Zorro
Zorro's JournalQualcomm Accuses Apple of Stealing Secrets to Help Intel
Source: New York Times
Qualcomm accused Apple of stealing proprietary software and sharing it with the rival chip maker Intel as part of a scheme to reduce Apple’s reliance on Qualcomm technology.
The claim, made in documents filed in California Superior Court in San Diego on Monday night, add to charges that Qualcomm leveled last year and escalates a broad legal battle that has been raging between the two technology giants since early 2017.
Qualcomm said Apple had engaged in a “multiyear campaign of sloppy, inappropriate and deceitful conduct to steal Qualcomm’s information and trade secrets” to help improve the performance of Intel chips so they could match Qualcomm products.
The material taken included computer source code, software development tools and log files providing data about the performance of Qualcomm products, according to the filing.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/25/technology/qualcomm-apple-intel-stealing.html
Porsche Just Ditched Diesel
Porsche, a luxury auto brand owned by VW, announced today it will no longer produce cars with diesel engines, instead focusing on expanding its offering of electric and hybrid vehicles.
It’s the latest blow to the diesel engine in Germany following the Dieselgate scandal three years ago, in which VW was caught cheating on air pollution emission tests in their diesel vehicles by using so-called ‘defeat devices’. Sales of diesel cars have plummeted since then, and consumers with diesel cars are worried about collapsed resale value.
It has been a rapid fall from grace for a fuel once championed as the climate-friendly alternative to petrol (unleaded gas), because it produces less carbon emissions. The problem, which has become increasingly apparent over the past decade, is that they are worst than petrol when it comes to air pollution. The cheating, it is alleged, was done in order to make diesel cars seem like they were emitting the same air pollution as petrol vehicles.
Porsche was careful in its statement issued today that it does not want to “demonize” diesel engines, and that it would continue to care for the diesel cars already in the market.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davekeating/2018/09/24/porsche-just-ditched-diesel
Trump: No Statehood for Puerto Rico With Critics in Office
Source: US News and World Report
President Donald Trump on Monday declared himself an "absolute no" on statehood for Puerto Rico as long as critics such as San Juan's mayor remain in office, the latest broadside in his feud with members of the U.S. territory's leadership.
Trump lobbed fresh broadsides at San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, a critic of his administration's response to hurricanes on the island last year, during a radio interview with Fox News' Geraldo Rivera that aired Monday.
"With the mayor of San Juan as bad as she is and as incompetent as she is, Puerto Rico shouldn't be talking about statehood until they get some people that really know what they're doing," Trump said in an interview with Rivera's show on Cleveland's WTAM radio.
Trump said that when "you have good leadership," statehood for Puerto Rico could be "something they talk about. With people like that involved in Puerto Rico, I would be an absolute no."
Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2018-09-24/trump-no-statehood-for-puerto-rico-with-critics-in-office
New hearing date set for Rep. Duncan Hunter, wife in campaign finance scandal case
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife, Margaret, are scheduled to be back in court Dec. 3 for a status conference on charges they illegally used more than $250,000 in campaign funds to fund their lavish lifestyles and filed false campaign finance records to cover it up.
The couple appeared in federal court Monday morning where their attorneys asked for more time to go through the thousands of pages of documents amassed in the case as part of the federal probe.
Thomas McNamara, the attorney for Margaret Hunter, asked U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan to give the defense “several months” before scheduling another status conference, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Allen said that was too long for what she characterized as a straightforward embezzlement case.
“This is a very simple case, when it comes down to it,'' Allen told the judge, noting the government's speedy trial rights.
Read more: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/sd-me-hunter-hearing-20180924-story.html
What's your net worth, and how do you compare to others?
Home value, job title, car model, savings account balance. These things merely hint at how wealthy you or your neighbors are. The naked financial truth comes down to just one number: net worth.
Net worth is the total of what you own minus what you owe. It’s a mathematical reckoning of assets accumulated (including cars, homes, Roth IRAs and that dish of loose change on the dresser) and debts accrued (such as mortgages, auto loans, student loan debt and credit card IOUs).
A household in the U.S. has an average net worth of $692,100, according to the most recent data from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances.
Shocked by that figure? That’s because the average (aka the “mean”) is skewed by the nation’s super wealthy. The median net worth of the average U.S. household is $97,300. Median is the middle point where half the households have more and half have less.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/whats-your-net-worth-and-how-do-you-compare-to-others-2018-09-24
Marijuana use continues to grow among baby boomers
Marijuana use is becoming more prevalent among middle-aged and older adults, with 9 percent of adults aged 50-64 and nearly 3 percent of adults 65 and older reporting marijuana use in the past year, according to a study by researchers at NYU School of Medicine and the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing.
These new figures, which use data from 2015-2016, demonstrate a substantial increase in marijuana use over the past near-decade -- double the percentage of adults aged 50-64 (4.5 percent) and more than seven times the percentage of adults 65 and older (0.4 percent) reporting use in 2006-2007.
The new findings, published online in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, build on an earlier Addiction study by the same researchers to illustrate this growing trend among baby boomers.
Attitudes towards marijuana use are changing in the U.S., with a growing number of states legalizing medical and recreational marijuana. Although marijuana users are more likely to be young adults, the baby boomer generation is unique, having more experience with recreational use of drugs than previous generations.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180906100458.htm
Dickey Betts' surgery a 'success' in Sarasota
Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal
Dickey Betts is recovering now close to home following brain surgery.
“Dickey Betts and his family want everyone to know that his surgery was a success,” said a statement sent to the Herald-Tribune by manager David Spero on Friday. “The outpouring of support from all over the world has been overwhelming and amazing. We are so appreciative. Thank you all so much for your wonderful thoughts and prayers. We will keep you updated.”
Earlier Friday, Spero explained details would follow and told the Herald-Tribune:
“Hey Dickey fans, your thoughts and prayers helped make this surgery a success.”
Read more: http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20180921/dickey-betts-surgery-success-in-sarasota/1
Border Wall Nearly Collapses During Testing, 13 Prototypes 'Breached' Along Mexican Border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) report on President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall shows more than a dozen points were “breached” during tests along the Mexican border.
Prototypes for the barrier between Mexico and the U.S. failed to meet the standards of “non-penetrable,” with the recently released CBP report revealing that several test teams were able to breach sections of the wall. The heavily redacted report showed how the $20 million Otay Mesa border wall designs will need to undergo significant improvements before any construction plans can be implemented.
In at least one case, test crews were able to make the prototype wall completely “unstable" to the point of collapse.
Several breaching scenarios were tested by experts from CBP, U.S. Special Operations Command and members of the Marine Corps. The tactical teams tested whether they could breach, scale or otherwise penetrate the walls in a real-life scenario along the nearly 2,000-mile southern border. The report does not mention an effective remedy to stop tunneling as a way of bypassing the proposed border wall.
https://www.newsweek.com/border-wall-breach-tests-cbp-report-trump-cost-customs-failure-mexico-1128900
Report: Make It Stop
EVERYWHERE—Claiming that they just couldn’t stand this bullshit anymore, Americans across the country confirmed Thursday that someone, anyone needs to please, just make it stop.
“Please, please, please, we’re begging you here, just put an end to it immediately,” said sources, noting that it had all gone way, way too far and they would do almost anything for even a few glorious minutes of respite.
“We’re on our hands and knees, pleading with you to make it all go away once and for all. What’s it going to take? Jesus Christ, just stop it! Stop it right now!”
At press time, sources confirmed that they knew deep down it was never going to stop.
https://www.theonion.com/report-make-it-stop-1829206254
California Democrat runs ad on Fox with anchors slamming his GOP opponent
Source: Sacramento Bee
Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, has faced intense media scrutiny since his August indictment for campaign finance violations and other charges, including from normally Republican-friendly Fox News. Now, his Democratic opponent in the November midterm elections is using that Fox News criticism in a new campaign ad.
Ammar Campa-Najjar tweeted the ad, which shows clips from a variety of Fox News programs, on Thursday.
“Indicted Congressman Duncan Hunter is paying for ads to what should be his base — Fox News — to defend his embarrassing, criminal actions. So we’re airing this ad on Fox News & letting their anchors do the talking for us,” Campa-Najjar tweeted.
Hunter and his wife, Margaret, were indicted on charges of wire fraud, falsifying records, conspiracy and campaign finance violations.
Read more: https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article218750370.html
Pretty slick approach.
Here's the ad:
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