Extra, Extra
Platform Over Function: “What makes the Los Angeles case unique is that, rather than trying to persuade the jury that the content on Meta and YouTube is harmful, the plaintiff’s attorneys framed the case around the actual design of the social media platforms.” Meta, YouTube found negligent in landmark social media addiction lawsuit. This is the second big tech-related decision this week. “A New Mexico jury determined Tuesday that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its social media platforms, a verdict that signals a changing tide against tech companies and the government’s willingness to crack down.”
+ A Peace of Work: “Various news agencies and Iranian state media have reported that Tehran has responded ‘negatively’ to the US proposal to end the war, but there are contradictory statements over whether it has rejected it outright. Reuters news agency, citing a senior Iranian official, reported that Tehran’s initial response to the proposal was ‘not positive’ but that it was still reviewing it. That is at odds with a report by the Iranian state-owned Press TV, which quoted a senior political security official saying Tehran has rejected the proposal, while putting forward its own conditions to end the war. Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, citing a ‘knowledegable source’, reported that Tehran will not accept a ceasefire and believes it would not be ‘logical’ to enter talks.” In other words, the peace talks are as confusing as the war has been. Here’s the latest from The Guardian and AP.
+ Putin New Perspective: “In February, something shifted. Mr. Putin began, suddenly, to pay attention to the flagging economy. There were even signs he might be changing his mind on negotiations with Ukraine, perhaps seeking an exit from the conflict. Then came the war in Iran.” For Putin, the War in Iran Changed Everything.
+ Blue Devil and Red Devil: “As a boy, Majok Bior escaped a country engulfed in war. As a gifted student, he won a full scholarship to Duke University and looked toward a dazzling future. Bior studied computer science at the North Carolina campus during his freshman year and was a winger on an intramural soccer team. After finishing the fall semester of his sophomore year, Bior returned to Uganda for winter break. He played chess with friends and recounted the brutal winters and demands of chemistry class. Then President Trump began to ban students from Africa, starting with South Sudan where Bior was born. He hasn’t returned to campus since.” WSJ (Gift Article): He Had a Full Ride at Duke—Until America Cut Him Off. (Feel safer?)
+ Lactose Intolerant: “The video was meant to show that the U.S. military, which for months has bombed boats it says are carrying drugs from South America, was ‘now bombing Narco Terrorists on land,’ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on social media.” NYT (Gift Article): The U.S. Said It Helped Bomb a Drug Camp. It Was a Dairy Farm.
+ Viewfinder: Wapo (Gift Article): In Trump’s war messaging, veterans see something new — and disturbing. “Service members and families who lost loved ones say the Trump team’s memes and jokes trivialize combat and sacrifice. Trump aides say the backlash sends views soaring.” (And these days, what matters more than views?)
+ Resort Re-Sorted “Democrat Emily Gregory won a special election Tuesday for the Florida state House district that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, flipping the seat from Republican control.”
