A newly-leaked Labour Together report shows that the Starmeroid sabotage group continued to monitor the Canary for years after trying to destroy it. And, Skwawkbox was monitored too - although the geniuses at the shady group failed to spell it correctly. One thing is very clear: Labour Together have been running scared of journalists reporting on their connections and movements.

Evidently, any attention on what they got up to in pursuit of their aims - and how they funded it - clearly made Morgan McSweeney and company fearful of discovery. This is flagged in the preamble of the leaked report, which says that:

recent articles and blog posts…have contained more information than ever before, raising questions and concerns about the sources of the information.

The Morgan McSweeney faction's frank terror of left media, especially the Canary, was well and truly exposed in Paul Holden's excellent book The Fraud. That fear triggered McSweeney and his partner in crime Imran Ahmed to try to "destroy" the Canary.

The faction's fear of left media clearly didn't stop when the propaganda groups they set up managed to topple Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader by sabotaging the 2019 general election - and came close to forcing the Canary to close.

McSweeney resigned in early February 2026 as Keir Starmer's chief of staff after years - as Holden exposed - of running covert campaigns against the left and its media. The immediate cause of his resignation was McSweeney's closeness to disgraced string-puller Peter Mandelson. It was a doomed attempt to protect McSweeney's boss Keir Starmer - but the scandals have just kept on oozing out ever since.

This week, Rupert Murdoch's Times 'broke' the news that McSweeney's outfit Labour Together paid tens of thousands to private investigators to spy on two Times hacks. It wasn't breaking; it wasn't even news. The Canary and others had already reported on it - and had reported six months earlier on Labour Together's spying on a number of left-wing journalists, as well as on author Paul Holden and former Mandela minister Andrew Feinstein.

The newly-leaked report shows just how much Labour Together was discomfited by what the Canary and others were digging up. The memo begins with some anxiety over who is watching their every move:

For both left- and right-wing influencers, Labour Together and CCDH sit at the centre of a nexus of conspiracy theories that involve government attempts to suppress free speech, increasing state censorship, the sabotaging of left- and right-wing leaders, and pro-Israel advocacy, among many other accusations.

Conspiracy theories? What is it about the Canary and other independent journalists that so bothers Labour Together? Perhaps that we're not in the pockets of billionaires or politicians, and actually report the truth as we find it?

The memo also confirms that the McSweeney group continued to monitor the Canary - with particular attention to how it exposed Imran Ahmed's sock-puppet groups. This was going on long before Holden's book was published, though Holden features too:

The report was prepared for Labour Together in December 2023, marked "Strictly Private and Confidential". Oh well. After introducing the Canary as one of the main outlets paying attention to Labour Together's actions from the start of Starmer's diseased tenure as Labour leader, and to Labour Together's links with the Israel lobby, it then turns to the exposure of McSweeney and Ahmed's shamelessly named fake-news campaigns [emphases added]:

December 2020: The far-left website The Canary published an article which focused on the Stop Funding Fake News campaign following its successful campaign urging corporations to stop advertising on The Canary website.

The article focused on the connection between SFFN and Morgan McSweeny [sic]. McSweeney was identified as one of the directors, alongside Imran Ahmed, and as Keir Starmer MP's Chief of Staff at the time. The article noted celebrity Rachel Riley's support for both SFFN and the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).

The article accused CCDH of being linked to a "number of figures on the Labour right" and suggested that McSweeney and Ahmed had been operating both campaigns for longer than the organisations were "willing to admit".

Labour Together is briefly mentioned as an organisation that shares its address with CCDH and is accused of being a grouping of Blue Labour and Labour Right figures - including Lisa Nandy at the time.

Like McSweeney, Imran Ahmed is one of the most shadowy figures on the Labour right. Initially a staffer for right-wing Labour horror Angela Eagle and desperate to protect Eagle from deselection by angry party members, Ahmed was at the centre of fake claims that left-wingers threw a brick through Eagle's office window. The whole thing was made up. The window was not Eagle's. There was never any evidence the left had anything to do with it. There was never even a brick. But following a pattern that was soon to become characteristic of Labour Together's operations, the corporate and state press were more than happy to amplify the false claims fed to them.

Ahmed then went on to co-found the Orwellian smear factory 'Stop Funding Fake News' (SFFN) to target the Canary. When that was no longer needed, SFFN morphed into the equally misnamed 'Centre for Countering Digital Hate' (CCDH). Ahmed moved to the US and touted CCDH's services to the anonymous wealthy and powerful to attack their opponents using similar tactics to those used against the Canary. He also specifically courted Israel and its donors, eager to target Palestine and the anti-genocide movement. Author Paul Thacker has accused Ahmed of working with or for UK intelligence services.

Given Ahmed's links to nefarious groups and his closeness to McSweeney, it's clear - and no surprise - that any scrutiny was unwelcome.

The Canary features numerous times in the memo, each time as a thorn in the McSweeney-Ahmed axis's side. In each case, the information exposed by our journalists about Labour Together's activities and personnel has subsequently been proven to be true, particularly by Holden's book, which was serialised by the Canary in the autumn of 2025.

When Jeremy Corbyn was still leader of the Labour party and the left media were central to his prospects of success, Morgan McSweeney told his fellow saboteurs, "kill the Canary before the Canary kills us". They came close, but they are now disgraced relics while the Canary is thriving more than ever. And, for good measure, so is Sk(w)awkbox.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

The Church of England should speak out and call on the prime minister to stop Rosebank. That's the demand from Christian Climate Action (CCA). The group held a 'die-in' outside St Paul's Cathedral on 18 February, which was Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.

Ministers also used symbolic 'oil' instead of traditional ash to anoint activists with the sign of the cross as part of the peaceful vigil.

CCA has also written to the archbishops of Canterbury and York calling for their support in urging the government to refuse permission for the Rosebank oil field in the North Sea, stating:

As part of our Stop Crucifying Creation campaign, CCA is urging the Church of England to be a prophetic voice in this existential crisis and speak out against the fossil fuel companies that are driving the Climate Emergency.

Rev James Grote explained:

Climate change is crucifying creation through flood and drought, heat and storms. We must speak up with those who are suffering the loss of everything in our one and only planet.

If we are to continue to live in hope we have to act now, move away from fossil fuels, call out the oil and gas giants and stop Rosebank. The UK government must give us hope.

On Ash Wednesday, they held a 'die-in' where protesters shrouded themselves under white sheets, with banner messages that included "Don't Crucify Creation" and "Stop Rosebank," at the foot of the steps to the main entrance of St Paul's Cathedral.

Rev Helen Burnett said:

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, which is the season of repentance and reflection. A time when Christians consider their commitment to living within the limits of the gospel which frees us to live in ways that bring justice and peace.

That's why we have chosen today to urge the Church to speak out against fossil fuel extraction and here in the UK that means stopping the Rosebank oil field from being developed.

The Church of England can 'Speak Truth to Power' and be a prophetic voice on climate, calling out oil and gas companies and government inaction on the climate and nature crisis.

Rosebank, the UK's largest undeveloped oil field, is back on the government's desk. It received approval in 2023, before Scottish courts ruled it unlawful. Norwegian state oil company Equinor reapplied for drilling permission in September 2025.

Following the completion of the Adura joint venture deal between Equinor and Shell in December, Adura has now assumed majority ownership of the field.

An application to develop Rosebank has been resubmitted, which will now be subject to the government's new climate test. This requires oil firms to account for the climate impact of burning the oil and gas they plan to extract.

Stop Rosebank campaigner Lauren MacDonald said:

We cannot open new North Sea oil and gas projects if we are to stay within the 1.5ºc threshold set out in the Paris Agreement, to which the UK is a signatory. In fact, Rosebank's vast CO2 emissions from burning oil and gas, would equate to what more than 700 million people living in the world's poorest countries produce in a year.

It's simply not possible to drill at Rosebank and uphold our climate commitments.

Not only this, Rosebank is a very bad deal for the UK. It won't lower bills and will do almost nothing to boost energy security, given that most of it is oil destined for export. It could also lead to a net loss to the Treasury of hundreds of millions of pounds, thanks to the enormous tax breaks for new drilling in the UK.

It is fantastic to see activists such as Christian Climate Action taking this issue to the highest level. It demonstrates how the Stop Rosebank campaign brings people from all walks of life together in unity and hope to save our planet.

Featured image via Angela Christofilou / Christian Climate Action

By The Canary

Former PM Gordon Brown has said that he dobbed former prince Andrew into "several UK police forces".

Brown wrote a five-page letter to various forces, including the Met, Sussex and Thames Valley, which he says contained "new and additional" information from the Epstein files. The ex-royal was arrested this morning on suspicion of 'misconduct in public office' — which carries a potential life sentence but does nothing for Andrew's and Epstein's victims.

Brown doesn't seem to have been asked quite why he had information from the Epstein files not previously available to police. Keir Starmer has helpfully added 'What the king said', insisting like Chuck that the "law must take its course".

The whole establishment now seems to be getting in on the Andrew act as some kind of ritual hand-washing of its own metastatic part in Epstein's decades of child-rape, trafficking and spying for Israel. Which isn't how they're describing it, of course — especially the Israel bit.

For more on the Epstein Files, please read the Canary's article on the way that the media circus around Epstein is erasing the experiences of victims and survivors.

Featured image via the ScottishGreens

By Skwawkbox

You've seen the claim on TikTok, in parenting forums, and in roughly a million Instagram infographics: "Your brain isn't fully developed until you're 25." It's the go-to explanation for everything from bad relationships to impulsive tattoos. The number 25, though, has almost nothing to do with neuroscience. — Read the rest

The post The "brain isn't done until 25" factoid is based on a funding cutoff appeared first on Boing Boing.

Your colon is lined with a layer of mucus. It's wet, it's slimy, and it keeps your stool hydrated enough to, you know, move along. Without it, everything dries out and gets stuck. Researchers at Nagoya University have now identified two species of gut bacteria that team up to devour this protective slime — and they think it could be the root cause of chronic constipation that laxatives can't fix, according to findings published in Gut Microbes. — Read the rest

The post Your chronic constipation might be caused by mucus-eating bacteria appeared first on Boing Boing.

Meta is shutting down the standalone Messenger website, according to a company help page. The website will disappear in April, though web users will still be able to send and receive messages within Facebook.

"After messenger.com goes away, you will be automatically redirected to use facebook.com/messages for messaging on a computer," the help page reads. "You can continue your conversations there or on the Messenger mobile app."

Users will be able to restore their chat history after switching to the app by entering a PIN number. This is the same PIN that was used to initially create a backup on Messenger. It can be reset for those who simply don't have the bandwidth to remember yet another six-digit code.

Many users have expressed discontent over the decision to shut down the standalone website, according to a report by TechCrunch. This is particularly true for those who have deactivated their Facebook accounts but continued to use Messenger.

This comes just a few months after Meta shut down Messenger's standalone desktop apps. At that time, Meta directed existing users to Facebook to continue using the service and not the dedicated Messenger website. In other words, the writing has likely been on the wall since October.

Messenger has had a long and storied history. The platform first launched as Facebook Chat all the way back in 2008. Facebook Messenger became a standalone app in 2011. The company has long-tried to make Messenger a thing outside of Facebook. It removed messaging capabilities from the main Facebook app in 2014 and began directing users to the Messenger app. Meta began reintegrating Messenger back into the Facebook app in 2023 and now here we are.

The deregulation agenda being pushed by Germany's chancellor and Italy's prime minister is economically and ethically flawed

When the European Union launched its green deal in 2019, putting into law the goal of climate neutrality by the middle of the century, it showed strategic foresight as well as global leadership. Russia's war in Ukraine has starkly underlined the extent to which the continent's energy security - and its future prosperity - is dependent on the transition away from fossil fuels. Lately, however, EU leaders' environmental approach appears to be echoing the youthful St Augustine's plea on chastity: make us greener, but not yet.

The recent European Industry Summit in Antwerp made unusually big headlines thanks to Sir Jim Ratcliffe's xenophobic outburst over immigration. But it was also notable for fierce attacks on one of the most important pillars of EU environmental policy. The bloc's emissions trading system (ETS) - which makes polluters pay for the C02 they emit - has achieved dramatic results in driving down overall emissions since 2005 and encouraging green innovation. Worryingly, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, appeared to sympathise with demands from Sir Jim and other CEOs for a radical relaxation of the rules.

His love for cycling reinvigorated, Alistair Fitchett spent much of 2025 colouring in maps.

Colouring The Lanes

Much of 2025 has been spent colouring in maps, recording roads and lanes down which I have cycled. Most of this colouring activity has focused on sheet 192 (Exeter and Sidmouth) of the Ordnance Survey 1:50000 First Series from 1974, although surrounding maps have also been touched by my pen on occasion. I suspect part of the reason for doing it is the need to evidence existence, just as writing these words is, whilst another might be the strain of completist collector in me. Whatever the reasons, the desire to colour in as many lanes as possible is strong and has, alongside investment in an electric road bike (originally as a means of getting back to health after a spinal issue, ahem, 'back' in 2024) rather reinvigorated my love for cycling.

The first assaults on the map are exercises in memory retrieval. What roads and lanes have I ridden in thirty three years of living in Devon? Quite a lot, as it turns out, and it is particularly gratifying to let loose with the highlighter pen on those larger roads that I would never choose to ride on now, like the A3052 from Sidmouth to Exeter. This was one of the first Devon roads that I cycled back in 1988 when I made a cycling tour of parts of the South West visiting musician and fanzine-writing friends. It is immeasurably busier these days and now it is mostly an obstacle to cross rather than something to travel along. 

I do cross this road early on my ride of June 27th, which is the first of my targeted colouring routes (I'm aiming to fill in a bunch of lanes around the hills of Northleigh in the designated East Devon Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty), and also one of the rare occasions when I take the bike in the car, riding out from the beach car park at Branscombe. The route ends up being 68km and 1600m of elevation gain and is gloriously rewarding. Around Harcombe, with its 22% inclines, a series of fluorescent pink signs decorated with stencils of dinosaurs punctuate Chelson Lane. Their meaning is never clear, but I assume them to be for different camp sites as there are vans and tents dotted in fields, whilst another sign promises a Fun Dog Show the following day in 'The Party Field'. Categories include 'Best Sausage Catcher', 'Waggiest Tail' and 'The dog judges would most like to take home'. I hope they do not succumb to the temptation. 

Elsewhere on this ride I finally take the opportunity to go down past the Devenish Pitt Riding School, the signs for which C and I have seen many times on drives to/from swims at Beer and about which we usually say to each other "I'm Devenish Pitt" in the style of Steve Coogan saying "I'm Holbeck Ghyll" in series one of The Trip. As another aside, Devenish Pitt (retired Army Major, I think) is surely a character out of a great lost Golden Age detective story, no? In truth the riding school is utterly charming, tucked away on a typically steep hillside with views east to Farway and the river Coly winding its way towards the coast, where it merges with the Seaton wetlands and reaches the sea at Axmouth Harbour. This is where I eventually head, after several loops around the hills, following the Axmouth Road and riding over the old Axmouth Bridge. Built in 1877, it is believed to be the oldest surviving concrete bridge in England and on my map is still the only bridge across the river at this point.

July 2nd is a ride from home, out west and north this time on lanes I've ridden many times. The exception, and the main reason for this ride, is one very short stretch that leads down to and then back up from Pennicott Farm near Shobrooke. At the farm I've hit rush hour for the sheep, so gates are closed across the yard through which the lane passes. The farmer apologises, but it's fine to stand in the shade for a few minutes and watch others at work.

The following day I do a longer ride and fill in more new lanes in East Devon, finally detouring off the road from Hemyock up to the airfield at Dunkeswell, which I have ridden innumerable times, to visit the ruins of Dunkeswell Abbey. It's a glorious high summer day and I meet a couple from Swansea who have walked to the Abbey along the lane that skirts the Madford river. We talk of the not-so-ancient routine of 'two sleeps' at night, which the monks at the abbey would certainly have practised, and about the liberating pleasures of electric bicycles. 

The 13th of August finds me out near Dunkeswell again, this time on a mission to colour in some of the lanes around Bolham Water and particularly to ride along what used to be one of the runways of the Upottery Airfield. The approach to the airfield from the north is on a narrow lane, even by East Devon standards, alternately potholed, scattered with gravel and/or muddy, even in one of the driest and hottest summers on record. Often there is grass growing down the middle, a sure sign of a lane less travelled. Old maps show the lane joining the ridge road at Clayhidon Cross, but since the construction of the airfield in WW2 there must have been little reason to travel along it. Then, like now, the only traffic must be for Middleton Barton farm, for the only other building, the quaintly named Trood's Cottage, is now a crumbling shell. The landscape that the lane crosses is largely wooded, dipping down to the Bolham River and then back up again to the airfield, which explains the lingering dampness. Emerging onto the remains of an airfield runway is quite an odd experience. The surface turns suddenly to concrete, the wind whips across the Blackdowns and the ghosts of American airmen and parachutists linger on the periphery, mixing with burnt out shells of caravans and motor cars, for the airfield now plays host to banger racing and monster truck shows. How times change.

It occurs to me now that I must have passed the Upottery airfield site back in 1988 on that first visit to the South West, for my ride to Sidmouth had started in Taunton and I must have ridden out on the Honiton Road, up Blagdon Hill and then across the ridge of the Blackdown hills. It must have been a headwind that day too, the struggle bleaching out all memory, and the proof that the suppleness of youth is no match for the motorised assistance of age. Still, it's good to piece these fragments of memory together and colour those routes some 37 years later.

On September 4th, a day before driving to Scotland for my mum's 93rd birthday, I colour in some lanes on Sheet 191 (Okehampton and North Dartmoor), ostensibly to visit the grave of author Jean Rhys in the churchyard of St Matthew Church, Cheriton Fitzpaine. I also track down what I think was the cottage in which she lived, on the end of the terrace of Landboat cottages. There is no plaque commemorating the fact that Rhys lived here and I cannot decide if this is a shame or a relief. The latter, I think, for there is something rather splendid about keeping such mysteries at least partially caged.

In October I do a few rides out east again, through Kentisbeare, where I always nod to the resting place of another author, E. M. Delafield, whose Diary of a Provincial Lady is one of my very favourite books. On these autumnal rides I head up from the village towards the pumpkin farm on Broad Road, colouring a lane at Windwhistle Cross, an 'Unsuitable for Wide Vehicles' one leading from Broadhembury to the A373 and a couple of others that lead only to farms. 

On November 1st I visit the area again, this time to fill in a lane that climbs to Blackborough past All Hallows farm. The landscape is damp and grey and I am happy to not have ridden here a day earlier when the ghostly presence of generations past could easily be imagined haunting the crossroads where the finger sign is so weathered as to be almost illegible. The landscape is starting to look more like winter, though there are still enough leaves on the trees to feel like autumn is clinging on for a few more weeks at least.

Come the end of the month, however, and the low sunlight shining through bare branches insists that the year is reaching its conclusion. On a ride close to home I finally take the opportunity to ride along Harepathstead Road, a lane at the foot the Ashcylst Forest close to Westwood, where I am delighted to see that the festive Christmas Bouybles are hung once again from the large Oak tree at Wares Cottages. These remind me that whilst it will no doubt continue to be enormously enjoyable to colour in lanes not yet travelled, it is equally important to keep revisiting the treasures I know and love.

St. Peterburg's Ezor makes a welcomed return to the Citate Forms imprint this month, releasing a brand new 2-track EP which features his single 'Door Into'. The track combines modulated low end wobbles and atmospheric synth tones with high cutting drum breaks and playful one shots, bringing a dark and swampy bass-focused production overall. Previous […]

Premiere: Ezor - Door Into

It's the second cut to be unveiled from their forthcoming self-titled album

Photo by Charles Peterson

Sunn O))) have shared a new song, titled 'Butch's Guns'.

The new cut is the second track to be shared from the group's forthcoming self-titled album, which marks their first full-length release since signing to Sub Pop last year. They previously released lead track 'Glory Black' last month alongside news of the album.

Sunn O))) follows recent maxi-single Eternity's Pillars b/w Raise The Chalice & Reverential. The LP was co-produced and mixed by the band and Brad Wood at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington a year ago. The album's front and back covers feature paintings by the late American artist Mark Rothko, while the liner notes have been...

The post Sunn O))) Share New Song, 'Butch's Guns' appeared first on The Quietus.

The four-piece's self-titled debut album is out in April

Photo by Daisy Ayscough and Tomos Ayscough

Cameron Picton - the bassist, vocalist and co-songwriter previously of Black Midi - has founded a new band, My New Band Believe.

The four-piece are set to release their debut self-titled album, which takes in eight tracks, via Rough Trade in April. Kiran Leonard, guitarist Caius Williams, drummer Steve Noble and drummer Andrew Cheetham all contribute guest turns on the record.

To mark the announcement of the band and album, My New Band Believe have shared their first single, 'Numerology', which doesn't appear on the LP itself. The song will be released as a bonus 10-inch with a special edition of the album, and can be listened to...

The post Black Midi's Cameron Picton Launches New Band, My New Band Believe appeared first on The Quietus.

The five-track record is a collection of instrumentals

Photo by Chris Almeida

Alabaster DePlume is set to release a new EP, Dear Children Of Our Children, I Knew: Epilogue.

Spanning five tracks, the entirely instrumental record was recorded at Brooklyn's Figure 8 Recording studio last March, with post-production work by DePlume carried out at London's Total Refreshment Centre. It sees the artist play saxophones, sampler, synths and guitars, with support from Shahzad Ismaily on bass and Tcheser Holmes on drums.

The trio had been touring the US together around the time of recording the material on Dear Children Of Our Children, I Knew: Epilogue, and had built such a strong on-stage rapport that they decided to capture that connection by taking some studio time...

The post Alabaster DePlume Details New EP, 'Dear Children Of Our Children, I Knew: Epilogue' appeared first on The Quietus.

Shelby McSwain was driving past a Wendy's on East Franklin Boulevard in Gastonia, North Carolina, with her parents on Thursday evening when she spotted something through the window: a blue-haired customer, shirtless, hunched forward in a booth while a second person — gloved up in blue latex — worked a tattoo gun across their back. — Read the rest

The post Video catches someone getting a tattoo in a Wendy's dining room appeared first on Boing Boing.

Pollan's new book, A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness, goes after a favorite Silicon Valley assumption: that if you build a machine complex enough, awareness will eventually boot up inside it. In a Fresh Air interview with Terry Gross, he argues that feelings are "very tied to your vulnerability, to your having a body that can be hurt, to the ability to suffer and perhaps your mortality." — Read the rest

The post Michael Pollan thinks your chatbot has fewer feelings than a houseplant appeared first on Boing Boing.

Hundreds of thousands of marine animals are killed every year after becoming accidentally caught in commercial fishing nets. Sharks, skates and rays are at particular risk, alongside turtles, seals, whales and dolphins, many of which are endangered.

Much of this problem comes down to the design of fishing nets and how they are used. Particularly damaging are tangle nets, which typically use large mesh sizes and large amounts of slack that can indiscriminately catch anything that crosses their path. They are also typically left in the water for long periods and only checked every one to ten days.

A new four-year study from Ireland's national Marine Institute highlights the particular problem the nets are causing in Ireland. Legally protected seals, for instance, are regularly caught in this type of net, widely used by the Irish fishing industry including in the country's only marine national park.

Tangle nets were first introduced to Ireland in the early 1970s. This was to help boost the competitiveness of the Irish crayfish fishing sector and provide an alternative method to the traditional pot-based method that was used up to that point.

But tangle nets are known to potentially harm a variety of species. The estimated impact from the latest report (covering 2021-2024) about what the nets had caught was stark:

• 1,161 nationally protected grey seals

• 81 critically endangered angel sharks

• 1,712 critically endangered flapper skate

• 532 critically endangered tope sharks

Other species caught included the endangered white skate and undulate ray, as well as rarer records of common and Risso dolphins. Catches varied throughout the study region, and included Ireland's marine national park in County Kerry. It is unclear whether similar numbers are seen in other fishing areas throughout Ireland.

The report argues for the reduction of these accidental catches to "safe biological limits", but acknowledges that there probably is no safe limit for several of the shark and skate species given their conservation status and their approach to reproduction.

The documented numbers of catches is particularly concerning for the species' designated as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This classification stipulates an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future. Unlike many bony fish such as cod, tuna and salmon, sharks, skates and rays tend to mature slowly (often at more than ten years of age), have long gestation periods, and only produce a few young every year or two.

This makes it very difficult for them to recover if anything causes their populations to decline. The angel shark is a good example - once widespread throughout the north-east Atlantic, it has suffered drastic declines across its range, and the species is now locally extinct throughout much of Europe.

There are few remaining strongholds for the species, but County Kerry is one of the last northerly refuges for angel sharks. With so few left in the wild, numbers caught in Ireland's tangle net fishery are a significant concern at a global level.

Irish commercial fishers are facing a challenging future, with a number of recent restrictions to activities and quotas creating severe pressure on numerous businesses and communities around Ireland , and closing the crayfish fishery would be another blow.

But there is a suitable and straightforward low-impact alternative to the tangle net, which is to fully return to the traditional pot fishery to target crayfish.

Currently in Ireland some fishers still use these pots, and others a combination of pots and nets. Pots are typically netted, baited cages with a narrow-funneled opening designed to only catch the target species with a minimal footprint when landing on the seabed and low risk of harm to the endangered and protected species documented in the Kerry report.

The report clearly states the urgent need of phasing out tangle nets, and highlights an upcoming Marine Institute report focusing on economic considerations supporting a complete switch from nets to pots. The current report suggests this is the "optimum solution". And it adds that trials using the pots showed equivalent catches.

Fishing is an integral part of Irish culture, and the need for a fair transition with appropriate support is repeatedly highlighted as essential for effective marine conservation.

What happens next in Kerry is probably going to be influenced by proposed legislation relating to how Ireland's marine landscape is managed. The potential introduction of the Marine Protected Area and Nature Restoration laws, currently being debated, are aimed at protecting and restoring marine biodiversity, and may soon change how fishing is carried out in Irish waters.

Examples from around the world show that it is possible to change the type of fishing nets used to protect marine life. Gillnets (which capture fish by entangling then around the gills) have been almost completely phased out in Australia's Great Barrier Reef marine park due to risks to animals including dolphins and turtles. Large scale drifting gillnets were banned in the European Union more than 20 years ago due to similar concerns.

The deaths of the world's most sensitive marine animals documented in the tangle net report highlight the urgency of how fishing needs to change globally, while also protecting the livelihoods of an industry important to coastal communities.

Nicholas Payne receives funding from Ireland's Marine Institute to study the ecology of sharks and rays. He is also a council member for the British Society of the British Isles

Louise Overy has received funding from National Parks and Wildlife Service for ecological research purposes and is a coordinator at the Irish Elasmobranch Group and Project lead of Angel Shark Project: Ireland.

The US Congress' spending watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, has pressed the National Science Foundation's CIO to improve how the agency plans, manages, and procures technology.…

After all the testing and all the talking, it's time to go racing in 2026 as WorldSBK ushers in a new season.

126 days will have passed since the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship's last race when Race 1 gets underway on Saturday at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. More than a hundred days of looking back on 2025, finding out where to improve, how to make steps, a few (not very dry) days of testing mixed in there as well, but it's time to find out who has the answers to the questions last season posed. There are new bikes and new line-ups as a new era begins with the 2026 Australian Round.

CHASING BULEGA: Who can catch the #11?

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) completed a hat-trick in Australia last year and, if testing is anything to go by, he's the favourite this year. He finished the test as the only rider in the 1'28s and six tenths clear of his rivals but, as riders like to say: "testing is testing and racing is racing". Things can change quickly and there's no shortage of competitors looking to take the fight to 'Bulegas'. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was his closest challenger at the test and goes in search of a first WorldSBK victory, while there was a shock name at the front: Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven). Could 'Balda' stun the field and take a podium on his WorldSBK return? Elsewhere, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was quick during the test and he was fast in the round in 2025 too, so he'll be searching for a maiden rostrum too. Elsewhere, Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and teammate Alex Lowes were fast too, with 'El Bocia' showing rapid improvement across each session. And let's not forget the #22 is a three-time winner at Phillip Island… could he make that four and claim Bimota's first win in 26 years? Elsewhere, Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) showed flashes of speed during the test, often in the top-ten, and will be looking for more of that.

MAKING PROGRESS: BMW's new recruits look for more 'Down Under'

A wet winter hasn't helped either Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) or teammate Danilo Petrucci adapt any quicker to the BMW M1000RR machine, although the two dry days at Phillip Island will have made a big difference. Both riders made progress throughout the test and will hope to continue that as they close the gap to the top positions. Oliveira's best MotoGP result at Phillip Island is 12th, on two occasions, although he won in both Moto3 and Moto2 there. Petrucci has two WorldSBK rostrums at the Australian venue, from 2024 and 2025.

NEW CHAPTERS BEGIN: Who will shine for their new squads?

Plenty of new eras begin in earnest at the weekend. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) will mark his first race in blue and he comes into it after being the lead Yamaha rider throughout the Official Test. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) will be searching for podiums as he races for an Independent outfit for the first time - and he's a serial winner at Phillip Island, with eight wins to his name there. His replacement at the factory Ducati team, Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati), has only completed one round at Phillip Island in his WorldSBK career, when he took two P6 finishes in 2023. He'll be hoping for a podium-challenging Ducati debut, if not a rostrum itself.

WANTING TO FIND GAINS AFTER THE TEST: 'Loka' struggling, Gardner wants more on home soil

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) usually goes well at Phillip Island but was struggling with the bumps on the track throughout the test, leaving him languishing down the order. 'Loka' will be hoping to find a solution to this at a track he's been so consistent at, with only one result outside the top seven; and that was a retirement when he crashed fighting for victory. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) seemingly has no luck when it comes to his home round, even if he does have plenty of pace. He heads into 2026 on the back of a broken arm and dislocated shoulder sustained in training in November and will be hoping to climb the order when racing gets underway. His rookie teammate, Stefano Manzi, has shown speed in abundance since jumping onto the Yamaha R1. His debut weekend awaits and the #62 will be hoping for a good start. Elsewhere, Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Racing Performance) finished the test in P13 but will want to be inside the top ten as he prepares for a first full campaign on the Panigale V4R. Rookie Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) was close to 'Taz' as he looks for a strong start to his maiden season, as is Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team). His teammate, Bahattin Sofuoglu, is preparing for a second year after a solid rookie 2025 season, and will be aiming to move closer and closer to those top ten positions.

HONDA'S DIFFICULT START: No Chantra, no Dixon

It was already established that Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) would miss Australia after getting injured in a training crash in Malaysia, which left him requiring surgery. It was announced ahead of the round that he would be replaced by Tetsuta Nagashima. Sadly for Honda HRC, they will also be without fellow rookie Jake Dixon. The #96 crashed on Tuesday morning at Turn 11 during the test, which left him with a left wrist fracture and elbow contusion, ruling him out of the Australian Round. They do keep two CBR1000RR-R SP machines on the grid, however, with Ryan Vickers (Honda HRC) making a wildcard appearance for the Japanese brand.

Get set for the 2026 campaign by watching the FREE Season Preview, read the Official Programme HERE and subscribe to the WorldSBK VideoPass!

WSSP: Masia looks to take the field by storm in Australia after a dominant showing in Official Testing!

The WorldSSP season opener is just around the corner. Read more below to get fully up to date on what to watch out for at Phillip Island!

The moment we've all been waiting for is nearly here as the Official Test has concluded and the FIM Supersport World Championship field now lies in wait for their all-out assault on 2026 at lights out on Friday, February 20th. The 2026 preseason has been very limited due to poor weather at the European tests at Jerez and Portimao, but the sun shone down on World Supersport as they enjoyed two days of unmitigated testing earlier this week. The time for testing has passed; however, this weekend, points will be on the line for the first time in 2026.

MASIA RED-HOT IN TESTING: The Spanish sophomore kept the hammer down in testing. Can he do the same on the weekend?

Four of the last five WorldSSP winners here have ridden Ducati V2 bikes, and from the looks of his pace at the Official Test, Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) is looking to make Phillip Island his own. Last season, he landed a P6 before crashing out of Race 2, but it would be hard to argue that Masia is not coming into the weekend looking to win at least one of the races. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team), unlike most of the grid, partook extensively in the tests at Portimao and Jerez, laying down important laps as he has become one of the fastest riders of the preseason. Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) and Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) have hit the ground running after joining from MotoE. Ferrari will look to replicate his Day 2 FP1 P9 pace on the weekend, while Zaccone will hope to replicate his P11 earned on the Day 1 combined timesheets. Josh Whatley (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) turned heads as he finished FP1 in the top positions before finishing P8 on Day 1. The Englishman will hope to end the day at the business end of the order after showing such promising results in testing.

Leonardo Taccini (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) and Mattia Casadei (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team) have posted healthy results around the top ten throughout testing, and on their day with the Ducati Panigale V2 platform's affinity at Philip Island, they could easily snatch away a top-five result. Simon Jespersen (EAB Racing Team) showed strong results in the second half of 2025, even landing a P2 result at Balaton Park Race 2. He has been hovering around P15 in the testing timesheets so far Down Under, but the Dane has plenty of potential to shoot up the order. Borja Jimenez (WRP Racing) and Riccardo Rossi (Renzi Corse) will look to take points away from their first round in WorldSSP.

ONCU LOOKS TO LEAD THE WAY: The Turk hopes to set the tone early

Title favourite Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) joined up with his former rival Stefano Manzi's team and has every intention to get back on the horse this weekend after a slower pair of testing days than expected, finishing Day 1 in fourth, however, dropped to 19th on Day 2's timesheets. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) and new teammate Roberto Garcia approaches the weekend with optimism as Mahias posted times around top-eight pace and Garcia set one time to earn P6 on the opening Day of testing. Aldi Mahendra (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) is back on track after missing the second half of his rookie WorldSSP season with injuries to both forearms ruling him out after Balaton. 2020 Moto3 Champion Albert Arenas joined his garage this offseason and has shown promising pace in testing. Italian sophomore Filippo Farioli (VFT Racing) suffered a tech issue on Day 1; however, recovered to participate on both days.  Farioli, Xavi Cardelus (Cerba Yamaha Racing Team) and Yuki Okamoto (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) will look to set a base of points from this first round in 2026 atop their Yamaha R9s.

BAYLISS LOOKS TO MAKE A SPLASH AT HOME: Triumph's riders hope for a strong start

Australian rider Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) is looking poised for a home hero performance as he finished both testing days in P2, on top of already having a strong track record here at his home track. His teammate, Tom Booth-Amos, ended 2025 on a down note after a strong start, including a Race 2 win here; the #69 will hope to get the ball rolling in the same vein in 2026. Ondrej Vostatek (Compos Racing Team) impressed at the pair of testing days after an off-pace 2025 season. If Vostatek can capitalise and start his season strong, anything is possible. Oliver Konig (Compos Racing Team) is back in the WorldSBK paddock after two WorldSBK seasons in 2022 and 2023. He will look to start hot in his first round in WorldSSP.

DEBISE AND ZXMOTO ENJOY A STRONG START: Debise lands P10 and P12 in testing

Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) joined a new team just in time for their new chapter with inbound Chinese manufacturer ZXMOTO as they set sail on their WorldSSP journey in 2026. The Frenchman looked comfortable on both days, lading top 12 across both days. Veteran rider Federico Caricasulo (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) didn't look quite as fast, but if he can bring his experience to bear, ZXMOTO could enjoy a very strong start in WorldSSP.

KAWASAKI STILL GETTING UP TO SPEED: Alcoba and Aegerter struggled at times in testing

Dominique Aegerter (Kawaski WorldSSP Team) is one of the most exciting riders joining the field in 2026. He won back-to-back World titles in WorldSSP in 2021 and 2022, as well as winning Race 2 here in his second title campaign. While he and his teammate, Jeremy Alcoba, were still working out the kinks atop their Kawasaki ZX-6R 636 bikes, they had each shown podium pace in the category.

MV AGUSTA RIDERS WORK TO FIND FOOTING: Cretaro and Giombini both suffered crashes in the test

Jacopo Cretaro (Flembbo by Racing Development) and Andrea Giombini (Motozoo by Madforce Dubai) are set to start their first full seasons as WorldSSP permanent riders in 2026. Each has appeared in the category before; this will be their first season riding an MV Agusta F3 800 RR. At the test, both were still getting the hang of their bikes, with Cretaro on Day 1 the only one of the two to land in the top 15 times.

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This $70 million Boeing 737 Max 8 has a bedroom that Ice Barbie will certainly put to service in the name of the taxpayers. Wonder if this expense is being discussed as her department remains unfunded.

The grift never stops. You would think puppy slayer Kristi Noem would lie low after turning the entire country against her, but nope. — Read the rest

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"I don't worship a man, I'm not in a cult, and I refuse to fight for a team that refuses to win." That's former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on February 17, turning on the president she once literally fawned over at rallies. — Read the rest

The post MTG says she's "not in a cult" after Trump brands her a "low IQ traitor" appeared first on Boing Boing.

Three states are now trying to make 3D printers police themselves. Washington's HB 2321 requires printers to ship with anti-gun software so effective that even users with "significant technical skill" can't circumvent it — on machines that run largely open-source firmware. — Read the rest

The post "Stupidity on steroids" — three U.S. states want your 3D printer to snitch on what you print appeared first on Boing Boing.

Amid his odd ramblings and bizarre insistence that his wife is a movie star, convicted felon, and addled old man, Donald Trump gave another embarrassing performance. Someplace in the hours of rambling, he promised to use his stable genius to decide if we're going to war with Iran. — Read the rest

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By Adam Wheeler. Photos by Yamaha Racing

Yamaha last ruled MotoGP back in June 2022. They once owned seven titles in 10 years from 2004. The Yamaha M1 inline 4 was not renowned for top speed but its pliant handling allowed even antiquated iterations of the technology to win Grands Prix and rise to the position of championship runner-up at the start of the decade.

The last two seasons have been miserly with just one podium appearance by lead ace Fabio Quartararo. The Frenchman combed the limit of physics to obtain five Pole Positions in 2025 but was largely toothless in the charge for silverware against European machinery and the failure of his rear ride height device while leading the '25 British Grand Prix overshadowed the rapid one-lap prowess. Yamaha are now last in the Constructors table and are the only firm with full MotoGP Concessions, allowing them time and resources to catch back up.

Their three-year mire is perhaps the definition of a 'transition phase'. The Japanese were arguably late in their development, as well as their strategy when they lost their satellite team to Aprilia in 2023 and 2024 and shrunk to a two-bike presence on the grid. Previous Yamaha Motor Racing Director, Lin Jarvis, made way for former Yamaha Motor Europe Marketing boss Paolo Pavesio and even though Cal Crutchlow was shrewdly employed to lead testing duties, the Brit was injured and the programme stuttered as Andrea Dovizioso (and then Augusto Fernandez) was also given more prominence in the R&D.

Yamaha rallied against the malaise by securing the talents of Quartararo on a bumper deal for 2024 and 2025 and brought in Alex Rins, to mind-pick his Suzuki and Honda knowledge. Also hiring the likes of ex-Ducati and Ferrari specialist Max Bartolini and combed their centre of excellences in both Japan and Italy. They then took the head-scratching decision to forge ahead with a 1000cc V4 M1 that would see competitive laps for a single season while concurrently pursuing an 850 version that would vanguard their MotoGP future. The time tight frames meant that Yamaha were also squeezing every single piece of juice from the inline M1 while trying to placate Quartararo's growing impatience. The Grand Prix riders themselves were able to test away from the races (as per the concessions) but, even from distance, it seems that Yamaha still needed more high-level resources in this area.

Yamaha were caught in a stop-or-go situation. By sitting solely on the inline M1 for 2025 and 2026 (if Quartararo could not take the motorcycle into the top three then there is little hope for others) they would be largely doomed in terms of results but going V4-only for 2026 represented a major leap of faith. For all of its temporality, 2026 is still a championship of 22 Grands Prix to win and plenty of track mileage for Yamaha to filter whatever knowledge they can to the 850.

They went public with the scale of their effort at the San Marino Grand Prix last September, when Fernandez raced the V4 for the first time. It was also a first serious outing for the likes of Quartararo and co on the bike during the following one-day test at Misano. Enthusiasm was muted by the rudimentary state of the V4, and the potential - judging by comments (even if Pramac's Jack Miller was a constant source of rational positivity) - had not surged upwards by the time of the Valencia test, and then into the many days and laps completed by the Yamaha contingent during both the Shakedown days and the IRTA test in Sepang several weeks ago.

Yamaha were not explicit about their reasoning for rushing a 1000c V4 during a presentation at Misano. But their quest seems as much about overhauling Yamaha's racing operation as finding a way back into the spray of Prosecco. President Takahiro Sumi said Yamaha were altering their "mindset" as well as the processes between Asia and Europe. "It is not an easy way," he admitted.

The Japanese also commented that Yamaha wanted to "explore possibilities of V4 engine and as a pathway. Our main challenge is how to make it and how to accomplish it, as a project." He remarked as well that the parallel project is "unprecedented" in MotoGP, meaning Yamaha had to "change completely and upgrade ourselves".

Yamaha's hunt is therefore bigger than sourcing a route back to MotoGP acclaim. Or maybe the largesse of their scheme demonstrates seriousness and dedication to racing, while papering-over the failures and pitfalls that are inevitable for technical evolution at this (very public) level. The middling ground of engineering and performance as well as the complicated web of promises and assurances for future potential is likely to have cost them their star rider, but then Yamaha have moved to obtain talented leftfield knowledge in the form of Toprak Razgatlıoğlu for 2027. They will likely replace Quartararo with another sizeable name, either through sizeable remuneration or the same guarantees that could not entice Fabio for ninth and tenths seasons with the factory. And, there is also the possibility that Yamaha come out swinging with their M1 850 as MotoGP resets in less than twelve months.

On the eve of the second 2026 test in Thailand, Yamaha are barely keeping their chin above water in the deep end of MotoGP. The dismaying engine failure that cost them the second day of the Sepang test was not the buoyancy the teams and company needed.

In short, Yamaha are already in full rehearsal for 2027…but with a motorcycle that will soon enter the Communications Plaza museum complex in Iwata. Test mode is activated and with high revs…while their four competitors go about making refinements to partially frozen and, in some cases, already proven packages.

"We're given the best of each part, really run them and tried to understand good, bad, ugly from each one," Miller explained of the work in Malaysia. "You throw a chassis [in] and you don't just say that's shit and throw it out. You try and understand what's different, try to give the most clear and precise feedback as I possibly can to the manufacturer. And we've done that over these last couple of days."

Razgatlıoğlu had his own trajectory in trying to understand Yamaha, the V4, news circuits and more "It's really hard for me," he confessed.

For his one foot-in, one foot-out positioning, Quartararo is still the point-man for 2026, even if the 26-year-old should deservingly have some scrutiny over his capabilities to lead a revolving and costly development force. "I know the strong point of our bike last year was the turning and with this year's bike it is still not there," he assessed at Sepang and before the fall that led to a broken right finger and technical issue that warmed the kill switches.

"I think our V4 is not [as] complete as the others," he added. "There is still work to do, especially on the turning, on the traction, on the electronics, on the grip, on the power. So, there are many things to adjust. We know we have margin to improve. How? This is more for the engineers…but the way I'm riding is again different to last year."

"We see that our lap times are not very good. But the only thing I can do is do my best, try to be riding at my maximum and whatever the position is, try to make the best I can."

Miller, as ever, was articulate and detailed about the differences of Yamaha's big, bold offering for the next ten months. "Where pieces of your body make contact with the bike it still feels foreign," he described as Yamaha dealt with ergonomics at the shakedown. "You're just learning. [It] becomes muscle memory after a minute. But you've got to wrap your head around it."

The Australian, who boasts V4 sensibility from Ducati and KTM, said that Yamaha's characteristics were still inherent. "It hasn't lost that M1 turning. Front -end feel or performance is pretty bloody good for this stage. It can always get better…but the way you can pick the line at Turn 12, down the hill is pretty nice. One place we're lacking a bit compared to the old one is the change of direction."

Alex Rins was wary of the timescale, especially with the absence of critical laps at Sepang. "You cannot lose time, especially now," the Catalan warned.

Bartolini spoke with the media at the test. "We don't have experience or history [with the V4] and riders need to get used to the bike so they need bike time," the Italian understated, while also reminding people that 2026 is about the journey rather than the destination. "Compared to our competitors we are still weak…but it's in the plan: it's a new bike. I would be more surprised if the bike is already to the limit of the others."

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Expect more parts and more engines for the Yamaha quartet at Buriram this week as the factory continue to roll several dice at their most lucrative and speculative racing outlay. In one sense, the overall approach is hard to understand but it is a total '180' compared to their MotoGP endeavours as little as four years ago. MotoGP should also be encouraged that Yamaha are wading through the hard yards and the minor embarrassments at this stage, as opposed to the fickle attitude of a company like Suzuki. It is also credit to the Japanese hierarchy that there is an evolution taking place, the same can be said of HRC's mentality with their diversification in recruitment, and the series will only be richer for a notable cast member committing more to the show.

Yamaha's ambitions will probably shudder to a halt at time this year, or evaporate in smoke at some point and the chase for the final points of a Grand Prix will be humbling but all that background push has to stand for something?

Toy Fair 2026 just wrapped earlier this week and while I would have liked to spend even more time there, I have my own kids (and all their toys and trinkets) to look after. That said, there were a ton of cool new products on display at the Javits Center in New York City that set the stage for the rest of the year, so here's a quick look at some of the most interesting releases from the largest toy show in the Western Hemisphere. 

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Transformers: The Movie, Hasbro is launching an apology tour to make up for traumatizing theatergoers with the death of the most beloved Autobot back in 1986. To kick things off, Hasbro is releasing a handful of new figures alongside re-releases for some popular bots including Astrotrain, Skywarp, Snarl and Shockwave. I want to give a special shout-out to the model for Kranix, which looks incredibly accurate, as if he just leapt off the movie screen. And even though his duck-billed spaceship alt-mode might look a bit awkward, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

The crown jewel of the line might be a near-life-size version of The Matrix of Leadership, which measures more than 15 inches wide and even plays Stan Bush's iconic song "The Touch" with the push of a button. Unfortunately, the appeal of the Matrix is so powerful that it's already sold out, including at third-party retailers like Big Bad Toy Store, which thankfully is still taking pre-orders for the rest of the lineup after the initial stock from Hasbro dried up.

Hot Wheels has big plans for 2026 including a new line of Pantone-colored cars, Brick Shop models like the Elite Series Aston Martin (which comes with its own 1:64 scale car) and a Monster Truck Mutant Chaos set with actual slime. However, I'd argue the company's new F1 offerings are the cream of the crop. Not only are there a bunch of incredibly detailed 1:64 scale racecars with metal bodies, real rubber tires and accurate livery for all the big teams, there's also a new Downhill Circuit Race course that comes with three official vehicles (Mercedes, Haas and Ferrari) featuring multiple levels and the ability to overtake or crash into other cars. If you're like a lot of Americans who have recently fallen down the F1 rabbit hole due to Netflix's Drive to Survive, these new officially licensed miniatures are sure to hit the spot. 

The first five-pack set of cars is available now, with more arriving later this spring before the Downhill Circuit Race course drives by sometime this fall. 

We've been eagerly awaiting the first batch of playsets featuring Lego's nifty Smart Brick after it debuted at CES. But now that the company has detailed eight new sets featuring its latest innovation, we're even more intrigued. For me, the three standout kits are the Millennium Falcon, Luke's Red Five X-Wing and Darth Vader's TIE fighter because acting out the Death Star trench run complete with reactive lights and sounds will never get old. I also have a soft spot for the Ewok minifigs that come with the AT-ST set. Alternatively, the Mos Eisley Cantina kit seems like a great way to highlight the smart brick's ability to play music or kick out some rowdy droids. The one thing to look out for, though, is the tag on the set that says whether it's Smart Play compatible or if it's an all-in-one set, because the former will need Smart Bricks from other kits to deliver Lego's newfound interactivity. 

Pre-orders for these are live now, with sets slated to ship on March 1. 

Rumi, Mira and Zoey may have been the biggest breakout stars of 2025 and Mattel is looking to keep that momentum going with a ton of new toys and figures for everyone's favorite demon hunters. There are three new singing dolls that can belt out the trio's hit "Golden" at the touch of a button and a deluxe figure of Rumi complete with her Four Tiger Sword. There are also a ton of other dolls and miniatures showcasing HUNTR/X, the Saja Boys and more. The one downside is that these products aren't coming out until the fall, so you'll have to tide yourself over with other K-pop-themed products for now. 

Yoshi seems poised to steal the spotlight from Rosalina in the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie and this release from Spin Masters is only reinforcing the lovable green dino's aura. From inside his shell, Yoshi can burst out with his signature yell. After that, you can pat his nose to make his eyes light up or get him to rock when he's really happy. But if you want one, you're going to have to be vigilant. Pre-orders are already sold out, so you'll need to keep a close eye on retailers like Walmart when he officially goes on sale on February 20. 

Technically, these went on sale last month, but Thames & Kosmos' SolarFlowers caught my eye again at Toy Fair due to their combination of art and science. Available in four different styles, each kit features a model that you can build yourself or with your kids (recommended age 8+) that turns into a lasting showpiece. After putting the kinetic sculpture together, you can connect the included solar panel to bring the whole kit to life (no batteries required) and make the flowers spin for perpetual entertainment. 

As someone who grew up during the 80s and 90s, I'm trying to be optimistic about He-Man's return to the big screen later this summer and Mattel's new line of figures is certainly helping. To help prime people for the movie, there's a big range of upcoming toys highlighting He-Man, Skeletor, Battle Cat and more, all of which I would have absolutely loved as a kid. Those will be available later this spring.

It's hard to gauge the excitement of toys aimed at one-year-olds when they can't read or get into Toy Fair. But as the parent of a toddler, I adore the partnership between Fisher-Price and Nintendo that has resulted in a line of Mario-themed Little People. All the big names are here, including Peach, Luigi and Bowser and there's even a couple of super cute playsets to go with them. But perhaps the best part is that a six-pack of figures and Bower's Airship costs under $25, which means your kid could be in for hours of fun without you spending a ton of money.

Federal grants that had been approved after a full application and review process were terminated by some random inexperienced DOGE bros based on whether ChatGPT could explain—in under 120 characters—that they were "related to DEI."

That's what the newly released proposed amended complaint from the Authors Guild against the US government reveals about how DOGE actually decided which National Endowment for the Humanities grants to kill.

There were plenty of early reports that the DOGE bros Elon Musk brought into government—operating on the hubristically ignorant belief that they understood how things worked better than actual government employees—were using AI tools to figure out what to cut. Now we have the receipts.

The bros in question here are Nate Cavanaugh and Justin Fox who appeared all over the place in the early DOGE days, destroying the US government.

Cavanaugh was appointed president of the U.S. Institute of Peace after DOGE took over, though that position is affected by this week's court ruling. Shortly after being named the acting director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness — one of the agencies Trump's budget proposal calls for eliminating — Cavanaugh placed its entire staff on administrative leave.

Cavanaugh first emerged at GSA in February, where he met with many technical staffers and software engineers and interviewed them about their jobs, according to four GSA employees who spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation.

Since then, he's also been detailed to multiple other agencies, according to court filings, including the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF), the Inter-American Foundation (IAF), the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Minority Business Development Agency.

Cavanaugh's partner in much of the small agency outreach is Justin Fox, who most recently worked as an associate at Nexus Capital Management, according to his LinkedIn profile.

As far as I can tell, Cavanaugh is a college dropout who founded a startup to do IP licensing management, that has gone through some trouble. We've mentioned Cavanaugh here before, for the time when he was head of the US Institute for Peace, and Elon and DOGE falsely labeled a guy who had worked for USIP a member of the Taliban, causing the actual Taliban to kidnap the guy's family. Fox, as noted, was a low rung employee at some random private equity firm. Neither should have any of the jobs listed above, and don't seem to know shit about anything relevant to a government role.

Anyway, as the Authors Guild figured out in discovery, when these two inexperienced and ignorant DOGE bros were assigned to cut grants in the National Endowment for the Humanities, apparently Fox just started feeding grant titles to ChatGPT asking (in effect) "is this DEI?" From the complaint:

To flag grants for their DEI involvement, Fox entered the following command into ChatGPT: "Does the following relate at all to DEI? Respond factually in less than 120 characters. Begin with 'Yes.' or 'No.' followed by a brief explanation. Do not use 'this initiative' or 'this description' in your response." He then inserted short descriptions of each grant. Fox did nothing to understand ChatGPT's interpretation of "DEI" as used in the command or to ensure that ChatGPT's interpretation of "DEI" matched his own.

Cool.

Then, actual staff at the NEH, including experts who might have been able to explain to these two interlopers what the grants actually did and why they were worth supporting, were blocked from challenging the termination of these grants.

Grants identified this way were slated for termination—with only a handful of exceptions, staff at NEH, including the Acting Chair, were not permitted to remove them from the termination list.

It seems to me that two ignorant DOGE bros cancelling humanities grants based solely on "yo is this DEI?" ChatGPT prompts, kinda shows the need for actual diversity, equity, and inclusion in how things like the National Endowment for the Humanities should work. Instead, you have two rando dweebs who don't understand shit asking the answer machine to justify cancelling grants that sound too woke.

It really feels like these two chucklefucks should be asked to justify their jobs way more than any of these grant recipients should have to justify their work. But, nope, the bros just got to cancelling.

See if you notice a pattern.

For instance, Fox searched each grant's description for the use of key words that appeared in a "Detection List" that he created. Those key words included terms such as "LGBTQ," "homosexual," "tribal," "immigrants," "gay," "BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)," "native," and so on. Terms like "white," "Caucasian," and "heterosexual" did not appear in the Detection List.

Fox also organized certain grants into a spreadsheet with lists that he labeled "Craziest Grants" and "Other Bad Grants." Among the grants on those lists were those Fox described as relating to "experiences of LGBTQ military service," "oral histories of LatinX in the mid-west," "social and cultural context of tribal linguistics," and a "book on the 'first gay black science fiction writer in history.'"

Fox also used the Artificial Intelligence ("AI") tool ChatGPT to search grant descriptions that purportedly related to DEI, but Fox did not direct the AI tool that it should not identify grants solely on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or similar characteristic. The AI searches broadly captured all grants that referred to individuals based on precisely those characteristics. For example, the AI searches flagged a grant described as concerning "the Colfax massacre, the single greatest incidence of anti-Black violence during Reconstruction," another concerning "the untold story of Jewish women's slave labor during the Holocaust," another that funded a film examining how the game of baseball was "instrumental in healing wounds caused by World War I and the 1980s economic standoff between the US and Japan," another charting "the rise and reforms of the Native Americans boarding school systems in the U.S. between 1819 and 1934," and another about "the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), the first female pilots to fly for the U.S. military during WWII" and the "Black female pilots who . . . were denied entry into the WASP because of their race."

So, yeah. This kid basically fed any grant that might upset a white Christian nationalist into ChatGPT, saying "justify me cancelling this shit for being woke" and then he and his college dropout "IP licensing" buddy cancelled them all.

Cavanaugh worked closely with Fox in selecting which grants to terminate using this selection criteria.

Fox and Cavanaugh sorted grants in lists labeled "to cancel" or "to keep."

No grant relating to DEI as broadly conceived of by Fox and Cavanaugh appeared on the "to keep" list. Grants that Fox and Cavanaugh considered "wasteful" and thus slated for termination could be moved to the "to keep" list by Defendant McDonald only if they related to "America 250" or the "Garden of Heroes" initiatives based on the views of Defendants McDonald, Fox, Cavanaugh, and NEH staff member, Adam Wolfson

The complaint notes that almost immediately Cavanaugh and Fox sent out mass emails to more than 1,400 grant recipients, from a private non-government email server, telling them their grants had been terminated.

Even though the emails stated that the grant terminations were "signed" by the acting director of NEH, Michael McDonald, he admitted he had nothing to do with them. It was all Fox, Cavanaugh… and ChatGPT based on a very stupid prompt.

McDonald appeared to acknowledge that he did not determine which grants to terminate nor did he draft the termination letters. First, he stated that he had explained NEH's traditional termination process but that "as they said in the notification letter…they would not be adhering to traditional notification processes" and "they did not feel those should be applied in this instance." Further, in response to a question about the rationale for grant terminations, he replied that the "rationale was simply because that's the way DOGE had operated at other agencies and they applied the same methodology here." McDonald also said that any statement about the number of grants terminated would be "conjecture" on his part, even though he purportedly signed each termination letter

DOGE bros gone wild.

So, just to recap, we have two random DOGE bros with basically no knowledge or experience in the humanities (and at least one of whom is a college dropout), who just went around terminating grants that had gone through a full grant application process by feeding in a list of culture war grievance terms, selecting out the grant titles based on the appearance of seemingly "woke" words, then asking ChatGPT "yo, tell me this is DEI" and then sending termination emails the next day from a private server and forging the director's signature.

This is what "government efficiency" looks like in practice: two guys with zero relevant experience, a keyword list built on culture war grievances, and a chatbot confidently spitting out 120-character verdicts on federal grants that went through actual review processes. The experts who might have explained what these grants actually do? Locked out. The director whose signature appeared on termination letters? Couldn't tell you which grants got cut or why.

The cruelty isn't incidental. But neither is the incompetence. These are people who genuinely believe that being good at vibes-based pattern matching is the same as understanding how institutions work. And the wreckage they leave behind is the entirely predictable result.

Thieves stole more than $20 million from compromised ATMs last year using a malware-assisted technique that the FBI says is on the uptick across the United States.…

Some AI advocates claim that bots hold the secret to mitigating climate change. But research shows that the reality is far different, as new datacenters cause power utilities to burn even more fossil fuels to meet their insatiable demand for energy.…

Published yesterday on Asia Times, the following article covers overfishing in China.

One part of the article really stands out as being collapse related, and it isn't singling out China:

"It's very hard to solve global warming, because the worldwide nature of the harm means there's a free rider problem (or, if you prefer, a coordination problem) — no country wants to pay the full cost of decarbonization, because most of the benefit goes to people in other countries."

"You can try international agreements, but everyone has an incentive to cheat."

I will forgive Asia Times for quoting Steven Pinker because the rest of the article is excellent.

For two hours inside a classified Senate hearing earlier this month, lawmakers from both parties tried to get FBI and NSA officials to answer a simple question: Does the White House want to renew Section 702, the government's most powerful warrantless surveillance authority? — Read the rest

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The Moon is wrinkling like a drying apple. As its interior slowly cools, the whole thing contracts, and the crust buckles and cracks under the pressure. Smithsonian scientists have now mapped the extent, finding 1,114 previously unknown ridges spread across the Moon's dark volcanic plains — more than doubling the known count to 2,634, according to a study published in The Planetary Science Journal. — Read the rest

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Amid awful news, mudslinging, and AI slop, it's great to remember what the internet truly excels at: memes and cats. Combine those with synthesizers and space themes, and you've got the perfect combination. If this intersection appeals to you, check out the brilliant work at "Cats on Synthesizers in Space." — Read the rest

The post Cats on synthesizers make gloriously weird internet music appeared first on Boing Boing.

Bad Bunny's catchy Super Bowl halftime tunes have been stuck in my head since the show aired. I've watched the performance several times, and it gets better with each viewing. I recently found a split-screen version showing both Bad Bunny and Puerto Rican Sign Language (LSPR) interpreter Celimar Rivera Cosme, who brought incredible style and energy to his translation of Bad Bunny's lyrics. — Read the rest

The post Watch Puerto Rican Sign Language interpreter Celimar Rivera Cosme absolutely crush it at the Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show appeared first on Boing Boing.

A car fire near North Hollywood's iconic Circus Liquor store created peak LA chaos this week when flames and smoke rose directly behind the landmark's giant clown sign. The clown never caught fire, but this video captures the surreal scene of flames, smoke, curious bystanders, and a grinning clown looming overhead. — Read the rest

The post Giant flaming clown scene near Circus Liquor turns a simple car fire into peak Los Angeles chaos appeared first on Boing Boing.

Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff has indicated that the company's controversial Search Party feature might not always be just for lost dogs, according to emails obtained by 404 Media. A creepy surveillance tool being used to surveil. Who could have predicted that?

"I believe that the foundation we created with Search Party, first for finding dogs, will end up becoming one of the most important pieces of tech and innovation to truly unlock the impact of our mission," Siminoff wrote in an email to staffers. "You can now see a future where we are able to zero out crime in neighborhoods. So many things to do to get there but for the first time ever we have the chance to fully complete what we started."

The Ring<->Flock partnership is even worse than imagined, it was setup to be a AI powered mass surveillance system from the start. See this email from the Ring Founder, Jamie Siminoff (https://t.co/kLbZdR6Is1) pic.twitter.com/W9TFQpriRh

— Maricopa County Libertarian Party (@LPMaricopa) February 18, 2026

The words "zero out crime in neighborhoods" are particularly troubling. It is, however, worth noting that this is just an email and doesn't necessarily indicate a plan by the company. Siminoff wrote the email back in October when Search Party first launched, which was months before the public backlash started. He did end the thread by noting he couldn't "wait to show everyone else all the exciting things we are building over the years to come."

One of those things could be the recently-launched "Familiar Faces" tool, which uses facial recognition to identify people that wander into the frame of a Ring camera. It seems to me that a combination of the Search Party tech, which uses the combined might of connected Ring cameras, with the Familiar Faces tech could make for a very powerful surveillance tool that excels at finding specific individuals.

Siminoff also suggested in an earlier email to staffers that Ring technology could have been used to catch Charlie Kirk's killer by leveraging the company's Community Requests feature. This is a tool that allows cops to ask camera owners for footage, thanks to a partnership with the police tech company Axon.

Here's that Ring #SuperBowl commercial: pic.twitter.com/1gAxIJATdz

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 9, 2026

Ring had planned an expansion of this program via a partnership with a surveillance company called Flock Safety. The companies canceled this partnership after a Super Bowl ad spotlighting the Search Party tool triggered public outcry. Ring didn't cite public sentiment for this decision, rather saying the integration would require "significantly more time and resources than anticipated."

Ring has responded to 404 Media's reporting, saying in an email that Search Party "does not process human biometrics or track people" and that "sharing has always been the camera owner's choice." This response did not provide any information as to what the future will hold for the company's toolset.

The organization has been friendly with law enforcement since inception. "Our mission to reduce crime in neighborhoods has been at the core of everything we do at Ring," founding chief Jamie Siminoff said when Amazon bought the company for $839 million back in 2018. 

Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder had harsh words for yogurt between 23 and 79 CE, calling it "yaghurt." This may be the first written mention of yogurt:

"Curdled milk, of a peculiar kind, made after a Bulgarian recipe and called "yaghurt," is now a Parisian fad and is believed to be a remedy against growing old.

— Read the rest

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The birds in these photos aren't being terrorized by ants — they're having a self-care day. Despite how alarming it looks, this behavior is completely intentional. What would be a nightmare for humans is fun for these little birds (I'm not sure how fun it is for the ants, though). — Read the rest

The post Birds in these photos are deliberately letting ants crawl all over them for health reasons appeared first on Boing Boing.

The crowd and camera operators at the women's team sprint qualifications in Milano-Cortina got a surprise extra competitor when a local dog joined the race. The full video from NBC Sports is unfortunately not embeddable, but it's a must-see.

The two-year-old named Nazgul is a Czechoslovakian Vlcak, or wolfdog, a challenging breed that looks like a wolf. — Read the rest

The post Very good dog finishes third in Olympic cross country sking appeared first on Boing Boing.

The Southern Sleeper Shark normally inhabits the Southern Ocean's subantarctic waters. It likes cold, but not the frigid temperatures we'd typically associate with Antarctica. But here we are: We've apparently screwed up the planet badly enough that Antarctic waters have warmed enough for the Sleeper Shark to think, "Why not?" — Read the rest

The post Sharks reach Antarctica as warming oceans expand their range appeared first on Boing Boing.

If you own a Steam Deck, you're sitting on a goldmine. According to Engadget, the memory shortage has gotten so bad that Valve can no longer keep up with demand for its handheld gaming system — the components needed are either too hard to find or too expensive:

Valve has posted a notice on the Steam Deck page with a warning that the handheld gaming console "may be out of stock intermittently" in certain regions due to memory and storage shortages."

— Read the rest

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I've been sick as a dog for the past week, trying to shake off what I'm certain is the Mother of All Head Colds. When I've blown enough snot out of my skull to make space for thoughts, I wonder why I feel so dumb whenever I get sick.  — Read the rest

The post Why you feel dumb when you get sick appeared first on Boing Boing.