“A federal judge in Georgia has apologized to a former law clerk for ‘harmful, offensive, and unprofessional behavior’ amid allegations she had engaged in sexual activity with a high-ranking uniformed police officer in her office during working hours and within earshot of staff. The apology comes as two House Republicans from Georgia have filed articles of impeachment for U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross. ‘You deserved better than to have your experience marred by my own offensive conflict,’ Ross, who serves in the Northern District of Georgia, wrote in a letter last week, adding that her ‘actions were patently wrong, and there is no excuse’, and her previous letter to the clerk was ‘entirely deficient, as I did not take full accountability for my actions, and I failed to give you the apology that you deserve.'” (06/15/26)
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has elevated a recall of Alfredo sauce distributed in 41 states to its most serious classification after they say a supplier flagged an ingredient for possible Salmonella contamination. According to the FDA notice, Tennessee-based The Coffee Connexion Co. Inc. voluntarily recalled the product on May 6 because it contains a dry milk powder ingredient that was recalled by the supplier due to potential Salmonella contamination.” (06/14/26)
“Britain will ban under-16s from using a range of social media apps, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday, calling it ‘a big moment for our country.’ Starmer told a news conference that he will fight back if technology companies resist the move, intended to [grandstand on the fantasy of ‘protecting’] children from harmful content and excessive screen time. He said he is ‘not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children.’ The move makes the U.K. part of growing global movement to tighten online safety for children. Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access to social media. France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are among others studying or developing similar approaches.” (06/15/26)
“Media giant Fox is buying streaming firm Roku in a deal the companies say will create the third largest player in US TV by share of viewing. Fox’s move is being seen as a bet that combining streaming with its news and sport offering will leave it in a strong position as TV audiences move online. The offer of $160 per share, made up of cash and stock, values Roku at $22bn (£16bn). ‘This is a defining moment for Fox, and a natural extension of the deliberate and focused strategy we have been executing for nearly a decade,’ said Fox chief executive Lachlan Murdoch. ‘In 2019, we reoriented the company around live news and sports. In 2020, we acquired Tubi and under our stewardship it has become one of the most successful businesses in streaming.'” [editor’s note: As a long-time Roku device owner/subscriber, I hope Fox doesn’t ruin the service – TLK] (06/15/26)
“Four tons of invasive Burmese pythons were removed from South Florida ecosystems during the latest breeding season, setting a record for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. The achievement marks a new milestone in the fight against the giant snakes, which are considered one of the greatest threats to the Everglades ecosystem because of their ability to prey on mammals, birds and other native wildlife. The Conservancy said it removed more python biomass this season than at any point since launching its research and removal program in 2013. … the team captured 177 invasive Burmese pythons with a combined weight of 8,080 pounds.” (06/14/26)
“A group of Democratic senators and one Republican, as well as two Democratic House committees, sent letters Monday to the National Science Foundation asking it to reverse course on its plan to dismantle a sprawling ocean monitoring network, with House lawmakers going further and accusing the agency of acting illegally. The Ocean Observatories Initiative is a network of more than 900 ocean sensors built at a cost of $386 million. Over the last decade it has tracked ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, climate change and extreme weather, producing data freely available to the public and informing more than 500 scientific publications. The project was slated to run another 15 to 20 years. The National Science Foundation had directed the removal of most of the system’s instruments from waters off Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina and Greenland by 2027 — a decision scientists said came with no warning and no scientific review.” (06/15/26)
“An Oslo district court has sentenced Marius Borg Hoiby, the stepson of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon, to four years in prison for rape and other crimes. Hoiby, 29, became part of the royal family when his mother, Mette-Marit, married Haakon in 2001. The court convicted Hoiby of two counts of rape as well as domestic violence against his former partner Nora Haukland and narcotics offences. He was acquitted on two separate rape counts with judges finding insufficient proof that the encounters were nonconsensual. One of the rapes he was convicted of took place in the basement of the crown prince’s official Skaugum residence. While denying the rape charges, Hoiby had pleaded guilty to domestic abuse and transporting 3.5kg (7.7lb) of marijuana in 2020.” (06/15/26)
“Four people were killed while the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, a symbol of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural history, caught fire, in the heaviest Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital in two weeks, authorities said on Monday. The fresh strikes came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday he had spoken to U.S. President Donald Trump and discussed efforts to achieve an end to the more than four-year conflict, ahead of a G7 meeting in France this week. … Four emergency service rescuers and one municipal official were killed and at least another five injured after a second Russian strike hit Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram, with three people, including a child, wounded in Sumy, according to social media posts by local authorities.” (06/15/26)
“Iran and the United States have agreed to a memorandum of understanding to end more than 100 days of war, with Tehran saying the agreement includes Lebanon, which has been under intense Israeli attacks since March 2. Mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, the deal will be formally signed in the Swiss city of Geneva on Friday. … According to the Iranian news agency Mehr, the draft agreement contains 14 points. It includes: A permanent and immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon; the complete lifting of the naval blockade within 30 days; a US commitment to withdraw its forces from around Iran; and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The draft also mentions the suspension of sanctions on oil sales, reaching a final agreement on nuclear issues within 60 days of signing the deal, and the release of $24bn in frozen Iranian assets during the 60-day negotiation period.” (06/15/26)
“A first-of-its-kind law in New York could force 3D printers sold for homes and business to come equipped with technology blocking them from making guns. The new requirement, also under consideration in California, attempts to thwart the latest technique for producing untraceable ‘ghost guns’ that have turned up in crimes. … A New York law signed last month and a bill in the California Legislature both would direct panels of experts to come up with standards for firearm blueprint detection algorithms. The technology would analyze every design submitted for 3D printing, compare it to a digital library of firearm parts and reject those that are similar.” [editor’s note: If the idea wasn’t so irredeemably evil, it would be kind of funny to watch them fantasize about their ability to implement it – TLK] (06/14/26)
