MAGA media’s Epstein conspiracy theory enters a dangerous new phase
What happens when irresponsible media personalities hype a conspiracy theory, only to see it unravel before their eyes? We’re finding out right now. Myriad right-wing media figures have, for years, suggested that the government is hiding secrets relating to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted pedophile who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Facebook enables gender discrimination in job ads, European human rights body rules
A European human rights body has ruled that Facebook’s algorithm shows gender bias when promoting job advertisements, marking what activists say is a crucial step in holding big tech companies accountable for the design of their platforms. The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights said in a February 18 decision that Facebook’s algorithm reinforced gender stereotypes by mainly showing “typically female professions” to female Facebook users in the Netherlands and that Meta (META), the social platform’s owner, should have monitored and adjusted its algorithm to prevent that.
Trump is already trying to put his stamp on AI
In one of his first actions as president, Donald Trump revoked a sweeping executive order from the Biden era that sought to implement safeguards on artificial intelligence. It was a sign that Trump wants to put his own stamp on how the United States should adopt and develop the fast-moving, critical technology – and perhaps an indication that AI would be a big theme in Trump’s second term. So far, that’s materialized in public displays of US computing power such as Stargate, the new $500 billion AI company helmed by a supergroup of Silicon Valley bigwigs. But it’s also resulted in controversies that raise questions about the ethics of how AI should be used and regulated.
Today’s ‘economic blackout’ began from an unlikely source. But it’s tapped into Americans’ anger
In early February, John Schwarz, a self-described “mindfulness and meditation facilitator,” proposed a 24-hour nationwide “economic blackout” of major chains on the last day of the month. Schwarz urged people to forgo spending at Amazon, Walmart, and all other major retailers and fast-food companies for a day. He called on them to spend money only at small businesses and on essential needs.
Your fear of flying can be explained by a 1970s toilet paper shortage
Sometimes perception becomes people’s reality. That certainly feels like the case after last month’s deadly crash near Reagan National Airport, as every accident or close call seems to get magnified, raising questions about America’s airline safety. The long-term and preliminary short-term statistics suggest that airline travel is about as safe as ever. But talk to any of your friends who are remotely afraid of flying, and I bet they will tell you that recent events have shaken them up.
Nippon to continue its fight to buy US Steel, despite what Trump believes
Nippon Steel is looking to revive its plan to purchase iconic American steelmaker US Steel, despite President Donald Trump’s statements earlier this month that it is only interested in an “investment” and his pledge not to allow it to buy a controlling stake. Trump declared after a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba earlier this month that Nippon was no longer interested in purchasing US Steel and was only interested in making an investment in the company.
Citigroup mistakenly credited a customer account with $81 trillion
Citigroup erroneously credited $81 trillion, instead of $280, to a customer’s account and took hours to reverse the transaction, a “near miss” that shows up the bank’s operational issues it has sought to fix, the Financial Times first reported on Friday. The error, which occurred last April, was missed by a payments employee and a second official assigned to check the transaction before it was cleared to be processed the next day, FT said, citing an internal account and two people familiar with the event.
A crypto mogul who invested millions into Trump coins is getting a reprieve on civil fraud charges
A businessman who pumped $75 million into the Trump family-backed crypto token finds himself in a fortunate position this week as federal securities regulators are hitting pause on their civil fraud case against him. On Wednesday, lawyers for the Securities and Exchange Commission and Justin Sun, a 34-year-old Chinese crypto entrepreneur, asked a federal judge to put the agency’s case on hold, citing the interests of both sides and “the public’s interest.”
What a 1970s toilet paper shortage teaches us about our fear of flying
Sometimes perception becomes people’s reality. That certainly feels like the case after last month’s deadly crash near Reagan National Airport, as every accident or close call seems to get magnified, raising questions about America’s airline safety. The long-term and preliminary short-term statistics suggest that airline travel is about as safe as ever. But talk to any of your friends who are remotely afraid of flying, and I bet they will tell you that recent events have shaken them up.
Trump threatens to double tariffs on China and says punishing Mexico and Canada tariffs will go into effect March 4
US President Donald Trump said Thursday tariffs of 25% on Mexican and Canadian goods are set to take effect on March 4, while also threatening to impose an additional 10% on Chinese imports on the same date. Mexico, China and Canada are America’s top three trading partners. Simultaneous tariffs on all three nations could lead to soaring prices for American consumers, especially at a time when inflation is already heating up.