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Oops: Siri ‘Unintentionally’ Recorded Private Convos; Apple Agrees To Pay $95M (Maria)
The author writes, “Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that its voice assistant Siri routinely recorded private conversations that were then shared with third parties and used for targeted ads. In the proposed class-action settlement — which comes after five years of litigation — Apple admitted to no wrongdoing. Instead, the settlement refers to ‘unintentional’ Siri activations that occurred after the ‘Hey, Siri’ feature was introduced in 2014, where recordings were apparently prompted without users ever saying the trigger words. … The only clue that users seemingly had of Siri’s alleged spying was eerily accurate targeted ads.”
The Democrats and Republicans Best Positioned — Right Now — for 2028 (Sean)
From Politico: “Donald Trump darkly jokes about it. Steve Bannon is promoting it. Democrats shudder at the thought of it. But Trump cannot run for a third term under the Constitution. Which means the presidential primaries in both parties will be truly wide-open contests — with no incumbent president, former president or quasi-anointed front runner largely clearing either field — for the first time since 2008. And whether you like it or not, the 2028 presidential primary is effectively underway, with ambitious politicians in both parties already jockeying for advantage.”
Trump’s Election Sparks Fight Over Judicial Retirements, New Judgeships (Russ)
The author writes, “Three federal judges appointed by Democrats have changed their retirement plans ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, with a fourth being warned on the Senate floor not to follow suit. It is rare in the federal court system for judges to retract declarations of senior status, a form of semi-retirement that creates a vacancy on the court. Key Republicans have sharply criticized the decisions, which ensure that Trump — who pushed the courts substantially to the right during his first term in office — will not immediately get the chance to name successors for those judicial seats. Legal experts see the judges’ actions as part of the broader political jockeying over a federal court system whose judges have lifetime appointments and whose rulings can shape policy over multiple administrations.”
Top Trump Advisor Warns California Cities Not To Block Immigration Enforcement (Reader Steve)
From the Los Angeles Times: “California officials, along with dozens of others across the country, received letters this week from Stephen Miller’s nonprofit, America First Legal, warning them of the consequences for interfering with or impeding illegal immigration enforcement. Miller has been named President-elect Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy. In a written statement, the nonprofit said it had sent 249 letters to elected officials in states and cities with sanctuary policies. … The letters, all dated Dec. 23, state that people living in the country illegally are subject to removal and that it is a crime to conceal, harbor or shield them.”
Americans Stuck in Gaza Sue the US for Leaving Them ‘Trapped in a War Zone’ (Laura)
The author writes, “Salsabeel ElHelou, an American citizen stuck in Gaza, wakes up everyday and checks that her three children are still breathing. In August, an Israeli airstrike shredded her teenage son’s back — leaving him with an open and untreated wound. Her three kids — 7-year-old Ayham, 12-year-old Banan and 15-year-old Almotasem — are suffering from painful skin conditions caused by drinking and bathing in unclean water; their pus-filled wounds attract flies and mosquitoes. Two of them have lost teeth from malnutrition. ElHelou is one of nine plaintiffs — a combination of U.S. citizens, permanent U.S. residents, and Americans with immediate family trapped in Gaza — who sued the Biden administration [last month] in a bid to compel the government to help the families leave.”
Tesla Replaced Laid Off US Workers With Foreign Workers Using H-1B Visas That Musk Want To Increase (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “Tesla has replaced some of its US employees who were let go as part of a big wave of layoffs earlier this year with foreign workers using H-1B visas, which CEO Elon Musk is now campaigning to increase. Over the last week, Elon Musk has been promoting the increase of H-1B visas, which are used to bring foreign workers into the US for ‘specialty occupations.’”
A Mysterious Health Wave Is Breaking Out Across the US (Reader Jim)
From The Atlantic: “This year marks the first time in the 21st century that obesity, overdose deaths, traffic fatalities, and murders all declined in the official data analysis. The level of premature death in the U.S. is still unacceptably high. But progress isn’t just about where you are; it’s also about what direction you’re going in. And by the latter definition, 2024 was arguably the best year for American health reports in decades.”
Tiger-Cats, Sea Squirts and Beetles, Oh My! Meet Some Species Identified in 2024 (Dana)
From NPR: “Officially, Earth boasts roughly two million species. Unofficially, scientists suspect there could be millions — perhaps over 100 million — more. Each year, scientists add thousands of new species to the scientific record in an attempt to get a better count. Some discoveries stem from intrepid adventures deep into the jungle, while others come from reanalyzing old specimens stored in dusty museum collections. … Here are five species that struck NPR as especially wonderful, both because of the biology of the species, as well as the stories behind their discovery.”
