Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. The CEO of big tech company Meta will testify today in a closely watched civil trial against the social media platforms Instagram and YouTube. CEO Mark Zuckerberg will take the stand in Los Angeles.
Chapter 2: What are the key details about Mark Zuckerberg's testimony in the civil trial?
The companies are accused of creating products that addict young people. NPR's Bobby Allen reports the companies say they're protected by a federal law.
Social media companies have used a legal shield known as Section 230 to avoid all sorts of legal consequences of what people post to their sites. It's been described as an impenetrable fortress for Silicon Valley. But in recent years, plaintiffs' lawyers have gotten pretty creative, and they are now suing tech companies under product liability law to say... You know what?
These platforms are essentially defective products like a defective car or a defective toaster, and that Meta and Google, the equivalent of a manufacturer, should be held liable.
NPR's Bobby Allen reporting. The Pentagon is sharing fresh evidence for what it claims was a secret Chinese nuclear test. NPR's Jeff Brumfield has more on the alleged test that took place six years ago.
On June 22nd of 2020, a remote seismic station in Kazakhstan detected a tiny earthquake, except the U.S. says it wasn't an earthquake at all. Christopher Yaw is an arms control official at the State Department. He says the data look clear. It is quite consistent with what you would expect from a nuclear explosive test. Yaw shared the details during a talk at the Hudson Institute, a D.C.
think tank. Not everyone agrees. Ben Dando is a seismologist with NORSAR, an independent monitoring group. He says the data are inconclusive. We can't really confirm or deny whether a nuclear test took place at this point. China is currently undergoing a massive expansion of its nuclear arsenal.
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Chapter 3: How does Section 230 provide legal protection for social media companies?
The Pentagon believes it could have 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. Jeff Brumfield, NPR News.
The U.S. is becoming more renter-friendly. That's according to a report from Realtor.com on January's rental market. Asking rents are down from a year ago and vacancy rates are up. NPR's Stephen Bissaha reports more renters have bargaining power.
There are some exceptions where landlords have more power. Coastal cities like Boston, New York City, and San Jose still have few vacancies. But empty apartments across most of the country are pushing rents down. In the 50 largest metros, the median asking rent in January was a bit under $1,700, down 1.5% from a year earlier. Overall, vacancies were at 7.6% across those metros.
A big reason for dropping rents and vacancies are new apartments being built, especially in the Sunbelt. But the National Association of Realtors is expecting apartment construction to slow down this year, in part because of those vacancies. Stephen Passaha, NPR News.
On Wall Street and pre-market trading, Dow futures are higher. This is NPR. American skier Michaela Schifrin has won a gold medal today in the women's slalom. This is her first Olympic medal since 2018. She's also an eight-time world champion. Steve Futterman has more from Milan.
Olympic medal drought comes to an end in her best event, the women's slalom. Schifrin led after the first run by more than eight tenths of a second. When she completed her second run, she remained on top. After she crossed the finish line, she looked to the video board. When she saw her name on top, there was a huge smile on her face. She pumped her arm in the air.
Schifrin last won an Olympic medal in 2018 in Pyeongchang. It had been a struggle since. At the age of 30, it is possible this could be her final Olympic event. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Milan.
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Chapter 4: What evidence is the Pentagon presenting regarding the alleged Chinese nuclear test?
This is the start of Ramadan for Muslims around the world. The holy month is observed with prayer, fasting, and good works for others. The religious month concludes on March 18th and 19th with the Feast of Eid al-Fitr. This is the first day of Lent, and it coincides with the start of Ramadan. The Christian religious observance begins with Ash Wednesday today.
Lent is a period of reflection observed in the weeks leading up to Easter. Powerful winds created deadly conditions yesterday in Colorado. Authorities say at least four motorists were killed in a pileup on an interstate south of the city of Pueblo. There was so much blowing dirt that drivers couldn't see. More than 30 vehicles were involved in what officials are calling a brownout.
I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.