1. Judge to Amazon – what’d you think spycams were for?
Amazon’s in hot water and maybe on the hook over a spycam disguised as a towel hook. A Brazilian woman’s suing because the camera sold on its platform was used to spy on her in the bathroom for months. At the time she was a minor living in West Virginia. Amazon sought dismissal, arguing it’s not responsible for how products sold on its platform are used. After nearly eight months deliberating, the judge told Amazon to hang up that notion. With Amazon-approved product descriptions suggesting consumers use the camera to secretly record people in the bathroom, it can’t claim shock when people actually do it.
Why Amazon could take a bath here…
2. Trust fund billionaires, so hot right now
Millionaire trust funders are so last century. It’s about billionaires now. UBS just released a report that tracks the world’s freshest B-class. Among 2022’s newly minted billionaires – 84 got to the top 1% of the 1% by starting their own company and are worth a combined $140.7B. Not bad, but that’s substantially less than the $151B inherited by 53 real-life Roys. UBS says this marks the first time since they started tracking it that new Bs acquired greater wealth through wills rather than entrepreneurial will. Aging billionaires are expected to pass down $5.2T over the next 30 years. Experts say this Gilded Age comeback has spawned a golden age for estate planning. Note to self: rethink marketing/communications career.
3. Switchblade ban challenge baffles Mass Judges
When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way. So, does the right to bear arms mean switchblades are OK? That question’s perplexing the Massachusetts Supreme Court. Citing last year’s landmark SCOTUS ruling, a man charged with violating the state’s switchblade ban claims it infringes on his right to bear arms in la la la America. Supremes insisted regulators must prove any weapons ban jives with the nation’s historical understanding of firearm regulation. The defendant argues knives have historically been “arms” since the Stone Age, Wild West, and yes, West Side Story, so the Second Amendment includes them. Besides, when spit hits the fan and a dance fight breaks out, you need a blade.
4. Thirst trap – Bitcoin mining used more H2O than NYC
You think golf courses suck up water. They’ve got nothing on Bitcoin mining. The latest data show operations use billions of gallons of water globally each year. Compare that to New York City, where residents consumed 403B gallons in 2022 – about 200B less than Bitcoin’s projected to use next year. Digital harvesting requires massive amounts of electricity and water and experts say it’s a rising concern, especially in areas lacking fresh water. Bitcoin reps say there’s no need for cryptohysteria. Most water used is recycled or returned to the environment. But environmentalists say that dogecoin don’t hunt – mining’s still using vast amounts of fossil-fuel generated electricity.
5. 100 Percent not surprised: Cats linked to schizophrenia
Everyone’s long known cats try to steal adults’ souls and the breaths of babies, but scientists Down Under claim they’ve uncovered another potential danger. They say a new review of 17 studies from 11 countries suggests people exposed to cats before the age of 25 have a greater chance of developing schizophrenia. Meowsa. Researchers conclude it’s likely because cats carry a parasite that can enter the body through a bite and impact neurotransmitters in the brain. But some critics aren’t feline the review’s conclusion, saying researchers didn’t purrfectly account for other potentially contributing factors – like social and economic background and family history. Still, we advise you to get a dog.
