(Not sure if this is worldwide or only in some countries)

Updating to iOS 26.4DB2 will put your phone into a parental-restricted mode with adult websites blocked on all browsers, warning prompts every time you try to send or receive an explicit image on a messaging app, and all social media apps blocked on the App Store (in Australia)

The settings to disable this mode are locked off until you verify your age either with a credit card, photo ID, or though information Apple already has (like the age of your account).

I've been an apple user my entire adult life but this might finally be the thing that forces me off the platform. Do any other long term apple users have some tips about migrating? I've heard Ashai Linux is pretty good on mac hardware these days and I've been thinking about GrapheneOS for a while.

A Florida handyman who was sentenced on Thursday to life in prison for molesting two children had been convicted of storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but was pardoned by President Donald Trump.

Andrew Paul Johnson, 45, is among several Jan. 6 defendants who have been charged with new crimes since Trump’s sweeping act of clemency for Capitol rioters. On his first day back in the White House last year, Trump pardoned, commuted prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of cases for all 1,500-plus people charged in the attack.

Johnson was convicted last month of two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child and one count of electronically transmitting material harmful to a minor, according to prosecutors in Hernando County, Florida. County Circuit Judge Judge Stephen Toner handed down Johnson’s life sentence.

Sheriff’s deputies began investigating the child molestation allegations against Johnson in July 2025. One of his victims told investigators that the abuse started around April 2024, several months before Johnson was sentenced for his Capitol riot conviction.

Johnson told one of his victims that he expected to be compensated for being a pardoned Jan. 6 defendant and would be putting the child in his will to inherit any leftover money, according a sheriff’s office report.

“This tactic was believed to be used to keep (the child) from exposing what Andrew had done,” the report said. Investigators found sexually explicit messages that Johnson exchanged with one of his victims on the Discord messaging app, according to Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson’s office.

“In the messages, Johnson attempted to have the victim download another application for a more private conversation and encouraged the victim to delete their messages afterwards,” Gladson’s office said in a news release.

More at link

Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets didn't have enough missiles to shoot down Russian drones and missiles for more than 3 weeks after supplies from Kyiv's partners dried up just as Moscow was preparing a massive winter air campaign, three sources said.

The acute shortage from late November to mid-December, which has not been previously reported, lays bare the vulnerability of Ukraine's air defences which ​rely heavily on Western allies for missiles and defence systems to repel frequent Russian strikes.

Kyiv has often complained about a lack of weapons since the full-scale war began more than four years ago, sounding the alarm over critical shortages in recent months ‌while seeking not to anger Donald Trump's administration.

Noem decided the contracts instead of allowing a competitive bidding process for the jobs, according to three administration officials and internal communications reviewed by NBC News

Kristi Noem handpicked contractors to lead a $100 million campaign to recruit Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers instead of allowing competitive bidding for the jobs, according to three administration officials and internal communications reviewed by NBC News.

Typically, multiple companies are allowed to bid on a contract and officials who handle government procurement — not the leaders of departments — decide based on who can do the best job for the lowest price.

Donald Trump announced in a social media post Thursday that Noem would leave office effective March 31. Her place in the administration became increasingly unstable following the killing of U.S. citizens during immigration operations in Minneapolis; her fraying relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard, the only branch of the military under her command; and her comments this week in a Congress hearing that rankled Trump.

Continuing to enjoy the new brush I made to paint.

Timelapse: https://mastodon.social/@BallShapedMan/116179224295335956

The Israeli military has ordered the entire population of Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate, as it continued to bomb Lebanon and Iran, while Tehran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel and US bases across the region.

An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson told all residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs – more than 500,000 people – to “save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately”, before Israel launched airstrikes on what he described as Hezbollah targets. The area covered by the order included several hospitals and government ministries.
...
The evacuation order was issued just a day after the Israeli military ordered all residents to flee the area south of the Litani River, which compromises about 10% of the country.

Emphasis mine. It's strange to me that very little of the conversation overall is about Lebanon, when Israel is pretty clearly invading it. Even most of this guardian report on the Beirut evacuation is about Iran.

Update: Israeli military begins strikes on Beirut suburbs

cross-posted from: https://ibbit.at/post/194010

From Common Dreams via this RSS feed

A handful of Democrats joined Republicans to defeat an effort to force President Trump to go to Congress for approval to continue using force against Iran, while two G.O.P. lawmakers backed it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_wheel

Inspired by an interaction I had in the comments of the bread community recently.

The dough is exactly this recipe https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe

Cheddar cheese stuffed between the edge of the dough and the pan to make a crisp on the crust

Sauce is basic tomato sauce from a can, garlic, basil, salt, and a bit of lao gan ma

Random smattering of salami from a costco charcuterie package

Low moisture mozzarella with a bit of parmesan added the second it came out of the oven

VOY s7e24 "Renaissance Man"

There's a certain something about Robert Picardo that drove the Voyager writing staff to want other cast members to portray his character on multiple occasions.