Author: Gist It

  • ‘Los Angeles Times’ to lay off 13% of newsroom

    The Los Angeles Times plans to lay off about 13% of its newsroom staff, a significant reduction in the workforce. Context: This first major round of job cuts since the acquisition of the paper in 2018 by billionaire entrepreneur Patrick Soon-Shiong, who had aimed to protect the L.A. Times from a series of cutbacks like […]

  • Soccer shocker: Lionel Messi says he will join Miami’s MLS team

    Lionel Messi announces his decision to join Inter Miami and Major League Soccer, in a surprising move. The big picture: Messi’s decision to join Miami’s MLS team after months of speculation is a huge boost for American soccer on the pro stage. * He had previously been expected to choose Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia or […]

  • ‘What the duck’ no more: Apple will stop autocorrecting your favorite swear word

    Apple’s upcoming iOS 17 will no longer autocorrect swear words using its new machine learning technology. Driving the news: Announced at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, the newly upgraded system is powered by a transformer language model for better word prediction. * The AI model more accurately predicts words and phrases which users might type […]

  • Moms for Liberty among conservative groups named ‘extremist’ by civil rights watchdog

    Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has labeled Moms for Liberty and other “parental rights” groups as extremist entities. The SPLC report: The civil rights organization’s annual Year in Hate & Extremism report highlights Moms for Liberty and similar groups as pushing an anti-student inclusion agenda. * SPLC compares these modern organizations to pro-segregationist parent groups […]

  • A haze is blanketing major swaths of the East Coast because of the Canadian wildfires

    Haze from Canadian wildfires blankets major areas of the US East Coast, resulting in poor air quality and health warnings. Situation overview: Smoke from rampant wildfires in Canada has drifted south, affecting air quality in the Great Lakes region, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. * Authorities are warning residents, especially those with […]

  • Former aide to President Trump testifies before a grand jury in Florida

    Taylor Budowich, a former Trump aide, testified before a Miami grand jury in the ongoing probe into the handling of classified documents after Trump left office. The big question: The grand jury is part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation, and it remains unclear why it was convened in Florida instead of Washington D.C. * […]

  • Pope Francis is getting a hernia-related surgery in Rome

    Pope Francis is undergoing hernia-related surgery at A. Gemelli University Hospital in Rome and is expected to remain in the hospital for several days. The procedure: The Pope will undergo “a laparotomy and abdominal wall surgery under general anesthesia,” according to Vatican News. * The surgery decision came after Pope Francis complained of abdominal pain […]

  • Prison sexual assault victims can now petition for compassionate release

    Sexual assault victims in prison can now petition for compassionate release, a recent change that has freed Aimee Chavira and may help others in similar situations. Key change: In April, the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted to expand the bases for compassionate release to include sexual and physical assault by prison workers. * Typically, compassionate release […]

  • The far right’s growing influence and 4 other takeaways from NPR’s ERIC investigation

    NPR investigation reveals the growing influence of the far right and their efforts to dismantle the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). Starting point: The far-right website Gateway Pundit initiated discussions on ERIC in January 2022, which led to a campaign against the voter fraud prevention tool. * A week later, Louisiana became the first state […]

  • To keep immigrants from fleeing, Florida GOP focus on immigration law loopholes

    Florida Republicans aim to curb potential mass exodus of immigrants due to the state’s new anti-immigration law by emphasizing its “loopholes.” The backstory: State Senate Bill 1718 goes into effect on July 1, and some GOP officials, including Rep. Rick Roth, admit they were unprepared for the destabilization it would cause among immigrant communities. * […]