Sep 23
Rather than continue to spill excessive pollutans into the atmosphere for all eternity, some major airlines are pursuing more environmentally friendly fuel.
Sep 23
Tesla Is Countersuing a Civil Rights Agency in the Company's Latest Racism Court Battle
Posted in: Today's Chili
Tesla filed a countersuit against the California Civil Rights Department (formerly the Department of Fair Employment and Housing) this week. The action comes in response to the state agency’s ongoing lawsuit against the automaker, which alleges that the company has operated a “racially segregated workplace,” at its…
Sep 23
After Getting Blocked in Iran, Signal Wants You to Help Bypass Nation's Restrictions
Posted in: Today's Chili
Want to help bring encrypted messaging to a despotic regime that treats women like shit? Well, now’s your chance.
Sep 23
Scientists may be able to turn a long-time germ foe into a cancer-fighting ally, new research this week suggests. In preliminary data from a Phase I trial, a genetically modified version of the herpes virus has shown promise in treating difficult-to-eradicate tumors, with one patient having experienced a complete…
Sep 23
Anyone who has been taking advantage of Amazon’s liberal return policy regarding e-books could soon be in for a shock. That’s because following discussions with the Authors Guild, Amazon has agreed to block automatic returns on digital books that are more than 10 percent read.
Currently, the problem for authors on Amazon is that customers can return e-books online anytime within seven days of purchase no matter how much content has been consumed. That means if you can you read a book in less than a week, you can simply return it when you’re done for free, resulting in a loss of profits for the author.
However, under the new policy which is scheduled to go into effect sometime before the end of the year, Amazon will begin blocking automatic returns on e-books that are more than 10 read, which will then need to be reviewed by a representative to ensure that the return is genuine. The Authors Guild says the goal is to create a deterrent for people who abuse Amazon’s current policy and to prevent people from treating Amazon’s e-book marketplace as an ersatz library.
Issues with Amazon’s e-book return policy date back more than a decade, but had recently come under fire again after lifehacks about the company’s guidelines began circulating online. And according to NPR, in some cases, abuse of the company’s return policy even resulted in some authors having negative earnings balances, which typically happened when customers returned an e-book after the creator had been paid out by Amazon.
Thankfully, after concerns were raised by both the Authors Guild and the Society of Authors in the UK earlier this year, it seems Amazon has finally decided to update its policy, with the Authors Guild posting a statement thanking the company for “taking good faith action” against returns abuse.
Sep 23
Nia Long Speaks Out After Fiancé Ime Udoka Suspended As Celtics Coach For Alleged Affair
Posted in: Today's ChiliLong has received an outpouring of love online — including an effusive statement of support from Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
Sep 23
Apple makes the case for a high-end iPhone 14 Pro Max that out-shines every other iPhone ever made, if only just enough to make this device worth its tag price.
Sep 23
Don’t Worry Darling has style. And we don’t just mean Harry Styles. It’s got an incredible look and feel about it. Impeccable production and costume design. Bright, beautiful cinematography. Memorable, impactful musical choices and a hypnotic, distinctive score. There’s no doubt that director Olivia Wilde has crafted…
Sep 23
Jury Rules Project Veritas Violated Wiretapping Laws and Fraudulently Misrepresented Themselves
Posted in: Today's Chili
Project Veritas, the conservative “investigative journalism” outlet known for shoving hidden cameras anywhere they can fit them, reportedly violated wiretapping laws.
Sep 23
Boeing to pay $200 million to settle charges over 'misleading' crash statements
Posted in: Today's ChiliBoeing has agreed to pay $200 million to settle charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission. The agency found that Boeing made “materially misleading public statements” related to crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft. The company’s former CEO Dennis Muilenburg will also pay $1 million to settle charges. The SEC alleged that Boeing and Muilenburg violated the antifraud provisions of federal securities laws. They neither admitted to nor denied the agency’s findings.
The SEC alleged that, after the first crash in October 2018, which caused the death of 189 people, Boeing and Muilenburg were aware that the anti-stall Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) posed an ongoing safety concern. However, the company told the public that the 737 Max was “as safe as any airplane that has ever flown the skies.”
After a second crash in March 2019, in which 157 people died, the company and Muilenburg claimed “there were no slips or gaps in the certification process with respect to MCAS, despite being aware of contrary information,” the SEC said in a statement. Following the crashes, all 737 Max planes were grounded for over 18 months.
“There are no words to describe the tragic loss of life brought about by these two airplane crashes,” SEC Chair Gary Gensler said. “In times of crisis and tragedy, it is especially important that public companies and executives provide full, fair and truthful disclosures to the markets. The Boeing Company and its former CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, failed in this most basic obligation. They misled investors by providing assurances about the safety of the 737 Max, despite knowing about serious safety concerns.”
The settlement “fully resolves the SEC’s previously disclosed inquiry into matters relating to the 737 Max accidents,” Boeing told CNN. “Today’s settlement is part of the company’s broader effort to responsibly resolve outstanding legal matters related to the 737 Max accidents in a manner that serves the best interests of our shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders.”
Boeing previously reached a $2.5 billion settlement with the Department of Justice to avoid criminal charges. Last year, a grand jury indicted Boeing’s former chief technical pilot, Mark A. Forkner, on fraud charges. Forkner, the only Boeing employee who has faced a criminal indictment in relation to the crashes, was accused of deceiving the FAA’s Aircraft Evaluation Group during evaluation and certification of the 737 Max. Following a four-day trial earlier this year, a jury found Forkner not guilty.
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