https://thedebrief.org/darpa-is-using-earths-atmosphere-as-a-sensor-to-detect-secret-explosions-and-spacecraft-reentries/

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has revealed Earth’s atmosphere can serve as a powerful sensor, allowing the detection and modeling of events on the ground and in space with incredible precision. Launched in 2020, DARPA’s AtmoSense program began with a straightforward goal: understanding the dynamics of energy propagation between Earth’s surface and the ionosphere, and whether they could be leveraged as a sensor system.

“High-resolution surface-to-space simulation of acoustic waves was considered impossible before the program began, but we accomplished it,” said Nayak in a recent statement. With the development of models that cover six orders of magnitude in scale, Nayak and his team say they were able to demonstrate how energy begins with small disturbances on the ground, eventually propagating through the atmosphere. Such events remain detectable up to thousands of kilometers away from their point of origin.

“We used to call the ionosphere the ‘ignorosphere,’ but AtmoSense made some key interdisciplinary breakthroughs to address what used to be a massively intractable problem,” Nayak said.

Additionally, the open-source tools developed by the program are now allowing researchers to model complex behaviors exhibited by atmospheric energy waves in 3D. This capability could allow for the detection of illicit underground explosions produced during secretive weapons testing, or other covert activities from afar—using nothing more than atmospheric signals.

AtmoSense first focused on modeling large Earth-based events like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Then, beginning last year, the second phase of the program involved field testing carried out in New Mexico, where a series of controlled detonations were undertaken that included eight 1-ton blasts and a pair of 10-ton blasts.

https://apnews.com/article/texas-governor-redistricting-trump-33bfdc8790cdf8201d80c8c89258df3d

Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe said Friday that he is calling Missouri lawmakers into a special session to redraw the state’s U.S. House districts as part of a growing national battle between Republicans and Democrats seeking an edge in next year’s congressional elections.

Kehoe made the announcement just hours after Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a new congressional voting map designed to help Republicans gain five more seats in the 2026 midterm elections. It marked a win for President Donald Trump, who has been urging Republican-led states to reshape district lines to give the party a better shot at retaining control of the House.

Missouri is the third state to pursue an unusual mid-decade redistricting for partisan advantage. Republican-led Texas took up the task first but was quickly countered by Democratic-led California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking voters to approve a map aimed at giving his party five more seats.

Kehoe scheduled Missouri’s special session to begin Sept. 3. He released a proposed new map that targets Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-area district by stretching it eastward into rural Republican-leaning areas.

His agenda also includes another Republican priority — a proposed constitutional amendment that would make it harder to approve citizen-initiated ballot measures, such as abortion-rights and marijuana legalization amendments adopted in recent years.

Kehoe cast both items as a defense against liberal politicians and activists.

“Missouri’s conservative, common-sense values should be truly represented at all levels of government,” he said in a statement.

Democrats were quick to express outrage. Missouri state House Minority Leader Ashley Aune called Kehoe a “Trump puppet” attempting to “steal a congressional seat for Republicans” and gut the ballot initiative process.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-seizes-control-of-train-station-after-vance-and-millers-humiliating-pr-stunt/

President Donald Trump’s administration is taking control of Washington D.C.’s Union Station after three of his top officials were loudly heckled during a botched PR stunt at the transit hub.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy—a former contestant in Road Rules—announced Wednesday that his department would reclaim management of the nation’s second-busiest rail terminal as part of the administration’s sweeping efforts to tighten control over the capital.

Duffy was at Union Station to launch a new fleet of high-speed Acela trains for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor route between D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston—trains which were first ordered under President Barack Obama in 2016, and which will benefit from infrastructure investments made as part of President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

The controversial federal takeover of D.C. has included deploying National Guard soldiers to patrol the streets, assisting police in tackling crime, and picking up trash.

“Instead of being a point of pride, Washington’s Union Station has fallen into disrepair,” Duffy said in a statement reported by The Washington Post. “By reclaiming station management, we will help make this city safe and beautiful at a fraction of the cost.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/08/15/barbie-screening-cancelled-muslim-youths-homosexuality/

Investigation launched as France’s Right-wing condemns cancellation as ‘submitting to Islamist ideology’

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq68j5g2nr1o

A lawyer representing the online message board 4chan says it won't pay a proposed fine by the UK's media regulator as it enforces the Online Safety Act.

According to Preston Byrne, managing partner of law firm Byrne & Storm, Ofcom has provisionally decided to impose a £20,000 fine "with daily penalties thereafter" for as long as the site fails to comply with its request.

"Ofcom's notices create no legal obligations in the United States," he told the BBC, adding he believed the regulator's investigation was part of an "illegal campaign of harassment" against US tech firms.

Ofcom has declined to comment while its investigation continues.

"4chan has broken no laws in the United States - my client will not pay any penalty," Mr Byrne said.

Ofcom began investigating 4chan over whether it was complying with its obligations under the UK's Online Safety Act.

Then in August, it said it had issued 4chan with "a provisional notice of contravention" for failing to comply with two requests for information.

Ofcom said its investigation would examine whether the message board was complying with the act, including requirements to protect its users from illegal content.

4chan has often been at the heart of online controversies in its 22 years, including misogynistic campaigns and conspiracy theories.

Users are anonymous, which can often lead to extreme content being posted.

In light of increasing pressure on free speech in the UK, new site blocking powers under the Online Safety Act are a cause for concern. The UK may need a Pirate Bay-style poster boy to justify blocking of non-pirate sites, just as the Pirate Bay was used to justify pirate site blocking 15 years ago. After being threatened by Ofcom, the infamous 4chan appeared to swallow the bait this week. A question: who has who on the hook?

https://torrentfreak.com/uk-govt-finds-ideal-pirate-bay-poster-boy-to-sell-blocking-of-non-pirate-sites-250824/

> Thread theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=844plbHuW84

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyjq40vjl7o

> 4chan launches legal action against Ofcom in US

> Lawyers representing controversial online forums 4chan and Kiwi Farms have filed a legal case against the UK Online Safety Act enforcer, Ofcom.

> Their legal complaint filed in a Washington DC Federal Court seeks a legal ban on the UK communications regulator enforcing or attempting to enforce the Online Safety Act against them in the US.

> "American citizens do not surrender our constitutional rights just because Ofcom sends us an e-mail," Preston Byrne of law firm Byrne & Storm said.

> Ofcom told the BBC: "We are aware of this lawsuit. Under the Online Safety Act, any service that has links with the UK now has duties to protect UK users, no matter where in the world it is based."

> A service doesn't have to be based in the UK to be subject to the act, and therefore face action from Ofcom.

> It could be enough for it to have a significant number of UK users, or to have the UK as a target market.

> But 4chan's lawyers want the US court to rule that US business with no presence in the UK are not subject to British legislation.

> The also want it to declare that the Online Safety Act is at odds with the US constitution's free speech protections.

> Lawyers for online message board 4chan recently told the BBC that Ofcom had provisionally decided to impose a £20,000 fine "with daily penalties thereafter" for failing to comply with two requests for information.

> Ofcom alleges 4chan has not complied with the act with respect to the requests for information, but has not confirmed the provisional fine.

> It has also stated that it continues to investigate 4chan over whether it is complying with Online Safety Act duties to protect its users from illegal content.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-15032483/Roanoke-College-retaliated-female-swimmers-trans-teammate.html

AG Jason Miyares conducted an investigation into the school and the findings were released by complainants.

Miyares alleges that Roanoke College denied the biological female swimmers 'accomodations, advantages, and privileges on the basis of sex, caused the women emotional, physical, and dignitary harms, and violated the Virginia Human Rights Act.'

Roanoke College 'categorically denies the unsubstantiated allegation that its trustees, faculty, staff, coaches, or administration violated the human rights of any students or retaliated against them in any way,' the school said in a statement provided to Daily Mail Sport.

Miyares suggested the biological female swimmers are eligible to seek financial damages. While there is no recorded instance of a school having to pay damages to biological women for competing with trans women, there are multiple lawsuits being litigated across the country over similar situations.

The male-to-female trans swimmer initially joined the team in 2023. However, after biological female swimmers met with the athletic director multiple times to voice complaints and multiple letters to the school's administration were written, the trans athlete in question withdrew from the team.