Extra, Extra

Counter Strike: We’re not hearing as much about the Russian invasion of Ukraine this week. Here’s some news from that front. “The Ukrainian military on Tuesday used U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles to strike nine Russian helicopters in eastern Ukraine, after Washington secretly shipped the weapons in recent weeks … Biden had been hesitant to deliver the Army Tactical Missile System for fear of escalating the conflict. The transfer indicates the administration’s calculus has changed after a slow-moving Ukrainian counteroffensive.” And Politico takes you Inside Biden’s decision to secretly send longer-range U.S. missiles to Ukraine. Meanwhile, not everyone is shunning Putin. NPR: Putin begins visit in China, underscoring Moscow’s ties with Beijing.

+ Screenage Wasteland: “Across age groups, the average time spent on social media ranges from as low as 4.1 hours per day for 13-year-olds to as high as 5.8 hours per day for 17-year-olds. Girls spend nearly an hour more on social media than boys.” Teens Spend Average of 4.8 Hours on Social Media Per Day. (No wonder my kids have no time to subscribe to NextDraft.)

+ That’s the Ticket: California is trying to address the increase in traffic deaths by installing new speed cameras that will automatically ticket drivers who exceed speed limits in high danger areas.

+ J School: “Within the past year, young journalists have produced investigations that led to the resignation of Stanford University’s president, the firing of Northwestern University’s football coach, and a school shooting graphic so striking that it led a veteran newsman to say, ‘I’ve never seen a better front page.’ All while making sure to get their homework in on time.” While the news industry struggles, college students are supplying some memorable journalism.

+ Di-elect: NYC Mayor Eric Adams uses AI to make robocalls in languages he doesn’t speak, including “thousands in Spanish, more than 250 in Yiddish, more than 160 in Mandarin, 89 in Cantonese, and 23 in Haitian Creole.”

+ Sandal in the Wind: “Birkenstock, the 250-year-old German brand best known for its flat, orthopedic sandals embraced by hippies and grandparents, is no longer the antithesis of high-fashion.”

This blurb is from the October 17, 2023 edition of NextDraft