FirstToKnow: January 2020

New best story on Hacker News: Carrier sales of phone-location data is illegal, FCC plans punishment

Carrier sales of phone-location data is illegal, FCC plans punishment
439 by Stanleyc23 | 92 comments on Hacker News.

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Senate votes to approve final framework for Trump impeachment trial, scheduling final verdict vote for Wednesday of next week.

01/31/20 4:58 PM

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Senate votes 51-49 against calling new witnesses, seeking new documents in Trump impeachment trial. Follow the latest developmen

01/31/20 2:42 PM

New best story on Hacker News: My Second Year as a Solo Developer

My Second Year as a Solo Developer
621 by mtlynch | 289 comments on Hacker News.

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US declares coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency, HHS Secretary Alex Azar announces

01/31/20 1:04 PM

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Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she will not support witnesses in Trump impeachment trial

01/31/20 10:29 AM

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Two in custody after Mar-A-Lago security breach

01/31/20 9:58 AM

New best story on Hacker News: Charges dropped against pentesters paid to break into Iowa courthouse

Charges dropped against pentesters paid to break into Iowa courthouse
387 by froindt | 77 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States

Apple delivers a new redesigned Maps for users in the United States
512 by chmaynard | 422 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Not everyone has an internal monologue

Not everyone has an internal monologue
726 by altacc | 637 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Sovereign: Ansible playbooks to build and maintain your own private cloud

Sovereign: Ansible playbooks to build and maintain your own private cloud
480 by c0restraint | 113 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Building a Simple VPN with WireGuard with a Raspberry Pi as Server

Building a Simple VPN with WireGuard with a Raspberry Pi as Server
550 by kingsomething | 118 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Godot 3.2

Godot 3.2
360 by makepanic | 133 comments on Hacker News.

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Key senator comes out against impeachment trial witnesses

01/30/20 8:11 PM

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State Department: 'Do not travel' to China as coronavirus outbreak spreads

01/30/20 6:12 PM

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PROGRAMMING ALERT: Sen. Rand Paul talks impeachment fight on 'The Story,' 7 pm ET

01/30/20 3:52 PM

New best story on Hacker News: Monoliths Are the Future

Monoliths Are the Future
634 by feross | 380 comments on Hacker News.

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Fotis Dulos, Connecticut man charged in missing wife's murder, declared dead after suicide attempt, lawyer says

01/30/20 3:22 PM

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World Health Organization declares coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency

01/30/20 11:58 AM

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Sen. Rand Paul sounded off after Chief Justice Roberts refuses to read impeachment question on Ukraine whistleblower

01/30/20 10:51 AM

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First person-to-person transmission of coronavirus reported in US, CDC confirms

01/30/20 9:47 AM

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EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Trump aide Carter Page files lawsuit against DNC over dossier

01/30/20 6:08 AM

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Trump administration to renew Iran sanctions waivers, amid concerns over US nuclear supply

01/30/20 5:44 AM

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How Sen. Rand Paul and Chief Justice Roberts clashed over naming the whistleblower and all the other Wednesday developments at T

01/30/20 2:39 AM

New best story on Hacker News: Building all of our new mobile apps using React Native

Building all of our new mobile apps using React Native
558 by arbhassan | 473 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Off-Facebook activity

Off-Facebook activity
507 by bigbaguette | 260 comments on Hacker News.

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President Trump signs the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)

01/29/20 8:51 AM

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Flight with Americans evacuated from China over coronavirus lands at military base in California

01/29/20 8:12 AM

New best story on Hacker News: Congrats! Web scraping is legal! (US precedent)

Congrats! Web scraping is legal! (US precedent)
357 by ehurynovich | 129 comments on Hacker News.

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British Airways suspends China flights amid coronavirus outbreak

01/29/20 1:34 AM

New best story on Hacker News: U.S. files lawsuits over robocall scams

U.S. files lawsuits over robocall scams
268 by dredmorbius | 183 comments on Hacker News.

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Flight carrying US evacuees from China diverted to air base

01/28/20 10:47 PM

New best story on Hacker News: WireGuard is now in Linus' tree

WireGuard is now in Linus' tree
340 by axiomdata316 | 107 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Microsoft Application Inspector

Microsoft Application Inspector
359 by pjmlp | 54 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10

The iPad Awkwardly Turns 10
527 by h9n | 511 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Ring Doorbell App Packed with Third-Party Trackers

Ring Doorbell App Packed with Third-Party Trackers
444 by panarky | 275 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: U.S. Gov Privacy Watchdog Under Pressure to Recommend Facial Recognition Ban

U.S. Gov Privacy Watchdog Under Pressure to Recommend Facial Recognition Ban
245 by infodocket | 106 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: CacheOut: Leaking Data on Intel CPUs via Cache Evictions

CacheOut: Leaking Data on Intel CPUs via Cache Evictions
590 by beefhash | 126 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Building personal search infrastructure for your knowledge and code

Building personal search infrastructure for your knowledge and code
625 by october_sky | 148 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Bitcoin Gold hit by 51% attacks, $72K in cryptocurrency double-spent

Bitcoin Gold hit by 51% attacks, $72K in cryptocurrency double-spent
333 by scalableUnicon | 185 comments on Hacker News.

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McConnell tells lawmakers GOP doesn't have votes to block impeachment witnesses, source says

01/28/20 3:15 PM

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Trump lawyer calls Bolton book 'inadmissible,' as defense team wraps arguments in Senate impeachment trial

01/28/20 12:19 PM

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Fotis Dulos rushed to hospital after failing to appear in court

01/28/20 10:30 AM

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Trump unveils Middle East peace plan with two-state solution, tunnel connecting West Bank and Gaza

01/28/20 9:05 AM

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US health secretary says China refused CDC's offer to send team to help manage coronavirus outbreak

01/28/20 8:35 AM

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Two bodies recovered from Air Force plane that crashed in Afghanistan, official says

01/28/20 7:16 AM

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Dershowitz, speaking in Trump's Senate trial, tells House Dems they chose the 'wrong' impeachment criteria

01/27/20 6:10 PM

New best story on Hacker News: An Update on Bradfitz: Leaving Google

An Update on Bradfitz: Leaving Google
731 by jgrahamc | 203 comments on Hacker News.

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Hunter Biden agrees to pay monthly child support, ending standoff over contempt

01/27/20 12:04 PM

New best story on Hacker News: Leaked documents expose Avast antivirus subsidiary selling web browsing data

Leaked documents expose Avast antivirus subsidiary selling web browsing data
459 by jeremiahlee | 119 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: “My wife has complained that OpenOffice will never print on Tuesdays” (2009)

“My wife has complained that OpenOffice will never print on Tuesdays” (2009)
382 by beshrkayali | 128 comments on Hacker News.

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8 dead in fire at Alabama boat dock, officials say

01/27/20 9:57 AM

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An Air Force plane has crashed in Afghanistan with ‘less than 5 onboard,’ a U.S. military official says

01/27/20 7:53 AM

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Grammy Awards: Complete winner’s list

01/26/20 9:00 PM

New best story on Hacker News: Access to Wikipedia restored in Turkey after more than two and a half years

Access to Wikipedia restored in Turkey after more than two and a half years
409 by EndXA | 182 comments on Hacker News.

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PROGRAMMING ALERT: Pete Buttigieg Town Hall, 7 pm ET on Fox News

01/26/20 3:54 PM

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At least one rocket struck US Embassy dining hall in Baghdad, senior US official says

01/26/20 3:15 PM

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NBA commissioner says Kobe Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna among the dead after helicopter crash: 'The NBA family is devast

01/26/20 2:49 PM

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NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, 4 others killed in California helicopter crash, reports say

01/26/20 12:01 PM

New best story on Hacker News: In 2019, Americans went more to the library than to the movies on average

In 2019, Americans went more to the library than to the movies on average
371 by rahuldottech | 120 comments on Hacker News.

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Fox News Poll: Record economy ratings, as half say Senate should remove Trump

01/26/20 6:05 AM

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Watch the tape: The full video of Trump discussing Ukraine ambassador's ouster with Parnas, others in 2018 is released

01/25/20 3:02 PM

New best story on Hacker News: Google backtracks on search results design

Google backtracks on search results design
488 by saalweachter | 259 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: List of Twitter mute words for your timeline

List of Twitter mute words for your timeline
682 by rmason | 196 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Clayton Christensen has died

Clayton Christensen has died
585 by coloneltcb | 109 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: How much longer will we trust Google’s search results?

How much longer will we trust Google’s search results?
390 by ecliptik | 247 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: My fridge has an RFID chip in the water filter, so a generic filter doesn't work

My fridge has an RFID chip in the water filter, so a generic filter doesn't work
435 by mring33621 | 343 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)
444 by spiffytech | 430 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Microsoft to force Chrome default search to Bing via Office365 ProPlus installer

Microsoft to force Chrome default search to Bing via Office365 ProPlus installer
434 by Flenser | 265 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: We Wasted $50K on Google Ads So You Don't Have To (2019)

We Wasted $50K on Google Ads So You Don't Have To (2019)
615 by sloka | 181 comments on Hacker News.

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Impeachment trial day 5: Trump legal team turns tables, accuses Dems of 'massive' election interference

01/25/20 10:16 AM

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EXCLUSIVE: Trump advises defense team 'just tell the truth,' calls Biden-Ukraine link 'corruption'

01/24/20 8:29 PM

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Barstow, Calif., shaken by magnitude-4.6 earthquake: preliminary measure

01/24/20 7:47 PM

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Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. referred to President Trump as a 'dictator' Friday as Democrats wrapped up opening arguments in the Se

01/24/20 3:38 PM

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Impeachment trial Day 3: Senator clashes with key Dem witness, Republicans turn to fidget spinners, and everything else you may

01/24/20 2:23 AM

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Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown surrenders to police

01/23/20 8:29 PM

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Newsman Jim Lehrer dead at age 85

01/23/20 10:40 AM

New best story on Hacker News: “This is why I use ad blockers and a pi-hole server”

“This is why I use ad blockers and a pi-hole server”
602 by slater | 248 comments on Hacker News.

New world news from Time: Why Chile’s SATs Have Become the New Frontline of Inequality Protests

School’s out for summer in Chile. But the vacation isn’t proving very relaxing for high school students in the South American country. A group of Chilean teenagers have spent the last few weeks opening a new and controversial front in the nationwide protests over inequality that started in October: Chile’s version of the SAT.

On Jan. 6 and 7, roughly 300,000 high school seniors were set to take the University Selection Test (PSU) – a prerequisite for applying to college in Chile. But hundreds of young people, led by ACES, a far-left students’ union for highschoolers, disrupted the test centers, blocking entrances, burning test papers and clashing with security forces. At least 82,000 students were unable to take one of the four tests that make up the PSU. ACES is promising to repeat the disruption on Jan. 27 and 28, when authorities plan to rerun the exams. In the meantime, students have occupied the offices of exam authorities, and protested in the streets, calling for an end to the PSU.

Many in Chile agree that the PSU is biased toward the 6 out of 10 Chilean students whose families can afford to pay extra for their child’s schooling. In the country’s highly stratified education system, students attend either free public schools, partially private schools that both receive state funding and charge fees, or fully private schools that are funded only by student fees. In 2018, just 30% of public school students that took the PSU got a high enough score to apply to college, compared to 43.5% of those from partially-private schools and 79% of those from fully private schools.

That educational inequality is a major reason why Chile has low rates of social mobility and high rates of income inequality, says Ayelen Salgado, an 18-year-old ACES spokesperson. “Someone who could afford a good high school education will get into university and then get a good job. Someone who goes to a poor school won’t be well prepared, so they won’t get in and they’ll end up as a spare part for the workforce in our country.” Salgado and her fellow union members see their actions as part of a long tradition of Chilean high schoolers taking a leading role in national social justice movements.

But ACES’ drastic methods have not been popular. Local media and even other student unions have condemned the PSU boycott, arguing it was unfair to target fellow students who have spent years preparing for the test, and that stopping the test by force was undemocratic. On Jan. 8, the government said it was filing a lawsuit against Salgado and 34 other students who led the action under Chile’s national security law, accusing them of disrupting public services. But ACES say it won’t back down until the PSU is canceled indefinitely and replaced with a new admissions process. With the promise of fresh disruption when the new school year begins in March, national politics will be high on the curriculum for Chile’s students.

Claudio Santana/AFP/GettyImages Students from the A-7 public high school for girls paint a banner during a peaceful occupation of the teaching institute in Santiago, on August 14, 2012, during a period of mass student protests.

It was a group of high school students that kickstarted the protests – soon joined by university students and older people– that have gripped Chile since mid-October. After the government introduced a small hike in the price of subway tickets, thousands of young people carried out “mass fare evasions,” jumping turnstiles at stations in Santiago in protest at the high cost of living in the capital. Their demonstrations quickly morphed into a nationwide “social explosion”, as Chileans used marches and strikes to highlight the deep inequalities generated by Chile’s market-driven economic model, and the underfunding of public services like education, healthcare and transport in the continent’s wealthiest countries. Clashes between protesters and security forces – often accused of excessive force in Chile – have left 29 dead and more than 3,500 injured.

This month’s fight over educational inequality — like most other grievances behind the protests — has its roots in the era of Augusto Pinochet’s right-wing military dictatorship, which ruled for 17 years from 1973. In the early 1980s, Pinochet began to reform elementary and secondary education, reducing the role of central government in funding education, increasing control for local authorities and encouraging more involvement by private providers. The aim, the regime said, was to improve education quality through competition.

But after more than three decades of this decentralized system, a World Bank report found the quality of Chile’s secondary schools had actually gotten worse between 1980 and 2015, with Chile experiencing the greatest decline in quality of the 22 large economies studied. As one of the richest countries in Latin America, Chile still performs better than the rest of the region on international testing metrics, but not all students share in that success. A 2016 OECD report on educational inequality found that students’ socioeconomic status had a greater impact on their attainment in science in Chile than in any other of the developed countries studied.

Salgado says the PSU is “the tip of the iceberg” in terms of the problems that poorer students face in Chile’s part-privatized education system. “The whole system is designed so that people can profit from what should be a right.”

Chile is hardly the only country in the world where private schools give the children of the wealthy a boost. Part of the reason that Chilean teenagers are taking such radical action is the extent of privatization. 62% of students attend private or partially private high schools — one of the highest proportions in the world.

But it’s also fairly normal for high school students to take to the streets in Chile, says Richard Smith, a history researcher at the University of Liverpool who has studied Chile’s youth protest movements. High schoolers in Chile have historically been viewed as a more “potent political force,” Smith says, than their counterparts in countries like the U.K. and the U.S., where student activism has (until recently) tended to be the preserve of college-age students.

Chile has historically had “a very strong tradition” of employing democratic structures within schools Smith says. “[In the 20th century], school students would elect representatives who would fight for their interests in their school and at a national level.” That political engagement didn’t go away when Pinochet dismantled the mechanisms of student democracy after the 1973 coup. During the 1980s, angered by the regime’s education reforms, many high schoolers risked arrest to join university students, trade unions and other groups in protests against the right wing dictatorship.

Chile Penguin Revolution 2006 — David Lillo – AFP/Getty ImagesPart of three thousand Chilean students from 21 high schools of the Maipu municipality flash the “v” sign behind a makeshift barricade on 08 August, 2006 in Santiago during the Penguin Revolution.

After the fall of the dictatorship, high-school students have regularly returned to activism to force adults to reevaluate Chile’s privatized education system – and the prioritization of market forces across Chilean society. In 2006, students staged the “Penguin Revolution” — named for the black and white uniforms worn by school kids —after a hike in the fee charged to take the PSU, and restrictions on student public transport discounts. Students paralyzed more than half the country’s schools with strikes and occupations, calling for better funding and reforms to dictatorship-era laws on education. In 2011, high schoolers joined university students in massive protests calling to undo Pinochet’s decentralisation of secondary education and the provision of free higher education.

Chilean lawmakers finally responded to the demand for free university education in 2016, approving a plan to give low and middle income students free tuition. The plan currently covers 60% of students but includes restrictions on which university you can study at, and does not cover living costs during studies.

In secondary schooling, though, little has been done to address the disadvantage that poorer students face. Salgado says the idea of taking radical action like disrupting the PSU has been flying around students’ unions for years. In 2019, students had begun to feel that the right-wing government of Sebastian Piñera was attempting to control students and limit activism through the roll-out of new stop and search policies and a “Safe Classroom” law that makes it easier to expel students accused of violence. High tensions between students and authorities boiled over with the subway protest in October. With a more radical mood gripping the country, ACES decided it was time to act.

Demre, the department of the University of Chile responsible for overseeing the test, will attempt to re-run the language, math and science portion of the PSU next week for tens of thousands of students. The history and social sciences test has been cancelled after someone leaked the question paper.

The disruption of the PSU has been highly divisive in Chile. Some on the left have praised the courage of Salgado and her co-spokesperson in ACES Victor Chanfreau, arguing they are continuing the fight started by leftwing dissidents under the dictatorship. Chanfreau’s grandfather was disappeared by authorities in 1974 for his political activism, while Salgado’s grandfather was also killed by regime security forces in 1977 for breaking a curfew.

But many in Chile’s media say ACES have gone too far and that the disruption of test centers amounts to using force to undermine other students’ right to education. Some commentators say the union’s leaders are dangerous far-left radicals, pointing to their support, expressed on social media, for the disgraced leftwing government of Nicolás Maduro in crisis-stricken Venezuela. Even the former leaders of the 2006 Penguin Revolution, who back scrapping the PSU, have criticized their younger counterparts’ methods, according to local media reports.

Demre confirmed Jan. 20 that Salgado, Chanfreau and 84 others will be barred from taking the re-run of the PSU. “A young person who makes barefaced calls to impede the exercise of other young people’s rights by violence, has to assume responsibility for the consequences,” Education Minister Marcela Cubillo said of the ACES leaders.

Salgado says the government and the media’s condemnation is “just what they always do when people are mobilizing and making legitimate demands,” and that she’s not scared of the personal implications for her future.

In response to national protests, Piñera has called an April 26 referendum on whether and how to remake Chile’s dictatorship-era constitution, which prioritizes a free-market economy and limits state involvement in areas like health and schooling. That could offer a chance for wholesale change on education in Chile. Only those over the age of 18 will be able to vote. But Salgado says high school students will make their voices heard over the next three months, despite the opposition. “School students have always been a bit radical. We don’t like to sit quiet while our rights get trampled.” she says. “We’re a new generation. So we’re not afraid yet.”

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Michelle Carter, woman convicted of manslaughter for urging her suicidal boyfriend to kill himself, released from jail

01/23/20 6:50 AM

New best story on Hacker News: The Attempted Corporate Takeover of .Org

The Attempted Corporate Takeover of .Org
500 by jdkee | 126 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Procrastination is about managing emotions, not time

Procrastination is about managing emotions, not time
586 by clouddrover | 193 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: TLDR pages: Simplified, community-driven man pages

TLDR pages: Simplified, community-driven man pages
547 by lordgrenville | 147 comments on Hacker News.

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Everything you may have missed from Night 2 of the Senate impeachment trial, including Adam Schiff's dire Russia warning to slee

01/23/20 2:11 AM

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3 American firefighters killed in Australia air tanker crash

01/22/20 11:10 PM

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Eli Manning to announce retirement after 16 seasons with New York Giants, team says

01/22/20 2:31 PM

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China has quarantined the city of Wuhan and will shut down the airport and public transit beginning Thursday amid coronavirus ou

01/22/20 11:00 AM

New best story on Hacker News: U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report

U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report
427 by pseudolus | 252 comments on Hacker News.

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Democrats deliver opening statements to Senate as Day 2 of Trump's impeachment trial begins

01/22/20 9:57 AM

New best story on Hacker News: Terry Jones has died

Terry Jones has died
416 by acdanger | 46 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: How to Kill a Startup Idea with Google Keyword Planner and AdWords: A Case Study

How to Kill a Startup Idea with Google Keyword Planner and AdWords: A Case Study
496 by treblig | 157 comments on Hacker News.

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READ IT: State AGs urge Senate to reject impeachment in stinging letter: 'A dangerous historical precedent'

01/22/20 5:53 AM

New best story on Hacker News: DuckDuckGo Traffic

DuckDuckGo Traffic
468 by eitland | 166 comments on Hacker News.

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McConnell's impeachment trial rules pass in Senate 53-47

01/21/20 11:11 PM

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Chief Justice Roberts admonishes lawyers at Senate impeachment trial

01/21/20 10:11 PM

New best story on Hacker News: Jeff Bezos's phone 'hacked by Saudi crown prince'

Jeff Bezos's phone 'hacked by Saudi crown prince'
422 by mnem | 151 comments on Hacker News.

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Derek Jeter, Larry Walker elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame

01/21/20 3:23 PM

New best story on Hacker News: Free Audio Books: Download Great Books for Free

Free Audio Books: Download Great Books for Free
442 by thisisastopsign | 76 comments on Hacker News.

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First case of China-linked coronavirus reported in US, federal officials say

01/21/20 11:16 AM

New best story on Hacker News: Every Google result now looks like an ad

Every Google result now looks like an ad
506 by cmod | 204 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained

Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained
500 by n1000 | 127 comments on Hacker News.

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Hillary Clinton had surprisingly harsh criticism for Bernie Sanders in a new documentary and doubled down when asked if she stoo

01/21/20 6:31 AM

New best story on Hacker News: Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it

Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it
533 by vitabenes | 173 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: The Internet of Beefs

The Internet of Beefs
437 by rinze | 270 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Thank HN: My SaaS paid my rent this month

Thank HN: My SaaS paid my rent this month
646 by frits1993 | 158 comments on Hacker News.
Running a profitable SAAS has been my dream from the moment I wrote my first line of code. Here on HN and IndieHackers I've always looked up to the people who pay their bills with recurring revenue from their tools. I've tried, many times, to do the same, without much success. A couple of rather successful HN pitches, but none of my projects ever even paid me a beer (let alone my rent). Until this month! Last year I built myself and my girlfriend a tool. Even though I did build it for other people to use it, I had never thought someone actually would. Long story short, half a year later I provide my service to more than 5000 (fully organic) users. This month is the first month in which revenue is high enough to pay my rent with it. Disclaimer: I share my rent with my girlfriend, but it does sound cool to say. Looking back at the proces, it does match with a lot of other success stories I read over the years in the HN community. The main lesson which I can now confirm: build something that scratches your own itch. So... Thanks you guys, for keeping me motivated and inspired.

New best story on Hacker News: Nototo – Build a unified mental map of notes

Nototo – Build a unified mental map of notes
461 by dirtyaura | 129 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet

Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet
408 by elliekelly | 358 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Immune discovery 'may treat all cancer'

Immune discovery 'may treat all cancer'
490 by sjcsjc | 118 comments on Hacker News.

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TUNE IN: ‘Bill Hemmer Reports,’ 3 pm ET on Fox News

01/20/20 11:50 AM

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Trump legal team calls impeachment 'dangerous perversion of the Constitution' in lengthy filing

01/20/20 9:36 AM

New best story on Hacker News: Ask HN: What are the best unknown books you have read?

Ask HN: What are the best unknown books you have read?
494 by bogoman | 332 comments on Hacker News.
Reading a tweet by Tommy Collison¹ reminded me that the best book I have read about musical harmony is practically unknown² What are the best unknown books you read? ¹ https://twitter.com/tommycollison/status/1215008546657423361 ² https://ift.tt/3aoqxAu...

New best story on Hacker News: My FOSS Story

My FOSS Story
563 by mfrw | 143 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: I've been working on X11 on jailbroken iOS

I've been working on X11 on jailbroken iOS
396 by MaxLeiter | 86 comments on Hacker News.

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San Francisco 49ers defeat Green Bay Packers 37-20 for NFC Championship

01/19/20 6:47 PM

New best story on Hacker News: Crew Dragon launch escape demonstration

Crew Dragon launch escape demonstration
542 by eps | 256 comments on Hacker News.

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Kansas City Chiefs defeat Tennessee Titans, 35-24, for AFC Championship

01/19/20 3:18 PM

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Prince Harry breaks silence after 'Megxit' announcement, says he wanted to keep supporting Queen Elizabeth without public funds

01/19/20 3:15 PM

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Two police officers killed 'in the line of duty' in Hawaii, governor says

01/19/20 2:48 PM

New best story on Hacker News: Volkswagen exec admits full self-driving cars 'may never happen'

Volkswagen exec admits full self-driving cars 'may never happen'
445 by stopads | 832 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Smart homes will turn dumb overnight as Charter kills security service

Smart homes will turn dumb overnight as Charter kills security service
395 by BerislavLopac | 289 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: An alternative argument for why women leave STEM

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599 by nabla9 | 679 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Show HN: ESQLate – Build minimum viable admin panels with just SQL

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490 by mattatkeyboard | 77 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Back pain is a problem which is badly treated

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454 by pseudolus | 277 comments on Hacker News.

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Trump lawyers issue full-throttled defense to impeachment, accuse Dems of "dangerous attack"

01/18/20 2:44 PM

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Prince Harry, Meghan Markle ‘no longer working members of the Royal Family,’ palace says

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Former U.S. Rep. Chris Collins sentenced to 26 months in federal prison after guilty plea in insider trading case

01/17/20 3:22 PM

New best story on Hacker News: DigitalOcean is laying off staff

DigitalOcean is laying off staff
470 by progapandist | 253 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: EU considers temporary ban on facial recognition in public spaces

EU considers temporary ban on facial recognition in public spaces
542 by doener | 186 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Christopher Tolkien has died

Christopher Tolkien has died
489 by deadmetheny | 219 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Reverse engineering course

Reverse engineering course
618 by Edouar1 | 53 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: A Sad Day for Rust

A Sad Day for Rust
697 by pjmlp | 501 comments on Hacker News.

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Two legal luminaries have joined President Trump’s legal team for impeachment trial

01/17/20 7:41 AM

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Iran’s Supreme Leader praises missile attack in rare public appearance

01/17/20 2:18 AM

New best story on Hacker News: BlackRock’s decision to dump coal signals what’s next

BlackRock’s decision to dump coal signals what’s next
463 by evolve2k | 147 comments on Hacker News.

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11 US service members injured in Iran rocket attack on Iraqi military base, official says

01/16/20 7:00 PM

New best story on Hacker News: Unofficial Apple Archive

Unofficial Apple Archive
443 by todotask | 114 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Show HN: Tired of mobile games with IAP and ads, I made No-Bullshit Games

Show HN: Tired of mobile games with IAP and ads, I made No-Bullshit Games
379 by StavrosK | 215 comments on Hacker News.

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Chief Justice John Roberts sworn in as Trump impeachment trial opens in Senate

01/16/20 11:12 AM

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Carlos Beltran out as Mets manager in wake of MLB sign-stealing probe, according to reports

01/16/20 10:21 AM

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Trump impeachment trial begins as articles are formally presented to Senate

01/16/20 9:17 AM

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Federal watchdog says Trump administration broke law by withholding Ukraine aid

01/16/20 7:44 AM

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Iran says it is enriching more uranium now than before 2015 deal

01/16/20 1:07 AM

New best story on Hacker News: The new Microsoft Edge is out of preview

The new Microsoft Edge is out of preview
470 by MikusR | 338 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Climate threats now dominate long-term risks, survey of global leaders finds

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352 by drocer88 | 246 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Researchers find inverse correlation between advertising and life satisfaction

Researchers find inverse correlation between advertising and life satisfaction
385 by jrepinc | 268 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Mozilla lays off 70

Mozilla lays off 70
403 by ameshkov | 316 comments on Hacker News.

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Pelosi signs articles of impeachment against Trump for delivery to Senate

01/15/20 2:35 PM

New best story on Hacker News: Glia – High-quality low-cost open source medical hardware

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418 by robtherobber | 36 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: New study: The advertising industry is systematically breaking EU law

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365 by robin_reala | 123 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Firefox Multi-Account Containers

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525 by rahuldottech | 149 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Show HN: Write a private diary using good old email

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497 by kossnocorp | 267 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: GoatCounter – Simple web statistics, with no tracking of personal data

GoatCounter – Simple web statistics, with no tracking of personal data
464 by WinonaRyder | 125 comments on Hacker News.

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House transmits Trump impeachment articles to Senate, paving way for historic trial

01/15/20 10:38 AM

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi names these Democrats as House impeachment managers to prosecute case against President Trump

01/15/20 7:16 AM

New best story on Hacker News: Hipmunk Says Goodbye

Hipmunk Says Goodbye
542 by ienjoythebeach | 305 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Thank HN: You helped me get a new job

Thank HN: You helped me get a new job
1032 by atum47 | 90 comments on Hacker News.
I remember like it was yesterday: I applied to a job overseas through a job platform and didn't get hired. People from the platform contacted me telling me one of the possible reasons was that I didn't have any code on GitHub. After that I started uploading all my code as open source projects and began to search places to tell people about it. Soon I learned about Hackernews and made a post that got 1 vote. I then decided to contact HN to ask how can I get more traction to my projects and they told me about the Show HN, a tag design to share small and even unfinished projects. Soon I was posting every idea I ever had made into a project. After InvaderZ - a space invaders clone that uses genetic algorithm ( https://ift.tt/2QFfb3s ) - people started liking my projects and I started to gain some attention. That was very important cause I was being approached by some companies. I don't do projects to gather attention, I do cause I have fun doing them. I already had a lot of things done when I decided to upload them to GitHub. Well, in one of those times when my post was in top 10, a cool company from São Paulo saw me and called me for an interview. They liked my project so much they offer me a job. I'm living in São Paulo now, it's a huge city full of things to do and places to visit. It's been really cool so far and I have a huge appreciation for Hackernews and the good people that work here. They provide a cool platform where people can share relevant news. They provide tools for people to start their own startup. They share job openings. They share companies that are hiring. It's a neat place for programmers, hackers and tech enthusiasts in general. I wrote this cause you never know when your story will inspire others and maybe there's someone on the struggle right now looking for a job. This was my experience. HN help me a lot and I think it might help you too. Thank you all and have a wonderful year.

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Michael Flynn moves to withdraw guilty plea, citing 'bad faith' by government

01/14/20 5:52 PM

New best story on Hacker News: Show HN: I wrote a book for engineers that want to become engineering managers

Show HN: I wrote a book for engineers that want to become engineering managers
588 by jstanier | 218 comments on Hacker News.
Hey folks. Last year I was fortunate enough to sign a deal to write a book with my favorite technical publisher, The Pragmatic Bookshelf. When I started out as an Engineering Manager many years ago, I found that there wasn't a huge amount of material that specifically and practically helped me understand how to do my job. When you learn to program there's all of these amazing tutorials, examples and guides, but what was there for new managers? In response to this, a couple of years ago I started a blog over at https://ift.tt/30guMtb which got a decent amount of traction - I had a few front-pages here too, which was awesome. I improved a lot as a writer. This gave me the confidence to pitch a book to numerous publishers and thankfully my ideal choice wanted to work with me. The book has now been released in beta, which means you get DRM-free access to the first 240 pages (13 chapters) and more chapters will be pushed out as they get finished. I've written 17 out of 19 of them so far. The hard copy should be out in the Spring. It's available with free excerpts here: https://ift.tt/36W4ajH... If anyone's at all interested in learning about what it's like to pitch a publisher with their own book idea, then I guess I've been successful at that now, so I'm more than happy to give you any advice. I've had a great time working with PragProg and my editor and the other staff there have been (honestly) fantastic. I'd love to hear your feedback, and the nice part about the beta process is that the book still isn't finished, so there's plenty of scope for improvements. Thanks all!

New best story on Hacker News: Patch Critical Cryptographic Vulnerability in Microsoft Windows [pdf]

Patch Critical Cryptographic Vulnerability in Microsoft Windows [pdf]
248 by Moral_ | 74 comments on Hacker News.

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Trump administration rolls out aggressive new migrant-return policy to combat border crisis

01/14/20 6:35 AM

New best story on Hacker News: iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry

iOS 13 app tracking alert has dramatically cut location data flow to ad industry
428 by clairity | 260 comments on Hacker News.

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LSU defeats Clemson for college football national championship

01/13/20 9:22 PM

New best story on Hacker News: Visa Buys Plaid

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406 by coloneltcb | 216 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Why I Keep a Research Blog

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537 by gwgundersen | 54 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Bug #915: Please help

Bug #915: Please help
563 by supakeen | 92 comments on Hacker News.

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Attorney General William Barr says December attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola an ‘act of terrorism’

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Astros manager, GM suspended, team fined $5 million for cheating during 2017 championship season: reports

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Queen Elizabeth issues statement following 'very constructive' royal family summit on future plans of Prince Harry and Meghan Ma

01/13/20 9:12 AM

New best story on Hacker News: Judge rules that student loan debt is dischargeable in bankruptcy

Judge rules that student loan debt is dischargeable in bankruptcy
447 by jrs235 | 424 comments on Hacker News.

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Sen. Cory Booker suspends campaign for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination

01/13/20 8:06 AM

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Academy announces 2020 Oscar nominations; click to see complete list

01/13/20 5:51 AM

New best story on Hacker News: DuckDuckGo Is Now a Default Search Engine Option on Android in the EU

DuckDuckGo Is Now a Default Search Engine Option on Android in the EU
376 by cheeseyboi | 125 comments on Hacker News.

New world news from Time: Videos Reportedly Show Iranian Forces Firing Bullets and Tear Gas at Crowds Protesting Downed Airliner

(DUBAI, United Arab Emirates) — Iranian police and security forces fired both live ammunition and tear gas to disperse demonstrators protesting against the Islamic Republic’s initial denial that it shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, online videos purported to show Monday.

There was no immediate report in Iranian state-run media on the incident near Azadi, or Freedom, Square in Tehran on Sunday night after a call went up for protests there. However, international rights groups already have called on Iran to allow people to protest peacefully as allowed by the country’s constitution.

“After successive national traumas in a short time period, people should be allowed to safely grieve and demand accountability,” said Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran. “Iranians shouldn’t have to risk their lives to exercise their constitutional right to peaceful assembly.”

Videos sent to the center and later verified by The Associated Press show a crowd of demonstrators fleeing as a tear gas canister landed among them. People cough and sputter while trying to escape the fumes, with one woman calling out in Farsi: “They fired tear gas at people! Azadi Square. Death to the dictator!”

Another video shows a woman being carried away in the aftermath as a blood trail can be seen on the ground. Those around her cry out that she has been shot by live ammunition in the leg.

“Oh my God, she’s bleeding nonstop!” one person shouts. Another shouts: “Bandage it!”

Photos and video after the incident show pools of blood on the sidewalk.

Riot police in black uniforms and helmets gathered earlier Sunday in Vali-e Asr Square, at Tehran University and other landmarks. Revolutionary Guard members patrolled the city on motorbikes, and plainclothes security men were also out in force. People looked down as they walked briskly past police, apparently trying not to draw attention to themselves.

The crash of the Ukraine International Airline early on Wednesday killed all 176 people on board, mostly Iranians and Iranian-Canadians. After pointing to a technical failure and insisting for three days that the Iranian armed forces were not to blame, authorities on Saturday admitted accidentally shooting it down in the face of mounting evidence and accusations by Western leaders.

Iran downed the flight as it braced for possible American retaliation after firing ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces earlier on Wednesday. The missile attack, which caused no casualties, was a response to the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top general, in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad. But no retaliation came.

Iranians have expressed anger over the downing of the plane and the misleading explanations from senior officials in the wake of the tragedy. They are also mourning the dead, which included many young people who were studying abroad.

“Even talking about it makes my heart beat faster and makes me sad,” said Zahra Razeghi, a Tehran resident not taking part in demonstrations who spoke earlier Sunday to the AP. “I feel ashamed when I think about their families.”

“The denial and covering up the truth over the past three days greatly added to the suffering and pain of the families, and me,” she added.

Another individual, who identified himself only as Saeed, said Iran’s largely state-run media had concealed the cause of the crash for “political reasons.”

“Later developments changed the game, and they had to tell the truth,” he said.

Some Iranian artists, including famed director Masoud Kimiai, withdrew from an upcoming international film festival. Two state TV hosts resigned in protest over the false reporting about the cause of the plane crash.

President Donald Trump, who has expressed support for past waves of anti-government demonstrations in Iran, addressed the country’s leaders in a tweet, saying “DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS.” He later tweeted the same message again in Farsi.

“The World is watching. More importantly, the USA is watching,” he tweeted.

Iranians demonstrated in November after the government hiked gas prices, holding large protests across the nation. The government shut down internet access for days, making it difficult to gauge the scale of the protests and the subsequent crackdown. Amnesty International later said more than 300 people were killed.

A candlelight ceremony late Saturday in Tehran turned into a protest, with hundreds of people chanting against the country’s leaders — including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — and police dispersing them with tear gas. Protests were also held in the city of Isfahan and elsewhere.

Police briefly detained the British ambassador to Iran, Rob Macaire, who said he went to the vigil without knowing it would turn into a protest.

“Can confirm I wasn’t taking part in any demonstrations!” he tweeted. “Went to an event advertised as a vigil for victims of #PS752 tragedy. Normal to want to pay respects — some of victims were British. I left after 5 mins, when some started chanting.”

He said he was arrested 30 minutes after leaving the area.

Britain said its envoy was detained “without grounds or explanation” and in “flagrant violation of international law.”

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later tweeted that Macaire was arrested “as an unknown foreigner in an illegal gathering.”

Araghchi said when police informed him that a man was arrested who claimed to be the British ambassador, he didn’t believe them. But he said that once he spoke to Macaire by phone, he realized it was him, and that the ambassador was freed 15 minutes later.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry later summoned the British ambassador over his ”illegal and inappropriate presence” at the protest, it said on its Telegram channel.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of Iran’s parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, accused the ambassador of organizing protests and called for his expulsion. Dozens of hard-liners later gathered outside the British Embassy, chanting “Death to England.” They also called for the ambassador to be expelled and the embassy to be closed.

New best story on Hacker News: Deploy your side-projects at scale for basically nothing – Google Cloud Run

Deploy your side-projects at scale for basically nothing – Google Cloud Run
456 by alex-olivier | 266 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Low unemployment isn’t worth much if the jobs barely pay

Low unemployment isn’t worth much if the jobs barely pay
369 by weare138 | 327 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: Reality has a surprising amount of detail (2017)

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436 by tosh | 104 comments on Hacker News.

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The Cleveland Browns have hired another team's offensive coordinator to be their new head coach, filling the last remaining NFL

01/12/20 9:32 AM

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New England Patriots' star Julian Edelman arrested Saturday night in Beverly Hills, according to reports

01/12/20 7:57 AM

New world news from Time: Trump Administration Seeks to Amplify Dissent in Iran Amid Turmoil

(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration on Sunday tried to amplify voices of dissent in Iran by suggesting that the Islamic Republic is under internal threat after denying and then admitting it shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said street protests in Tehran show that the Iranian people are hungry for a more accountable government.

“You can see the Iranian people are standing up and asserting their rights, their aspirations for a better government — a different regime,” Esper said. He appeared on two Sunday news shows while President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, was interviewed on three others — pressing the White House’s points.

O’Brien suggested the United States sees this moment as an opportunity to intensify the pressure on Iran’s leaders. They already are under enormous strain from U.S. economic sanctions that have virtually strangled Iran’s main source of income — oil exports.

“I think the regime is having a very bad week,” O’Brien said.

“This was a regime that’s reeling from maximum pressure, they’re reeling from their incompetence in this situation and the people of Iran are just fed up with it,” he said, adding that regime change is not U.S. policy.

“The people of Iran are going to hopefully have the ability at some point to elect their own government and to be governed by the leaders they choose,” O’Brien said.

In Tehran, Iran’s security forces deployed in large numbers across the capital on Sunday, expecting more protests.

President Donald Trump tweeted his support for the Iranian protesters.

“To the leaders of Iran – DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS,” Trump wrote on Twitter Sunday morning. “Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you, and the World is watching. More importantly, the USA is watching. Turn your internet back on and let reporters roam free! Stop the killing of your great Iranian people!

Esper said Iran deserves credit for taking responsibility for the shootdown.

“My hunch is it was an accident,” he said, adding that although Iranian government officials initially blamed American propaganda, they ultimately “did the right thing by admitting it.”

The Ukrainian plane crash early Wednesday killed all 176 people on board, mostly Iranians and Iranian-Canadians. After initially pointing to a technical failure and insisting the armed forces were not to blame, Iranian authorities on Saturday admitted to accidentally shooting it down. That acknowledgement came in the face of mounting accusations by Western leaders.

Iran downed the Ukrainian flight as Tehran braced for retaliation after firing ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces. The ballistic missile attack, which caused no casualties, was a response to the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top general, in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad.

Iranians have expressed anger over the downing of the Ukrainian flight and the misleading explanations from senior officials in the immediate aftermath. Later the government took the blame for the shootdown, saying it was caused by human error.

Reviewing the dramatic sequence of events that preceded the downing of the Ukrainian jetliner Wednesday, Esper justified the U.S. killing of Quds Force leader Gen. Qassem Soleimani on Jan. 3 as an act of self defense, and he said the U.S. foresees no more Iranian military attacks in retaliation for that.

Esper also said the administration’s offer to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran without precondition still stands.

Esper said Iran’s paramilitary Quds Force still presents a threat across the Mideast, but the specific attacks he said were being planned by the late Quds Force leader, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, have been “disrupted.”

Esper was pressed to comment on Trump’s statement in a Fox News interview that the president believed Soleimani had been plotting to attack four U.S. embassies. Esper said he shared the belief that Soleimani was planning attacks on multiple U.S. facilities, but Esper did not say these included four embassies.

Esper appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” and CNN’s )State of the Union.” O’Brien appeared on ABC’s ”This Week,” “Fox News Sunday” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

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363 by daveytea | 252 comments on Hacker News.

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438 by throw0101a | 72 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: After 36 years as a paid product, the Micro-Cap Circuit Simulator is now free

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400 by lightlyused | 77 comments on Hacker News.

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Tune in at 10 am ET as Maria Bartiromo hosts 'Sunday Morning Futures' with guests Kevin McCarthy, Steve Mnuchin and Steve Bannon

01/12/20 6:51 AM

New best story on Hacker News: Goodbye, Clean Code

Goodbye, Clean Code
591 by danabramov | 257 comments on Hacker News.

New best story on Hacker News: SMS is not 2FA-secure

SMS is not 2FA-secure
354 by sergeant3 | 185 comments on Hacker News.

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Iran admits it ‘unintentionally’ shot down Ukrainian jetliner, according to state TV

01/10/20 8:05 PM

New world news from Time: Mexico is Doing the U.S.’s ‘Dirty Work,’ Say Researchers as Border Apprehensions Decline For 7th Month In a Row

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced Thursday that apprehensions at the U.S. Mexico border — a figure generally considered the most accurate measure of migrants who have attempted to enter the U.S. — have decreased for the seventh consecutive month. But immigration experts and advocates say that trend is likely the result of a crackdown on migration by the Mexican government.

According to data released Thursday, 32,858 people were apprehended at the border in December 2019, including unaccompanied children, family units and adults who traveled alone. That’s a decline from the previous month that saw 33,511 apprehensions. An additional 7,762 were deemed “inadmissible” by CBP in December — which researchers say is how asylum seekers are counted by the agency — totaling 40,620 enforcement actions last month. Though numbers have steadily decreased since May 2019, apprehensions for fiscal year 2019 overall were still nearly double the year before.

CBP Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan in a public statement Thursday said that the decline is “a direct result of President Trump’s network of policy initiatives and our ability to effectively enforce the law, enhance our border security posture and properly care for those in custody.” However, border and migration experts tell TIME the reality is much more complex and is likely the result of action taken by the Mexican government, which has acted out of pressure from the Trump Administration to curb northward migration.

This is the leading reason why apprehension numbers have declined, says Josiah Heyman, professor of anthropology and director of the Center for Interamerican and Border Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).

“Probably a limited amount of credit — or blame — should go to the U.S. treatment of people at the border and U.S. border policy,” Heyman says. “A larger amount of the credit or blame should go to the country of Mexico doing the dirty work of the United States.”

A series of policies since the start of the Trump Administration has aimed to deter asylum claims and unauthorized migration to the U.S., including a Zero Tolerance policy that separated thousands of parents from their children. But migrants fleeing violence and poverty continued attempting to reach the U.S. border, say researchers who spoke to TIME. What has changed is their ability to reach the border.

The Mexican government — under pressure by the U.S. — has stepped up enforcement of immigration laws, resulting in the the country deploying its recently formed Mexican National Guard. The force has sometimes violently prevented migrants from arriving at the U.S. border, according to accounts my multiple Mexican media outlets. The National Guard and the Mexico office of Security and Civilian Protection did not immediately return TIME’s request for comment.

In July, U.S. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador thanked Trump for acknowledging Mexico’s efforts, according to Reuters. “I am grateful that even President Trump is making it known that Mexico is fulfilling its commitment and that there are no threats of tariffs,” Lopez Obrador said.

Mexican National Guard members prevent Central American migrants from crossing the Rio Bravo, in Ciudad Juarez, State of Chihuahua, #Mexico. #AFP 📸 Herika Martinez pic.twitter.com/x4NGkspYIP

— AFPMexico (@AFPMexico) June 21, 2019

CBP did not immediately respond to TIME’s request for comment.

In June, Mexico announced plans to deploy thousands of National Guard forces to the northern border, and an additional 6,000 to its southern border with Guatemala in response to a threat by the Trump Administration to impose tariffs on Mexican exports to the U.S., a move that likely could have devastated the Mexican economy.

“Mexico is completely economically vulnerable to the United States,” Heyman says. “We threatened Mexico with economic disaster, and Mexico has moved in the direction of doing whatever the United States wants.”

Jeremy Slack, an assistant professor of geography in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at UTEP who primarily studies deportation, also believes Mexico’s involvement is the leading cause of decline.

“We didn’t see a major difference in terms of what’s going on in Central America,” Slack tells TIME. “Short answer. One hundred percent, the reason for the decline is related to Mexico’s use of the National Guard to stop people traversing Mexico.”

On Friday, DHS Acting Secretary Chad Wolf spoke to reporters in Yuma, Ariz., and acknowledged Mexico’s work to combat migration northward. He called Mexico’s actions “unprecedented.”

Another policy, known as “metering,” has resulted in thousands of asylum seekers waiting in Mexico for their turn to claim asylum at a U.S. port of entry — they have not been counted in CBP’s apprehension or inadmissible statics, according to Heyman and Slack. At least an additional 56,000 have already claimed asylum but have been returned to Mexico to wait for their court proceedings.

Central Americans have also not stopped attempting to migrate north, according to Jason De León, a professor of anthropology and Chicana/o and Central American studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, who is also the director of the Undocumented Migration Project, a long-term study of unauthorized border crossing. “We have made it more dangerous to cross Mexico, and much more expensive, and we’ve prolonged the process, but people are still very much coming,” he says.

New world news from Time: The U.K. Has Sent a Formal Extradition Request to U.S. for Anne Sacoolas, the Wife of a Diplomat Charged in the Death of Harry Dunn

The U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service has sent a formal extradition request to the U.S., asking that the country return Anne Sacoolas to face trial for the killing of teenager Harry Dunn, according to Reuters.

Sacoolas, the wife of U.S. diplomat based at at an Air Force base in England, was charged in December for the death of Harry Dunn, a 19-year-old who was killed while riding his motorcycle in August after Sacoolas allegedly crashed into him with her car. Sacoolas then fled to the U.S. and claimed diplomatic immunity, causing international controversy.

“Following the Crown Prosecution Service’s charging decision, the Home Office has sent an extradition request to the United States for Anne Sacoolas on charges of causing death by dangerous driving,” a Home Office spokesperson told Reuters in a statement. “This is now a decision for the U.S. authorities.”

The Home Office did not immediately return TIME’s request for comment, but the U.S. State Department tells TIME the extradition request is “highly inappropriate.”

“This was a tragic accident, a young man has lost his life, and his family is grieving. No one could hear about this tragic accident and not feel incredible sadness over this loss,” a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement to TIME. “The President, the Secretary of State, the U.S. Ambassador in London and others in our government have all expressed sincere condolences to the Dunn family for this tragedy.”

“The United States has been clear that, at the time the accident occurred, and for the duration of her stay in the U.K., the driver in this case had status that conferred diplomatic immunities,” the spokesperson added. “The Foreign Secretary stated the same in Parliament. It is the position of the United States government that a request to extradite an individual under these circumstances would be an abuse. The use of an extradition treaty to attempt to return the spouse of a former diplomat by force would establish an extraordinarily troubling precedent.”

The Dunn family has been adamant in relation to Sacoolas’ extradition, and met with President Trump at the White House in October. Trump attempted to have Sacoolas meet with the family at the White House, the Dunn family says, but they declined.

“It’s about Harry, it’s not about politics,” Charlotte Charles told TIME in October during the family’s visit to the U.S. “It shouldn’t be about the governments and it shouldn’t be us worrying about this becoming a political brawl or whatever. It’s about our boy, and making sure that it doesn’t happen to another family.”

Radd Seiger, the Dunn family’s spokesperson, told The Guardian that the family is “confident in the knowledge that the rule of law will be upheld.”

“They will simply take things one step at a time and not get ahead of themselves,” he added. “However, no one, whether diplomat or otherwise, is above the law.”