February 2024 - Page 3 of 13

What to Know About the Supreme Court Case on Free Speech on Social Media

Feb

What to Know About the Supreme Court Case on Free Speech on Social Media

Social media companies are bracing for Supreme Court arguments on Monday that could fundamentally alter the way they police their sites.After Facebook, Twitter and YouTube barred President Donald J. Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the Capitol, Florida made it illegal for technology companies to ban from their sites a candidate for office in the state. Texas later passed its own law prohibiting platforms from taking down political content.Two tech industry groups, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, sued to block the laws from taking effect. They argued that the companies have the…

Feb

By Kyle C. Garrison

Investments and Business

Can a Tech Giant Be Woke?

The December day in 2021 that set off a revolution across the videogame industry appeared to start innocuously enough. Managers at a Wisconsin studio called Raven began meeting one by one with quality assurance testers, who vet video games for bugs, to announce that the company was overhauling their department. Going forward, managers said, the lucky testers would be permanent employees, not temps. They would earn an extra $1.50 an hour.It was only later in the morning, a Friday, that the catch became apparent: One-third of the studio’s roughly 35 testers were being let go as part of the overhaul.…

Few Good Solutions as Home Affordability Plummets

Feb

By Kyle C. Garrison

Politics

Few Good Solutions as Home Affordability Plummets

Charles St-Arnaud, the chief economist at Alberta Central, the central bank for the province’s credit unions, started out his inquiry with a simple question: How far would prices need to fall, or would incomes need to rise, to make housing affordable again in Canada?The answer for most cities in Canada is “too much.”Mr. St-Arnaud’s research, published this month, presents a major obstacle to efforts to make housing in Canada more affordable. It suggests that the proposals being offered by many politicians — building more houses to lower prices by increasing supply — are unlikely to make a big difference.By most…

I’m a Retired Neurologist. Should I Tell Someone I Think She Has Parkinson’s?

Feb

By Kyle C. Garrison

Politics

I’m a Retired Neurologist. Should I Tell Someone I Think She Has Parkinson’s?

The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on whether it’s appropriate to offer an unsolicited medical diagnosis. More information

Dani Alves – from 43 trophies to four years in prison

Feb

By Kyle C. Garrison

Politics

Dani Alves – from 43 trophies to four years in prison

Dani Alves, who was this morning sentenced to four and a half years in prison in Spain after being found guilty of sexual assault, was, until very recently, one of global football’s golden boys.An exuberant, technical right-back, he was a major part of the Barcelona team that set new standards in the European game between 2008 and 2016. He played 126 times for Brazil and won 43 titles across his 22-year playing career — an astonishing number that makes him the second-most decorated footballer in history. Only Lionel Messi, his former team-mate at the Camp Nou, has more trophies to…

A Marketplace of Girl Influencers Managed by Moms and Stalked by Men

Feb

By Kyle C. Garrison

Science and Technology

A Marketplace of Girl Influencers Managed by Moms and Stalked by Men

The ominous messages began arriving in Elissa’s inbox early last year.“You sell pics of your underage daughter to pedophiles,” read one. “You’re such a naughty sick mom, you’re just as sick as us pedophiles,” read another. “I will make your life hell for you and your daughter.”Elissa has been running her daughter’s Instagram account since 2020, when the girl was 11 and too young to have her own. Photos show a bright, bubbly girl modeling evening dresses, high-end workout gear and dance leotards. She has more than 100,000 followers, some so enthusiastic about her posts that they pay $9.99 a…

Major Embryo Shipping Company Halts Business in Alabama

Feb

By Kyle C. Garrison

Investments and Business

Major Embryo Shipping Company Halts Business in Alabama

Cryoport, a major embryo shipping company, said on Friday that it was “pausing” its business in Alabama as it evaluated the state’s Supreme Court decision that declared frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilization to be children.“Until the company has further clarity on the decision and what it means for Cryoport, clinics and intended parents, it is pausing all activity in Alabama until further notice,” read an email received by an Alabama fertility clinic and shared with The New York Times.The email said that Cryoport would “not be able to assist” with a scheduled shipment, and instead would offer a…