China warns U.S. of ‘downward spiral’ as Blinken meets with Xi Jinping

 China warns U.S. of ‘downward spiral’ as Blinken meets with Xi Jinping (msn.com)

Trump’s 'Absolute Immunity' Claim: Live Updates on the Supreme Court

 Trump’s 'Absolute Immunity' Claim: Live Updates on the Supreme Court - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Conservative Majority Seems Ready to Limit Election Case Against Trump

Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction overturned in New York

 Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction overturned in New York (msn.com)

Film producer Harvey Weinstein arrives at New York Criminal Court for his sexual assault trial in the Manhattan borough of New York City, Jan. 9, 2020.

© Brendan McDermid/Reuters, FILE

Meta, Zuck, and the patience of Wall Street

 Meta’s A.I. Assistant Is Fun to Use, but It Can’t Be Trusted - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Despite Mark Zuckerberg’s hope for the chatbot to be the smartest, it struggles with facts, numbers and web search.

The Meta-morphosis of Mark Zuckerberg - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The robotic nerd depicted in “The Social Network” has turned into the kinder, more accessible face of Silicon Valley. What’s going on?

Wall Street’s Patience for a Costly A.I. Arms Race Is Waning - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Inside Lawmakers’ Secretive Push to Pass the TikTok Bil; Also, TikTok in China...or rather how it is not in China

 Inside Lawmakers’ Secretive Push to Pass the TikTok Bill - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

A tiny group of lawmakers huddled in private about a year ago, aiming to keep the discussions away from TikTok lobbyists while bulletproofing a bill that could ban the app.

On TikTok, Potential Ban of App Leads to Resignation and Frustration - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

While Congress says the social app is a security threat, critics of the law targeting it say it shows how out of step lawmakers are with young people.

There Is No TikTok in China, Only Douyin. Here’s What It Is. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

ByteDance owns both TikTok and Douyin, and although TikTok has more users around the world, Douyin is the company’s cash cow and a China mainstay.

Campus Protests Over Gaza Intensify Amid Pushback by Universities and Police; Protesters call for Divestment from Israel

 Campus Protests Over Gaza Intensify Amid Pushback by Universities and Police - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

There were more than 120 new arrests as universities moved to prevent pro-Palestinian encampments from taking hold as they have at Columbia University.

Divestment From Israel Is a Rallying Cry for College Protesters - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The campaign is likely to have a negligible impact on the companies or Israel, but activists see divestment as a clear way to force colleges to take action on the issue.

Opinion | I’m a Columbia Professor. The Protests on My Campus Are Not Justice. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Texas state troopers with protesters at the University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday.Credit...Jay Janner/USA Today Network, via Reuters

Supreme Court to Hear Trump’s Claim to ‘Absolute Immunity’; Arizona Charges Giuliani and Other Trump Allies in Election Interference Case

 Supreme Court to Hear Trump’s Claim to ‘Absolute Immunity’ - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The Links Between Trump and 3 Hush-Money Deals - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The first criminal trial of former President Donald J. Trump has resurfaced three potential sex scandals that he faced ahead of the 2016 presidential election and buried with the help of allies. Manhattan prosecutors charged him in relation to the one involving the porn star Stormy Daniels; he pleaded not guilty and has said the three stories are untrue.

Arizona Charges Giuliani and Other Trump Allies in Election Interference Case - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Antony Blinken Visits China

 Antony Blinken Visits China - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Samsung shows off battery tech it says will see you gone in nine minutes

 Samsung shows off battery tech it says will see you gone in nine minutes (msn.com)

Toyota claims it is also readying a solid state battery that will charge in 10 minutes and give you 745 miles of range. 

Related: Tesla dealership site in Bucks County put up for sale two months after opening - Philadelphia Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Kevin Bacon visits 'Footloose' school before it's torn down — and in time for prom

 Kevin Bacon visits 'Footloose' school before it's torn down — and in time for prom : NPR

3 Maryland juveniles are charged with hate crimes. How did it get to that point?

 3 Maryland juveniles are charged with hate crimes. How did it get to that point? : NPR

Today: Star Witness David Pecker will Testify in Trump Hush Money Case; Trump to Fight Gag Order

Trump to Fight Gag Order in Hush Money Trial Before Key Witness Testifies - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Justice Juan M. Merchan will hear arguments over whether the former president violated his gag order before The National Enquirer’s former publisher takes the stand.

 Who is David Pecker, who is testifying against Donald Trump in criminal trial : NPR

Related:

What to Know About the Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels Hush-Money Case - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Who Are Key Players in the Trump Hush-Money Criminal Trial? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Tracing the Trail of Hush-Money Deals That Led to Trump’s Prosecution - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Top Chinese Swimmers Tested Positive for Banned Drug, Then Won Olympic Gold

 Top Chinese Swimmers Tested Positive for Banned Drug, Then Won Olympic Gold - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Chinese Doping case - Everything that led to the event that shook the swimming world (msn.com)

'Betrayed by the system.' Chinese swimmers' positive tests raise questions before 2024 Games (msn.com)

"This appears to be a devastating stab in the back of clean athletes and a deep betrayal of all the athletes who compete fairly and follow the rules. All of those with dirty hands in burying these positives and suppressing the voices of courageous whistle-blowers must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the rules and law." USADA stated.

Bill to ban TikTok or require its sale passes House; Chinese Government indicates ByteBance will not sell algorithm.

 Bill to ban TikTok or require its sale passes House : NPR

An Octopus Took My Camera, and the Images Changed the Way I See the World

 An Octopus Took My Camera, and the Images Changed the Way I See the World

Yes. the octopus took the diver's camera and took photos of the diver!

Countdown Is On for the Bitcoin ‘Halving'

 Countdown Is On for the Bitcoin ‘Halving’ 

News you can use: What Is VO2 Max?...and what does it have to do with longevity?

 What Is VO2 Max? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Giorgia Meloni Is Leading the Far-Right Takeover of Europe

 Opinion | Giorgia Meloni Is Leading the Far-Right Takeover of Europe - Explainer

Columbia to Hold Classes Remotely Following Weekend Protests, assaults by outsiders and threats against Jewish students

 Columbia to Hold Classes Remotely Following Weekend Protests - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The campus has been shaken by pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have left some Jewish students fearing for their safety.

Some Jewish Students Are Targeted as Protests Continue at Columbia - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

After reports of harassment by demonstrators, some Jewish students said they felt unsafe. Others said they felt safe, while condemning antisemitism.

What We Know About the Protests at Columbia University - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Demonstrations outside the school gates have added to the upheaval, with protesters who appear unconnected to the university targeting Jewish students.

Universities Struggle as Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations Grow - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Dozens were arrested Monday at N.Y.U. and Yale, but officials there and at campuses across the country are running out of options to corral protests that are expected to last the rest of the school year.

Columbia’s President, Nemat Shafik, May Face a Censure Resolution - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The university senate is expected to vote as early as Wednesday on a resolution censuring Nemat Shafik, a reaction to her testimony before Congress and the arrests of student protesters.

A Night Different From Others as Pro-Palestinian Protests Break for Seder - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Pro-Palestinian protesters, many of whom are Jewish, prepared Seder dinners at college protest encampments, even as other Jewish students sought community in more traditional settings.

Columbia cancels in-person classes after some students say they don't feel safe : NPR

Concerns over antisemitism rise as Passover begins : NPR

Ukraine’s Defense as Russia Plans a Big Offensive Push; House Approves $95 Billion Aid Bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

 Ukraine’s Defense as Russia Plans a Big Offensive Push - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

House Approves $95 Billion Aid Bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Related: Israel Planned Bigger Attack on Iran, but Scaled It Back to Avoid War - The New York Times (nytimes.com) 

Harvard’s Taylor Swift Scholars Have Thoughts on ‘The Tortured Poets Department’

 Harvard’s Taylor Swift Scholars Have Thoughts on ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The students taking Harvard University’s class on the singer are studying up. Their final papers are due at the end of the month.

On Thursday night, about 50 students from the Harvard class gathered to await the midnight release of Taylor Swift’s new album.Credit...Adam Glanzman for The New York Times

Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ Arrives

 Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ Arrives - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Taylor Swift's ‘The Tortured Poets Department' is Messy, Unguarded And Undeniably Triumphant: Critic's Take (msn.com)

Apple Says It Was Ordered to Pull WhatsApp From China App Store; How TikTok changed America

 Apple Says It Was Ordered to Pull WhatsApp From China App Store

Apple said it removed WhatsApp and Threads from its China app offerings Friday on Beijing’s orders, amid technological tensions between the U.S. and China.

A person briefed on the situation said the Chinese government had found content on WhatsApp and Threads about China’s president, Xi Jinping, that was inflammatory and violated the country’s cybersecurity laws. The specifics of what was in the content was unclear, the person said.

How TikTok Changed America

Pew Research Center has found that about one-third of 18- to 29-year-olds say they get news regularly on the platform, far outpacing people in other age groups. In 2023, about 14% of American adults said they regularly got news on TikTok, compared with just 3% percent in 2020. 

How TikTok Changed Us - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

‘I Don’t Think the Abyss Is Worth Looking Into Anymore’

In Ukraine, I Don’t Have the Privilege of Looking Away

Salary a single person needs to live comfortably in every state

 Salary a single person needs to live comfortably in every state (cnbc.com)

Inflation stories...Roses, Drycleaning, and Car Insurance

 Here’s Why This Bouquet of Red Roses Costs $72 in NYC. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Why It Costs $6 to Clean This Shirt in New York City - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Why car insurance costs are skyrocketing, leading to higher inflation (cnbc.com)

Israel Strikes Iran, but Scope Appears Limited

 Israel Strikes Iran, but Scope Appears Limited: Live Updates - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

What We Know About Israel’s Strike in Iran - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Israel’s Strike Was Smaller Than Expected, and So Was Iran’s Reaction - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

U.S. Vetoes Palestinian Bid to Be Full U.N. Member State - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

A little bit about the NPU...that's the new chip inside your computer (or next computer)...and Meta has something for you

 The NEW Chip Inside Your Phone! (NPUs) (youtube.com)

Meta releases new AI assistant powered by Llama 3 model - The Verge

Meta AI

You were right about Humane AI pin...but should the reviewer be blamed for the failure of the company?

The Humane AI Pin is lost in translation - The Verge

MKBHD calls the Humane AI pin “the worst product I’ve ever reviewed.” - The Verge

Don’t blame MKBHD for the fate of Humane AI and Fisker | TechCrunch

The Worst Product I've Ever Reviewed... For Now (youtube.com)

But telling the truth has caused some controversy:

Do Bad Reviews Kill Companies? (youtube.com)

It happened with Fisker

Jurors are seated. Arguments to begin on Monday.

 12 Jurors in Trump Hush Money Trial Will Decide a Former President’s Fate - The New York Times 

Justice Juan M. Merchan warned against identifying the people who might judge Donald J. Trump, who regularly attacks the justice system.

What We Know About the 12 Jurors in Donald Trump’s Criminal Trial - The New York Times

What Sentencing Could Look Like if Trump Is Found Guilty - The New York Times

Allies try to punish Iran with sanctions, though their effect has been limited in the past; Qatar says it is reviewing its mediator role as Israel-Hamas talks stall.

Allies try to punish Iran with sanctions, though their effect has been limited in the past.

Qatar says it is reviewing its mediator role as Israel-Hamas talks stall.

Google Fires 28 Employees Who Protested an Israeli Cloud Contract - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The dismissals escalated longstanding tensions between company leaders and activist employees opposed to supplying technology to Israel’s government.

 They Graduated Into Gaza’s War. What Happened to Them? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Related: 

More Than 100 Columbia University Students Arrested as Protests Intensify - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Columbia Sends In the N.Y.P.D. to Arrest Protesters in Tent City - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The university president broke with a decades-long tradition and called in the police to quell the pro-Palestinian protest. The encampment was then dismantled.

Enough: University of Michigan and Other Colleges Crack Down on Student Protests - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

After years of tolerating unruly protests, some schools are starting to suspend and expel students, raising questions about where they should draw the line.

4 Takeaways from Today’s Hearing on Antisemitism at Columbia University - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Opinion | Republicans Wanted a Crackdown on Israel’s Critics. Columbia Obliged. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Opinion: At Columbia, the Grown-Ups in the Room Take a Stand

Opinion | What Is Happening at the Columbia School of Social Work? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The Qatari prime minister, right, with the foreign minister of Turkey, at a news conference in Doha, Qatar, this week.Credit...Karim Jaafar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Columbia’s president, Nemat Shafik, said, “I took this extraordinary step because these are extraordinary circumstances.” Credit...C.S. Muncy for The New York Times

The story of ByteDance: the owner of TikTok

 Takeaways From a Trove of ByteDance Records - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

A Trove of ByteDance Records Mistakenly Went Public. Here’s What They Say.

The records briefly surfaced in a lawsuit involving the Republican megadonor Jeff Yass’s firm.

Taylor Swift Sells a Rainbow of Vinyl Albums. Fans Keep Buying Them

 Taylor Swift Sells a Rainbow of Vinyl Albums. Fans Keep Buying Them. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

For “Midnights,” Swift’s last studio album, a total of 35 physical products, including these six vinyl variants, were sold. Clockwise from top left, mahogany, moonstone blue, blood moon, lavender, jade green and love potion purple.

“The Tortured Poets Department” comes out on Friday in a number of different versions and formats including CD, left, and cassette.

Tesla Calls for New Vote on Elon Musk’s Pay Package

 Tesla Calls for New Vote on Elon Musk’s Pay Package - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

In 2018, Tesla came up with a package that would give Musk the right to buy up to 304 million shares at a preset price of $23.34 — if he met a series of increasingly difficult-to-achieve financial milestones. If he didn’t meet them, he would get nothing. At the time, the company was worth $59 billion.

If Mr. Musk were somehow to increase the value of Tesla to $650 billion — a figure many experts would contend is laughably impossible and would make Tesla one of the five largest companies in the United States, based on current valuations — his stock award could be worth as much as $55 billion.

About 73 percent of non-Musk shareholders approved the plan in a 2018 vote.

Musk managed to surpass those high hurdles. But in January, a Delaware judge struck down the plan, agreeing with shareholders who had sued to block the payouts because, they said, it was created with the help of overly compliant Tesla directors.

The Global Turn Away From Free-Market Policies Worries Economists; U.S. on track to grow 2.7% this year and continued growth is expected through 2025

 The Global Turn Away From Free-Market Policies Worries Economists - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

More countries are embracing measures meant to encourage their own security and independence, a trend that some say could slow global growth.

Biden to Call for Tripling Tariffs on Chinese Steel Products - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

In a speech to union steelworkers in Pittsburgh, the president will announce several new measures meant to raise new barriers against floods of Chinese imports.

The three European countries have joined the parade of others that are enthusiastically embracing industrial policies — the catchall term for a variety of measures like targeted subsidies, tax incentives, regulations and trade restrictions — meant to steer an economy.

More than 2,500 industrial policies were introduced last year, roughly three times the number in 2019, according to a new study. And most were imposed by the richest, most advanced economies — many of which could previously be counted on to criticize such tactics.

Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, has pushed back against the growing use of industrial policies.Credit...Mandel Ngan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Trump Election Inquiries Gain Ground in Swing States

 Trump Election Inquiries Gain Ground in Swing States - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Georgia, Michigan and Nevada have already brought charges against people who posed as electors for Donald Trump, and Arizona and Wisconsin have active investigations.

Johnson’s Plan for Ukraine Aid Meets Republican Pushback, Muddying Its Path

 Johnson’s Plan for Ukraine Aid Meets Republican Pushback, Muddying Its Path - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The Republican speaker’s strategy for moving foreign aid measures for Israel and Ukraine through the House has outraged many in his own party, increasing calls for his ouster.

Johnson Needs Democrats on Ukraine, Handing Them Power to Shape Aid Plan - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Speaker faces ouster from GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.  

AMD, Intel, Qualcomm...and Apple are all debuting new AI chips this year, but what will we do with it? Beauty contest anyone?

 Latest AMD Ryzen Pro chips are similar silicon, more smarts (msn.com)

AMD unveils Ryzen Pro 8000-series processors — Zen 4 and AI engines come to the commercial market | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

Intel's AI chip tools cut some aspects of the Meteor Lake design from weeks to minutes — plans for wider use of AI in future architectures | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

I went hands-on with two different Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips as the company claims it will beat Intel's Core Ultra | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

Apple will handle AI locally with iOS 18 update — no need for the cloud (msn.com)

Related in a strange way: AI-Generated Contestants Will Compete for the Title of ‘Miss AI’ in World’s First AI Beauty Pageant (msn.com)

Fanvue AI creator Lexi

The "Three-State" Solution: How to Be Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Israeli and Pro-Iranian

 Opinion | How to Be Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Israeli and Pro-Iranian - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Scattered Spider and other security concerns

Scattered Spider

Infiltrating ransomware gangs

Related: 

Protect yourself: Windows includes built-in ransomware protections. Here’s how to turn it on (msn.com)

Protect yourself: How to Use Windows Security in Windows 10 - YouTube

Protect yourself: Everything You Need to Know About Smartphone Backups - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Apple Issues New Spyware Attack Warning To iPhone Users (forbes.com)

Apple Issues Spyware Alert to iPhone Users Worldwide (msn.com)

Microsoft, Beset by Hacks, Grapples With Problem Years in the Making - Bloomberg

Microsoft is 'ground zero' for state-sponsored hackers, exec says (qz.com)

Microsoft’s $1.5B funding for G42 signals growing US-China rift | TechCrunch