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☆ Affirmative Action Exposes the Secret Meaning of Equity
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( William Mcgurn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

It’s taken too long, but the Supreme Court has finally put the progressive ideal of equity in the dock. In two separate cases Monday, the high court heard Students for Fair Admissions argue that Harvard’s and the University of North Carolina’s use of race preferences in admissions is unconstitutional and violates the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The plaintiffs are asking the court to overturn its 2003 decision in Grutter v. Bollinger, which upheld the use of race in admissions. Much of the attention in court Monday was on diversity. Less examined was the principle of equity, which undergirds it.

☆ Kit Connor's sexuality is none of your business
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Allison Hope | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The pressure for 18-year-old actor Kit Connor to come out had been building on social media for months. It is one of the first to center LGBTQ characters — both Nick and Charlie, as well as others in the main cast — geared towards a teen and young adult audience. Rob Youngson/NetflixThe truth about Nelson’s character, as well as Connor’s real-life identity, may be much more nuanced. (From left) The cast of "Heartstopper" — Kizzy Edgell, Corinna Brown, Kit Connor, Joe Locke, Tobie Donovan and Sebastian Croft — attend London Pride on July 2. Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty ImagesNow LGBTQ audiences are rightfully asking the hard questions about who gets to play LGBTQ characters.

☆ Fintech startup Ampla buys Upside Financing to launch a buy now, pay later service for consumer-facing businesses
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Emilia David | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It closed the deal to buy Upside Financing, which extends payment terms for companies, in October. The new buy now, pay later service will be called Ampla Pay Later and be available soon. With funding to fintech startups in a freefall, acquisitions in the buy now, pay later space have started to heat up. Upside will bring all of its employees to Ampla, with Mares heading Ampla Pay Later. "And the larger the burden for brands, [BNPL] provides another option for consumer brands to grow more efficiently and responsibly."

☆ New York Magazine cut digital ads on abortion-related content so readers wouldn't be tracked — showing the challenges publishers face post-Roe v. Wade
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Elizabeth Pham Janowski | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Vox Media, which owns the magazine, pulled ads from the digital versions of the articles to protect readers from being tracked. Walton told Insider that Vox Media made the decision because the priority was to "provide a utility and service" to their audience. Vox Media declined to comment on the financial loss from pulling ads and removing the paywall. Shah said that in his view, Vox Media took all reasonable measures to mitigate reader privacy risks by pulling digital ads. Shah agreed that these ad products minimize opportunities for readers' data to leak out to third parties.

Among the violations “confirmed” by state investigators from the Kentucky Cabinet were improper use of restraints and aggression by staff members. As of Oct. 20, 32 children who are in state custody remained in Brooklawn’s care, according to the facility. Police and state officials say they are still investigating Ja’Ceon’s death, and no charges have been filed. Brooklawn said the facility has implemented new safety measures and increased training for staffers who provide direct care to children. This type of incident should never be allowed to happen again.”Some child advocates say Ja’Ceon’s death should prompt systemic change.

☆ ‘Dying Inside’: Chaos and Cruelty in Louisiana Juvenile Detention
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Megan Shutzer | Rachel Lauren Mueller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +47 min

But inside the walls at Ware, one of the state’s largest juvenile detention facilities, children have been trying to kill themselves with stunning regularity. In Louisiana, where brutal conditions prompted juvenile justice reform two decades ago, the system is again in crisis. Most Ware guards are Black, as well, though nearly all of its leaders are white, as are the local judge, sheriff and district attorney. “Of course, they still do.” In reports to the state, Ware’s nurses described carpet burns on children’s faces and head-to-toe bruises from restraints. In fact, of the four guards convicted of sexually assaulting children at Ware, Mr. Peace would be the only one imprisoned.

☆ New York Magazine axed digital ads on abortion-related content so readers wouldn't be tracked — and it shows the new challenges publishers face post-Roe v. Wade.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Elizabeth Pham Janowski | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

☆ Sure, Twitter and Facebook have deepened polarization — just not in the way you think
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The conventional wisdom blames social media for the widening divide because the timing lines up. Maybe the problem isn't that social media has driven us all into like-minded bubbles. Maybe it's that social media has obliterated the bubbles we've all lived in for centuries. On top of that, Törnberg adds, there's the way people react to all the new ideas that social media exposes them to. And as one leading social media and polarization researcher told me, the model is not empirical, which makes it hard to test.

☆ Meta employees are bracing for possible layoffs as growth slows and spending on the metaverse soars
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In other news, Elon Musk visited Twitter HQ Wednesday holding an unexpected accessory and Meta employees are bracing for layoffs as metaverse spending soars. Social media is dividing us — just not in the way you'd think. The like-minded bubbles we live in on social media are the reason we're so divided, right? Maybe not, according to new research, which found that social media exposes us to people and ideas we wouldn't otherwise encounter, which leads to polarization. Company insiders say Netflix made some avoidable missteps with its kids shows and that an upcoming adult animated show has been canceled.

☆ Investors file lawsuit against VW over climate-change related lobbying disclosures
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Six Volkswagen investors filed a case against the carmaker this week for refusing to discuss at its annual general meeting (AGM) whether its lobbying activities could threaten their investments, the investors said. This exposes the company, and their investments - representing around 0.1% of Volkswagen shares - to operational and reputational damage, they argued in a statement. "We share the view that aspects relevant to climate protection deserve even higher priority in reporting and are currently considering various approaches," the spokesperson added. "It is worrying that our shareholder right to contribute to the annual meeting agenda has been refused. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FDA panel recommends revoking the approval of controversial drug for preterm births
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The panel voted on three questions: whether the drug is effective, whether trial data support its approval and whether it should remain on the market. The trial found that the drug failed to reduce the risk of preterm births or produce better health outcomes for newborns. When a 2019 trial showed that the drug produced no benefits, the same FDA advisory panel voted to revoke the drug's approval. What's more, "retaining Makena’s approval likely hinders study of more promising treatments for preterm birth," FDA scientists wrote. It also proposed a partial withdrawal of the drug, making the drug only available to women at the highest risk of preterm birth.

☆ Russian commander admits situation is 'tense' for his forces in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"The situation in the area of the 'Special Military Operation' can be described as tense," Sergei Surovikin, the Russian air force general now commanding Russia's invasion forces, told the state-owned Rossiya 24 news channel. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterOn Kherson, Surovikin said: "The situation in this area is difficult. Russian forces in Kherson have been driven back by 20-30 km (13-20 miles) in the last few weeks and are at risk of being pinned against the western bank of the 2,200-kilometre-long Dnipro river that bisects Ukraine. Both Ukraine and Russia have denied targeting civilians, although Kyiv has accused Moscow's forces of war crimes. The Russian military was preparing to repel the offensive, he said, and "where the military operates, there is no place for civilians".

☆ CNBC's 'Crocodile of Wall Street' exposes the biggest crypto laundering scheme to date
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Eamon Javers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCNBC's 'Crocodile of Wall Street' exposes the biggest crypto laundering scheme to dateCNBC's Eamon Javers joins 'TechCheck' to discuss crypto's largest laundering scheme thus far, the intrinsic ability of blockchain to help catch perpetrators and his new CNBC documentary on the subject, "Crocodile of Wall Street," available on YouTube.

☆ Zelenskiy: Using Iranian drones shows Russia is militarily bankrupt
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 18 (Reuters) - Russia's dependence on Iranian-made drones to attack Ukrainian targets exposes Russia as bankrupt both politically and militarily, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday. Using Iranian weaponry amounted to an acknowledgement of failure for Moscow, after decades of funding the Soviet and post-Soviet defence industry, he added. Ukraine says Russia's latest attacks on infrastructure have relied on Iranian-made Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterIran denies supplying unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia -- an assertion Washington says is untrue. The Kremlin on Tuesday said it had no information about whether or not Iranian "kamikaze" drones were used.

Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty ImagesThe recommendation to free the men was made by an advisory panel appointed by the Gujarat government, led by Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Some lawmakers and activists have petitioned the Supreme Court for the men to be rearrested. Some saw the assailants’ release as a deliberate pitch for votes from BJP supporters ahead of the Gujarat state election. The couple want the decision reversed, as do those who have filed petitions with the Supreme Court. “We strongly believe that what happened with Bilkis was wrong and the convicts should be sent back to jail,” he said.

☆ Leaked L.A. City Council Audio Exposes the Racial Underbelly of Local Politics
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Will Swaim | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The ground shakes periodically in Southern California, but Los Angeles has rarely experienced a political earthquake as sudden and severe as the one that rocked City Hall this week. The leaked October 2021 recording, published first on Reddit and then by the Los Angeles Times, captures a shockingly candid conversation among City Council President Nury Martinez and Councilmen Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León . Ron Herrera , Los Angeles County’s top union leader, was also present. The four met to discuss how they might carve up the city’s voting districts to maintain Latino political power. Few of the hyperdiverse city’s racial and ethnic groups went uninsulted.

☆ Poor mental health in US teens exacerbated by negative experiences during Covid-19 pandemic, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Poor mental health among teens in the United States was a concern before the Covid-19 pandemic, and major disruptions to school and social life since early 2020 have only exacerbated the situation. A new study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that most adolescents experienced negative events during the Covid-19 pandemic – and those experiences were linked to higher prevalence of poor mental health and suicide attempts. About 1 of every 13 adolescents (8%) reported experiencing four or more adverse events during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Youth are in crisis,” Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health, said in March. Approaching the mental health of teens and youth is nuanced and should be different from the way adults are treated, he said.

☆ Navy SEAL trainee who died after Hell Week succumbed to acute pneumonia and cardiac arrest, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

WASHINGTON — A Navy SEAL candidate who died hours after he completed the grueling stretch of training known as Hell Week succumbed to acute pneumonia and cardiac arrest, according to a military investigation obtained by NBC News. When he died on Feb. 4, Mullen had just completed the fourth week of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, commonly known as Hell Week. By the time he successfully completed Hell Week, Mullen had gained 22 pounds from swelling and fluid retention, and he had to return to the barracks in a wheelchair. Just two months after Mullen died, a candidate tested positive for PEDs and was removed from training, according to the Navy. After Mullen died, Naval Special Warfare also began advanced cardiology screening for all candidates.

☆ Showtime’s ‘Lincoln Project’ doc, like the super PAC, is noisy but not all that effective
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Michael Arceneaux | Michael Arceneaux Is The Author Of | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Showtime’s five-part docuseries about The Lincoln Project, the super PAC founded by multiple well-known Republican strategists and operatives with a shared contempt for Donald Trump, reminds me a lot of the organization’s work in 2020: noisy but not necessarily all that effective in realizing its stated goals. It’s not that The Lincoln Project founders shouldn’t be proud of the house they built. We also definitely didn’t need so much footage of various fans — including celebrities — and Lincoln Project members talking about how cool, popular and great the organization is. At the time of that revelation, not even The Lincoln Project disputed it. And while I won’t deny the coverage The Lincoln Project garnered during and after the 2020 election, is it all that hard to troll someone like Trump?

☆ Georgia Exposes the ‘Jim Crow 2.0’ Lie
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-03 | by ( Kimberley A. Strassel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Kimberley Strassel is a member of the editorial board for The Wall Street Journal. She writes editorials, as well as the weekly Potomac Watch political column, from her base in Alaska. Ms. Strassel joined Dow Jones & Co. in 1994, working in the news department of The Wall Street Journal Europe in Brussels, and then in London. She moved to New York in 1999 and soon thereafter joined the Journal's editorial page, working as a features editor, and then as an editorial writer. An Oregon native, Ms. Strassel earned a bachelor's degree in Public Policy and International Affairs from Princeton University.

☆ 'Eat the Rich: The GameStop Saga' review: Netflix presents the David-vs.-Goliath battle that roiled Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The best part of “Eat the Rich: The GameStop Saga” is that it manages to tell a complicated financial story with a fair amount of humor and context, in a way that doesn’t demonize the various parties, which doesn’t spare them from various levels of mockery. The result is a Netflix docuseries that, despite a few excesses, exposes the more ridiculous aspects of stock trading and where all that paper can come to resemble a house of cards. Video Ad Feedback 04:37 - Source: CNN These GameStop traders struck gold. Perhaps the most salient impression watching “Eat the Rich,” though, is recalling just how big the story was – and how quickly media and markets move on, without addressing the vulnerabilities that allowed the GameStop saga to unfold. “Eat the Rich: The GameStop Saga” premieres September 28 on Netflix.

☆ Cyberattack on Optus Potentially Exposes Millions of Customer Accounts
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Alice Uribe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Optus said it doesn’t yet know who was behind the cyberattack. SYDNEY—A cyberattack on one of Australia’s largest telecoms companies could have accessed the personal information of as many as 9.8 million customers, in what one lawmaker called the most significant data breach in recent years. Optus, an Australian unit of Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., said it doesn’t yet know who was behind the cyberattack that could have exposed customer information dating back to 2017, including names, dates of birth and phone numbers. The company, which said it first became aware of the breach on Wednesday, said some identity documents might also have been compromised.

☆ Nike's betting big on DTC, but it'll be a 'battle' to engage customers without retailers, analyst warns
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

At Nike's annual shareholder meeting two weeks ago, top executives once again defended the company's ongoing shift to more direct sales. Direct sales increased 7% to $4.8 billion in Nike's most recent quarter as it cuts down its reliance on wholesale. But yet another analyst is questioning the logic of the company's drastic pivot to direct sales. For decades, Nike largely operated through wholesale partners, such as department stores, sporting goods retailers, and mom-and-pop sneaker shops. At its annual shareholder meeting this month, CFO Matt Friend said the DTC strategy has driven a 2.6 percentage point increase in the company's gross margin in two years.

☆ ‘Dahmer’ gets away with murder in new trailer
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The final trailer for the dramatization of the crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer focuses on how authorities let him get away. “Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” stars Emmy winning actor Evan Peters as the famous serial killer. Netflix released a new trailer Tuesday which shows how some in the Black community where Dahmer lived tried to sound the alarm. Niecy Nash stars as Glenda Cleveland, a neighbor of Dahmer’s who tries to alert police to the fact that there’s something wrong happening in his apartment. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story."

☆ The podcast 'Serial' got Adnan Syed conviction vacated. But injustices continue
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Andrey Spektor | Maryclaire Kennedy | Andrey Spektor Is A Litigation Partner At Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

It also shed light on the deficient representation Syed received from his counsel, who was disbarred just a year after Syed’s conviction. A judge in Maryland granted Syed a new trial, and an appellate court upheld that decision. It agreed that the performance of Syed’s trial counsel in investigating the case was unacceptable but concluded that the proof presented against Syed at trial was too strong for that deficiency to have made a difference. They have the right to see the prosecutors’ evidence before trial and to confront their witnesses in court. For convicted defendants like Syed, journalists are often the only remaining hope.

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