The Weekly Whatever: They Fixed The Server After We Broke It Edition
Quote of the week
“Half our customers are drunk and vaping like mo-fos, who the fuck is going to notice the quality of our pods?”
— former Juul exec, explaining why they shipped at least a million contaminated pods.
Woodpecker engineering
- Two third of iOS apps disable app transport security so that they can use unsecured HTTP connections.
Wait, what?
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New Australian porn filter may implement facial recognition.
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Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has a plan: Ignore labor & the environment, hike drug prices, and give Trump a win on a renegotiated NAFTA.
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Man who tried to fly drone into Perth Prison claimed Romanian circus stole his chihuahua.
Dystopia technologica
- Healthcare algorithm offers less care to black patients.
For science!
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A years-long MIT Media Lab “Food Computer” project never worked properly and dumped illegal quantities of pollutants in Massachusetts’ water supply. Demonstrations were faked by buying produce locally and putting it in the “Food Computer”.
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Scientists build zombie fungus cannon.
Threat Level Orange
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After he was put in charge of Internet security by Trump, Giuliani had to go to the Apple store for assistance because he had forgotten his phone’s PIN ten times and locked himself out.
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Farm bankruptcies surge 24% thanks to Trump’s tariffs; 40% of farm income this year is insurance and subsidies.
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Trade war boosted steel company stocks, but didn’t boost employment.
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Border agents can now deny entry based on classified information. Obviously you can’t see the information used to deny you entry to challenge it, because it’s classified.
Well, fancy that!
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Head of the NHS says there are serious scientific concerns regarding homeopathy.
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Russian government is unhappy about Twitter banning political ads.
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Keystone pipeline spews 350,000 gallons of oil across North Dakota.
We’re fucked
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Both scientists and economists have consistently underestimated the likely impact of climate change.
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Rising seas will affect 3x as many people by 2050 as previously thought. Say goodbye to Vietnam. (Link to paper.)
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Pentagon report says US military could collapse within 20 years due to effects of climate change.
Sick, sad world
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Louis CK starts comeback tour.
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Republican Mormon politician charged with human trafficking.
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Resident of halfway house orders Uranium via mail order.
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Gender reveal party leads to death from home-made pipe bomb. Next day, a gender reveal explosion is felt over 2 miles away.
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Missouri has been tracking the menstrual cycles of Planned Parenthood patients.
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Man sues Twitter for $1 billion claiming that their suspending his account has violated his right to worship President Trump.
Not The Onion
- UK to melt down the commemorative coins minted to celebrate Brexit.
Late stage capitalism
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Hitman outsourced a murder to hitman, who hired hitman, who hired hitman, who hired hitman.
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PG&E selling emergency generators to people whose power they have cut off.
This should end well
Schadenfreude Saturday
- Trump supporting coal company seeks bankruptcy protection.