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☆ The real revelation from the ‘Twitter Files’: Content moderation is messy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The releases so far have focused on some of the social media company’s most high-profile, and controversial, content moderation decisions. The Twitter Files reports appear aimed at calling into question the integrity of Twitter’s former leadership and riling up the right-leaning user base that new owner Elon Musk has increasingly courted. But outside of Musk’s core base, reaction to the Twitter Files, which provide little new insight into the company’s policy and decision-making, has been largely muted. The “Twitter Files” threads appear to have been written “with a very clear agenda,” the former executive said. Still, the Twitter Files reports show just how many of the company’s employees and teams were involved in the deliberations over difficult content decisions.

CNN —Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection, told reporters the committee will hold its final public meeting on Monday and that the panel’s full report will come out December 21. Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi, said the committee will approve the panel’s final report on December 19 and make announcements about criminal referrals to the Justice Department, but the public will not see the final report until two days later. “We will do all of the business of the committee on the 19th,” Thompson said, which includes voting on the final report. During the public meeting, the full committee is expected to vote on adopting the subcommittee’s recommendations. Asked about the committee’s plans to hold a public meeting on Monday, Thompson said: “We looked at the schedule and it appears we can complete our work a little bit before that,” Thompson said of shifting the public meeting earlier next week.

☆ Angelo Badalamenti, ‘Twin Peaks’ composer, dies at 85
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Angelo Badalamenti, the composer behind several beloved soundtracks, including David Lynch’s cult hit “Twin Peaks,” has died at 85. Badalamenti and Lynch worked together for decadesBefore he was a film composer, the Brooklyn-born Badalamenti was a musical jack-of-all-trades. “I tried to make the music have a haunting feeling,” Badalamenti said in 2019 of his “Twin Peaks” score. Film writer Scott Tobias remembered the immediate impact of watching “Twin Peaks” for the first time and recognizing it was something special. “One of the greatest.”Kyle MacLachlan, who played the unusual, coffee-loving Agent Dale Cooper on “Twin Peaks,” called Badalamenti a “brilliant and talented maestro who was a master at setting a mood.

☆ James Cameron to skip the premiere for 'Avatar 2' due to positive Covid-19 test
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —It’s a sequel 13 years in the making, but James Cameron will have to sit the premiere out. The “Avatar: The Way of Water” director will not be in attendance at Monday’s premiere for the film in Los Angeles after testing positive for Covid-19, according to a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. He tested positive as part of a routine testing cadence. He will continue to complete his schedule virtually but will not be at the premiere,” a Disney spokesperson told the outlet. Cameron previously directed 2009’s “Avatar,” which took home three Oscars and became the world’s highest-grossing film.

☆ UK snow causes travel chaos and energy fears
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Snow has blanketed London and large parts of the United Kingdom on Monday, shutting schools, grounding flights and causing widespread disruption across a country struggling through a winter energy crisis. The cold snap left many parts of the country, including London, covered in snow from Sunday evening. Despite the disruption, the arrival of snow two weeks before Christmas brought a festive atmosphere to Britain’s parks and streets. Victoria Jones/PA Images/Getty ImagesSnowfall is relatively rare in southern England compared to northern Britain and mainland Europe, and Britons frequently gripe about the ill-preparedness of the country’s infrastructure when cold weather hits. The company said it was a “contingency” plan, which aimed to “give the public confidence in Monday’s energy supply,” according to PA.

☆ Mall of America settles lawsuit over 5-year-old boy thrown from balcony
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Additional details of the settlement were not released by the boy’s family or the mall. The boy, identified only as Landen, was 5 when Emmanuel Aranda threw him nearly 40 feet to the ground. The lawsuit alleged that the mall and its security detail knew about previous “violent, aggressive, and erratic” behavior that Aranda had displayed at the shopping center. In a joint statement announcing the settlement, the mall and the family said they will work together on policy changes to prevent similar incidents. “The Mall and the family will ask that any resulting change be named in honor of the young boy.”

☆ Moscow Says Ukrainian Drones Hit Third Russian Airfield in Two Days
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Yaroslav Trofimov | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—Russia said drones struck an airfield in the city of Kursk on Tuesday, igniting a fuel-storage facility, in what Moscow said was the third long-range attack by Ukrainian forces on its air bases in two days. The attack on the Kursk airport, which was closed to civil aviation after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, followed Monday’s strikes on Russian strategic-bomber bases in Engels and Diagilevo. Both bases are hundreds of miles from Ukrainian-controlled territory. Kursk is around 65 miles from the Ukrainian border.

☆ U.S. says it will expand, extend temporary status for Haitians
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

SAN DIEGO — The Biden administration said Monday that it would expand temporary legal status for Haitians already living in the United States, determining conditions in the Caribbean nation were too dangerous for their forced return. The Homeland Security Department said Haitians who were in the United States Nov. 6 could apply for Temporary Protected Status and those who were granted it last year could stay an additional 18 months until Aug. 3, 2024. The administration has extended temporary status for several countries and expanded or introduced it for Haiti, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Cameroon and Venezuela, reversing a Trump-era trend to cut back on protections for those already in the United States. Haitians who enter the United States after Monday’s announcement will be ineligible for TPS, authorities said, though that may do little to discourage some. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called last week for an expansion and extension, said more than 100,000 Haitians will be eligible for temporary status under Monday’s announcement.

☆ Bill Cosby sued for sexual abuse under new NY lookback law
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Eric Levenson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Two former actresses on “The Cosby Show” are among five women who filed a lawsuit against Bill Cosby in New York state court on Monday accusing him of sexual assault and abuse dating back decades. According to the suit, Cosby drugged and raped Bernard, who played Mrs. Minifield on “The Cosby Show,” in New Jersey and Nevada in 1990 and at his Manhattan home in 1991. Gittens alleges Cosby invited her to his Manhattan home in 1989 or 1990 to discuss working on “The Cosby Show” but then drugged her and sexually assaulted her. Thompson alleges Cosby made her inappropriately touch him without her consent at his Manhattan home in 1988 when she was 18. Ladd alleges Cosby drugged her and raped her in 1969.

☆ Biden's climate plan strains trade ties with Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The European Union and United States — together responsible for one third of global trade — have been at loggerheads in recent weeks over US President Joe Biden’s landmark $370 billion climate plan. While a trade war is unlikely, the plan is testing the transatlantic alliance and pushing Europe to consider mobilizing its own package of subsidies. The IRA is now law, and there is little appetite to bring it back to Congress to make substantive changes, he told CNN Business. The European Union has a couple of options at its disposal, analysts told CNN Business. On Monday, Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said that the bloc should create its own “European IRA plan,” according to a Reuters report.

☆ Supreme Court case on same-sex marriage could allow LGBTQ discrimination
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Caroline Mala Corbin | Caroline Mala Corbin Is A Professor Of Law | Dean S Distinguished Scholar At The University Of Miami School Of Law. She Is A First Amendment Expert Who Has | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

Does a website design company have a First Amendment right to discriminate against same-sex couples? But the Supreme Court reached no conclusion on the free speech claim and instead ruled in favor of the bakery on narrow religious grounds. The challenge here is how to classify 303 Creative’s making or refusing to make a website for same-sex couples. If so, it does not trigger, never mind violate, the free speech clause. It would extend to companies that oppose it for nonreligious reasons but can argue that providing their speech-based services to same-sex couples compelled them to express a message of support for that marriage.

☆ Brazil’s World Cup Telenovela Welcomes Neymar Back to the Cast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Jonathan Clegg | Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DOHA, Qatar—Twenty years since its most recent triumph at the World Cup, it looked like everything was finally going according to plan again for Brazil. The team arrived in Qatar as the favorite to lift the trophy for the sixth time, cruised into the knockout round after just two games, and was preparing to welcome back its star player, Neymar, for Monday’s round-of-16 matchup with South Korea following an ankle injury.

☆ Croatia beats Japan on penalties to reach World Cup quarterfinals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +28 min

CNN —Goalkeeper Dominik Livaković made himself a national hero as Croatia beat Japan on penalties 1-1 (3-1) to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Marko Djurica/ReutersJapan’s heartbreakDespite its defeat, Japan can look back at an impressive World Cup campaign. They made history Thursday as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Mbappé was one of the leading stars of the team's World Cup triumph four years ago. He also became just the third goalkeeper to save three penalties in a single World Cup shootout.

☆ Japan wins plaudits for World Cup shocks and fans cleaning up in stadiums
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( John Sinnott | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Japan bids the World Cup farewell after its World Cup last-16 penalty shootout defeat by Croatia on Monday, but the team and its fans left lasting memories that won the Asian nation plenty of plaudits in Qatar and across the watching world. After the win over Germany, Japan’s players cleaned up their dressing room, leaving it looking immaculate. Japan supporters celebrate the team's World Cup Group E win against Spain. Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images‘Good vibes’Before Monday’s last-16 match against Japan, Croatia midfielder Lovro Majer had paid tribute to what the Samurai Blue had done at this World Cup. “We beat Germany and Spain – both World Cup champions,” said Japan coach coach Hajime Moriyasu, according to Reuters, after Monday’s loss to Croatia.

☆ Hertz settles lawsuits over hundreds of alleged false arrests
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Hertz will pay $168 million to settle 364 claims related to the company falsely reporting rental cars as stolen. Some of those involved in lawsuits against Hertz reported being held at gunpoint by police and spending days in jail before the false reports were worked out. In one case, a person claimed it took two years for the case against them to be resolved. The settlement will resolve 95% of pending claims against Hertz regarding these sorts of false arrest claims, the company said. Scherr had said in an April interview with CNBC that the cases involved “1/100 of one percent” of Hertz customer transactions.

☆ Neymar could play against South Korea as Brazil coach gives positive outlook on star man
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Wayne Sterling | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Brazil national team head coach Tite said Neymar will play against South Korea in Monday’s last 16 World Cup match, if he practices “okay” on Sunday. “He will practice this afternoon, and if everything is okay, he will play,” Tite said at a news conference on Sunday. “Neymar being on the lineup depends on the medical department clearing that.”Neymar sprained his right ankle in his side’s opening World Cup match – a 2-0 win over Serbia - on November 24. “Today has become one of the hardest moments in my career… and again in a World Cup,” Neymar, who was injured for Brazil’s World Cup semifinal in 2014, wrote on Instagram after his injury. The five-time champion faces South Korea at Stadium 974 in Doha on Monday.

A Florida sheriff stunned many of his constituents this week by appearing to endorse spanking students, his comments coming during a press conference in which county officials announced plans to tighten discipline in Brevard County schools. Sheriff Wayne Ivey spins the "Wheel of Fugitive" board at the Brevard County Sheriffs Office in 2017. And he is a Brevard County political powerbroker who helped get two Republicans, Megan Wright and Gene Trent, elected to the county school board. Shortly after they were sworn in Nov. 22, Wright and Trent teamed up with school board chair Matt Susin to oust longtime superintendent Mark Mullins. There was agreement among the Brevard County school officials interviewed that disruptive students are a problem in the system.

The United States and European Union established the council in June last year as a forum for discussing new technology and trade. “With the Inflation Reduction Act being informally discussed only over a 45-minute lunch, the commissioner has decided not to participate,” the aide added. The Inflation Reduction Act has become an acute source of tension between the allies. The European Union and United States share the biggest “bilateral trade and investment relationship” in the world, according to the European Commission’s website. Transatlantic trade hit a record €1.2 trillion ($1.26 trillion) in 2021, the Commission said.

☆ Junk Bonds Rally as Investors Speculate Inflation Has Peaked
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Matt Grossman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Investors are driving a modest end-of-year rally in junk bonds, erasing some of 2022’s biting losses in a bet that the economic outlook for next year has stabilized. Yields on below-investment-grade corporate bonds tracked by Intercontinental Exchange’s index have declined to 8.76% through Monday’s trading, down from a recent high of 9.61% on Oct. 13. Investors say they are growing more confident that interest rates might peak without putting many lower-rated companies’ ability to repay debt in serious jeopardy.

☆ ‘White paper’ protests: China’s top stationery supplier says it’s still selling A4 sheets
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN Business —The rare protests that spread across China over the weekend often featured demonstrators holding pieces of blank white paper, a phenomenon that has caused problems for the country’s top stationery chain. A4 refers to a standard paper size commonly used in countries outside of the United States and Canada. After M&G issued its filing, some social media users said they weren’t able to order A4 white paper sheets from the company’s online stores. Following the stock exchange filing, shares in M&G Stationery clawed back some losses, but were still down 1% at Monday’s close. ‘White paper’ protestsThe protests were triggered by a deadly fire last Thursday in Urumqi, the capital of the far western region of Xinjiang.

☆ China’s ‘white paper’ protests cause headaches for country’s top stationery supplier
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN Business —The rare protests that spread across China over the weekend often featured demonstrators holding pieces of blank white paper, a phenomenon that has caused problems for the country’s top stationery chain. M&G Stationery is based in Shanghai and sells its products in over 50 countries and regions around the world, according to the company’s website. After M&G issued its filing, some social media users said they weren’t able to order A4 white paper sheets from the company’s online stores. Following the stock exchange filing, shares in M&G Stationery clawed back some losses, but was still down 1% by Monday’s close. ‘White paper’ protestsThe protests were triggered by a deadly fire last Thursday in Urumqi, the capital of the far western region of Xinjiang.

☆ Republicans in one Arizona county refuse to certify election results
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Ned Parker | Linda So | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

-Republican officials who have embraced voter fraud theories resisted certifying the midterm election results in one Arizona county on Monday, defying a state deadline and setting the stage for a legal battle. REUTERS/Jim UrquhartoIn Cochise County, a conservative stronghold in southeastern Arizona, the two Republican members of the three-person board of supervisors voted to postpone certifying the county’s election results. On Monday, the Mohave board ultimately certified its election results but also criticized Maricopa’s performance. Arizona law requires counties to certify election results by Nov. 28, ahead of the state’s certification on Dec. 5. “In the last year, it’s become an unprecedented dereliction of duty for county officials to violate their oaths of office and refuse to certify election results, citing ‘gut feelings’ or alleged problems in jurisdictions other than their own,” Becker said.

☆ ‘Gaslighting’ is Merriam-Webster’s word of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK — “Gaslighting” — mind manipulating, grossly misleading, downright deceitful — is Merriam-Webster’s word of the year. Lookups for the word on merriam-webster.com increased 1,740% in 2022 over the year before. “It was a word looked up frequently every single day of the year,” he said. The death of Angela Lansbury in October drove some interest in lookups of the word, Sokolowski said. “Gaslighting,” Sokolowski said, spent all of 2022 in the top 50 words looked up on merriam-webster.com to earn top dog word of the year status.

☆ Irish regulator fines Meta $275 million for violations of Europe’s data privacy law
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN Business —Meta has been fined roughly $275 million by Ireland’s data privacy regulator for failing to prevent hackers from siphoning off personal information from more than 500 million Facebook users in a 2019 data leak. Since the fall of 2021, Ireland’s DPC has slapped Meta with 912 million euros in fines, going after the social media titan and its other subsidiaries, Instagram and WhatsApp, for alleged violations of Europe’s signature data privacy law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Earlier this fall, Meta was hit with a 405 million euro fine over Instagram’s handling of children’s data, the second-largest GDPR fine in history. Other enforcement actions, in March 2022 and September 2021, led to fines of 17 million euros and 225 million euros, respectively. “Protecting the privacy and security of people’s data is fundamental to how our business works,” Meta said in Monday’s statement.

☆ Casemiro magic sends Brazil through as Vini shines
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Ossian Shine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The midfielder's spectacular 83rd minute goal sent Brazil through with a game to spare and lit a touch paper to a contest that up to then had struggled to smoulder. "Thank God we scored that goal," Casemiro said. This Monday night clash looked to be heading for another stalemate before Casemiro’s moment of pure magic - one which saw him named man-of-the-match. As important as Monday's victory was for Brazil, perhaps of more importance was the performance of Vinicius Jr – Vini to his team mates. But with a plug-and-play genius like Vinicius Jr ready to take on the mantle of chief playmaker, Tite and the whole of Brazil can rest easy.

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