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☆ ‘Corpse flower:’ Thousands in Australia line up to see stinking plant that only blooms once a decade
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —In the Australian city Geelong, just south of Melbourne, thousands are lining up for the rare chance to see – and smell – an unusual plant. It’s the so-called “corpse flower,” or Amorphophallus Titanum (often shortened to Titan Arum), named after the putrid stench it releases when it blooms to attract pollinators like beetles and flies. This plant was only gifted to Geelong Botanic Garden in 2021 from the State Herbarium in Adelaide, South Australia, and for years horticulturalists have been watching and waiting for signs of a nascent bud. So far, visitors have described the smell as similar to a dead mouse or a stinky pond, the city website said. The plant can live over 30 to 40 years – meaning it only blooms a handful of times in its entire lifetime.

Persons: Reese McIlvena, Ali Wastie Organizations: CNN, Geelong, Nine, Geelong Botanic Garden, State Herbarium, Geelong Botanic Gardens, Greater Geelong, Nine News, IUCN Locations: Melbourne, Adelaide, South Australia, ” City, Greater, Indonesia, California

☆ Saoirse Ronan's reaction to Paul Mescal's joke shows the power of calling people out in real time: 'That's what girls have to think about'
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Eammon Jacobs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A clip of Saoirse Ronan responding to Paul Mescal's joke about self-defense went viral. AdvertisementFans on social media praised Saoirse Ronan after a clip of her responding to Paul Mescal's joke about self-defense went viral. saoirse ronan gagging men we love to see it pic.twitter.com/Oyu5cdlPBq — scarlett 🍒 (@rvdlovess) October 26, 2024The clip went viral on X, as one user captioned the footage, "Saoirse Ronan gagging men we love to see it." But the footage of Ronan and Mescal sparked a conversation about how men still don't understand how women think about safety. One X user explained: "Saoirse Ronan is a queen.

Persons: Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal's, Mescal, Ronan, —, Graham Norton, Paul Mescal, Eddie Redmayne, Denzel Washington, Redmayne, I'm, mimed, Ronan wasn't, saoirse ronan gagging, Oyu5cdlPBq — scarlett 🍒, ove, ince, einstein, ifetime., ike, orton Organizations: Service, Denzel Locations: oman

☆ Taylor Swift fans think 'ThanK you aIMee' on her new album is a thinly veiled Kim Kardashian diss track
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Ayomikun Adekaiyero | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Fans think "ThanK you aIMee" on "The Tortured Poets Department" is a Kim Kardashian diss track. AdvertisementTaylor Swift's fans originally thought her latest album would mostly be about her ex-boyfriends, but the deluxe edition of "The Tortured Poets Department" appears to feature a thinly veiled diss track about Kim Kardashian. In "ThanK you aIMee," Swift never mentions Kardashian by name, but it's easy to see why fans are speculating. This appears to be the first time Swift has written about KardashianKim Kardashian and Taylor Swift have clashed over "Famous." I DID NOT HAVE TAYLOR SWIFT GAGGING KIM KARDASHIAN ON MY 2024 BINGO CARD OMFG?????

Persons: aIMee, Kim Kardashian, KIM, Swift, Kardashian, —, Taylor Swift's, kim kardashian, taylor, Taylor Swift, Mama Swift, Kim, XLcK1IyW22 — Rebecca Lewis, Qeq8dvh4ZK, Ron, Ye, Kanye, Larry Busacca, Kardashian Kim Kardashian, Christopher Polk, Kardashian didn't, Aimee, TAYLOR SWIFT GAGGING KIM KARDASHIAN Organizations: Department, Service, Getty, Entertainment, Variety, Twitter Locations: North West

☆ Trump hush-money judge expands gag order to ban attacks on judge's daughter
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewDonald Trump's New York hush-money judge on Monday expanded his gag order to bar statements about the judge's daughter. Merchan's gag order was made public just four hours later. AdvertisementA gag with loopholesIt barred Trump from making statements about witnesses, jurors, case prosecutors, and court staff. A day after the gag, on March 27, Trump amped up his Truth Social attacks on Merchan's daughter, this time mentioning her by name. Trump falsely claimed that the daughter had a profile picture on her X account depicting Trump behind bars.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Trump, Juan Merchan, Prosecutors, Trump's, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Daniels, gagging Trump, Loren Merchan, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Hakeem Jeffries, Gavin Newsom, Attorney Alvin Bragg Organizations: Service, Business, New, Prosecutors, Trump, California Gov, Super Liberal Democrat, Merchan, Attorney Locations: York, Chicago, Manhattan

☆ Cardi B doesn't like Filipino Balut eggs. TikTok commenters are thanking her for not playing into stereotypes about Asian food.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Cardi B tried Balut eggs, a popular Filipino dish, on TikTok. Balut eggs are fertilized duck eggs popular in Asia — especially in the Philippines — that have become a popular food item for TikTokers to try. While wearing a burnt-orange updo and stunning blue eyeshadow, Cardi B presented a bowl of Balut eggs she made in a TikTok post on Wednesday. Cardi B explained that the duck tasted like raw chicken but said she liked the liquid inside the egg. The stereotypes live on in the form of TikTok taste tests, where many creators share videos gagging over Asian cuisine with millions of likes.

Persons: Cardi, Benny Blanco's, —, Keith Lee, TikTok, I'm, gagging, benny blanco, Blanco, James Corden's, Corden, James Corden, Kim Saira, Robert Ji, influencers Organizations: Service, BI, Activists, New York Times, Food Studies, Daily Locations: TikTok, Asia, Philippines

☆ 'Squid Game: The Challenge' player Spencer Hawkins reacts to his viral gagging moment, and spills behind-the-scenes secrets from the cookie game
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Ayomikun Adekaiyero | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In the clip, player Spencer Hawkins gags and curls up into a ball after losing the cookie challenge. Hawkins reacted to going viral in a TikTok video, and shared more behind-the-scenes insight. Advertisement"Squid Game: The Challenge" contestant Spencer Hawkins — player 299 — has responded to a viral clip of him crying and gagging after being eliminated from the show. So, going into the game, Hawkins said in a TikTok video posted Monday, he was already feeling anxious. AdvertisementHawkins went on to say they he also made some friends in the umbrella group.

Persons: Spencer Hawkins, Hawkins, —, @spencer_hawkins299, ince, ines, ike, hank, ove Organizations: Service, Netflix, ust

☆ The Collapse of Newspapers Puts Democracy in Peril - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Serge Schmemann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The News Tribune was an afternoon paper, which was typical for northern New Jersey, where the big New York papers dominated the mornings. The veteran editors had time to go over articles, and reporting on local scandals, strikes or council meetings offered a crash course on accuracy and fairness. Young reporters usually didn’t stay long — not because of the chiles but because a local paper was the classic starting rung, the apprenticeship, for a career in reporting. But the training was invaluable and the experience unforgettable, especially for the power of reporting to get things done. The candidates in local elections or speakers at school board meetings dealt with matters that made a tangible and immediate difference to readers.

Persons: Elias Holtzman, Young, chiles, George Santos Organizations: News Tribune, North Shore Leader Locations: New Jersey, York, Caribbean, America

☆ Think You Don’t Like Something? Try Listening Closer - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Jeff Tweedy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

And at the time that “Dancing Queen” came out, it wasn’t hard to hate a disco song, anyway — disco was despised by practically everyone I knew (with the exception of the kids who liked to roller skate). To this day, whenever I think I dislike a piece of music, I think about “Dancing Queen” and am humbled. And even then, if I don’t like something, I make a mental note to try it again in 10 years. Melodies as pure and evocative as the one in “Dancing Queen” don’t come along every day, and I mourn every single moment I missed loving this song. Playing it again as I write this, making up for lost spins, I feel overcome with gratitude for its existence.

Persons: Abba, didn’t, ”, I’d, — Neil Young, Young, “, Benny, Anni, it’s, ” don’t

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected North Carolina's appeal in a dispute with animal rights groups over a law aimed at preventing undercover employees at farms and other workplaces from taking documents or recording video. The justices left in place a legal victory for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in its challenge to the law, which was enacted in 2015. PETA has said it had wanted to conduct an undercover investigation at testing laboratories at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill but feared prosecution under the law. An appeals court ruled that the law could not be enforced against PETA — and likely others in similar situations — when its undercover work is being performed to conduct newsgathering activities. The Supreme Court has so far refused to weigh in.

Persons: PETA — Organizations: WASHINGTON, People, PETA, University of North, Associated Press Locations: University of North Carolina

☆ Kraft recalls 83,000 cases of American cheese because of a choking hazard
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Kraft Heinz is recalling about 83,000 cases of its individually wrapped Kraft Singles American cheese because they might pose a choking hazard. “Kraft Heinz is committed to upholding the highest safety and quality standards and apologizes for this inconvenience,” the company said. They can also call Kraft Heinz at 1-800-280-8252 to get their money back. Earlier this year, Kraft announced that it was changing the packaging on its individually wrapped cheese to make them easier to open. 1 complaint from customers, which has been the “inability to easily open the clear wrapper,” Kraft said.

Persons: New York CNN — Kraft Heinz, ” Kraft, “, “ Kraft Heinz, Kraft Heinz, Kraft Organizations: New, New York CNN, Kraft, “ Kraft, UPC Locations: New York

Kraft Heinz said Tuesday it's recalling more than 83,000 cases of individually-wrapped Kraft Singles American processed cheese slices because part of the wrapper could stick to the slice and become a choking hazard. Kraft Heinz said it initiated the voluntary recall after it received several consumer complaints. In six cases, people said the issue caused gagging or choking, but no injuries or serious health issues have been reported, Kraft Heinz said. The recall affects 16-ounce Kraft Singles American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product with a “Best When Used By” date between Jan. 10, 2024, and Jan. 27, 2024. Consumers who bought those products should not consume them and should return them to the store where they were purchased for an exchange or a refund, Kraft Heinz said.

Persons: Kraft Heinz, it's Organizations: Kraft, Consumers Locations: Chicago, Pittsburgh

☆ Influencers have partaken in spicy food challenges for years, but a teen's death raises questions about their safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Wyatte Grantham-Philips | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Paqui, a company under Hershey, pulled its One Chip Challenge following a teen's death. One Chip Challenge packaging warned children not to eat, but is spicy food really that dangerous? Paqui's One Chip Challenge tortilla chips are almost black in color and comes in a lime green wrapper. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhile the autopsy results for 10th-grader Harris Wolobah are still pending, the teen's family alleges that the One Chip Challenge is responsible for his Sept. 1 death. The container warns consumers to not give the chip to children, but due to One Chip Challenge's popularity, many teens ate the chips anyway, leading to hospitalizations in some cases.

Persons: Steve LeBlanc, —, Florida International University Elisa Trucco, Trucco, Alexander DePaoli, Gregory Foster, DePaoli, Harris Wolobah, Paqui, Wilder, it's Organizations: Hershey, Service, Florida International University, Northeastern University, Buffalo Wild Wings, Guinness, Records, Paqui, Foods, Associated Press, AP Locations: Wall, Silicon, Massachusetts, Las Vegas, Chile, San Diego , California

Spicy food challenges have been around for years. There's a “glamorization of these challenges on social media,” Trucco said. Political Cartoons View All 1152 ImagesA YouTube series called “Hot Ones,” for example, rose to internet fame several years ago with videos of celebrities’ reactions to eating spicy wings. Meanwhile, restaurants nationwide continue to offer in-person challenges — from Buffalo Wild Wings’ “Blazin’ Challenge” to the “Hell Challenge” of Wing King in Las Vegas. While the autopsy results for 10th-grader Harris Wolobah are still pending, the teen's family allege that the One Chip Challenge is responsible for his Sept. 1 death.

Persons: —, Florida International University Elisa Trucco, There's, ” Trucco, “, ” Alexander DePaoli, Gregory Foster, DePaoli, Harris Wolobah, Paqui, Wilder, it's, Trucco Organizations: Florida International University, Northeastern University, Buffalo Wild Wings, Guinness, Records, Paqui, Foods, Associated Press Locations: Massachusetts, Las Vegas, Chile, San Diego , California

Since his death, Texas-based manufacturer Paqui has asked retailers to stop selling the individually wrapped chips, a step 7-Eleven has already taken. The One Chip Challenge chip sells for about $10 and comes wrapped in a sealed foil pouch that is enclosed in a coffin-shaped cardboard box. Authorities in Massachusetts also have responded by warning parents about the challenge, which is popular on social media sites such as TikTok. Family and friends of Wolobah believe the chips caused his death and his family called for the chips to be banned from store shelves. In addition to its name, One Chip Challenge, the package lays out the challenge rules, which encourage the buyer to eat the entire chip, “wait as long as possible before drinking or eating anything” and post their reaction on social media.

Persons: Harris, Paqui, Attorney Joseph Early, ”, Lauren Rice, Dr, Peter Chai, ” Chai, Wolobah, Douglas Hill, “, Douglas Organizations: The Hershey Company, Authorities, Attorney, Paramedics, Tufts Medical Center, Brigham, Women’s Hospital, ” Police Locations: WORCESTER, Massachusetts, Texas, Worcester, Worcester County, California, Minnesota, Boston, Liberia

(AP) — The maker of an extremely spicy tortilla chip sold as the One Chip Challenge and popularized as a dare on social media is pulling the product after the family of a Massachusetts teenager blamed the stunt for his death. The One Chip Challenge chip sells for about $10 and comes wrapped in a sealed foil pouch that is enclosed in a coffin-shaped cardboard box. Political Cartoons View All 1148 ImagesAuthorities in Massachusetts have also responded to the death by warning parents about the challenge, which is is popular on social media sites such as TikTok. Family and friends of Wolobah believe the chips caused his death, and his family called for the chips to be banned from store shelves. In addition to its name, One Chip Challenge, the package lays out the “rules for the challenge,” which encourages the buyer to eat the entire chip, “wait as long as possible before drinking or eating anything,” and post their reaction on social media.

Persons: Harris Wolobah's, hasn't, Attorney Joseph Early, ”, Lauren Rice, Dr, Peter Chai, Wolobah, Douglas Hill, “, Douglas Organizations: The Hershey Company, Attorney, Tufts Medical Center, Brigham, Women’s, ” Police Locations: WORCESTER, Massachusetts, Texas, Worcester County, California, Minnesota, Boston, Worcester, Liberia

☆ Djokovic, Swiatek advance before China's Zhang shocks Ruud at US Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/7] Aug 30, 2023; Flushing, NY, USA; Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits to Bernabe Zapata Miralles of Spain on day three of the 2023 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. But while results followed the form book for much of the day at the year's final Grand Slam, shocks sprung up as the sun went down. Earlier, Swiss young gun Dominic Stricker delivered a shock by grinding out a 7-5 6-7(2) 6-7(5) 7-6(6) 6-3 win over Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas for his first top-10 win. Djokovic remains on course for a fourth U.S. Open title that would pull him level with Margaret Court's record haul of 24 Grand Slams. Sixth seed Gauff warmed up the home crowd early when the teenager beat Mirra Andreeva 6-3 6-3, before handing the baton to the U.S. men.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Bernabe Zapata Miralles, USTA Billie Jean King, Robert Deutsch, Iga Swiatek, Casper Ruud, Petra Kvitova, Billie Jean King, Coco Gauff, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Zhang Zhizhen, Ruud, Caroline Wozniacki, Dominic Stricker, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Djokovic, Arthur Ashe, Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles, Margaret Court's, Swiatek, Daria Saville, Wozniacki, you'd, Mirra, Andy Roddick, Fritz, Tiafoe, Austrian Sebastian Ofner, Peru's Juan Pablo Varillas, Tommy Paul, American Ben Shelton, Dominic Thiem, Thiem, Amy Tennery, Toby Davis, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Serbia, USTA Billie, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, U.S, Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, COVID, Flushing, U.S ., Austrian, Thomson Locations: Flushing , NY, USA, Spain, Swiss, Flushing Meadows, U.S, Russian, American, New York

☆ Opinion | Hong Kong’s Memory Is Being Erased
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Louisa Lim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In Hong Kong the silence has set in much more quickly. I worked in Hong Kong’s once-cacophonous newsrooms and covered its boisterous protest rallies. Now most Hong Kong journalists I know have fallen silent. After a draconian national security law was imposed on Hong Kong in 2020, at least 12 news outlets closed down, including the popular, pro-democracy Apple Daily. History is identity, and to challenge this foundational tenet of Hong Kongers’ experience is to assault their identity.

☆ TikTok is divided over Starbucks' new olive oil-infused coffee. Some say it looks like an 'oil spill on your iced coffee,' others say it's tasty.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

One TikToker called it an "oil spill on your ice coffee." Starbucks' Oleato line consists of a variety of olive oil-infused beverages. A person named Bananashrooms on Tiktok posted a video of her coffee, describing it as an "oil spill on your ice coffee," adding that the oil was "ooey-gooey." Other TikTokers did seem to like the smoothness of the olive oil in their coffee. The Oleato line was first introduced in Italy in February and was later rolled out to customers in the US on March 23.

☆ I quit a $200,000 Silicon Valley law job because it wasn't worth the toll on my mental health. Here's why I have no regrets.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Nada Shalash | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Julian Sarafian, a young graduate of UC Berkley and Harvard Law School, was an ideal law candidate. He said he'd ignored symptoms of worsening mental health during his studies and focused on success. After three years at a Silicon Valley law firm, Sarafian quit and became a mental health advocate. I was a high-school valedictorian, received my undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley in just three years, and graduated from Harvard Law School at 24. I decided to start my law firm — For Creators, By Creators PC — in May 2022 and represent content creators and influencers.

☆ Apple agrees to "make improvements" to its NDAs after whistleblower documents showed evidence the company used the agreements to silence employees
▼ + stars: | 2021-11-23 | by ( Matt Drange | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

A year later, Apple reversed course, agreeing to "not enforce" strict NDAs regarding instances of harassment, discrimination or potentially illegal conduct in the workplace. "Apple has in the past simply given a statement and let things sweep under the rug," Scarlett told Insider on Friday. Citing her own experience receiving NDAs from Apple, Scarlett filed a whistleblower complaint with the SEC on October 25. In reviewing dozens of confidential NDAs shared by tech workers, the investigation revealed the broad language frequently used to silence employees, including at Apple. In reporting on nondisclosure agreements at Apple, Insider asked the company if it had ever pursued legal action against a former employee over an alleged breach of their NDA.

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