R.F. Kuang’s new novel "Yellowface" presents her with yet another opportunity to confront her readers with a complex and sometimes uncomfortable mixture of racial issues and social satire. The book highlights a white author who strategically uses a dead Chinese author's children’s novel to boost her own career in a publishing industry dominated by whiteness and racial anxieties. Kuang, in her characteristic style, puts on a thought-provoking, humorous, and sometimes critical tone. The thrust of her argument is simple: the publishing industry is blighted by racism and lazy prejudices that all too often inhibit and frustrate the careers and contributions of talented people of colour. Publishing companies, authors, and editors need to sit up, take notice, and work together to address these crucial and overlapping issues of race and diversity. The book's publication has attracted a lot of industry attention, particularly among independent bookshops, which have made it their top “Indie Next” pick for June.
Elon Musk has repeated conspiracy theories that the gunman in a mass shooting in Allen, Texas, earlier this month was not a white supremacist, despite evidence to the contrary. Social media moderator Bellingcat, which detailed the shooter's Nazi tattoo, social media posts, and Right-Wing Death Squad patch, has stated that Musk is mistaken in his assertions. The executive's claims follow those of right-wing commentators who have attempted to blame mass shootings on left wing agitators or on government conspiracies.
A lawsuit has been presented in the United States against former US President Donald Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, claiming that he offered pardons for $2m in the final weeks of Trump's term as president. The allegations have come from former Giuliani employee Noelle Dunphy, who filed the lawsuit stating that Giuliani had asked her to find anyone willing to pay the fee. The lawsuit is a further development of a complaint filed in January asking for $3.1m in unpaid wages, punitive damages, and legal fees. However, this new suit has escalated the relevant serious allegations.
Deutsche Bank is to pay $75m to Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse victims in order to settle a case against the bank in New York. The settlement awaits approval from a federal judge and is intended to bring closure to a class-action suit in which the bank was accused of either ignoring or overlooking clear warning signals in Epstein's accounts which showed he was part of a sex trafficking ring. Lawyers for the victims of Epstein have previously sued JP Morgan, while the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands have also taken legal action against the bank.
The city of San Francisco is grappling with a severe urban crisis characterized by drug addiction, homelessness, and violence. San Francisco has the second-highest rate of drug deaths in the United States and has seen twice as many fatal overdoses as COVID-19 deaths since 2020. This deadly crisis is a result of fentanyl being flooded into US cities to meet the opioid demand that was created by overprescribing. The problems in San Francisco go beyond drugs; the city has a glaring wealth gap, one of the most significant in the US, with tech companies such as Apple, Nvidia, and Alphabet producing wealth, while almost a third of the city’s commercial estate lies vacant. This economic, social, and downward sprial seems increasingly irreversible, and San Francisco seems closer to the brink than ever.
The city’s political class has been accused of failing its citizens. Wealthy neighborhoods in the city have experienced vicious attacks, including the fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee and a home burglary that left former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a fractured skull, viewed as symbols of pervasive lawlessness. Urban Alchemy, a non-profit organization in charge of the city’s streets’ revitalization, has reversed 1,300 opioid overdoses in two years while being controversial. The organization has been accused of exploiting a loophole exempting charitable organizations from security training and background checks, and some of its employees have been shot at or injured on the job.
San Francisco’s wealth inequalities have created a social problem where Black people are ten times more likely to be homeless than white people. As overpriced housing and rent become scarcer, even tech workers see fewer reasons to live in San Francisco. Matkovic, a tech entrepreneur, blames the city’s drug crisis on drug availability and what he describes as an underlying unsafe element, which has now spread out beyond a few neighborhoods.
A Florida judge has ruled in favour of Tiger Woods after his former girlfriend Erica Herman attempted to have a non-disclosure agreement that she signed nullified. Herman had claimed Woods had no right to enforce the agreement as he was not facing harassment or assault allegations. Judge Elizabeth Metzger rejected the claims, saying they were "implausibly pled". Herman began dating the golfer in 2017 when she worked as a manager of his Jupiter, Florida restaurant.
Despite overwhelming support for same-sex marriages in Japan, the Shinto religion is reportedly slowing down progress. Many Japanese view the Shinto faith as a cultural practice, with many attending shrines in January to pray for good fortune, take part in traditional rites of passage or ask for blessings relating to romance or job prospects. But the Shinto Association of Spiritual Leadership has attempted to influence lawmakers on the issue of LGBTQ and transgender rights. It has reportedly distributed a pamphlet describing homosexuality as "an acquired mental disorder, an addiction" that could be remedied by "restorative therapy" and has been involved in campaigns against LGBTQ rights. Attempts to introduce the legalisation of same-sex marriages in Japan have proved largely unsuccessful in the face of the association's opposition.
Former US President Donald Trump has used his social media platform Truth Social to attack Florida governor Ron DeSantis, his biggest rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Trump posted stories from The New York Times and Newsweek to undermine DeSantis after two of the latter's endorsements lost in key races in Kentucky and Jacksonville on Tuesday evening. Trump said that "Ron's magic is GONE!" Trump also took "credit" for the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade, claiming that without his three nominees to the court, abortion bans would not be possible, and questioned DeSantis's six-week ban on abortions, claiming it was too harsh and was damaging his image among women voters.
Key attorney Timothy Paraltore, who was in charge of the legal team representing Trump in the investigation by Jack Smith, the special counsel of the Justice Department, into classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago estate, announced that he would be leaving the team. The investigation shows signs of nearing its conclusion. A Republican poll suggests that President Joe Biden would, if Donald Trump faces further criminal charges from the federal and state criminal investigations into his conduct, be vaulted to a massive lead over Trump.
While artificial intelligence (AI) raises some concerns over its impact on society, economists writing in the Financial Times argue that policymakers should be focusing on the distribution of the productivity gains AI could potentially bring. This issue concerns intellectual property rights, an issue which is predicated on who controls access to the technology. At one end of the spectrum there is a completely proprietary world, in which the most useful AI is the intellectual property of a monopolistic or oligopolistic company. At the other extreme, there is an open-source world where productivity gains would be earned by those who deploy the technology. Governments could legislate to increase transparency and access to such technologies.
Amy Silverstein, author of two books about her experiences as a two-time heart transplant recipient and advocate of better transplant care, has died at the age of 59. In a video posted two days before her death, Silverstein called on other transplant recipients to share their stories with the American Society of Transplantation. Her Twitter account reported that she passed away "peacefully in her sleep" on 5 May after suffering from cancer.
The UK Standards and Testing Agency has released the Key Stage 2 year 6 reading paper early, after parents and teachers complained about the level of difficulty. The tests, which measure maths and English skills in years 2 and 6, comprise six papers, usually marked in ten days. The SATS attempt to identify whether pupils have strengths or weaknesses. The government says the tests are developed independently, with questions tested by year six pupils and reviewed by education and inclusion experts. However, teachers grew concerned when highly proficient pupils struggled to answer questions on this year’s paper.
The Biden administration is reportedly hesitant to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, and has also refused to authorise Western allies training Ukrainian pilots on the aircraft. The decision is at odds with Europe's stance on the matter, with Rishi Sunak announcing the creation of an international coalition of countries that would aim to provide F-16s, and Belgium saying it would train Ukrainian pilots. Washington is concerned over the cost of the aircraft, along with the potential technology loss. The decision on supplying Ukraine with F-16s is up to the White House, with the UK saying the supply "was not a straightforward thing".
The Walt Disney Company has cancelled plans for a $1bn office complex in Florida, following a dispute with the Governor over a state law banning schools from advising students about alternative lifestyles. The resort, scheduled for construction in Orlando, was set to create 2,000 jobs. Earlier this month, Disney warned of the loss of billions of dollars from its projects in the region due to the worsening business conditions and political environment.
This article discusses the growing technology race in Asia and how advanced technologies such as AI, robotics, semiconductors, and space technology are critical to the future of U.S.-China competition. The author interviews Gregory C. Allen, the director of the Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies and a senior fellow in the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who has expertise and professional experience in AI, robotics, semiconductors, space technology, and national security. Allen's commentary highlights the importance of these new frontiers issues and their recent prominence in summit meetings between President Biden and his Korean and Japanese counterparts.
Senator Dianne Feinstein recently returned to work in Washington following severe health complications caused by her shingles diagnosis, which reportedly triggered inflammation of the brain and facial paralysis. The eight-term Democratic senator experienced visible effects from her condition upon her return, including difficulties with balance and vision, and missing some votes. Feinstein's return to work has been a relief to Democrats, who are known for benefiting from the senator's vote push priorities through despite narrow numbers. However, there have also been long-standing and repeated calls for her resignation over the years due to memory lapses in public appearances as well as cognitive decline.
Senator Dianne Feinstein suffered more complications from shingles than publicly disclosed, including encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, according to sources. The 89-year-old Democrat's long absence had deadlocked the Senate Judiciary Committee, slowing Democrats' push to approve many of President Biden's nominees. The senator returned in May, announcing that she would work a lighter schedule due to some side effects, including vision and balance impairments, but would still be involved in voting and attending committee meetings.
Twitter has accused Microsoft of violating an agreement over data usage, saying the company used Twitter's data without authorization. Alex Spiro, a lawyer for Twitter owner Elon Musk, alleged that the tech giant had shared data with government agencies without permission. Spiro wrote to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella asking the company to conduct an audit of its Twitter content use. A spokesperson for Microsoft confirmed that it had received questions from a law firm representing Twitter and would respond appropriately.
Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein has Ramsay Hunt syndrome and contracted encephalitis while recovering from the shingles virus, according to her office. Feinstein returned to the Senate in May after a two-month absence. Questions had been raised over her declining health, which included partial paralysis of her face and confusion. Ramsay Hunt syndrome can cause paralysis of part of the face and hearing loss while encephalitis inflames the brain and can result in personality changes and problems with sight and hearing. Feinstein has faced calls from some Democrats to resign after missing Senate votes during her absence.
Dianne Feinstein, a Democratic senator from California, has revealed that she is suffering from Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a complication that can extract part of the face of the Schingles virus and also contracted encephalitis while recovering from the virus earlier this year. Feinstein had not previously disclosed those medical details, though she said last week that she had suffered complications from the virus. The Senator returned after more than a two-month absence on May 10 following several weeks of declining health. Feinstein has faced questions for several years about her clearly declining health and her mental acuity.
Former US President Donald Trump’s 2024 election campaign sent out a fundraising email following the announcement that Disney had cancelled its $1bn plan to expand in Florida and relocate some 1,000 staff to the Orlando area due to “changing business conditions”. Trump’s email attacked Governor Ron DeSantis over the move, which followed accusations of political interference related to the Florida government’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. Disney is suing the governor who, in turn, is rallying a board to sue the company. The cancelled project had been expected to create 2,000 roles in Florida.
