparent

Amazing stuff! There was something buzzing over my head yesterday! Just kidding!

"By exploiting the quirks of human vision, Northwestern University engineers have designed a drone that nearly disappears right before the eyes.

For years, researchers have tried to design invisible drones and robots using camouflage, transparent materials or light-bending optical systems. But the Northwestern team instead used a concept called “motion blur” — the same effect that makes fast-spinning fans and propellers seem to disappear.

Called the “Phantom Twist,” the drone spins up to 25 times per second, which is too fast for the human eye to see clearly. While it isn’t completely invisible, it morphs into a ghostly smudge that seamlessly blends into the background. The work eventually could lead to drones that monitor wildlife, survey the environment and inspect infrastructure with less visual disruption. ..."

From the abstract:

"We introduce Phantom Twist, a type of single-propeller UAV designed to achieve low visibility through high-speed spinning and the exploitation of motion blur.

We develop a two-stage automated design pipeline that optimizes the placement of functional components including batteries, control PCB, motor-propeller assembly, and counterweights. The pipeline minimizes visibility as measured by a human-aligned perceptual metric (LPIPS) while strictly satisfying inertial and aerodynamic constraints required for stable flight.

We validate this approach through fabrication and flight testing of multiple prototypes. These tests confirm that our pipeline produces stable, controllable designs and that the optimized UAV exhibits significantly reduced visual perceptibility compared to conventional quadcopters."

AI Design Makes a Wild Invisible Spinning Drone - IEEE Spectrum "Computational design generates a spinning drone that’s nearly transparent"

New spinning drone hides in plain sight (original news release)

Computational Design of a Low-Visibility UAV Using a Human-Aligned Perceptual Metric (conference oral presentation paper)

Phantom Twist’s spinning flight makes it nearly transparent

FBI seized more than 700 illegal drones during FIFA World Cup games near venues

Food for thought! This is only the beginning of the application of drones for civilian purposes!

How crowded with drones will the low altitude airspace get in the near future?

I think, I just saw two drones flying near by our home. Just kidding!

FBI seized more than 700 illegal drones during FIFA World Cup games "The bureau had detected more than 1,600 drones attempting to enter the federal government’s no-drone zones surrounding each venue"

Credits: IEEE USA Smartbrief

US Department of Homeland Security Fines 103K Illegal Migrants a Total of $84 Billion or almost $1,000 per day for illegal presence

Good news! Mind boggling! Serious stuff!

"The project has grown rapidly since April, when the department had levied fines against at least 65,000 migrants for at least $36 billion. The fines are set at almost $1,000 per day of illegal presence. ...

The fines are part of the multifaceted campaign by President Donald Trump to implement the deportation mandate he was given in November 2024.

The forced departure of economic migrants will help younger Americans win higher wages and cheaper rents and will pressure politicians and elites to sympathize with ordinary Americans instead of with employers and migrants. ..."

"... The Trump administration is aggressively deploying a potent tool to pressure undocumented immigrants [???] into self-deporting — civil fines that can total as much as $1.8 million.

More than 100,000 people have received letters from the Homeland Security Department informing them that they owe $998 for each day that they have stayed in the United States after an immigration judge has ruled they have no legal right to remain in the country.

Fines for failing to heed a “removal” order have been permitted since the passage of immigration legislation in 1996. Until President Trump, however, no commander in chief had imposed such penalties. The effort to do so in his first term ran into logistical obstacles and never gained traction. ..."

DHS Fines 103K Illegal Migrants a Total of $84 Billion

Trump Administration Pressures Some Immigrants to Self-Deport With Fines Up to $1.8 Million (behind paywall)

US Representative Jim Jordan refers former special counsel Jack Smith to the Department of Justice

Good news! Bravo!

When I first saw his face after Jack Smith was appointed in November 2022 as Special Counsel I thought to myself immediately where did they find this crook like looking guy!

If I remember correctly his curriculum vitae was also not very impressive back then!

Rep. Jim Jordan refers former special council Jack Smith to DOJ - Breitbart

Jack Smith

Petition Calls on new UK PM to Reinstate Margaret Thatcher Portrait to 10 Downing Street

Good news! Bravo! I second to that wholeheartedly!

This is the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham's chance/opportunity to indicate he is different and better than his predecessors!

Which fools of British Prime Ministers ever took down or left this portrait removed!

You may disagree with the Iron Lady, but she was one of the best British Prime Ministers since 1945 and definitely in my lifetime so far! What she together with US President Ronald Reagan and the Polish Pope John Paul II accomplished is for the ages! Rarely there is such a meeting of great minds in history!

Petition Calls on PM to Reinstate Thatcher Portrait to 10 Downing Street "The left-wing Labour Party government in Britain should reinstate the public portrait of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to its place in 10 Downing Street, a petition has demanded."

Source: Richard Stone, royal portrait painter

Nuns sue New York for requiring them to share 'benefits' of suicide with patients, as Department of Justice watches

Headline of the day! Bravo! Don't mess with the nuns!

"Democratic administrations and deep-blue states have repeatedly threatened nuns for following the dictates of their Catholic faith, such as by excluding contraception from their healthcare plans and segregating male and female patients in long-term care facilities.

Perhaps the most active antagonist to religious sisters will now impose "crippling fines, professional sanctions, and criminal penalties" on them for refusing to goad terminally ill patients into killing themselves, according to their lawyers.

Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict, Little Sisters of the Poor, Diocese of Rockville Centre and its Bishop John Barres, and the orders whose hospitals became Catholic Health are seeking a preliminary injunction against New York's Medical Aid in Dying Act, scheduled to take effect Aug. 5. ..."

Nuns sue New York for requiring them to share 'benefits' of suicide with patients, as DOJ watches | Just The News "Medical Aid in Dying Act goes even further than assisted suicide regimes on West Coast, Australia and New Zealand, drastically limits exemptions, could require medical professionals to falsify death certificates, nuns tell court."

Catholic nuns sue New York to block law forcing them to assist in patient suicides "New mandate threatens fines & jail time for healthcare providers who refuse to help patients kill themselves."

FBI Director Kash Patel returns looted artifacts to Indonesian president during overseas trip

Good news! Amazing stuff!

"FBI Director Kash Patel this week returned looted cultural artifacts from Indonesia's Papua region to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto while on an overseas trip to the country.

Indonesian officials told reporters that the handover took place Wednesday at Subianto’s residence in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. The return was part of an ongoing effort to recover and return cultural artifacts.

“Besides our official discussions, Patel also brought Indonesian cultural artifacts as part of cooperation between the Indonesian government, through the Culture Ministry, and the FBI to return cultural objects that had been illegally smuggled into the United States,” Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon told reporters after the meeting.

The items included stone axe heads and ceremonial objects traced to the Dani, Asmat and Sentani tribes, which Zon claimed hold immense historical and cultural value for Indonesia, according to Antara News in Indonesia.

The foreign minister noted that the FBI has been working with the country on its repatriation efforts and previously helped recover bronze statues and objects from several other cultural sites. ..."

Patel returns looted artifacts to Indonesian president during overseas trip | Just The News "Indonesian officials told reporters that the handover took place Wednesday at Subianto’s residence in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. The return was part of an ongoing effort to recover and return cultural artifacts."

Source

US–Saudi Nuclear Deal Explained: A Strategic Partnership or a Regional Risk?

Good news! When will Saudi Arabia sign the Abraham Accords?

US–Saudi Nuclear Deal Explained: A Strategic Partnership or a Regional Risk? | India Global Review - YouTube

Greatest Love Of All Live in Perth, Australia 1988 | Whitney Houston

Enjoy!

(1800) Rare! ‘Greatest Love Of All’ Live in Perth, Australia 1988 | Whitney Houston - YouTube

Earth, Wind & Fire - Sing a Song (Live)

Enjoy!

(1799) Earth, Wind & Fire - Sing a Song (Live) - YouTube

Change: A Lovers Holiday (Alternate Version)

Enjoy!

(1798) A Lovers Holiday (Alternate Version) - YouTube

Why Iran Isn't Attacking Saudi Arabia or the UAE In The Latest Escalation

Recommendable!

(1798) Why Iran Isn't Attacking Saudi Arabia or the UAE In The Latest Escalation | Vantage on Firstpost |4K - YouTube

UAE & Saudi Signal Unity: Are The Gulf's Power Duo Uniting Amid Iran War

Good news!

(1796) UAE & Saudi Signal Unity: Are The Gulf's Power Duo Uniting Amid Iran War | Firstpost America | N18G - YouTube

US Deploys 'Dark Eagle' Hypersonic Missile in China's Range For First Time

Good news! Is the US finally catching up with China and Russia regarding hypersonic missiles?

The Dark Eagle meets the Guam Killer!

Is a reprise of the next Cold War coming? Better study the The Art of War by Sun Tzu!

(1794) US Deploys 'Dark Eagle' Hypersonic Missile in China's Range For First Time |Vantage on Firstpost |4K - YouTube

Why Are These Traditional Saudi Arabian Dresses (Najdi thobes) So Huge and sumptuous?

Very recommendable!

(1792) Why Are These Traditional Saudi Arabian Dresses So Huge? - YouTube

US government says Iran-linked hackers are actively disrupting American water and energy providers

Concerning news! Serious stuff! Will the war with Iran further escalate and expand? See also my blog post here.

"The U.S. government is warning that Iranian state-backed hackers are actively breaking in and disrupting industrial control systems at American water and energy providers. This new alert comes months after federal agencies warned of an escalation in hacking from Iranian actors amid the ongoing war.

In an advisory updated Wednesday, the FBI, the NSA, the Department of Energy, and CISA said Iranian hackers were targeting programmable logic controllers on internet-connected operational networks, allowing them to manipulate data on their displays, causing outages and disruption.

The Iranian hackers were initially discovered earlier this year to be targeting controllers made by Rockwell, but the advisory has now expanded the types of industrial control systems under attack to include products from Schneider Electric and Siemens. ..."

US government says Iran-linked hackers are disrupting American water and energy providers | TechCrunch

Chart of the day

Fig. 1: Timeline of foundational discoveries in T cell biology and milestones in CAR T cell engineering.

Source: Nature Briefing: Cancer

US deploys B-1 bomber to strike Iran for first time since war resumed

President Trump is getting serious again! See also my recent, cautionary  blog post here.

It appears the UK is finally supporting the US in this war against Iran.

"... The first strike using the bomber was conducted on Tuesday.

An Axios report published earlier on Thursday noted that the deployed B-1 began its mission from a base in the UK. ... This comes shortly after Bloomberg News reported that newly sworn-in British Prime Minister Andy Burnham approved the use of British bases for attacks by the United States against Iran. ...

The US conducted several B-1 missions between February and April during Operation Epic Fury, hitting missile bases, command centers, weapons storage facilities, and air defense systems. ..."

US deploys B-1 bomber to strike Iran for first time since war resumed | The Jerusalem Post "Using B-1 bombers, which can carry two dozen 2,000-lb. bombs or dozens of cruise missiles, signaled a significant escalation and expansion of the US military campaign, per Axios."

Source

Greece approves $4b Israel air defense procurement

Good news! Osman Sultan Erdogan is probably not very happy about that (hint: e.g. Cyprus)!

"Greece’s National Security Council (KYSEA) today approved an historic deal to procure a multi-layered air defense system from Israel for €3.5 billion ($4 billion). "Reuters" reports that the deal will also include unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Israeli air defense systems that Greece is procuring includes Rafael's David's Sling in the long range tier, Israel Aerospace Industries Barak MX in the medium range tier, and Rafael's Spyder in the short range tier. ..."

Greece approves $4b Israel air defense procurement - Globes "The deal for multi-layered air defense systems surpasses Israel’s previous record $3.5 billion sale of Arrow missiles to Germany in 2023."

Analysis: Strikes on several Wildberries (Russia's Amazon) warehouses: What Is Ukraine Trying to Achieve and Why Is It So Painful for Russia?

Recommendable!

Caveat: I did not read the entire article!

"Ukraine has destroyed two more large warehouses belonging to Russia’s biggest marketplace retailer, Wildberries.

This time, warehouses in southern Russia – near Krasnodar and in Stavropol Krai – were set ablaze.

Previously, the company’s largest warehouses, located near Moscow (in Elektrostal) and in Tambov Region, had already been destroyed. ...

Not quite a civilian marketplace

Russian business leaders and government officials portray Wildberries as an exclusively civilian retailer.

However, this is not the case. The marketplace offers a large number of dual-use goods, including drones.

For example, a search for the word “drone” returns a large selection of DJI Mavic 3 and Mavic 4 drones, which are widely used on the battlefield. 

More than that, the platform openly sells quadcopters explicitly labeled as first-person view (FPV). They have become the primary strike weapon for both sides in the war. ...

Moreover, much of the military-related merchandise is hidden within seemingly civilian categories such as “Auto Parts” or “Electronics.”

For example, one can openly purchase drone bomb-release mechanisms or payload retention systems – equipment designed to carry and release explosives from drones. Wildberries sells them without restriction, complete with technical specifications. ..."

Analysis: Strikes on Wildberries: What Is Ukraine Trying to Achieve and Why Is It So Painful for Russia? "In brief: Ukraine has destroyed several more warehouses belonging to Wildberries, one of Russia’s largest retail businesses. The attacks have dealt a serious blow to Russia’s small and medium-sized businesses. But what lies behind Ukraine’s strikes?"

Just dismissed Ukrainian Defense Minister Fedorov Turns Down Zelensky’s Offer to Become ‘Deputy PM for Military Innovations’

If Mykhailo Fedorov (age 35,  Minister of Defence of Ukraine from January 2026 to July 2026) was the right man for the job, Zelensky ought to bring him back as defense minister.

"... Fedorov became the defense minister in January after his previous role as digital transformation minister, with his brief, six-month tenure at the defense ministry coinciding with the removal of Starlink for Russian troops and Kyiv’s intensified drone campaign against Russian oil and logistics.

In early July, Ukraine’s General Staff estimated that 43% of Russian oil refining capacity was crippled by Ukrainian strikes. ..."

Fedorov Turns Down Zelensky’s Offer to Become ‘Deputy PM for Military Innovations’ "In brief: The former defense minister wrote in a written response that he would accept no other position than his former post, saying it’s the only way for him to fulfill his plans to reform the military and contribute to Ukraine’s victory against Russia’s invasion."

Ukraine's Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov reacts during a joint press conference with Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (unseen) in Kyiv on May 11, 2026

Chemical recycling plants closing in EU and US

Bad news! More research is certainly needed to find better and cheaper ways to recycle plastics or find better substitutes for plastics!

Is this article possibly spreading alarmism and hysteria?

"The nascent chemical recycling industry – in which plastics are broken down into oils or constituent monomers to be remade into new materials – is contracting across Europe and the US as recyclers call for policy stability to make the industry investable.

Recent closures, postponements or project cancellations ‘reflect the broader structural crisis facing the whole of Europe’s plastics recycling industry (both mechanical and chemical),’ says Maria Vera Duran, policy director at industry body Recycling Europe. ..."

Chemical recycling plants closing in EU and US | Business | Chemistry World (behind paywall) "Firms aiming to break down and re-make plastics are struggling with economic feasibility and environmental impact"