What We’re Following
The decade since Uber was founded has seen more than 100 companies marketing themselves as Uber-for-something—from dog walking to weed delivery. This spate of on-demand companies have in total raised a staggering $7.4 billion or so in venture-capital investment, all with the aim of making life for Americans ever-so-slightly more convenient than before. They’re not the only ones working hard at micro-conveniences: Amazon, for example, wants to infiltrate homes with its line of voice-activated products such as microwaves and wall clocks, none of which seem to solve any major problems consumers actually have. And these gizmos often have a downside: They rack up loads of data on consumers, raising serious concerns about privacy.
One of the tobacco industry’s staunchest government opponents is leaving. Scott Gottlieb is resigning as head of the Food and Drug Administration next month, and his departure could be felt keenly by one particular cohort of Americans: teens. Unlike other Trump Cabinet members who have gone on a regulation-cutting spree, Gottlieb has taken high-profile steps to clamp down on e-cigarettes and vape products, which have exploded in popularity across high schools. Concerned that vaping can be a gateway to more harmful types of tobacco use, the FDA released guidelines on taking these products out of brick-and-mortar stores. However, that Gottlieb is calling it quits has some concerned that his yet-to-be-named successor could roll back regulations.
+ Another dilemma: Can the FDA dissuade teens from vaping, while also allowing longtime smokers to switch to it as a potentially less harmful alternative?
R. Kelly responded to allegations of sexual abuse by lashing out on camera. The rapper was charged recently with 10 counts of sexual abuse, shortly following the release of a documentary that chronicled the stories of young women whom he allegedly kept as sex slaves. In his first public interview since the charges, R. Kelly responded in a fit of rage, raising his voice and contesting his innocence as he teared up and seemed to have a tantrum. While Kelly was ostensibly in conversation with CBS’s Gayle King, at various points he seemed to talk past her in order to deliver a soliloquy directed at viewers at home.
Evening Reads
John Bolton, Donald Trump’s abrasive national security adviser, is a Washington stalwart who has found himself in the murky waters of a situation he’s never yet experienced: the role of moderating influence.
“He is now the most important figure in American national security, and because his position requires no Senate confirmation, he answers to no one but Trump. With the departure of James Mattis as secretary of defense early this year, Bolton is, incredibly, the only senior security official close to Trump who has seen how a normal White House works. (He has served in every Republican administration since 1981. Most Trump appointees have never served any other president.)”
*
Last fall, a painting in the style of 19th-century European portraiture sold for an eye-popping $432,500. It wasn’t the work of a star painter, but rather a computer algorithm:
“The 20th-century avant garde turned anything whatsoever into art, an idea that overtook popular culture in the 21st. Now anyone can claim to be a ‘creator’ of any kind, and can earn some legitimacy for that claim on YouTube, or Instagram, or DeviantArt, or whatever. Today, computer-science and venture-backed start-ups are driving cultural production instead. And yet, of all the aesthetic forms, fine art might be the most compatible with technological disruption—both thrive on novelty, even if it burns hot and fast.”
Snapshot
(Leo Correa / AP)
Millions in Brazil took part in Carnival celebrations, with their never-ending parades of extravagant floats and costumes, and block parties filled with dancing, drinking, and other revelry. (Just as they entered their final hours, the beloved festivities came under fire from the country’s new far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.) See the scenes from the 2019 Carnival, curated by our photo editor Alan Taylor.
Looking for our daily mini crossword? Try your hand at it here.
Concerns, comments, questions, typos? Email newsletters editor Shan Wang at swang@theatlantic.com
Did you get this newsletter from a friend? Sign yourself up. We have other other free email newsletters on a variety of other topics, and at different frequencies. Find the full list here.
No comments:
Post a Comment