Original Coverage & Source Attribution: whowhatwhy.org
PICKS are stories from many sources, selected by our editors or recommended by our readers because they are important, surprising, troubling, enlightening, inspiring, or amusing. They appear on our site and in our daily newsletter. Please send suggested articles, videos, podcasts, etc. to picks@whowhatwhy.org.
|
Listen To This Story |
California Settles 23andMe Data Breach Claims for $6 Million (Maria)
The author writes, “California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday announced the state will receive a $6M settlement payment in 23andMe’s bankruptcy, resolving California’s legal claims related to a 2023 data breach that exposed 6.9 million customers’ genetic and personal information.”
Trump Gave $45,000 Holiday Gifts to Natalie Harp and Two Other White House Aides (Sean)
The author writes, “President Donald Trump gave sizable holiday gifts to four White House aides, according to new financial disclosures released by the administration. The gifts of $45,000 each to executive assistant Natalie Harp, communications adviser Margo Martin, and deputy director of Oval Office operations Chamberlain Harris as well as a $20,000 gift for director of Oval Office operations Walt Nauta were noted in the staffers’ annual financial disclosure forms that were published by the administration last week. Harp, Martin, and Harris make $150,000 annually and Nauta is paid $175,000 a year, according to the White House’s salary disclosure report to Congress.”
UN Warns of ‘Narrowing Window’ To Restore World’s Forests (Laura)
From The Guardian: “The world faces a ‘narrowing window’ to restore forests essential for food security and resistance to the climate emergency, a United Nations report has warned. More than 489m hectares of forests have been cleared since 1990, while an even greater area is degraded, the world body said in a call for governments to make forest restoration a national priority. The State of the World’s Forests report acknowledges recent steps forward in protection and tree planting around the globe but says action has not kept pace with commitments.”
Data Centers Have a New PR Plan: Your Kid’s Field Trip (Reader Jim)
From Wired: “The nonprofit 7×24 Exchange International wants to promote data centers, which they believe are ‘mission critical’ infrastructure. As part of this work, the group recommends a children’s story, ‘What is a Data Center?,’ which follows a honey badger named Honey who gets a guided tour of a data center from a worker named Oliver. Oliver explains that the job of data center employees is to make sure that the ‘functions supported by the data center’ are available to anybody, ‘no matter what time it is.’ … The story is part of a broader pattern across the data center industry. In addition to lobbying, job creation programs, tax breaks, companies and interest groups are trying something a bit more creative: winning over the youth.”
He’s the Most Influential Podcaster in Silicon Valley. He Thinks We’re Getting This Wrong (Gerry)
The author writes, “Dwarkesh Patel is one of the most important voices in the artificial intelligence world. Deeply embedded in San Francisco’s tech community, he has interviewed nearly every tech chief executive at length. This week’s guest host [of Interesting Times], Tyler Cowen, a professor of economics at George Mason University, sits down with Mr. Patel to discuss why researchers are resigning, whether AI could become conscious, and if he’ll ever get an AI girlfriend.”
World’s Oldest Shipwreck Found Off Coast of Turkey (Dana)
From CNN: “Archaeologists working off the coast of Turkey have found a shipwreck dating back around 4,700 years, making it the oldest in the world. A number of ancient storage vessels known as amphorae were recovered during excavations at the wreck, which was found at a depth of around 100 feet near Kekova Island off the coast of southern Turkey, according to a statement from the country’s culture ministry, published Wednesday. The amphorae date from 4,400-4,700 years ago and provide new information on maritime history, the daily lives of mariners and trade connections at the time.”
