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A group of House Democrats are pushing Mark Zuckerberg on Metas recent policy changes, saying they are deeply concerned about the companys move to loosen its content moderation rules, end corporate diversity programs and ditch third-party fact checking. In a letter addressed to the Meta CEO, four members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee demanded details about the sweeping changes Zuckerberg announced last month. These policy changes, the timing of which gives the inescapable appearance of currying favor with the Trump Administration, are abhorrent, inconsistent, and dangerous, the lawmakers wrote. Meta so far hasnt provided many specifics about how it will implement its new policies, which were announced shortly before President Donald Trump took office. The letter asks Zuckerberg to describe how Trumps threats of retribution against you may have influenced the decision to end fact-checking on the platform. It also asks if the Facebook founder has had discussions with anyone representing the Trump Administration regarding the Federal Trade Commissions antitrust case against Meta. The letter further notes that Zuckerbergs recent statements seem to directly contradict previous remarks he made when the Oversight Board was first created. The Oversight Board, once touted as a beacon of accountability, is rendered toothless when Meta itself refuses to adhere to the principles of trust and safety, it says. Lawmakers also questioned Zuckerberg about his public statements that corporations need more "masculine energy calling it particularly strange in light of the fact that Metas long time Chief Legal Officer and its current Chief Financial Officer are both women and the three most important committees of your Board of Directors are chaired by women. Zuckerberg was given a February 21, 2025, deadline to respond. We dont have anything further to say beyond all weve already communicated over the last weeks, a Meta spokesperson told Engadget when asked about the letter.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/house-democrats-press-mark-zuckerberg-on-metas-policy-changes-235229672.html?src=rss
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Fusing a design icon, classical literature and modern technology, BIC Brazil found an ingenious way to showcase the iconic Cristal ballpoint's durability. To celebrate the pen's 75th anniversary, the French manufacturer used a robotic arm to transcribe the entirety of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet using just one Cristal. The arm wrote for 63 continuous hours and still had ink to spare.Based on the sole surviving manuscript in Shakespeare's handwriting, BIC's team used AI to analyze the script and create over 20 versions of the bard's scrawl before landing on an authentic representation. The resulting work, a 212-page book, was donated to the Real Gabinete Portugus de Leitura in Rio de Janeiro.By transcribing one of the world's most enduring love stories with its equally enduring pen, BIC makes a compelling case for the Cristal's legacy. Besides reminding viewers of how good blue ink looks on paper, the experiment explores the role of automation in creative processes particularly relevant as businesses navigate the balance between embracing advancements in AI and maintaining a human touch.
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Marketing and Advertising
The Trump administration has ordered states to stop a program to build fast EV chargers on highways throughout the country, according to a memo released by the Federal Highway Administration. The letter informs state transportation directors, who are in charge of instituting the program, that any plans approved by the Biden administration are now suspended until new guidance is issued. The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program was approved by Congress as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It was intended to fill gaps in Americas EV charging network and was supported by $5 billion in grants. President Trump has long decried the program and regularly lied about the specifics during the 2024 campaign. The infrastructure law authorized $5B over 5 years for NEVI, a program that funds states to build fast EV charging stations. Buttigieg & DOE ensured this program set high quality standards.So far, 50 stations (green) are now open & 903 (purple) are underway#HappyBirthdayPete pic.twitter.com/KlgXMkMYKN Nerdy Pursuit (@nerdypursuit) January 20, 2025 To that end, Trump would often suggest that the Biden administration spent $9 billion to build eight EV charging stations. Sometimes he would lower the figure to just eight chargers. In reality, 55 charging stations have been built so far, according to data provided by The Washington Post. Just over $2 billion has been allocated to states, and much of it hasnt been spent yet. The mandate, as outlined in the new memo, will fulfill the financial obligations of NEVI, so long as a state already has a finalized contract with a charging company. Any unfinished contracts will likely be put on indefinite hold. Can an organization like the FHA unilaterally put the kibosh on a program that was approved by Congress? The legality here is unclear, but Loren McDonald, chief analyst at the EV charging analytics firm Paren, said I dont believe FHWA has the authority to do this. Ryan Gallentine, managing director at the national business association Advanced Energy United, said that states are under no obligation to stop these projects based solely on this announcement. He went on to call on state leaders to continue executing this program until new guidance is finalized. This move is also expected to be challenged in court. Im assuming the lawsuits from states will start soon, and this will go to court and Congress, McDonald said. But the Trump administration will succeed in just causing havoc and slowing things down for a while. Trump has been chipping away at EV policies since his first day in office. He issued an executive order that eliminated Bidens target to transition half of the countrys vehicles to EVs by 2030. Its expected that he will soon go after the federal tax credit for electric vehicles. But wont this hurt Trumps bestie Elon Musk? Tesla, after all, was one of the largest recipients of those NEVI grants. Its worth remembering that this mandate doesnt rollback any contracts that have already been finalized. In other words, Musk is probably perfectly happy with the $31 million his company already snagged from the government. He has also long-approved of the proposed elimination of the federal tax credit, likely because it would harm competitors much more than Tesla.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/trump-administration-stops-nationwide-ev-charging-program-172002768.html?src=rss
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