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Tesla Must Face Fraud Lawsuit for Claiming Its Cars Could Fully Drive Themselves (Maria)
The author writes, “A federal judge ruled yesterday that Tesla must face a lawsuit alleging that it committed fraud by misrepresenting the self-driving capabilities of its vehicles. … California resident Thomas LoSavio’s lawsuit points to claims made by Tesla and CEO Elon Musk starting in October 2016, a few months before LoSavio bought a 2017 Tesla Model S with ‘Enhanced Autopilot’ and ‘Full Self-Driving Capability.’ US District Judge Rita Lin in the Northern District of California dismissed some of LoSavio’s claims but ruled that the lawsuit can move forward on allegations of fraud. … Musk claimed at an October 2016 news conference that a Tesla car would be able to drive from Los Angeles to New York City ‘by the end of next year without the need for a single touch.’”
Medical Residents Are Increasingly Avoiding States With Abortion Restrictions (Dana)
From KFF Health News: “According to new statistics from the Association of American Medical Colleges, for the second year in a row, students graduating from U.S. medical schools were less likely to apply this year for residency positions in states with abortion bans and other significant abortion restrictions. Since the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, state fights over abortion access have created plenty of uncertainty for pregnant patients and their doctors. But that uncertainty has also bled into the world of medical education, forcing some new doctors to factor state abortion laws into their decisions about where to begin their careers.”
US Senator Says Israel Should Drop Nuclear Bombs on Gaza (Sean)
The author writes, “US Senator Lindsey Graham argued in a live TV interview that Israel should drop nuclear bombs on Gaza. More than 2 million Palestinian civilians are trapped in the densely populated strip, including 1 million children. Israel has imposed what its Defense Minister Yoav Gallant referred to as a ‘complete siege’ of Gaza, preventing civilians from leaving as Tel Aviv has brutally bombed the strip. To justify his proposal for Israel to nuke Gaza, Graham cited the US atomic bombing of Japan, which he insisted was necessary. However, the US government admitted that the nuclear attack on Japan was not needed to end World War II.”
What Young Voters Actually Care About (Laryn)
From Vox: “A new poll of young voters shared exclusively with Vox provides an important corrective: Young voters aren’t all that mystical; they’re a lot like the average American, concerned first and foremost with the state of the economy. This tracks with what my election reporting has turned up this year: Economic and affordability issues are far and away the top concern for all young voters in Blueprint’s latest poll. Progressive priorities, like climate change, student loans, and even the Israel-Palestine conflict, rank far below kitchen table issues.”
Polarization May Phase Out of American Politics as Younger Generations Shift Into Power (Dana)
The authors write, “Based on our research, presented in ‘Generational Politics in the United States: From the Silents to Gen Z and Beyond,’ earlier generations — the Silents, baby boomers and Gen X — are more divided than millennials and Gen Z. We expect that in the future, highly partisan members of the Silent, boomer and Gen X generations will exit and no longer be part of American political life. They will be replaced by millennials and Gen Zers, who are less likely to define themselves as strong Republicans or Democrats. The greater consensus among young people today may lessen polarization.”
Sperm Whale Clicks Could Be the Closest Thing to a Human Language Yet (Reader Jim)
From New Scientist: “Sperm whale calls are far more complex than we thought – and could be an animal communication system that is the closest thing to human language yet discovered. The claim is based on an analysis of thousands of exchanges made by east Caribbean sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), which were recorded over several years.”
