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"We are going to do it, and we are ready," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said about the push back against Moscow's troops.
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Target's PAC donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to elect Republicans in last year's midterm elections.
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- Indian officials investigating the cause of Friday's deadly train crash said a signal failure could have been the cause. More than 280 people were killed and 900 others injured. Officials announced rescue operations have ended and the majority of the deceased remain unidentified.
- Chuck Todd announced Sunday he was stepping down as host of NBC's Meet the Press. He joined the program as moderator in 2014. Kristen Welker will replace him as moderator.
- President Joe Biden signed legislation to raise the debt ceiling, averting a default by just two days.
- Ella Irwin has resigned from her role as Twitter's head of trust and safety shortly after owner Elon Musk criticized the social media's handling of tweets regarding transgender treatment for children and teens.
- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned China against taking further action surrounding the island of Taiwan during a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, adding a war with Beijing would be "devastating."
- The first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 election cycle will take place on August 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Republican National Committee announced.
- LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign is criticizing the Pentagon for canceling a drag show initially scheduled to take place at a U.S. military base on June 1, the first day of Pride Month.
- In the ongoing war in Ukraine, Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukraine's minister of strategic industries, said Sunday he was in "disbelief" that nearly half of Kyiv's bomb shelters were either closed or ill-equipped for use. Ukraine also announced Sunday the advancement of forces closer to the town of Svatove in Luhansk region, a key city for Russian supply routes. Taking back the city would be a strategic victory for Ukraine. Meanwhile in Russia, pro-Kremlin TV host Olga Skabeeva warned Russians should "get used" to seeing attacks inside Russia.
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TL/DR: Chick-fil-A’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative has circulated online, which has led conservatives to call for boycotts.
Chick-fil-A is the latest company to receive an onslaught of conservative ire after its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative became more apparent online, with growing calls to boycott the fast food chain. The effort on the company's website, which includes "ensuring equal access" and "valuing differences," has consumers labeling it 'woke' and saying the inclusive initiative goes against the company's conservative Christian values.
DEI efforts are not uncommon; roughly 80% of U.S. employers have them, used as organizational frameworks to promote fair treatment of all individuals. DEI Vice President Erick McReynolds said the inclusive tenets are "crucial to fulfilling [their] corporate purpose." Chairman Dan Cathy faced massive backlash in 2012 when his views opposing gay marriage became public, sparking protests. Chick-fil-A ceased donations in 2020 to organizations who've been criticized over their views on homosexuality, though the company has never participated in LGBTQ marketing efforts, and its DEI page does not specifically mention LGBTQ people.
What happens now? Whether a massive Chick-fil-A boycott will occur is unclear, though a Twitter poll from political commentator Joey Mannarino showed out of more than 85,000 users, roughly 47.4% favored a potential boycotting move and 52.6% opposed. Joanna Schwartz, a marketing professor at Georgia College & State University, told Newsweek that a boycott would be "ironic" considering that many LGBTQ+ consumers already refuse to eat there because the company has famously donated to firms that have opposed marriage equality.
TL/DR: “In Illinois, we don’t hide from the truth,” Pritzker said. “We embrace it and lead with it. Banning books is a devastating attempt to erase our history and the authentic history of many.”
Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is expected to soon sign a bill that would make his state the first to prohibit book bans. The move is an attempt to turn the tables on widespread efforts by Republicans to censor library books in numerous states. Book bans have played a key role in GOP-led efforts to limit the public's exposure to conversations on gender identity or racism. Bans bans in public schools increased by 28% in the first half of the 2022-23 academic year, despite half of Republican voters opposing them.
Under the bill, the $62 million of state funding allocated to Illinois libraries each year will only be released to establishments that adopt the "American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights." It stipulates libraries "provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues" and prohibits the removal of books on political grounds.
What happens now? The bill is now awaiting Pritzker’s signature, if he signs as expected, it would take effect on January 1. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has stated that the legislation is a response to book bans in other states including Florida and Texas, claiming he was “blown away” by 67 attempts to ban books in Illinois in 2022, up from 41 the previous year.
TL/DR: "We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft... for customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey," Air New Zealand's load control improvement specialist Alastair James said.
Have you ever been asked to step on the scale before boarding a flight? Well, it's happening in New Zealand, yet again. The country's Civil Aviation Authority is asking its national airline, Air New Zealand, to weigh travelers departing on international flights from the Auckland International Airport. Why? The new procedure is part of a survey to determine the average passenger weight to help better balance load across the aircraft and improve future fuel efficiency.
The new boarding procedure isn't entirely new. Air New Zealand weighed passengers on its domestic flights during the pandemic (2021). "Now that international travel is back up and running, it's time for international flyers to weigh in," the airline said. Other countries have taken similar steps to gather passenger data. In 2017, Finland's Finnair started recording passenger weight to update its more than a decade-old database.
What happens now? Providing such data is bound to be a sensitive issue for some, so the airline said passenger’s weight would be anonymously recorded. “By weighing in, you'll be helping us fly safely and efficiently every time," James said, adding that recording the weight of everything that goes on the aircraft is a "regulatory requirement." Air New Zealand will ask more than 10,000 passengers traveling on international flights to take part in the survey. Participation is voluntary; the survey will take place at the gates of certain flights departing through July 2.
TL/DR: “We've been going through various technology revolutions since homo sapiens first walked upright," Brandie Nonnecke of the University of California, Berkeley, told Newsweek. "We'll adapt and evolve to this one, too. People will find new ways to do their jobs creatively, taking advantage of AI instead of being replaced by it."
The meteoric rise of A.I. has come with its fair share of legislative headaches and philosophical debates, with much discourse bogged down by gloomy presumption that we shall someday become second-class citizens to our robot overlords. But while plenty of these concerns are backed up by experts, many of them also believe A.I. has the capacity to change the way most people live and work for the better.
Many experts believe it's too soon to panic over A.I.'s potential for stealing jobs, and we should instead focus on its potential to help us. Research suggests A.I. is already skilled enough to exceed human doctors at catching cancers and other disorders. Elsewhere, Goldman Sachs estimated in March that A.I. will soon be capable of taking on 45% of legal work, while retailers and farms have already started using robots for manual labor, such as cleaning floors or harvesting crops. A.I. has the potential to facilitate enormous boosts in efficiency that enable organizations to offer better products at lower costs.
What happens now? If A.I. is harnessed in an efficient, responsible manner, companies will likely see a boost in revenues through an increase in customer satisfaction—though many experts agree that a government framework will be needed. Lawmakers will need to look to historical precedent to avoid the mistakes of the past; the National Bureau of Economic Research this year revealed that 50% to 70% of the growth of wealth inequality in the U.S. since 1980 can be attributed to a drop in wages for blue-collar workers replaced by automation.
TL/DR: Many herders work 24/7 to oversee hundreds of goats; implementing overtime pay could skyrocket monthly salaries, forcing some companies to close and putting property at risk.
New overtime rules for California goat herders could threaten a crucial and eco-friendly component to the state's wildfire prevention efforts. One herder typically oversees 400 goats that can clear some 1.5 acres of brush daily, including on hard-to-access terrain. The new overtime requirements set to begin next year are rooted in a 2016 law intended to protect farmworkers, but the increase could make the services too expensive. "That will price all of our sheep and goat herders and put them out of business in San Luis Obispo County," the county farm bureau's executive director told KSBY-TV.
Following years of devastating wildfires, the state sharpened its focus on fire prevention efforts, including goats to clear dry brush and create fire breaks around property. There is even more brush to clear this year following a record winter of rain and snow. Experts predict wildfires could burn 400,000 to 1 million acres this year across the Golden State.
What happens now? The new rules take effect in January; the California Farm Bureau estimates herders’ monthly wages will jump from about $3,700 to $14,000. “We fully support increasing wages for herders, but $14,000 a month is not realistic,” California Climate and Agriculture Network deputy policy director Brian Shobe told AP. It’s unclear what alternative may be used if the change forced goat herding companies to shut down.
TL/DR: When sucralose is broken down in the gut, it can “cause breaks in DNA with microscopically visible damage to chromosomes,” lead researcher Susan Schiffman told Newsweek. “This can cause inflammatory diseases… even cancer.”
Less calories, but more risks? A recent study from North Carolina State University is sounding the alarm on a popular artificial sweetener, warning against serious health concerns. Sucralose, marketed as Splenda, is a zero-calorie sweetener. The study shows a chemical found in sucralose may cause irritable bowel syndrome, inflammation, cancer and can damage DNA. "I would strongly advise against use of sucralose as a sweetener," the study's lead researcher Susan Schiffman said. A Splenda spokesperson pushed back against the study's findings, saying its sweetener is safe and does not contain the toxic chemical.
Sucralose is found in tens of thousands of sweets, beverages, even pharmaceutical products, and is actually 600 times sweeter than sugar, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The World Health Organization recently issued a warning against using fake sugar to control weight, saying long-term use could increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
What happens now? An International Sweetener Association spokesperson said sucralose has passed multiple safety studies, arguing it helps manage blood glucose levels and reduces the risk of dental cavities. However, more research is needed to understand how sucralose impacts the body. "It's time to revisit the safety and regulatory status of sucralose because the evidence is mounting that it carries significant risks,” Shiffman said.
Is Berberine Good Alternative to Ozempic for Weight Loss?
A dietary supplement has become the hottest new weight loss trend. It's been hailed by many as the "Ozempic of nature." But what does berberine do to the body, and can it actually help you lose weight?
Berberine is a naturally occurring, bright yellow compound found in the roots of certain plants, like goldenseal and barberry. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to cure a range of ailments, from curing hemorrhoids to treating indigestion.
However, the ancient herb has been gaining momentum on social media, with a significant spike in Google searches since March 2023. Now, #berberine has more than 61.4 million views on TikTok, and thousands of users have taken to the app to share their experiences.
The Full STORY- "Reaching an agreement despite heated political partisanship while reducing fiscal deficits modestly over the next two years are positive considerations. However, Fitch believes that repeated political standoffs around the debt-limit and last-minute suspensions before the x-date (when the Treasury's cash position and extraordinary measures are exhausted) lowers confidence in governance on fiscal and debt matters," Fitch Ratings said of its decision to keep its Rating Watch Negative on the U.S. even after Congress passed a debt limit deal.
- "Remember the families devastated by a crisis that claims innocent lives every day. The time to act is NOW," late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel said on Twitter in recognition of Gun Violence Awareness Day.
- "My hope is that all residents of Arkansas and the U.S. will be able to read freely, that all parents will be able to make the choices they believe best for their families and that those choices will not be limited by the desires of a few outspoken people who believe they know best for everyone," Arkansas Library Association President Carol Coffey told The Guardian about a lawsuit Coffey's organization filed against the state over its new book ban law.
- Republican 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley will participate in a CNN town hall event while in Iowa on Sunday. The event will be moderated by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. ET.
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