This week in the news | 2 Aug 24
News from the past week, and a few other things.
👋 Hello Reader, I hope you had a great week.
Below you’ll find the “quick shot”—a supercharged summary of summaries, followed by the “slow brew”—longer summaries with select graphics, and comments from me.
THE QUICK SHOT 🚀
A supercharged summary of summaries
A lock icon (🔒) indicates articles behind a paywall, and a chart icon (📊) indicates an informative chart/graphic in “Slow Brew.”
World
In the largest prisoner exchange since the Cold War, 23 people were freed and exchanged across Russia, Belarus, Germany, Slovenia, Norway, Poland, and the US. (WP) 📊. The secret negotiations involved extensive discussions (WSJ).
North America
The gunman who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump had been buying guns and bomb materials for over a year, highlighting his extensive planning before the attack (WSJ 🔒). Three men accused of plotting 9/11 have reached a plea deal, avoiding the death penalty in exchange for guilty pleas (BBC).
Latin America
President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of Venezuela's disputed presidential election, prompting accusations of fraud and promises of a legal challenge by the opposition (BBC). In response to the election, protests erupted in Venezuela and several countries denounced the results, leading to diplomatic expulsions (NYT 🔒). The U.S. has recognized opposition candidate González as the rightful winner, challenging the official results declared by Venezuela's electoral authority (AP).
Europe
Vandalism disrupted communication lines in France during the Paris Olympics, affecting fiber and mobile networks amid other acts of sabotage (AP). Ukraine has received its first F-16 fighter jets from NATO allies (Bloomberg 🔒). Turkey has blocked access to Instagram, allegedly in response to the platform removing posts related to Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh (AP).
Middle East
Israel has killed a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut following an attack on the Golan Heights (WSJ 🔒). The U.S. has vowed to defend Israel against any potential Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressing hope for a diplomatic resolution (Stars and Stripes). Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran by an air strike as tensions escalate (BBC). Haniyeh's assassination was reportedly carried out with a bomb smuggled into his guesthouse months ago, highlighting the extensive planning involved (NYT 🔒). Dubai has experienced extreme temperatures, with heat indices making it feel like 60C (140F) (Bloomberg 🔒).
East Asia
The U.S., Japan, and South Korea have signed a trilateral security pact to address regional security concerns, including opposition to unilateral changes by China (Defense One). China's leaders have vowed to support consumers and improve economic confidence amidst slowing growth (AP). The Bank of Japan has raised interest rates for the first time in 15 years, signaling a shift away from its previous stimulus policies (Reuters).
Southeast Asia
Indonesia's plan to relocate its sinking capital is facing challenges as investors pull out, raising concerns about the project's feasibility (WSJ 🔒).
Government
American politics is seeing a new gender divide with young men increasingly favoring Republicans while young women remain strongly Democratic (WSJ 🔒) 📊. President Biden has called for overturning presidential immunity, advocating for Supreme Court reforms and term limits for justices (WSJ 🔒) 📊.
Economy
The Federal Reserve has indicated a potential rate cut in September, aiming to support the labor market as inflation shows signs of easing (WSJ 🔒).
Business
Despite U.S. sanctions, Huawei is growing stronger, expanding into new businesses and maintaining its position in the global telecom market (WSJ 🔒) 📊.
Real Estate
A surge in commercial-property foreclosures suggests the sector may be nearing a bottom, with distressed properties reaching the highest rate in nearly a decade (WSJ 🔒) 📊. Mortgage rates have dipped to their lowest level since February, potentially easing challenges for homebuyers (Freddie Mac).
Personal Finance
A study highlights cities like Raleigh and Austin as top locations where 20-somethings are still getting hired, offering good salaries and affordability for recent college graduates (WSJ 🔒).
Technology
A Swiss startup is using virtual reality to train helicopter pilots, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional flight simulators (Forbes).
Cyber
Meta has settled a facial-recognition case with Texas for $1.4 billion, addressing privacy violations related to its discontinued technology (WSJ 🔒). The Justice Department has accused TikTok of collecting user views on sensitive topics, raising privacy concerns (AP). A Reuters investigation revealed that OnlyFans relies on paid impersonators to interact with subscribers, potentially violating consumer protection laws (Reuters). People don’t really take digital security seriously, as seen in a chart that visualizes the most and least common four-digit PIN numbers (Digg).
Health
A new Alzheimer’s blood test shows 90% accuracy, outperforming traditional diagnostic methods (WP 🔒). More drivers are using cannabis, posing a growing risk on the roads as marijuana use increases (WSJ 🔒) 📊. The UK High Court has upheld a ban on puberty blockers for minors, citing substantial risks and narrow benefits (Euronews).
Food & Drink
Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Olive Garden, is set to acquire Tex-Mex chain Chuy’s for $605 million (MassLive).
Nature
Antarctic temperatures have soared 50 degrees above normal, highlighting the severe impacts of climate change (WP 🔒). Plus, I provide some interesting facts about trenches, mountains, and falling.
Travel
Train travel in America is making a comeback, with rising ridership and increased investments in rail infrastructure (WSJ 🔒) 📊.
Entertainment
The new Marvel movie Deadpool & Wolverine had an incredible opening weekend, breaking several box office records (Sherwood News). I’ve also included a highlight of Roy Haynes, the 99-year-old Jazz drummer.
Sports
Katie Ledecky has become the most decorated female U.S. Olympian of all time with 13 medals (CNN). Simone Biles made history by winning her second all-around Olympic gymnastics title, becoming the oldest champion since 1952 (AP). A statistical analysis explores the business of the Olympics, highlighting rising revenues but diminishing cultural reach (Stat Significant). A stunning photo of an Olympic surfer's celebration has gone viral, capturing the competitive spirit of the games (WP 🔒). Speed puzzlers, despite not being in the Olympics, are showcasing their skills in world-class competitions, drawing participants from over 75 countries (NYT 🔒).
THE SLOW BREW ☕
A more relaxed approach to the summaries.
World
A list of people freed in prisoner swap deal with Russia (WP🔒) 📊
It’s the largest international prisoner exchange since the Cold War. Through this complicated deal, journalists, a former U.S. Marine and political activists were freed by Russia in exchange for the release of a convicted Russian assassin imprisoned in Germany and several Russian intelligence operatives and hackers held in the United States and Europe. [Here] is a complete list of who was released as well as the Americans still being held in Russia.
Inside the Secret Negotiations to Free Evan Gershkovich (WSJ🔒)
This account is based on more than a year of interviews with dozens of U.S., Russian, European and Middle Eastern national security officials, diplomats, spies, and prisoners’ families. Reporters reviewed classified Russian legal documents, security camera footage from arrests and unpublished photos of previous prisoner swaps to identify key players in the drama.
North America
Trump Shooter Began Buying Guns, Bomb Materials More Than a Year Ago, FBI Says (WSJ🔒)
The gunman who tried to assassinate Donald Trump began making dozens of gun-related purchases and stocking up on bomb-making materials more than a year ago, FBI officials said Monday, the strongest indication yet that he had been planning an attack well before he opened fire on the former president. Thomas Matthew Crooks made 25 different gun-related buys online between spring 2023 and the first half of this year, and bought material used in explosives six times, officials said, offering new glimpses into their far-ranging investigation into the July 13 shooting at a campaign rally in western Pennsylvania. FBI officials said Crooks, 20 years old, searched online for information about power plants, mass-shooting events, improvised explosive devices and the May assassination attempt on Slovakia’s prime minister, said Kevin Rojek, the FBI special agent in charge in Pittsburgh.
Three men accused of plotting 9/11 reach plea deal - Pentagon (BBC)
Three of the men accused of plotting the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US have entered into a pre-trial agreement, the Department of Defense says. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al-Hawsawi have been held at the US Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for years without going to trial. Details of the deal have not been announced, but US news outlets say the men will plead guilty in exchange for the prosecution agreeing not to seek the death penalty. Brett Eagleson, the president of 9/11 Justice, an organisation that represents 9/11 survivors and relatives of victims, said in a statement provided to the BBC that the families are “deeply troubled by these plea deals”. He said the process lacked transparency and urged the authorities to pursue more information on the role of Saudi Arabia in the attacks. Terry Strada, who lost her husband Tom, told the BBC’s Today Programme: "It was a gut-punch to hear that there was a plea deal today that was giving the detainees in Guantanamo Bay what they want.” Ms Strada, the national chair of the campaign group 9/11 Families United, added: "This is a victory for Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and the other two, it's a victory for them," she said.
Latin America
Venezuela's Maduro declared winner in disputed vote (BBC)
President Nicolás Maduro has won Venezuela's presidential election, according to partial results announced by the electoral council. The head of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Elvis Amoroso - who is a close ally of Mr Maduro - said that with 80% of ballots counted, President Maduro had 51% of the vote, compared to 44% for his main rival. The Venezuelan opposition dismissed the CNE's announcement as fraudulent and promised to challenge the result. It said its candidate, Edmundo González, had won with 70% of the votes and insisted he was the rightful president-elect. The result of the election will have repercussions well beyond the South American country of 29.4 million inhabitants. Over the past 10 years, 7.8 million people have fled Venezuela because of the economic and political crisis into which the country was plunged under the Maduro Administration.
Protests Erupt in Venezuela as Nations Denounce Election Result (NYT🔒)
Protests broke out Monday in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, with hundreds of young people marching through the streets furious over a presidential election in which the incumbent, Nicolás Maduro, declared victory despite widespread accusations of fraud, officially proclaiming the election decided without releasing the full vote counts. The United States and countries around the world denounced the official results of Sunday’s vote, which did not appear to match statistical estimates based on partial counts and other data that showed the president losing by a wide margin. By Monday afternoon, the Venezuelan government announced it had kicked out the diplomatic missions of seven Latin American countries that had condemned the official electoral results.
US recognizes opposition candidate González as the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election (AP)
The stakes grew higher for Venezuela’s electoral authority to show proof backing its decision to declare President Nicolás Maduro the winner of the country’s presidential election after the United States on Thursday recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González as the victor, discrediting the official results of the vote. The U.S. announcement followed calls from multiple governments, including close allies of Maduro, for Venezuela’s National Electoral Council to release detailed vote counts, as it has done during previous elections. The electoral body declared Maduro the winner Monday, but the main opposition coalition revealed hours later that it had evidence to the contrary in the form of more than two-thirds of the tally sheets that each electronic voting machine printed after polls closed.
Europe
Vandalism hits communication lines in France during Paris Olympics (AP)
The French government says multiple telecommunications lines have been hit by acts of vandalism, affecting fiber lines and fixed and mobile phone lines as cities around France are hosting events for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The scale of the impact is unclear, as is whether it has affected any Olympic activities. The vandalism came after a rson attacks hit train networks around France on Friday, hours before the Olympics opening ceremony. Marina Ferrari, secretary of state in charge of digital affairs, posted on X that damage in several regions overnight Sunday to Monday affected telecommunications operators. She said that led to localized impact on access to fiber lines and fixed and mobile telephone lines. Paris 2024 Olympics organizers would not immediately comment.
Ukraine Receives First F-16 Fighter Jets After Long Wait (Bloomberg🔒)
The first delivery of F-16 fighter jets from NATO allies has arrived in Ukraine, in a long-awaited move that may boost the war-torn nation’s ability to repel Russian attacks. The deadline for the transfer of the US-made warplanes was the end of this month and it has been respected, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke under condition of anonymity. The number of jets is small, they said.
Turkey blocks access to Instagram. It’s in response to removal of posts on Hamas chief, reports say (AP)
Turkey’s communications authority blocked access to the social media platform Instagram on Friday, the latest instance of a clampdown on websites in the country. The Information and Communication Technologies Authority, which regulates the internet, announced the decision early Friday but did not provide a reason. Yeni Safak newspaper, which is close to the government, and other media said access was blocked in response to Instagram removing posts by Turkish users that expressed condolences over the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. It came days after Fahrettin Altun, the presidential communications director and aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, strongly criticized the Meta-owned platform for preventing users in Turkey from posting messages of condolences for Haniyeh.
Middle East
Israel Says It Killed Hezbollah Commander in Beirut, in Response to Golan Heights Attack (WSJ🔒)
Israel said it killed one of Hezbollah’s top military leaders in an airstrike in Beirut intended as retaliation for a Saturday attack on the Israel-controlled Golan Heights that killed 12 young people, a response that came amid fears of a widening war in the Middle East. The strike on Fuad Shukr, the highest-ranking leader of the group to be killed in years, risks sharply escalating tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. Hezbollah didn’t immediately say whether Shukr had died in the strike. How the bomb was stashed in the guesthouse remained unclear. The Middle Eastern officials said that the planning for the assassination took months and required extensive surveillance of the compound. The two Iranian officials who described the nature of the assassination said they did not know how or when the explosives were planted in the room.
US will defend Israel if Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon, Austin says (Stars and Stripes)
Diplomats continued to race Tuesday to fend off war between Israel and Lebanon, after Israeli officials reiterated threats to respond to the weekend rocket attack that killed 12 teenagers and children in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The United States will defend Israel if it is attacked by Hezbollah from Lebanon, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday, though he declared hope that the simmering conflict can be defused diplomatically. “I don’t believe that a fight is inevitable,” Austin told reporters after meetings in Manila with senior Philippine officials alongside Secretary of State Antony Blinken to detail new security commitments for the Southeast Asian nation. “We would like to see things resolved in a diplomatic fashion.” But “if Israel is attacked, yes, we will we help Israel defend itself. We’ve been clear about that from the very beginning,” Austin said.
Hamas political leader Haniyeh killed in Iran, raising fears of wider war (BBC)
Hamas says its political leader Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in Iran’s capital Tehran. Haniyeh was killed in an air strike at about 02:00 local time, reports say. The 62-year-old is the most senior Hamas leader to be killed since the 7 October attacks. Hamas has blamed Israel, which is yet to respond but has previously vowed to eliminate Hamas's leaders. Iran, the group's most important backer, vows to avenge his death. It comes hours after Israel claimed it killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon.
Bomb Smuggled Into Tehran Guesthouse Months Ago Killed Hamas Leader (NYT🔒)
Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader of Hamas, was assassinated on Wednesday by an explosive device covertly smuggled into the Tehran guesthouse where he was staying, according to seven Middle Eastern officials, including two Iranians, and an American official. The bomb had been hidden approximately two months ago in the guesthouse, according to five of the Middle Eastern officials. The guesthouse is run and protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and is part of a large compound, known as Neshat, in an upscale neighborhood of northern Tehran.
Dubai’s Brush With Heat That Feels Like 60C Shows Dangers Ahead (Bloomberg🔒)
Dubai, the Middle Eastern financial hub, has been buffeted by humidity and heat waves that’s already caused temperatures to feel higher than 60C (140F) several days this summer. On July 20, for example, temperatures hit a high of 42C at Dubai International Airport, according to data from the US National Weather Service. However, intense humidity that day compounded the heat to make it feel like more than 62C, according to the weather service’s heat index, which combines both metrics to express how the temperature feels to the human body.
East Asia
US, Japan, South Korea sign pact amid ‘deteriorating’ regional security (Defense One)
A first-ever gathering of defense chiefs from Japan, South Korea, and the United States here produced a trilateral security agreement, “grave concern” over increasing Russian-North Korean cooperation, and vague opposition to “unilateral attempts to change the status quo”—a reference to China and Taiwan. Separately, the United States and Japan announced a new effort to co-develop and produce missiles and counterstrike capabilities. “The defense ministers from our three countries have never met in the same room in either of your countries, but that changes today,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his counterparts as the meeting began here on Monday morning. In a joint statement, the three countries said the new Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework would include “senior-level policy consultations, information sharing, trilateral exercises, and defense exchange cooperation, to contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, in the Indo-Pacific region, and beyond.”
China’s top leaders vow to support consumers and improve confidence in its slowing economy (AP) 📊
China’s powerful Politburo has endorsed the ruling Communist Party’s long-term strategy for growing the economy by encouraging more consumer spending and weeding out unproductive companies to promote “survival of the fittest.” A statement issued after the meeting of the 24 highest leaders of the party warned that coming months would be tough, perhaps alluding to mounting global uncertainties ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. “There are still many risks and hidden dangers in key areas,” it said, adding that the tasks for reform and stability in the second half of the year were “very heavy.” The Politburo promised unspecified measures to restore confidence in financial markets and boost government spending, echoing priorities laid out by a wider meeting of senior party members earlier in July.
Bank of Japan lifts rates as Fed inches towards cut (Reuters) 📊
The Bank of Japan raised interest rates to levels unseen in 15 years and unveiled a detailed plan to slow its massive bond buying, taking another step towards phasing out a decade of huge stimulus. The rate hike, which dashed dominant market expectations for no change, was the largest since 2007 and came just months after the BOJ ended eight years of negative interest rates as the bank's chief seeks to dismantle his predecessor's unorthodox policies.
Southeast Asia
Why a Plan to Save Indonesia’s Sinking Capital Is Falling Apart (WSJ🔒)
Jakarta is the world's fastest sinking city. But the Indonesian government's plan to move the capital 800 miles away risks draining the country's resources and damaging its reputation as investors pull out of the $33 billion project. Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images
Government
America’s New Political War Pits Young Men Against Young Women (WSJ🔒) 📊
The forces of American culture and politics are pushing men and women under age 30 into opposing camps, creating a new fault line in the electorate and adding an unexpected wild card into the 2024 presidential election. Voters under 30 have been a pillar of the Democratic coalition since Ronald Reagan left office in 1989. That pillar is showing cracks, with young men defecting from the party. Young men now favor Republican control of Congress and Trump for president after backing President Biden and Democratic lawmakers in 2020. Women under 30 remain strongly behind Democrats for Congress and the White House. They are also far more likely to call themselves liberal than two decades ago.
Biden Calls for Overturn of Presidential Immunity: ‘The Court Made a Ruling for One’ (WSJ🔒) 📊
President Biden called Monday for a constitutional amendment overturning the Supreme Court’s recent decision awarding former presidents immunity for crimes they commit while in office—and endorsed proposals for a mandatory ethics code and 18-year term limit for justices.
Economy
Fed Clears Path for September Interest Rate Cut (WSJ🔒)
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said officials could cut interest rates at their meeting in September, moving closer to a new phase that seeks to avoid weakness in the labor market in the midst of signs inflation is heading lower. While Powell and his colleagues didn’t commit to any such move when they held rates steady on Wednesday, he appeared to suggest during a news conference after the meeting that a cut was more likely than not.
Business
The U.S. Wanted to Knock Down Huawei. It’s Only Getting Stronger (WSJ🔒) 📊
Five years ago, Washington sanctioned Huawei, cutting off the Chinese company’s access to advanced U.S. technologies because it feared the telecommunications giant would spy on Americans and their allies. Many in the industry thought it would ring the death knell for one of China’s most vital tech players. Huawei struggled at first—but now it’s come roaring back. Bolstered by billions of dollars in state support, Huawei has expanded into new businesses, boosted its profitability and found fresh ways to curb its dependence on U.S. suppliers. It has held on to its leading position in the global telecom-equipment market, despite American efforts to squeeze Huawei out of its allies’ networks. And it’s making a big comeback in high-end smartphones, using sophisticated new chips developed in-house to take buyers from Apple.
Real Estate
Surge in Commercial-Property Foreclosures Suggests Bottom Is Near (WSJ🔒) 📊
Banks and other lenders are seizing control of distressed commercial properties at the highest rate in nearly a decade, a sign that the sector’s punishing downturn is entering its next phase and approaching a bottom. In the second quarter, portfolios of foreclosed and seized office buildings, apartments and other commercial property reached $20.5 billion, according to data provider MSCI. That is a 13% increase from the first quarter and the highest quarterly figure since 2015. Defaults and other kinds of distress have been steadily building in the commercial-property market to near historic levels because of high interest rates and the slow return of workers to office buildings. Until recently, though, many lenders have been reluctant to take over properties in hopes of a recovery and to avoid the expense and losses of foreclosure actions.
Mortgage Rates Dip to Lowest Level Since February (Freddie Mac) 📊
Mortgage rates declined to their lowest level since early February. Expectations of a Fed rate cut coupled with signs of cooling inflation bode well for the market, but apprehension in consumer confidence may prevent an immediate uptick as affordability challenges remain top of mind. Despite this, a recent moderation in home price growth and increases in housing inventory are a welcoming sign for potential homebuyers.
Personal Finance
The Cities Where 20-Somethings Are Still Getting Hired (WSJ🔒)
In a frustrating season for college graduates looking for entry-level jobs, some smaller cities, especially in the South, stand out for their brisk hiring, good salaries and affordability. Raleigh, N.C.; Austin, Texas; Baltimore; Atlanta; and Charlotte, N.C., rank as the top five most promising locations to find work for newly minted college graduates, according to a new study by payroll provider ADP. Researchers weighed cost-of-living-adjusted wages in 55 U.S. metro areas against hiring rates for people who typically have a four-year degree. Salt Lake City, Seattle and Portland, Ore., were among cities that ranked in the bottom 10 due to their slower hiring rates and lower wages once cost of living is factored in.
NOTE: The report can be found here.
Changes in Retirement Savings Rules to Know Before Year’s End (WSJ🔒)
Investors might be forgiven for not being aware of all of the provisions Congress put into the landmark retirement law it passed more than a year and a half ago. But the unknown could prove costly. The provisions, some of which have yet to kick in, cover everything from the yearly mandated withdrawals known as required minimum distributions, or RMDs, to the types of accounts that can be used for certain retirement-plan contributions. Here are some of the rules: • No more RMDs from Roth 401(k) plans. • 401(k) catch-up contributions for high earners must go into Roth accounts. • Certain spousal beneficiaries of IRAs get more potential tax-deferred growth. • Reduced penalty for missed RMDs. • New statute of limitations for missed RMDs. • New statute of limitations for excess contributions. • Roth contributions to SEP and Simple IRAs. • Employer matches can be a Roth.
Technology
Pilots Are Learning To Fly Helicopters In VR, Thanks To This Swiss Startup (Forbes)
The full flight simulators that airlines and helicopter operators rely on to train their pilots are leviathans: 13-ton replicas of cockpits mounted on moving, telescoping legs that require 12-foot-thick concrete foundations and a three-story space to house them. The most sophisticated variety, known as Level D simulators, have a price tag to match: up to $20 million. Loft’s founder and CEO Fabian Riesen thinks these mammoth machines can be replaced with something much simpler, thanks to virtual reality. His company’s helicopter simulators are a tenth the size and up to a 20th of the cost. The Loft R22 simulator that I’m sitting in at an FAA research center in Atlantic City is mounted on a platform that can move with six degrees of freedom like its giant cousins, but it stands only seven feet tall; sits in a 10 by 20 foot space, including an instructor’s station; and costs about $250,000.
Cyber
Meta Settles Texas’ Facial-Recognition Case for $1.4 Billion (WSJ🔒)
The state of Texas has reached a $1.4 billion settlement with Facebook parent Meta Platforms over the company’s since-discontinued use of facial-recognition technology. Attorney General Ken Paxton said the state’s landmark deal will require Meta to pay the sum over five years, resolving claims that the technology violated Texans’ privacy rights. The Texas attorney general filed suit against Meta in February 2022, arguing that the company’s capture of facial geometry in photographs uploaded between 2010 and late 2021 had resulted in “tens of millions of violations” of the state’s privacy protections for personal biometric data. Meta had shuttered the facial-recognition system months earlier amid concerns from privacy advocates and regulators. The company said it would delete data related to the faces of more than 1 billion people.
Justice Department says TikTok collected US user views on issues like abortion and gun control (AP)
In a fresh broadside against one of the world’s most popular technology companies, the Justice Department is accusing TikTok of harnessing the capability to gather bulk information on users based on views on divisive social issues like gun control, abortion and religion. Government lawyers wrote in documents filed late Friday to the federal appeals court in Washington that TikTok and its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance used an internal web-suite system called Lark to enable TikTok employees to speak directly with ByteDance engineers in China. TikTok employees used Lark to send sensitive data about U.S. users, information that has wound up being stored on Chinese servers and accessible to ByteDance employees in China, federal officials said. One of Lark’s internal search tools, the filing states, permits ByteDance and TikTok employees in the U.S. and China to gather information on users’ content or expressions, including views on sensitive topics, such as abortion or religion. Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported TikTok had tracked users who watched LGBTQ content through a dashboard the company said it had since deleted.
OnlyFans’ porn juggernaut fueled by a deception (Reuters)
OnlyFans is a porn-driven, subscription-based website where content creators and their followers can develop what it calls “authentic relationships” by messaging each other. But many popular OnlyFans creators, including porn stars earning millions of dollars through the website, outsource the task of messaging their subscribers to paid impersonators known as “chatters.” It is their job to coax subscribers into tipping the creators and buying more porn. The presence of chatters on OnlyFans has been documented before, often as a quirky if dubious byproduct of the platform’s runaway success. But a Reuters investigation found they play an essential supporting role in OnlyFans’ business, sustaining a fundamental deception that both hooks and harms loyal customers and brings legal risks to the platform. OnlyFans doesn’t employ chatters or even acknowledge their existence. Still, they form part of a largely unregulated global ecosystem that has evolved alongside the company’s explosive growth. They are often hired by agencies that manage many top OnlyFans content creators, sometimes referred to as models. All three – agencies, creators and chatters – share the same goal: to persuade subscribers to spend as much money as possible on the models’ accounts. The deception has been lucrative, helping to generate sensational profits for OnlyFans. The company takes 20% of its creators’ earnings, a cut worth almost $1.1 billion in revenue in 2022 alone. But the use of chatters undermines OnlyFans’ promise of direct connections between creators and subscribers, while exposing often intimate details that subscribers believe to be private. And it potentially places the company in violation of U.S. or European consumer protection and data privacy laws, six legal experts said.
The Most And Least Common Four-Digit PIN Numbers, Visualized (Digg) 📊
Lots of us use four-digit PINs to protect our debit cards and phones, but anybody with basic math skills can tell that four characters — made up of numbers zero through nine — aren't exceptionally secure. Even worse, users make the situation riskier by mostly using the same handful of PINs for various services. Redditor u/infobeautiful posted a chart analyzing every possible four-digit PIN and how often they're used, according to 3,400,000 real PINs found through data breaches. Unfortunately, it's obvious that people aren't taking their security seriously.
Health
Alzheimer’s blood test shows 90% accuracy, outperforming other exams (WP🔒)
A new study shows that a simple blood test can outperform traditional exams when it comes to determining whether Alzheimer’s is responsible for memory problems, accurately diagnosing the disease about 90 percent of the time.
More People Are Driving on Cannabis. Law Enforcement Is Racing to Learn Who Is High (WSJ🔒) 📊
More people are using cannabis daily than alcohol, putting more drivers using the drug behind the wheel—and people on the road at risk. The legalization of marijuana likely accounts for an additional 1,400 traffic fatalities in the U.S. each year, a 2023 study in the International Journal of Drug Policy found. Many drivers don’t realize cannabis impairs driving: Only 70% of drivers say it is very dangerous to drive an hour after using marijuana compared with 94% for alcohol, according to a 2022 survey of 2,500 drivers by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
UK ban on puberty blockers upheld by High Court (Euronews)
A High Court judge has found that a UK emergency ban on the sale or supply of puberty blockers is lawful. The restrictions came into effect on June 3 and apply to young people under 18 with gender dysphoria in England, Wales and Scotland. Justice Beverley Lang said in a ruling made public on Monday that a review commissioned by the National Health Service (NHS) about the "very substantial risks and very narrow benefits associated with the use of puberty blockers" had provided "powerful scientific evidence" in support of the restrictions.
Food & Drink
Olive Garden owners to buy popular Tex-Mex restaurant chain Chuy’s for $605M (MassLive)
The parent company of several high-profile restaurant chains, including Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, is adding another popular chain to its portfolio. Darden Restaurants Inc. announced the company agreed to a $605 million purchase agreement for Texas-based Tex-Mex restaurant chain, Chuy’s. Darden Restaurants will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Chuy’s for $37.50 per share, in an all-cash transaction — valuing $605 million, according to a press release.
Nature
Antarctic temperatures soar 50 degrees above norm in long-lasting heat wave (WP🔒) 📊
Ground temperatures in East Antarctica have soared more than 50 degrees (28 Celsius) above normal in the second major heat wave to afflict the region in the past two years. This historic warm spell could persist for another 10 days and is an ominous example of the major temperature spikes this polar climate could experience more frequently in a warming world. Temperatures are expected to remain up to 36 to 50 degrees (20 to 30 Celsius) above average in parts of East Antarctica for the next 10 days. They have been substantially above average for most of July, but not as high as they are now. Last week, they climbed to 20 degrees (12 Celsius) above average. Winter temperatures in Antarctica substantially fluctuate because of the lack of sunlight, but this heat wave is a much larger deviation from the norm than usual. It’s too early to determine all of its causes, but scientists say it may be at least partially linked to processes occurring 20 miles (30 kilometers) above the surface in the stratosphere. The stratosphere contains a strong band of cold air and low pressure spinning around each pole, known as the polar vortex. The vortex is typically strong and stable during winter in the southern hemisphere, said Amy Butler, an atmospheric scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But this year, she said, it’s been jostled by atmospheric waves, weakening the vortex and causing high-altitude temperatures to soar; this is known as a sudden stratospheric warming event.
NOTE: Reading about Antarctica led me down another internet wormhole—here’s what I learned. While many people think that both our poles are made of ice, Antarctica (location of the South Pole), is actually land, which is why it’s a considered a continent. That said, it is cold there, so there is lots of snow and ice covering most of that land. While looking at the map below, which you can find here, I noticed two interesting things: 1) Vinson Massif, and 2) the Bentley Subglacial Trench.
Vinson Massif is 16K feet high. That’s taller than all but six mountains in the United States, and is eighth tallest in the world in prominence (relative height to the lowest contour around it) due to its location near the ocean.
The Bentley Subglacial Trench is the lowest point on earth not covered by ocean, though it is covered by ice. It’s 8K feet below sea level.
In the Image above, the dark brown/red peak to the right of the words “Bentley Subglacial Trench is Vinson Massif. The two are 385 miles from one another, and the elevation difference between them is 24K feet. In consideration though, this really isn’t that big of a deal—after all, the Mariana trench itself is 36K feet deep.
And then there’s the Kermadec Trench in the South Pacific with a depth of 33K feet. Incidentally, it also has cliffs that are 26K feet tall. Which, if above ground, would take you 40 seconds to fall from. That’s a long time to contemplate your death.
Above ground, there’s Mount Thor in Canada, which boasts the Earth’s greatest vertical drop of 4K feet—that distance would only allow 16 seconds for your life-reel to play—still long enough to scream, take a breath, and scream again.
Watch your step out there folks.
Travel
Train Travel in America Is Making a Comeback (WSJ🔒) 📊
A renaissance for American rail travel is upon us. Amtrak is on track to set an annual record for ridership as of June. The national passenger railroad has served 24.1 million riders since the beginning of its fiscal year in October, up 18% from a year earlier. And travelers aren’t just flocking to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. In Florida, the privately owned rail service Brightline has tripled its revenue in a year with strong ridership on its Miami-to-Orlando high-speed route. Brightline has begun construction on a high-speed link between the Los Angeles area and Las Vegas. In addition, the government is spending more to improve the infrastructure that could expand rail services further. The hope is that this spending will ease the burden on congested highways. Industry analysts say that interest in rail travel has long been strong, but limited access to rail services has kept ridership down. Today, riders say they feel rail is often more reliable than driving and flying, and is more environmentally friendly.
Entertainment
There's another blockbuster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Sherwood News) 📊
Deadpool & Wolverine smashed box office expectations this weekend, taking $211 million in North America alone and scooping several records along the way. Indeed, the latest Marvel movie posted the 8th biggest opening weekend of all time, dethroned Despicable Me 4 to become the top debut of 2024 so far, and saw the highest-grossing first weekend for an R-rated movie in history.
Roy Haynes
NOTE: Roy Haynes is a 99-year-old Jazz drummer who is an absolute legend. Below is a video of him at a gig in 2019 (when he was only 94). You can read more about him here.
Sports
Katie Ledecky becomes most decorated female US Olympian of all time (CNN)
American superstar swimmer Katie Ledecky on Thursday etched her name into the US history books – again. By winning a silver medal in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay, Ledecky became the most decorated female US Olympian of all-time with 13 total medals.
Simone Biles makes history with second all-around Olympic gymnastics title, 8 years after her first (AP)
Eight years ago in Rio de Janeiro, Biles was a teenage prodigy. Now, she’s an icon. One who remains peerless even when she’s not perfect. Biles now has nine Olympic medals, six of them gold. And while she says she doesn’t keep track of these things, she sort of does. The GOAT necklace she rocked in the aftermath isn’t a coincidence, even if she maintains she’s just “Simone Biles from Spring, Texas, that loves to flip.” Maybe, but she’s also the third woman to become a two-time Olympic champion, joining Larisa Latynina of the Soviet Union in 1956 and 1960 and Vera Caslavska of Czechoslovakia in 1964 and 1968. Oh, and the oldest to finish atop the all-around podium since then 30-year-old Maria Gorokhovskaya of the Soviet Union won the first-ever Olympic all-around in Helsinki in 1952.
The Business of the Olympics: Rising Revenues, Diminishing Cultural Reach. A Statistical Analysis (Stat Significant) 📊
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is a global non-profit organization that governs the Olympic Games. The IOC's main responsibility is to coordinate and fund "the Olympic Movement," which it accomplishes by monetizing broadcast rights, securing sponsorships, and licensing its brand. These lucrative partnerships fund training programs and athlete scholarships while covering the costs of organizing the Olympics. And what drives multi-billion dollar advertising and broadcast deals? A killer pitch deck. 😎 In the case of the IOC, this pitch deck takes the form of a 200-page marketing report, an odd combination of Olympic pride and data dump—a window into the business of the Olympics. And how is business doing? Good (mostly).
Most dominant country in each Olympic sport across history (1896-2020) (Reddit) 📊
Stunning photo of Olympic surfer’s mid-air celebration goes viral (WP🔒) 📊
The image, captured by Jerome Brouillet for Agence France-Presse, showed Medina and his tethered board appearing to perform parallel levitations above the South Pacific Ocean. Rather than a scene of serenity, however, the photo told a striking tale of the Olympics’ competitive spirit, given that Medina was using his right arm and raised index finger to make a “No. 1” gesture while in midair.
NOTE: You can watch the video of his ride here.
You Won’t See Them at the Olympics, but These Speed Puzzlers Are World-Class (NYT🔒)
In the winter of 1966, The New York Times printed a story about the jigsaw-puzzle boom sweeping the United States, quoting a Barnard College professor who said, “The reason that people do puzzles is nothing more complicated than compulsion.” Almost 60 years later, puzzle culture has exploded far beyond mere compulsion: It’s a thriving community with online stars and an international tournament drawing thousands of nimble-fingered competitors. That tournament, the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship, will hold its fourth edition this September in Valladolid, Spain, a city more than 130 miles northwest of Madrid. Participants from more than 75 countries will race to complete multiple puzzles for a modest cash prize and bragging rights over six days.
NOTE: But can a human beat a robot?:
Have a great weekend!
The Curator
Two resources to help you be a more discerning reader:
AllSides - https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news
Media Bias Chart - https://www.adfontesmedia.com/
Caveat: Even these resources/charts are biased. Who says that the system they use to describe news sources is accurate? Still, hopefully you find them useful as a basic guide or for comparison.