Category: 4-FrequentNewsStreams

A landmark lawsuit that accuses social media companies of intentionally designing their platforms to be addictive — and causing harm to children and teenagers' mental health — is in court this week in Los Angeles.

The defendants in this case are Meta and YouTube, both of which dispute the allegations. Snap and TikTok both settled in advance of the trial.

Some are calling this social media's "Big Tobacco" moment. Eric Goldman, co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, discusses this as well as a series of lawsuits against the social media giants.

For the first time in more than half a century, there are no limits on the world's two largest atomic arsenals. The sole remaining nuclear arms treaty in the world, known as New START, is expiring between the U.S. and Russia, and arms control advocates fear a new arms race. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

As the New START nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia expires, there is debate over whether the U.S. should extend the agreement or walk away. For two perspectives on that debate, Nick Schifrin speaks with Rose Gottemoeller, who was chief U.S. negotiator for the treaty during the Obama administration, and nuclear weapons and national security expert Frank Miller. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

“Retail theft” often conjures Hollywood-esque heist scenes or sleight of hand at self-checkout. But 2025 was likely the biggest year on record for another, less glamorous kind of shrinkage: cargo theft. In this episode, how goods stolen right out of a truck raise costs for producers, logistics firms, and yes, consumers. Plus: More data centers plan to build their own natural gas plants, private sector data shows labor market growth is slow but steadying, and Kai visits an award-winning chef in South Los Angeles.

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The U.S. withdrew from the World Health Organization in January, citing an alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, states like California and Illinois are taking matters into their own hands and joining the WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, or GOARN. In the Loop sits down with Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health; Ameya Pawar, president and CEO of Michael Reese Health Trust; and Dr. Emily Landon, infectious disease specialist at University of Chicago. We find out more about how joining this network will protect Illinois residents and how this keeps the state informed about potential public health threats. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

The Small Business Administration will no longer allow green card holders to apply for SBA loans. The new policy was announced on Monday and takes effect next month. This program doesn’t lend money directly to businesses; it provides loan guarantees to lenders, and the loans are usually cheaper than traditional borrowing. We learn more. Then, for older people, financial strain may be a warning sign of dementia — before doctors or families start noticing symptoms.

Is a degree in economics, long considered a path to stable employment, even worth it in the age of AI? Recent research suggests entry-level economics and business jobs may be especially exposed to automation. That could leave college students wondering if their degree will be outdated by the time they hit the job market. Today, we'll hear how students and schools are adapting. Plus, work requirement changes to SNAP benefits could impact millions of recipients.

From the BBC World Service: Shares in the Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk tumbled 17% on Wednesday after the weight-loss drug pioneer warned of a decline in sales this year amid increasing competition and pressure on prices. Then, the United States renewed an agreement that gives 32 African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market. And later, the prime minister of Spain says he intends to ban social media for children under 16.

You can get a pretty good workout plan from a chatbot, but the tech is also being incorporated into all kinds of existing fitness apps, from Apple's Workout Buddy, which motivates you through earbuds, to the Fitbit AI health coach, to Peloton's AI-enabled camera that tracks your form.

Nicole Nguyen, personal tech columnist at The Wall Street Journal, gave some of the most popular ones a spin. She spoke with “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino about her experience.

In our news wrap Tuesday, the U.S. military says it shot down an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea, more Palestinians gathered at the Rafah crossing on day two of its reopening, Russia renewed its attacks on Ukrainian energy targets, Trump said he's seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University, and Disney named Josh D'Amaro as its new CEO. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy