Internet outages and workplace issues dominated headlines this week, with reports of an Iranian internet blackout impacting universities, a federal judge acknowledging an abusive workplace, and the end of a long-running public git server due to AI scraping. Meanwhile, the Winter Olympics in Milan saw Ilia Malinin, dubbed the "Quad God," take the lead in the men's skating short program.
An unnamed federal judge admitted to investigators that their court chambers fostered an "abusive workplace," according to an order made public by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, as reported by NPR News. The order detailed allegations of harassment, verbal abuse, and erratic behavior towards law clerks during the COVID pandemic. The judge agreed to take corrective measures after a law clerk filed a complaint.
In Iran, a near-total internet blackout on January 8th severely disrupted the higher-education system, according to Nature News. This shutdown, reminiscent of a five-day blackout in 2019, raised concerns about digital isolation and marked some of the most severe disruptions since the 1980s cultural revolution, which led to universities being closed for three years. The conditions under which universities are currently operating remain unclear.
The American University of Beirut, as highlighted by NPR Politics, offers a unique environment, including a 160-year-old liberal arts education.
On a different front, a public git server, running since 2011, was shut down due to relentless AI scraping, as detailed on Hacker News. The owner, citing the overwhelming number of pointless requests, decided against rebuilding the server and instead directed users to major git forges like GitLab and GitHub. The owner had previously run a public CVS server.
In the world of sports, the Milano Ice Skating Arena was filled with fans eager to watch the short program of the 2026 Winter Olympics men's figure skating competition, according to Time. Ilia Malinin, the "Quad God," led the competition after helping the U.S. win gold in the team event. Before his performance, Malinin took several deep breaths.
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