Are Apple AirTags Being Used to Track People and Steal Cars?

Privacy groups sounded alarms about the coin-sized location-tracking devices when they were introduced. Now people are concerned those fears are being realized.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/30/technology/apple-airtags-tracking-stalking.html?source=Snapzu

In 2021, social media platforms enabled the deadly spread of COVID-19 lies and anti-vaccine misinformation

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Read more: https://www.mediamatters.org/facebook/2021-social-media-platforms-enabled-deadly-spread-covid-19-lies-and-anti-vaccine?source=Snapzu

China’s new AI policy doesn’t prevent it from building autonomous weapons

China's bellied up to the international stage with a position paper detailing its ethics-based views on AI -- let's dive in, shall we?
Read more: https://thenextweb.com/news/chinas-new-ai-policy-doesnt-prevent-building-autonomous-weapons?source=Snapzu

John Madden, Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster, dies at 85 | AP News

John Madden, the Hall of Fame coach turned broadcaster whose exuberant calls combined with simple explanations provided a weekly soundtrack to NFL games for three decades, died Tuesday morning, the league said.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/cd81635dd3aac611af9e9424ec08d24a?source=Snapzu

These European Countries Could Legalize Cannabis In 2022

Which European country will legalize cannabis in 2022? The short answer to this question doesn't exist. Although the European continent represents a tempting market for international companies and stakeholders interested in recreational cannabis, its legal framework is widely fragmented, and finding a satisfying answer is challenging.
Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2021/12/29/these-european-countries-could-legalize-cannabis-in-2022/?source=Snapzu

Vaccine effect fades faster for cancer patients; boosters restore it

Vaccine protection against COVID-19 wanes more quickly among cancer patients, but boosters rapidly bolster their antibody levels, Israeli research has found. The study supports the case for giving cancer patients third vaccine doses in countries where they have only received two, according to author Dr. Hagai Ligumsky. And it encourages the rollout of fourth shots for this demographic in countries like Israel that already gave third shots, he added.
Read more: https://www.timesofisrael.com/vaccine-effect-fades-faster-for-cancer-patients-boosters-restore-it-israeli-study/?source=Snapzu

Egyptian pharaoh reveals his secrets after ancient mummy is 'digitally unwrapped'

Egyptian scientists have unwrapped a 3,500-year-old royal mummy without peeling away a single layer of embalming linen.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/egyptian-mummy-amenhotep-digitally-unwrapped-rcna10154?source=Snapzu

New NY bill aims to hold social media companies accountable for disinformation

New York would be able to hold social media companies accountable for promoting disinformation, eating disorders and “other unlawful content that could harm others” under a new proposal designed as a workaround to federal law. The new bill – sponsored by state Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) – comes as lawmakers across the country scramble to address harms attributed to Facebook and Instagram which were exposed in a series of leaks by whistleblower Frances Haugen earlier this year.
Read more: https://nypost.com/2021/12/26/ny-bill-aims-to-hold-social-media-companies-accountable-for-disinformation/?source=Snapzu

No meat please, we’re British: now a third of us approve of vegan diet

A boom in plant-based diets means next year’s Veganuary will attract more uptake than ever
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/dec/25/no-meat-please-were-british-now-a-third-of-us-approve-of-vegan-diet?source=Snapzu

Overuse of antibiotics on farms threatens pandemic ‘much bigger than Covid’

Preventative use of antibiotics on farm animals will be banned in the EU from January; now the UK is thinking about whether to follow suit
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/antibiotics-farm-animals-covid-pandemic-b1974937.html?source=Snapzu

US regulators step up probe into Hyundai and Kia engine fires

The United States auto safety agency has stepped up its probe into engine fires that have plagued some Hyundai Motor Co and Kia Motors Corp vehicles for more than six years.
Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/12/28/us-regulators-step-up-probe-into-hyundai-kia-engine-fires?source=Snapzu

A Deep Dive into the GameStop NFT Marketplace Platform

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, have attracted much mainstream attention in the past few months. As a result, numerous brands are exploring opportunities in this space, including GameStop. The video game retailer intends to build a new NFT platform to "change the game" with the help of Ethereum technology. In addition, the company seeks to hire an Ethereum specialist to help build and maintain this NFT marketplace.
Read more: https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/a-deep-dive-into-the-gamestop-nft-marketplace-platform?source=Snapzu

Hiker lost on mountain for 24 hours ignored calls from rescuers because he didn’t recognize phone number

A hiker who was lost on a mountain for about 24 hours ignored calls from rescue crews because he didn’t recognize the phone number, officials said. The hiker was reported missing last week after they never returned from a trek on Mount Elbert in Colorado, the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains, according to Lake County Search and Rescue.
Read more: https://worldwidenews.tribe.so/group/hiker-lost-on-mountain-for-24-hours-ignored-calls-from-rescuers-because-he-didnt-recognize-phone-number?source=Snapzu

China complains of near-collisions with SpaceX satellites

China has complained of “close encounters” with Elon Musk’s space programme, with SpaceX Starlink satellites twice approaching the Chinese Space Station (CSS) in orbit. The two events, on July 1 and October 21, forced the Chinese spacecraft to undertake avoidance manoeuvres to avoid collision.
Read more: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3161203/spacex-starlink-satellites-twice-came-too-close-china-tells-un?source=Snapzu

Japan billionaire Maezawa lands in Kazakhstan after 12-day space flight

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa returned to Earth on Monday after a 12-day journey into space, ending a practice run for his planned trip around the moon with Elon Musk's SpaceX in 2023.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/japan-billionaire-maezawa-set-land-kazakhstan-after-12-day-space-flight-2021-12-20/?source=Snapzu

Intel apologizes after Xinjiang avoidance request

The US chipmaker faced backlash in China for asking suppliers to avoid sourcing goods from the Xinjiang region, where Beijing is accused of widespread human rights abuses.
Read more: https://www.dw.com/en/intel-apologizes-after-xinjiang-avoidance-request/a-60234731?source=Snapzu

Former South Korean president Park Geun-hye to receive pardon for corruption

Moon Jae-in, her successor, will reportedly free Park from 22-year sentence after string of ailments while in jail
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/24/park-geun-hye-to-receive-pardon-for-corruption-as-south-korean-president?source=Snapzu

Amazon Says It Will Stop Interfering With Workers Organizing On-Site

The move comes in the wake of an NLRB settlement that focused on the company's "15-minute" rule.
Read more: https://gizmodo.com/amazon-says-it-will-stop-interfering-with-workers-organ-1848265776?source=Snapzu

Shipwrecks, Stolen Jewels, and Skull-Blasting Are Some of This Year's Best Mysteries

These unfinished tales still flummox historians, scientists, artists, and chefs.
Read more: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/2021-year-in-mysteries?source=Snapzu

The world is addicted to natural gas. Fossil fuel companies are lobbying hard to keep it that way

Imagine a world entirely free of fossil fuels. That's no longer such an abstract concept, as most of the everyday things we do can be powered by electricity -- driving a car, heating a home, charging a phone or computer -- and all that energy could come from sources like the wind, the sun and the natural movement of water.
Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/23/europe/natural-gas-green-hydrogen-fossil-fuel-lobbying-climate-cmd-intl/index.html?source=Snapzu

NHL officially announces players won't attend Beijing Olympics

NHL players will not be attending the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the league announced Wednesday.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/nhl-nhlpa-withdraws-from-beijing-2022-winter-olympics-1.6294937?source=Snapzu

Xi'an: Chinese city under lockdown as Covid cases rise

More than 13 million people in the city of Xi'an have been told to stay at home amid a Covid outbreak.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59743487?source=Snapzu

Britney Spears’ Lawyer Calls Jamie Spears’ Request for Singer to Pay His Legal Fees an “Abomination”

The singer's father has petitioned for her estate to cover the costs of his legal representation and fees "to ensure the Conservatorship can be wound up quickly and efficiently," according to the Dec. 15 filing.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/britney-spears-jamie-spears-legal-fees-estate-1235066080/?source=Snapzu

In an historic vote, Italy to ban fur farming and shut down all mink farms within six months

The Budget Committee of the Italian Senate today voted to approve a modified version of an amendment to the budget law which will see the country’s 10 remaining mink fur farms closed within six months and a permanent ban on fur farming throughout Italy. 
Read more: https://www.hsi.org/news-media/in-an-historic-vote-italy-to-ban-fur-farming-and-shut-down-all-mink-farms-within-six-months/?source=Snapzu

Fauci says Jesse Watters should 'be fired on the spot' after Fox News host's 'kill shot' comments

Dr. Anthony Fauci called out the "crazy" threats by Fox News Channel’s Jesse Watters, saying the host should "be fired on the spot" for his "kill shot" remarks.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fauci-says-jesse-watters-fired-spot-fox-news-hosts-kill-shot-comments-rcna9521?source=Snapzu

The US Gov't Paid For Moderna To Develop Its Vaccine; But Moderna Wants To Keep The Patent All To Itself

The US government, and by that we mean "the US public," who mostly funded Moderna's COVID vaccine ... nearly $1billion ... and it was actually US government employees who did a lot of the important work.
Read more: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20211218/00522848140/us-govt-paid-moderna-to-develop-vaccine-moderna-wants-to-keep-patent-all-to-itself.shtml?source=Snapzu

Fisherman handed lifetime ban following midnight poaching of hundreds of crabs in Vancouver harbour

A B.C. Supreme Court judge has banned Nanaimo, B.C., fisherman Scott Stanley Matthew Steer from fishing for life. The sentence was delivered on Nov. 12, 2021, and it is the first lifetime ban for a Pacific region fisherman in more than a decade.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/nanaimo-crab-poacher-lifetime-ban-1.6292864?source=Snapzu

Missionaries who were kidnapped in Haiti escaped from their abductors, aid group says

The group of 12 navigated by stars to reach safety after a two-month kidnapping ordeal, officials with Christian Aid Ministries, the Ohio-based agency that the missionaries work for, said on Monday.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2021/12/20/1065923822/missionaries-who-were-kidnapped-in-haiti-escaped-from-their-abductors-aid-group-?source=Snapzu

The US could reliably run on clean energy by 2050

The Biden administration has pledged to create a carbon-free energy sector by 2035, but because renewable resources generate only around 19 percent of US electricity as of 2020, climate experts warn that our transition to a green grid future needs to speed up. A group of researchers at Stanford led by Mark Jacobson, professor of civil and environmental engineering, has set out to prove that a 100 percent renewable energy grid by 2050 is not only feasible but can be done without any blackouts and at a lower cost than the existing grid.
Read more: https://www.popsci.com/science/clean-grid-renewable-energy-goals/?source=Snapzu

Springboard: the secret history of the first real smartphone

A decade before Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, a tiny team of renegades imagined and tried to build the modern smartphone. Nearly forgotten by history, a little startup called Handspring tried to make the future before it was ready. This is the story of the Treo.
Read more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9_Vh9h3Ohw?source=Snapzu

Baby driver: Philadelphia woman gives birth in front seat of Tesla on autopilot

A Philadelphia mother has given birth to what is believed to be the world’s first Tesla baby: an infant delivered in the front seat of an electric smart car while it was driving on autopilot. The remarkable delivery, reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, took place in September while Yiran Sherry, 33, and her husband Keating Sherry, 34, were taking their three-year-old son Rafa to pre-school.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/dec/19/tesla-baby-philadelphia-autopilot?source=Snapzu

Looney Tunes Will Never Die and That’s All, Folks! | The Walrus

How Bugs Bunny and his pals managed to become a TV success impervious to time and changing standards
Read more: https://thewalrus.ca/looney-tunes-will-never-die-and-thats-all-folks/?source=Snapzu

No lockdown before Christmas, Germany says

Germany's health minister Karl Lauterbach ruled out a Christmas lockdown on Sunday but warned a fifth COVID-19 wave could no longer be stopped and backed mandatory vaccination as the only way to stop the pandemic.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/no-lockdown-before-christmas-germany-says-2021-12-19/?source=Snapzu

The White House wants a robust electric vehicle charging network. Here's the plan

For electric vehicle owners who long for the freedom of the open road, range anxiety has been a constant source of concern. The Biden administration hopes to change that, announcing this week a multi-billion-dollar plan to beef up the nation's electric vehicle charging system — a step experts say is vital to reducing America's carbon footprint and improving the accessibility and practicality of nontraditional vehicles.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2021/12/18/1065331379/electric-cars-charging-network-white-house-harris?source=Snapzu

America's richest pastor avoids $150,000 in annual taxes on a $7 million Texas mansion that he said God told him to build, report says

Kenneth Copeland built a giant mansion in 1999, then used a loophole in Texas law for "parsonages" to exempt it from property taxes.
Read more: https://www.insider.com/texas-pastor-worth-750m-avoided-150k-taxes-on-mansion-report-2021-12?source=Snapzu

Elon Musk slams California's $8 per kW monthly utility charge plan for solar owners

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has slammed California’s plan for homeowners who use solar panels in their homes. The proposal calls for a discounted rate for excess power sold into the grid, as well as a monthly utility charge of $8 per kW to cover the cost of maintaining the state’s power infrastructure. Musk noted that the idea, which essentially penalizes sustainable energy, is “insane.”
Read more: https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-slams-ca-anti-solar-tax/?source=Snapzu

JPMorgan hit with $200 million in fines for letting employees use WhatsApp to evade regulators' reach

JPMorgan Chase is paying $200 million in fines to two U.S. banking regulators to settle charges that its Wall Street division allowed employees to use WhatsApp and other platforms to circumvent federal record-keeping laws. The Securities and Exchange Commission said Friday that JPMorgan Securities agreed to pay $125 million after admitting to “widespread” record-keeping failures in recent years. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission also said Friday that it had fined the bank $75 million for allowing unapproved communications since at least 2015.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/17/jpmorgan-agrees-to-125-million-fine-for-letting-employees-use-whatsapp-to-evade-regulators.html??source=Snapzu

Betty White is turning 100 and is inviting friends to celebrate with her from their local theater

Betty White's 100th birthday is coming soon and she's inviting fans to celebrate with her in theaters.\u00a0The film will highlight moments in her career.
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/12/17/betty-whites-100-years-young-birthday-film/8941063002/?source=Snapzu

Under scrutiny, North Korea tries to restrict news about executions - group

North Korea has changed the way it carries out capital punishment in response to greater international scrutiny of its human rights, holding executions away from prying eyes to stop information filtering out, a rights group said on Wednesday.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/under-scrutiny-north-korea-tries-restrict-news-about-executions-group-2021-12-15?source=Snapzu

AI argues for and against itself in Oxford Union debate

The artificial intelligence was given access to the whole of Wikipedia and news articles in preparation.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59687236?source=Snapzu

After months-long battle, Apple takes the due date off its return-to-office plans

Rising virus cases and the new variant were the cited reasons.
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/12/after-months-long-battle-apple-takes-the-due-date-off-its-return-to-office-plans/?source=Snapzu

U.S. judge tosses $4.5 bln deal shielding Sacklers from opioid lawsuits

A federal judge overturned a roughly $4.5 billion settlement that legally shielded members of the Sackler family who stand accused of helping fuel the opioid epidemic in the United States, a decision that threatened to upend the bankruptcy reorganization of their company, OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/judge-tosses-deal-shielding-purdues-sackler-family-opioid-claims-2021-12-17/?source=Snapzu

Amazon disputes study claiming it caused 29 per cent spike in ocean plastic

'A delivery van's worth of plastic dumped into major rivers, lakes and oceans every 67 minutes'
Read more: https://nationalpost.com/news/world/amazon-disputes-study-claiming-it-caused-29-per-cent-spike-in-ocean-plastic/wcm/e55453d5-8a47-4aaf-b47c-f195d31993e5/amp/?source=Snapzu

NY Man Pleads Guilty in $20 Million SIM Swap Theft

A 24-year-old New York man who bragged about helping to steal more than $20 million worth of cryptocurrency from a technology executive has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Nicholas Truglia was part of a group alleged to…
Read more: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/12/ny-man-pleads-guilty-in-20-million-sim-swap-theft/?source=Snapzu

10 years of Kim Jong Un: Where will North Korea be 10 years from now?

Experts vote on a range of potential scenarios, from crisis and ongoing COVID-19 isolation to economic growth and more. Kim Jong Un has undoubtedly had some real policy-making successes in his first decade of power, but also some catastrophic blunders.
Read more: https://www.nknews.org/2021/12/10-years-of-kim-jong-un-where-will-north-korea-be-10-years-from-now/?source=Snapzu

San Francisco Mayor London Breed announces plan to go after 'bulls*** that has destroyed our city'

After months of viral videos showing deteriorating conditions on the streets of San Francisco, including smash-and-grab robberies and open-air drug use, the city’s mayor has moved to implement a new public safety approach to curb criminal behavior. Her move could signal a recognition by the Democratic establishment that crime may prove a potent issue in upcoming elections.
Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/san-francisco-mayor-london-breed-announces-plan-to-go-after-bulls-that-has-destroyed-our-city-223520956.html?source=Snapzu

Man Lifts His Sleeping Ex-Girlfriend’s Eyelids to Unlock Her Phone, Stealing $24,000

A Chinese man has been jailed for lifting her sleeping ex-girlfriend’s eyelids to unlock her phone, so he could steal money from her digital wallet. The man in the southern city of Nanning, surnamed Huang, was recently sentenced to 3.6 years in prison and fined 20,000 ($3,100) for stealing about 154,000 Chinese yuan ($24,200) from his ex-girlfriend’s mobile payment account, according to Nanning Evening News.
Read more: https://www.vice.com/en/article/epxzja/facial-recognition-theft-alipay-china?source=Snapzu

Brain surgeons and rocket scientists no brighter than the rest of us, study finds

Data from 329 aerospace engineers and 72 neurosurgeons suggests they are not necessarily cleverer than general population
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/13/brain-surgeon-or-rocket-scientist-study-tries-to-find-out-who-is-smarter?source=Snapzu

Britney Spears Slams Diane Sawyer for 2003 Interview

Britney Spears on Monday publicly lambasted journalist Diane Sawyer for the interview they did in 2003. “Seriously though… I lived in my apartment for a year and never spoke to anyone… my manager put that woman in my home and made me talk to her on national television and she asked if I had a shopping problem!!! when did I have a shopping problem?” Spears wrote in a lengthy Instagram post that has since been deleted.
Read more: https://www.thewrap.com/britney-spears-diane-sawyer-instagram/?source=Snapzu

Kentucky tornadoes: Death toll likely to pass 100, governor says

The death toll from powerful tornadoes that devastated towns in Kentucky is likely to pass 100, the governor says, as hope of finding survivors wanes. Andy Beshear said this was the most devastating tornado event in the state's history, with at least 80 confirmed deaths.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59632403?source=Snapzu