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☆ Mojave Desert: How a seed bank in southern California is preserving an ancient ecosystem under threat
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Samantha Bresnahan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The result was the Mojave Desert Land Trust seed bank. In 2016, Mojave Desert Land Trust officially launched the seed bank project, which has since been described as a “Noah’s Ark” for southern California. A jar of seeds sits in one of three full refrigerators at the Mojave Desert Land Trust headquarters in Joshua Tree, California. Beau Molloy/CNN“We’ve already been able to provide seed to researchers who are studying the effects of climate change on specific species that we have in our seed bank,” Asbell adds. Beau Molloy/CNNRoughly 70,000 Joshua tree seeds are currently preserved in the seed bank, some of which could be planted in cooler locations, if needed.

Persons: birdsong, Madena Asbell, “, ” Asbell, Asbell, Beau Molloy, Kelly Herbinson, ” Herbinson, hasn’t, Corina Godoy, Gerber, MDLT, CNN “ We’ve, Joshua, It’s, Seuss, Herbinson, ”, ” CNN’s Adeline Chen Organizations: CNN, Land Trust, MDLT, Land, Mojave, Conservation Board Locations: California, Texas, Colorado, Mojave, Joshua Tree , California

☆ What it’s really like to live in Antarctica
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The Minnesota native first went to the White Continent in 2007 to work as a janitor at McMurdo Base, one of the three US outposts there. She was one of half-a-dozen people staffing the world’s southernmost post office, UK-administered Port Lockroy. Counting penguins is one of the roles Port Lockroy staff have during their time in Antarctica. Once you get the Antarctica bug, Long and Nelson say, it’s pretty hard to get rid of. In a fast-paced globalized world where everyone is on their phones all the time, Antarctica offers a rare opportunity to live a different kind of life.

Persons: United States –, Keri Nelson, Amundsen, ” Nelson, “, McMurdo, Palmer, Evan Townsend, ” Keri Nelson, ”, Nelson, Scott Base, –, Scott, Keri Nelson “, Chris Long, Long, Laura Bullesbach, Bridie Martin, Laura Bullesbach doesn’t, you’re, You’re, Port Lockroy, Bullesbach, Clare Ballantyne, ” Long, Keri Nelson Long, he’s, vacationer, ” Klaus Dodds Organizations: CNN, United, Antarctic, Minnesota, Base, Scott, Palmer, grownups, McMurdo Base, McMurdo, US, Geographic, Pole, Ocean, Scott Base, Port, Lockroy, Port Lockroy, Electronics, University of London Locations: Antarctica, Chile, Japan, Australia, United States, McMurdo, New, Ross, Amundsen, New Zealand, Russian, South America, Port Lockroy, Lockroy, Port, Denver, China

☆ Some birds may use ‘mental time travel,’ study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“It’s often helpful to think about episodic memory as remembering, whereas semantic memory is just knowing,” he said. To find out whether Eurasian jays are capable of "mental time travel," researchers worked with birds trained to find food hidden under cups. “The idea is that with human episodic memory, we remember details of events that, at the time, weren’t necessarily relevant to anything. This aspect of episodic memory is sometimes referred to as “mental time travel.”To find out whether Eurasian jays are capable of mental time travel, the researchers worked with birds that had been trained to find food hidden under cups. “The big disease of memory is Alzheimer’s disease, and of course, the most debilitating aspect of Alzheimer’s disease is a profound loss of episodic memory,” Crystal said.

Persons: CNN —, ”, James Davies, Davies, “, “ There’s, James Davies Corvids, Nicola Clayton, —, advisee, ” Davies, weren’t, didn’t, ‘, I’ll, ’ ” Davies, Jonathon Crystal, ” Crystal, “ It’s, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, University of Cambridge’s, University of Indiana Bloomington Locations: Chicago

☆ New Iranian foreign minister a familiar face for US officials
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

One familiar name stood out to US officials: the new acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani. Just last week in Oman, Kani was part of a delegation of senior Iranian officials that met indirectly with US officials, current and former officials said. In the wake of the death of so many of his top officials, US officials believe that Khamenei will work to ensure that replacements adhere to his hardline worldview. “It’s difficult to see there will be any major changes in the way Iran behaves on the world stage,” a senior administration official said. In talks with Iranian officials in Oman last week, US officials once again laid out for their counterparts the consequences of Iran’s destabilizing actions, behavior and policies, according to the senior administration official and a US official.

Persons: Ali Bagheri Kani, Kani, Biden, Ebrahim Raisi, Ali Khamenei, Raisi, Jonathan Panikoff, ” Khamenei, Khamenei, ”, Panikoff, “, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Vahid, –, Matt Miller Organizations: CNN, US, Supreme, Experts, Tehran ”, State Department Locations: Iran, United States, Oman, Gaza, Washington, Tehran, Israel, Kani

☆ This Trump fundraising email will shock you
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Followers of former President Donald Trump were meant to be startled when they were sent an email Tuesday, addressed from “President Trump,” with this arresting subject line:“They were authorized to shoot me!”The preview line in the email did not back down. The judge, Beryl Howell, cited the discovery of additional documents with classified markings found in Trump’s Mar-a-Lago bedroom months after the FBI search. Trump is a master sensationalist, so place the email subject line where he says he’s in physical harm within his oeuvre of over-the-top and untrue allegations. How to get people to open fundraising emailsThe email address where I get fundraising pitches from politicians received seven such messages from Trump on Tuesday. Trump’s allegations about the FBI document were not just contained in the fundraising email.

Persons: Donald Trump, “ President Trump, Trump, Trump’s, Tierney Sneed, Katelyn Polantz, Holmes Lybrand, Hannah Rabinowitz, Stephen D’Antuono, “, ” D’Antuono, ” Trump, Beryl Howell, “ I’ve, Rudy Giuliani, Joe Biden, Biden’s, Hunt, Joe Biden’s, JOE BIDEN, Juan Merchan Organizations: CNN, “, DOJ, Mar, Trump, Justice Department, FBI, Secret Service, Capitol, Service, Biden, Joe Biden’s DOJ, FORCE, New Locations: Lago, Washington, Washington ,, Trump’s Mar, Las Vegas, London, Manhattan, Mar, New York

☆ Carissa Moore: Before stepping away from surfing, Olympic champion has a showdown with ‘big, intense, scary’ Teahupo’o
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Carissa Moore remembers the first time she surfed Teahupo’o, the barreling wave located off the island of Tahiti. “I was so out of my league,” recalls Moore, who has surfed the famous break numerous times throughout her career. “It’s those waves that scare you the most that end up being the best,” Moore tells CNN Sport. Moore waits for a wave at Teahupo'o during the Tahiti Pro event on August 11 last year. “Maybe I return, maybe I just focus on Moore Aloha and free surfing and doing film projects.

Persons: CNN — Carissa Moore, surfed Teahupo’o, Moore, ”, “, Teahupo’o, ” Moore, “ It’s, ’ ”, Red Bull, Ben Thourad, I’ve, I’m, “ I’m, “ There’s, Brent Bielmann, what’s Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Tahiti Pro, Tahiti, Getty, International Surf Association, Surf League, surfing's, Moore Aloha Locations: Tahiti, Polynesia, Hawaii, AFP, Japan, Paris

☆ Why OpenAI should fear a Scarlett Johansson lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“It doesn’t matter if OpenAI used any of Scarlett Johansson’s actual voice samples,” Li posted on Threads. Here, Johansson could accuse OpenAI of illegally monetizing who she is by essentially fooling users into thinking she had voiced Sky. But there’s substantial case law — and one very inconvenient fact for OpenAI — undercutting that defense, legal experts say. According to Johansson, OpenAI approached her to perform as Sky; Johansson declined. While California’s publicity law protects all individuals, some state statutes only protect famous people, and not all states have such legislation on the books.

Persons: Will Scarlett Johansson, OpenAI, Johansson, OpenAI’s, Sam Altman, OpenAI didn’t, demoed, Tiffany Li, Scarlett Johansson’s, ” Li, monetizing, John Bergmayer, “, ”, —, Bette Midler, Midler, Tom Waits, Waits, …, James Grimmelmann, Scarlett Johansson ”, Altman, Sky’s, Johansson ”, Samantha, ‘, ” Grimmelmann, Joel Saget, ” Bergmayer, Dana Rao, Adobe’s, we’re, Jennifer Rothman, ” Rothman Organizations: Washington CNN, University of San, Public, Ford Motor Company, Appeals, Circuit, Frito, Cornell University, Getty, Adobe, FAIR, University of Pennsylvania Locations: University of San Francisco, California, Midler’s, Paris, AFP

CNN —The defense rested its case in Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial on Tuesday after roughly 90 minutes of testimony – and without the former president taking the stand. Here are takeaways from the final day of testimony in the Trump hush money trial:Trump doesn’t take the standOver the last several months, Trump repeatedly teased that he would take the stand in his own defense. “That was a lie,” Blanche alleged of Cohen’s testimony he spoke to Trump about moving forward with the hush money deal. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger also tried to remind jurors that it was Trump – not Cohen – who was on trial in this case. In their first meeting, Costello said Cohen was “absolutely manic” and suicidal after the FBI raid on his properties.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Robert Costello, Michael Cohen, Trump, Cohen, ” Trump, Todd Blanche, Costello, Sandoval, –, Jean Carroll, Donald J, Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, Cohen –, Trump’s, Blanche, Keith Schiller, Schiller, Daniels, ” Blanche, Keith, ” Cohen, Prosecutors, Susan Hoffinger, Trump –, ” Hoffinger, “, Juan Merchan, ” Merchan, Merchan, ” Costello, Emil Bove, Bob, Donald Trump, ”, scold Costello, Hoffinger, Rudy Giuliani, Mercahn Organizations: CNN, FBI, Publicly, Trump, New, Mr, Giuliani Locations: Wisconsin, New York, Florida

☆ An artist reckons with the dangerous power of advertising and iconography
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Abigail Glasgow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The artist Hank Willis Thomas is pointing to one of the images: of two well-dressed, neatly coiffed men standing atop a cliff. "She's Somewhat of a Drag," a 1959 advertisement Thomas repurposed in his series "Unbranded: A Century of White Women." Across his work, Thomas reframes iconic and mundane imagery to connect viewers to historical moments of resistance and reshape our understanding of who counts in society. Here, a pro-football player appears to face off with an enslaved cotton picker, in Thomas' work "From Cain't See in the Mornin' Til Cain't See at Night." His body of work work reflects the observation — and, perhaps, a warning — that we have moved toward “existing in a society of branded consciousness."

Persons: Hank Willis Thomas, Thomas, Aaron Wessling, Jordan, “, Thomas ’, Drummond, —, ” Thomas, mascara, Jordan Schnitzer, ” Schnitzer, ” Thomas ’, Thomas reframes, Barack Obama, ”, “ I’ve, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, Art, White, White Women, Family, Cotton, Corporate America, Civil Rights, American Express Locations: ”, Oregon, United States, Gorée

☆ Gold earring found in burned Iron Age village may reveal ‘moment in time,’ archaeologists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The inferno consumed the wooden structure, situated in an Iron Age settlement, killing six animals penned in the stable. The presence of a horse in the stable suggested that these people were wealthier than some of their neighbors, Olesti Vila said. The site provides important insights into the daily lives of Iberian Iron Age populations in the Pyrenees at this pivotal time in history, Arnold said in an email. During the Iron Age, when people lived in wooden homes heated by fires, buildings often accidentally burned. “This is also an indication of some kind of conflict or some kind of violent aggression,” Olesti Vila said.

Persons: Oriol Olesti Vila, Baltarga, Francesc Riart, Olesti Vila, “, weren’t, ”, Bettina Arnold, Arnold, ” Arnold, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Autonomous University of Barcelona, University of Wisconsin -, Scientific Locations: Iberia, Spain, Tossal, Baltarga, Iron, Hannibal, Roman Republic, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Pyrenees, “, Europe

☆ Cannabis poisonings among older adults have tripled, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But some older adults may be unaware of the strength of today’s weed, and little is known about the health effects of legalizing edible cannabis on older adults — the age group with the largest growth in overall cannabis use a year after dried cannabis flower was legalized in Canada, Stall said. Jamie Grill/Tetra images RF/Getty Images“There’s a bit of an age-related bias that many health care practitioners, and frankly society, hold that older adults are not using drugs. During the eight-year study period, there were 2,322 emergency department visits for cannabis poisoning in older adults who were age 69 on average. Products older adults intentionally use should have dosing information with specific guidance for older adults, “recognizing that the amount of drug they may need is a lot less than younger populations,” Stall said. Health care providers should also have open and judgment-free conversations with older adults about cannabis use and its benefits and risks, he added.

Persons: edibles, Nathan, Jamie Grill, “, ”, —, Lona Mody, Sharon K, Inouye, weren’t, Amanda Sanford Hickey, Ann Arbor . Inouye, Arthur Marcus, ” Mody Organizations: CNN, Sinai Health, Getty, Ontario Ministry, Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Aging, for Aging Research, Harvard Medical School Locations: Canada, —, Sinai, Ontario, Ann Arbor, Boston

☆ Is America ready for a $400 pineapple? Luxury fruit is now a thing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The Rubyglow pineapple –— bred for its distinctive red exterior and its sweetness — costs $395.99 at Melissa’s Produce, a California-based seller of specialty fruit and veggies. It took Del Monte, a wholesaler which sells a variety of produce but specializes in pineapple, a decade and a half to develop the red-hued fruit. And yet, there’s interest in premium fruit — enough to convince Del Monte to bring the Rubyglow, which is grown in Costa Rica, stateside. Courtesy Fresh Del MonteThe Pinkglow was never supposed to be a grocery list staple, said Melissa Mackay, VP of marketing in North America at Del Monte. Melissa’s started with 50 pineapples, according to Robert Schueller, director of public relations at Melissa’s Produce.

Persons: Del, ”, Cindy van Rijswick, “ there’s, Cotton Candy, McIntosh, Jim Luby, Patrick T, Fallon, Luby, Lane Turner, Oishii, Hiroki Koga, Jerod Harris, Melissa Mackay, “, It’s, Melanie Zanoza Bartelme, pricey, Hailey, Strawberry, it’s, Melissa’s, Robert Schueller, ” Schueller, Bo Corley, ” Corley, Corley Organizations: New, New York CNN, “, University of Minnesota, Getty, Rabobank, Citrus, Boston Globe, Vox Media, Del, Mintel, Melissa’s Locations: New York, California, Del Monte, China, United States, America, Costa Rica, AFP, Minnesota, Beverly Hills , California, North America, Erewhon, Angeles, Las Vegas, Southern California

☆ Israeli political tensions boil over, revealing new danger for Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Analysis Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Divisions and disagreements within the Israeli cabinet on the conduct and priorities of the war against Hamas have simmered since the onset of the crisis. That has been a red line for the religious right in the Israeli cabinet. Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz, pictured in October, is widely seen to be a leading contender to be the next Israeli leader. Over the next three weeks, compromise may yet keep the war cabinet intact. It would, however, leave the prime minister more exposed to the demands of far-right- members of his cabinet.

Persons: –, Benny Gantz, Mahmoud, Abbas, Gantz, Amir Levy, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Gantz, Itamar Ben Gvir, Yair Lapid, Netanyahu, Ben Gvir, ”, Jack Guez, Yoav Gallant, “, “ Gantz, Anshel Pfeffer, ” Pfeffer, “ Bibi, …, Pfeffer, Gallant, Leo Correa, Bezalel Smotrich Organizations: CNN, Hamas, National Unity Party, Palestinian Authority, Israel, National, Getty, Sunday, Jerusalem Post, AP, Finance Locations: Gaza, “, Iran, Lebanon, Palestinian, Tel Aviv, AFP, Israel, Jerusalem

☆ Opinion: Credibility is the key at Trump trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

The idea that Cohen talked to Trump about Daniels on that call “was a lie,” Blanche alleged. Moreover, my experience has been that juries don’t decide based upon one moment — they base their judgment on an overall view.”There were allegedly three parties aware of the scheme to conceal the real reason Trump paid Cohen more than $400,000 in supposed legal fees: Trump, Cohen and Allen Weisselberg, then-chief financial officer of the Trump Organization. “Weisselberg could be the linchpin to validate Cohen’s claims about Trump agreeing to reimburse him through Trump Organization, as a business expense,” wrote attorney Stacy Schneider. Trump seems to be tempted to go mano a mano and show that he is better fit to be commander-in-chief. The new requirement for GOP politicians wanting to demonstrate their loyalty to Trump seems to be visiting the Manhattan courthouse where he’s on trial.

Persons: CNN —, ” Mark Twain, “, Twain, ” Michael Cohen, Donald Trump, —, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Todd Blanche, Cohen, Norm Eisen, Blanche, ”, pummeled Cohen, Robert Mueller, Nick Anderson, Agency Cohen, Keith Schiller, Daniels, ” Blanche, ” Eisen, don’t, Allen Weisselberg, Stacy Schneider, Weisselberg, David Zurawik, “ I’ve, Sen, Robert Menendez, He’s, George Santos ., CNN “ It’s, he’s, ‘, Henry Cuellar, ” Cupp, Drew Sheneman, Georgia —, Vladimir Putin’s, Frida Ghitis, ” Ghitis, Joe Biden’s, ” Dana Summers, “ Biden, ” Julian Zelizer, mano, Biden, ” Bill Bramhall, Stephanie Griffith, Howard Tucker, Gayle Fleming, Michael Ventura Gayle Fleming, Biden —, ” Tom Brady’s, Kara Alaimo, Tom Brady “, Kevin Hart, Gisele Bündchen, Brady, Benjamin, Vivian, ’ Brady, ’, Alaimo, Brady didn’t, Nafees Syed, Kamel El Hilali, Andrew Borene, freakout Scott Stantis, Jeff Yang, … ” Brown, Keith Magee, Brown, backpedaling, Forget, Doug Burgum, Scott Jennings, Burgum’s, Bill Bramhall, Content Agency Clarence Thomas Washington, Clarence Thomas ’, Dean Obeidallah, Thomas, Harlan Crow, ” Clay Jones, John Oliver’s, Steve Vladeck, “ Thomas, ” Don’t, Clayton Swope, Dan Perry, Netanyahu, Jill Filipovic, Miss Teen USA Mary Ziegler, Bob Kolasky, Megan L, Ranney, Karen Tang, Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, Jonathan Yeo, King Charles III, Aaron Chown, Holly Thomas, King Organizations: CNN, Trump, Tribune, Agency, Trump Organization, Twitter, Facebook, DC, Robert Menendez of New, GOP, ” Texas, White, Europe, Russia, Kyiv, Biden, ABC, Democratic Party, Netflix, Garden State, Content Agency, Capitol, Consumer Financial, Board, Fifth Circuit, ICC, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Buckingham Palace, Royal Locations: New York, Robert Menendez of, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Russian, Ukraine, Slovakia, Georgia, Soviet Republic, United States, Cleveland, “, Manhattan, North, . North Dakota, ” That’s, Louisiana , Mississippi, Texas, Florida’s, Buckingham

☆ Under Armour was a real threat to Nike. Now it’s fighting to stay relevant
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

It was the upstart athletic brand that was making real inroads against Nike, the dominant name in the industry. People saw it as a company that actually could break through and take market share from Nike among the hardcore athletes,” Swartz said. String of controversiesThe period from 2016 onward is when “things really started to fall apart” at Under Armour, Swartz said. A bulk of Under Armour products are sold through sporting goods retailers and department stores, including Macy’s and Kohl’s, and online. The basketball superstar Curry, arguably the best shooter in history, famously signed with Under Armour instead of Nike in 2013.

Persons: Armour, Stephen Curry, Jordan Spieth, Kevin Plank, Howard Schultz’s, Bob Iger’s, Plank, ”, David Swartz, Morningstar, ” Swartz, Justin Sullivan, Tommy Gilligan, ” Plank, Swartz, “, —, Stephanie Linnartz, ” Schwartz, Andrew Kelly, Merrell, Zak Stambor, Stambor, Plank’s, Noel Celis, Eric Smallwood, Dwayne Johnson, Johnson, ” Smallwood, Smallwood, Curry, Joel Embiid, Embiid, Skechers, Caitlin Clark Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nike, Starbucks, Disney, CNN, Sports, North, Maryland Terrapins, Southern Methodist Mustangs, Capital, Maryland, Reuters, —, Armour, Sports Authority, Sporting Goods, UCLA, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Footwear News, Adidas, NBA Golden State Warriors, UA Curry II, Getty, Apex Marketing, United Football League, NBA, WNBA Locations: New York, San Rafael , California, North America, College Park , Maryland, Manhattan , New York, Petaluma , California, Manila, AFP

☆ Opinion | Loneliness Is a Problem That A.I. Won’t Solve
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Jessica Grose | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

One day it will be better than a real [girlfriend]. One day, the real one will be the inferior choice.” The article goes on to breathlessly outline use cases for “A.I. companions,” suggesting that some future iteration of chatbots could stand in for mental health professionals, relationship coaches or chatty co-workers. This week, OpenAI released an update to its ChatGPT chatbot, an indication that the inhuman future foretold by the Andreessen Horowitz story is fast approaching. While some observers, including the Times Opinion contributing writer Julia Angwin, who called ChatGPT’s recent update “rather routine,” weren’t particularly impressed, there’s been plenty of hype about the potential for humanlike chatbots to ameliorate emotional challenges, particularly loneliness and social isolation.

Persons: Andreessen Horowitz, A.I, OpenAI, Horowitz, ”, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Angwin, weren’t, there’s Organizations: The Washington Post, omni

☆ Voting this year will be harder than it is was four years ago in more than half the states, a new report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Fredreka Schouten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Americans in more than half of the states will face voting restrictions this year that weren’t in place four years ago during the last presidential election, a new analysis finds. Kay Ivey in March – makes it a crime in most cases to return an absentee ballot application on behalf of another voter. And it’s now a felony for a person to receive payment for distributing or collecting absentee ballot applications. At least 11 states have enacted laws this year that the Brennan Center officials say make it easier to vote. Given the changed election law landscape, she added, it’s crucial that people who plan to cast ballots this fall start to familiarize themselves with their state’s voting rules.

Persons: Brennan, ”, Sara Carter, Donald Trump, baselessly, –, Kay Ivey, ” Ivey, Grant Baldwin, Michael Swensen, ” Carter Organizations: CNN, Brennan Center for Justice, New York, Brennan Center, Republican Gov, “, Getty, Brennan, Kentucky Locations: North Carolina, Alabama, Idaho, Charlotte , North Carolina, Carolina, Louisville , Kentucky, Nebraska

☆ The US did a complete 180 on same-sex marriage
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The vast majority of Americans opposed same-sex marriage on May 17, 2004, when the first same-sex couples took their vows after a court decision in Massachusetts. Barack Obama notably opposed same-sex marriage when he ran for president as a Democrat in the 2008 election and, as public opinion was rapidly shifting, changed his tune in 2012 to support same-sex unions. Warnings were unfoundedThere is also evidence that warnings about same-sex marriage somehow endangering “traditional marriage” simply never materialized. A new study by researchers for the RAND Corporation to assess two decades of same-sex marriage in the US argues marriage rates actually increased among opposite-sex couples as same-sex couples were granted the ability to marry in certain states. A key difference between support for same-sex marriage and support for abortion rights, according to Lundry, is that support for abortion rights has remained positive for decades, in contrast to same-sex marriage, which saw a complete turnaround.

Persons: CNN —, Mitt Romney, George W, Bush, Hillary, Julie Goodridge, Charles Krupa, Sen, John Kerry, Hodges, Barack Obama, Obama, Romney, Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, weren’t, ” Romney, Obergefell, —, PRRI, Alex Lundry, Republican pollster, “, ” Lundry, Gen, Dick Cheney, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Republican, House, Boston City Hall, Massachusetts Democrat, Democrat, Supreme, Gallup, RAND Corporation Locations: Massachusetts, Utah, Oregon, Ohio, Without Ohio, America

1s ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT 5 ’24 ’06 10 THE BEATLES 5 ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT 5 ’24 ’06 10 THE BEATLES 5 ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ (2012) 5 ’24 ’06 10 THE BEATLES 5 ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ (2012) 5 ’24 ’06 10 THE BEATLES 5 ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT 5 ’24 ’06 Two bar charts: one for the Beatles, one for Taylor Swift. 30 15 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 ‘Thriller’ 15 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 ‘Thriller’ 15 ‘Fearless’ ‘1989’ 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 15 5 Not yet certified MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 15 5 Not yet certified MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 30 million 15 15 million 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 30 30 million 15 15 million 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 30 30 million 15 15 million ‘1989’ 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 30 30 million 15 15 million ‘1989’ ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES A grid of 10 Michael Jackson albums covers transitions into charts depicting Michael Jackson’s and Taylor Swift’s album sales. 15 million 10 5 BRITNEY SPEARS ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES ‘... Baby One More Time’ 15 million 10 5 BRITNEY SPEARS ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES ‘1989’ 15 million 10 5 BRITNEY SPEARS ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES Two side-by-side charts depict album sales for Britney Spears and Taylor Swift. 1s ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 ‘Vogue’ (1990) 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 ‘This Used To Be My Playground’(1992) 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 5 ’82 ’12 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 ‘Music’ (2000) 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 Two charts show Billboard top hits for Madonna and Swift, over the course of their respective careers. 15 million 10 5 BEYONCE ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 15 million ‘I Am ... Sasha Fierce’ 10 5 BEYONCE ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 15 million 10 5 BEYONCE ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 15 million ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ 10 ‘Cowboy Carter’ 5 BEYONCE ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES Two side-by-side charts depict album sales for Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, respectively.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson, ”, Swift, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Drake, Billy Joel, Britney Spears, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Kareem, Brady, Marino, Harry Potter, TAYLOR, TAYLOR SWIFT, Swift’s, didn’t, Max Martin, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, McCartney, George Harrison, “, Taylor, Jackson, MICHAEL JACKSON, ’, Michael Jackson’s, …, “ Ben ”, —, Jackson’s, Micheal Jackson, It’s, she’s, Department ”, Spears, BRITNEY SPEARS, Spears’s, Madonna, Dick Tracy ”, Evita, I’m, David O, “ Ray, Bob Dylan, John, Springsteen, Elton John Farewell, Bruce Springsteen Springsteen, Elton John’s, Bruce Springsteen’s Springsteen, Madonna’s, it’s, Beyoncé, Georg Solti, Quincy Jones, It's, Madonna didn’t, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Sinatra, — Beyoncé, Sasha Fierce, Carter ’, Carter ”, Cowboy Carter, DRAKE, Kendrick Lamar, they’re, gunning, she’ll Organizations: Poets Department, MetLife, Beatles, “, Marvel, Billboard, TAYLOR SWIFT, U.S, Swift, MTV, Recording Industry Association of America, Department, Vogue, Veterans Touring, Drake, Beyoncé, Beyoncé’s Locations: New Jersey, U.S, Kobe, ”, “, pigtails, Amsterdam, Texas

☆ Opinion: Israel could defeat Hamas in Gaza more quickly if the US didn’t hold it back, this military expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Hilary Krieger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

CNN: Do you think that Israel can defeat Hamas without conducting a ground invasion in Rafah? The fact is that Rafah’s where the hostages and remaining Hamas military power and leadership are believed to be, their rockets and weapons production and other capabilities, everything. CNN: Couldn’t Israel’s offensive still have the effect of creating more militants who are going to join Hamas and fight against Israel? But it’s also a very winnable war for Hamas at this point because wars are not determined just by military capability. The problem is that the international community pushed Israel into this framework of going slower, going methodically, evacuating every area beforehand.

Persons: CNN —, John Spencer, Spencer, John Spencer Spencer, He’s, ” Spencer, JACK GUEZ, they’ve, we’re, there’s, Couldn’t, David Petraeus, Petraeus, who’s, it’s, You’ve, Dawoud Abo, Israel, I’ve, Israel doesn’t, that’s, — we’re, they’re, would’ve Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Modern, Institute, IDF, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Getty, Israel, Nazi, Spencer, Shiva, Dawoud Abo Alkas, ISIS, UN, Gaza, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iraq, West, Rafah, Spencer, Israeli, Hamas, Gaza City, AFP, Iran, Palestine, Northern Gaza, Afghanistan, United States, Egypt, Sinai, Anadolu, Qaida, Mosul, Panama, Tokyo

☆ Opinion: The latest version of ChatGPT is creepy — and appealing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Opinion Jeff Yang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Jeff Yang CNNLike its predecessors, GPT-4o is trained on enormous quantities of data to process queries, recognize patterns and deliver helpful responses. Watching the reveal, I found myself involuntarily gasping as researchers Mark Chen and Barret Zoph showed off GPT-4o’s new chops. The freakout aspect of the reveal came from how it demonstrated that GPT-4o isn’t just a tool — it’s a tool with personality. On the one hand, having the option to interrupt your AI chatbot when it’s going astray saves time. On the other, watching dudes repeatedly talking over a female-reading chatbot made it abundantly clear why you can’t spell “mansplain” without AI.

Persons: Jeff Yang, Bruce ”, “, Jeff Yang CNN, Mark Chen, Barret Zoph, Chen, Mira Murati, Parmy Olson, ”, Desi Lydic, …, Sam Altman, it’s, Siri, ” chuckling, Altman, Spike Jonze’s, Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Marc Benioff, Johansson, chatbot, mansplain Organizations: CNN, omni, Zoph . Media, Bloomberg, “, Twitter, Boston Dynamics Locations: Asian America, America, omnimodal

☆ Google and Harvard unveil most detailed ever map of human brain
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, after the lab team’s decade of close collaboration with scientists at Google, that data has turned into the most detailed map of a human brain sample ever created. The result is an interactive 3D model of the brain tissue, and the largest dataset ever made at this resolution of a human brain structure. And of course, it would reveal many more problems, things we hadn’t expected.”What about mapping an entire human brain? “Much of what we think we understand about the human brain is extrapolated from animals, but research like this is critical for revealing what truly makes us human. “Each human brain is a vast network of billions of nerve cells,” said Sporns, distinguished professor of psychological and brain sciences at Indiana University.

Persons: Jeff Lichtman —, Harvard University —, ”, Lichtman, Harvard University That’s, Viren Jain, ” Jain, Jain, there’s, we’re, “, ” Lichtman, haven’t, Michael Bienkowski, ” Bienkowski, Andreas Tolias, Berger, Olaf Sporns, Sporns Organizations: CNN, Harvard University, Google, Google Research, Lichtman, Harvard, Cisco, University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, “, Stanford University in, Indiana University Locations: Stanford University in California

☆ Netflix to air NFL games on Christmas Day in major expansion into live sports
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The streaming service announced Wednesday a three-year deal to broadcast the league’s Christmas Day games, marking a major milestone for Netflix, whose sports ambitions have largely focused on producing documentaries and creating live specials about golf and tennis. This deal kicks off this year with Netflix airing globally two NFL games on Christmas. We’re so excited that the NFL’s Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix,” said Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, in a release. This year’s Christmas Day games will be revealed Wednesday night on the NFL Network and website. The deal means NFL is also partners with all the major US broadcast networks and most major streaming platforms, including a Thursday night game package with Amazon and Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV.

Persons: ”, Bela Bajaria, “, Hans Schroeder Organizations: New, New York CNN, Netflix, NFL, NFL Network, US, Amazon, YouTube Locations: New York

☆ How bad bets on meme stocks led to a $1 billion wipeout
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The only bet riskier than buying meme stocks like GameStop may be cheering for their decline. That’s the lesson Wall Street’s short-sellers are learning the hard way this week. See here: For the first four months of the year, GameStop short-sellers — investors who bet on a stock’s decline — were sitting on $392 million in gains, up nearly 50%. To understand the meme stock phenomenon, it helps to understand a bit of the tribalism underpinning it. Today’s GameStop shorts aren’t likely to hang on and repeat the mistakes of their Melvin Capital brethren.

Persons: CNN Business ’, Capital, RoaringKitty —, GameStop’s, Ihor Dusaniwsky, ” Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, GameStop, S3 Partners, Elon, Citron Research, Wall, Partners Locations: New York

☆ Trump’s playboy past is in the spotlight. His allies are readying a new fight against pornography
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

A movement to rein in online pornography is rapidly intensifying, fueled by conservative outrage and growing unease over the accessibility of sexual content online, especially for children. Pornography is mentioned on the first page; banning pornography and locking up those who produce it are proposed on Page 5. He was an occasional guest at Hugh Hefner’s famed Playboy Mansion and made cameos in soft-core pornographic films produced by the company – though not in any scenes depicting sexual content or nudity. ‘Sex is the canary in the coal mine’The Supreme Court has deemed previous attempts to curb online pornography unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. They were designed to protect adults from accessing adult content, which, of course, is their stated aim.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, “, ”, Terry Schilling, Hugh Hefner’s, Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal –, McDougal, Daniels, Kevin Roberts, ” Roberts, ” Roberts hasn’t, Ben Carson, Charlie Kirk, Chris LaCivita, Susie Wiles, President Trump, LaCivita, Wiles, Mike Stabile, ” Pornhub, –, Robert Winterton, Pornhub, Solomon Friedman, It’s, ” Schilling, Paul Dans, Stabile, ” Stabile, Schilling, “ It’s, Stuart Brotman, Brotman –, Playboy’s Hefner –, Roberts, ” Brotman, Ben Bull, ” Bull Organizations: CNN, Trump, Heritage Foundation, Playboy, Heritage, Housing, Urban, Free Speech Coalition, US, Apple, Google, Facebook, ”, National Center, Media, Ethical Capital Partners, Republicans, US Department of Justice, University of Tennessee, GOP Locations: Manhattan, Washington, DC, Lake Tahoe, Texas, – Virginia, Montana , North Carolina , Arkansas , Utah , Mississippi, Louisiana, California, Knoxville

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