Author: Hector Hoffman

Elon Musk’s brain-chip firm says it has received approval from the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to conduct its first tests on humans. The Neuralink implant company wants to help restore vision and mobility to people by linking brains to computers. It says it does not have immediate plans to start recruiting participants. Mr Musk’s previous ambitions to begin tests came to nothing. The FDA said it acknowledged Neuralink’s announcement. An earlier bid by Neuralink to win FDA approval was rejected on safety grounds, according to a report in March by the Reuters news agency that cited multiple current…

Wyoming is a very large state, land-wise, but is the least populous people-wise in the United States. It has many fascinating geographical structures and a long history of Native American habitation there. As might be expected from a place like this, Wyoming has a lot of unique and weird folklore associated with it. Here are some of the highlights of the state’s legends. Admitted to the union in 1890 as the 44th state, Wyoming is the tenth largest state by geographical area, while being the least populous one. The area has been home to several Native American groups over thousands of…

Here in the District, we define sustainability as advancing equity, environmental protection, and economic development at the same time. Our sustainability plan is called Sustainable DC 2.0, since it was updated in 2019 after the original Sustainable DC Plan was released in 2013. The plan includes goals, targets, and actions out to 2032 led by District government agencies and our partners to make the District of Columbia the healthiest, greenest, most livable city for all residents. With such a bold and broad vision, the plan covers a lot of ground; the topics included are governance, equity, built environment, climate, economy,…

Wyoming is one of 31 states without red-flag laws, which allow for temporary firearm removal from individuals believed to be at risk of harming themselves or others.  The policy, enacted in 19 states and D.C., is one that gun-safety advocates are pushing for once again across the U.S. in the aftermath of the late March Nashville school shooting, which killed six people. The policy has bipartisan appeal with some Republicans in favor of it because it helps prevent mass shootings, suicides and domestic violence, but second-amendment advocates say the policy is concerning because it entails firearm removal. Wyoming had the third-highest…

A legal dispute in Montana could drastically curb the government’s use of aerial fire retardant to combat wildfires. BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A legal dispute in Montana could drastically curb the government’s use of aerial fire retardant to combat wildfires after environmentalists raised concerns about waterways that are being polluted with the potentially toxic red slurry that’s dropped from aircraft. A coalition that includes Paradise, California — where a 2018 blaze killed 85 people and destroyed the town — said a court ruling against the U.S. Forest Service in the case could put lives, homes and forests at risk. An advocacy group that’s suing the agency…

Crypto Twitter finds a common enemy in the SEC, but some see just desserts after Coinbase delisted XRP. News of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s action against Coinbase, the number one cryptocurrency exchange in the United States, spread like wildfire through the crypto community, prompting an existential debate over what it could mean for cryptocurrency in the United States. “It should be crystal clear by now that the Biden Administration wants all crypto—even the legit parts of it—run out of the U.S.,” tweeted Custodia Bank founder and CEO Caitlin Long. “See also yesterday’s White House economic report, which dunked…

1. Biden announces national cybersecurity strategy The White House has announced a new cybersecurity strategy in the latest effort by the US government to bolster its cyber defences amid a steady increase in hacking and digital crimes targeting the country. The strategy, which is intended to guide future policy, urges tighter regulation of existing cybersecurity practices across industries and improved collaboration between the government and private sector. It seeks to broadly improve industry accountability over the cybersecurity of American critical infrastructure, such as hospitals and dams. The Biden administration has also announced a new plan to improve the digital defences…

The United States is denying Chinese claims that its military had driven away an American guided-missile destroyer from operating around disputed islands in the South China Sea BANGKOK — The United States denied Chinese claims Thursday that its military had driven away an American guided-missile destroyer from operating around disputed islands in the South China Sea as tensions rise in the region between the two powers. The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet said that a statement from China’s Southern Theatre Command that it had forced the USS Milius away from waters around the Paracel Islands — called Xisha by China —…

Last week, on the docks of Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, United States President Joe Biden, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gathered side-by-side to outline the details of what Sunak termed “the most significant multilateral defence partnership in generations”. Initially announced 18 months ago, last week’s Summit sought to flesh out and finalise the details of the AUKUS agreement, and delivered a two-pillared, multi-decade plan, framed around intensified collaboration between the UK, the United States and Australia. What is AUKUS? Pillar one involves the three nations building, manning and deploying a squadron of nuclear-powered submarines. From…

South Africa has a “Tinder Swindler” of its own, if allegations reported to North West police are anything to go by. The Hawks in the province are on the hunt for a man who goes by the name David Nkunda in connection with allegations that he scammed a woman he had met on dating site Badoo out of more than R2 million in pension funds. Whether or not that’s his real name is still under investigation. Hawks spokesperson, Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso, said the 54-year-old woman and Nkunda had met online and started dating shortly after. Police refused to provide dates due…