Bits Blog: Facebook Prepares A Business Product

Huey P. Newton would have been skeptical of The Big Cigar, a miniseries that dramatizes his flight from the U. S. to Cuba in 1974—and the show is the first to admit it. “The story I’m about to tell you is true,” says the Black Panther Party co-founder (played by Moonlight and The Knick star André Holland) in a voiceover that prefaces the electrifying, six-part series, which premieres May 17 on Apple TV+.

You have probably already seen the work of Bùi Tường Phong. A Vietnamese computer scientist working in the United States in 1973, Bùi developed the Phong shading and reflection algorithms, which have been ubiquitous in computer-generated movies and 3D video games for the last 50 years. Bùi’s algorithms excelled at depicting plastics, and are one reason that the film Toy Story (1995), the first entirely computer-animated feature film, was about toys. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month offers a chance to reflect on outstanding contributions by individuals like Bùi Tường Phong.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has asserted executive privilege over audio of his interview with special counsel Robert Hur that’s at the center a Republican effort to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress, the Justice Department told lawmakers on Thursday. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] It comes as the the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Judiciary Committee are each expected to hold a hearing to recommend that the full House refer Garland to the Justice Department for the contempt charges over the department’s refusal to hand over the audio. Garland advised Biden in a letter on Thursday that the audio falls within the scope of executive privilege.

VENTURA, Calif. — A judge decided Wednesday that a Southern California college professor will stand trial for involuntary manslaughter and battery in the death of a Jewish counter-protester during demonstrations over the Israel-Hamas war last year. Superior Court Judge Ryan Wright judge declared after a two-day preliminary hearing that there’s enough evidence to try Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Alnaji, 51, is accused of striking Paul Kessler with a megaphone in November during a confrontation at an event that started as a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Thousand Oaks, a suburb northwest of Los Angeles. Kessler, 69, fell backward and struck his head on the pavement.

Donald Trump reportedly acknowledged South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s recent controversies at a private fundraiser in Manhattan on Tuesday night. Noem, a Republican, received widespread backlash when an excerpt of her now-released book No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward made headlines due to a passage whereby she admitted to shooting and killing her 14-month old dog, Cricket, years ago. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “I’m really curious… about the dog,” Trump reportedly said according to three sources who were at the fundraiser, per NBC News.

Gina Rinehart, Australia’s wealthiest person, is less than thrilled about a recent painting of her being exhibited at one of Australia’s largest art museums. But her reported attempts to get the unflattering portrait taken down is backfiring: the piece, part of a collection of portraits by an acclaimed indigenous artist, has been defended by the museum, the arts industry, and—perhaps worst for her—social media users, who have given it more attention than ever. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The portrait features Rinehart, who is 70 years old, with a misshapen head, downturned lips, and a double chin.