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Mark Zuckerberg Grilled On Usage Goals and Underage Users At California Trial

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Wall Street Journal: Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg faced a barrage of questions about his social-media company's efforts to secure ever more of its users' time and attention at a landmark trial in Los Angeles on Wednesday. In sworn testimony, Zuckerberg said Meta's growth targets reflect an aim to give users something useful, not addict them, and that the company doesn't seek to attract children as users. [...] Mark Lanier, a lawyer for the plaintiff, repeatedly asked Zuckerberg about internal company communications discussing targets for how much time users spend with Meta's products. Lanier showed an email from 2015 in which the CEO stated his goal for 2016 was to increase users' time spent by 12%. "We used to give teams goals on time spent and we don't do that anymore because I don't think that's the best way to do it," Zuckerberg said on the witness stand in sworn testimony.

Lanier also asked Zuckerberg about documents showing Meta employees were aware of children under 13 using Meta's apps. Zuckerberg said the company's policy was that children under 13 aren't allowed on the platform and that they are removed when identified. Lanier showed an internal Meta email from 2015 that estimated 4 million children under 13 were using Instagram. He estimated that figure would represent approximately 30% of all kids aged 10 to 12 in the U.S. In response to a question about his ownership stake in Meta, which amounts to roughly more than $200 billion, Zuckerberg said he has pledged to donate most of his money to charity. "The better that Meta does, the more money I will be able to invest in science research," he said.

[...] On the stand, Zuckerberg was also asked about his decision to continue to allow beauty filters on the apps after 18 experts said they were harmful to teenage girls. The company temporarily banned the filters on Instagram in 2019 and commissioned a panel of experts to review the feature. All 18 said they were damaging. Meta later lifted the ban but said it didn't create any filters of its own or recommend the filters to users on Instagram after that. "We shouldn't create that content ourselves and we shouldn't recommend it to people," Zuckerberg said. But at the same time, he continued, "I think oftentimes telling people that they can't express themselves like that is overbearing." He also argued that other experts had thought such bans were a suppression of free speech. By focusing on the design of Meta's apps rather than the content posted in them, the case seeks to get around longstanding legal doctrine that largely shields social-media companies from litigation. At times, the case has veered into questions of content, prompting Meta's lawyers to object.

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IRS Loses 40% of IT Staff, 80% of Tech Leaders In 'Efficiency' Shakeup

The IRS's IT division has reportedly lost 40% of its staff and nearly 80% of its tech leadership amid a federal "efficiency" overhaul, the agency's CIO revealed yesterday. The Register reports: Kaschit Pandya detailed the extent of the tech reorganization during a panel at the Association of Government Accountants yesterday, describing it as the biggest in two decades. ... The IRS lost a quarter of its workforce overall in 2025. But the tech team was clearly affected more deeply. At the start of the year, the team encompassed around 8,500 employees.

As reported by Federal News Network (FNN), Pandya said: "Last year, we lost approximately 40 percent of the IT staff and nearly 80 percent of the execs." "So clearly there was an opportunity, and I thought the opportunity that we needed to really execute was reorganizing." That included breaking up silos within the organization, he said. "Everyone was operating in their own department or area."

It is not entirely clear where all those staff have gone. According to a report by the US Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the IT department had 8,504 workers as of October 2024. As of October 2025, it had 7,135. However, reports say that as part of the reorganization, 1,000 techies were detailed to work on delivering frontline services during the US tax season. According to FNN, those employees have questioned the wisdom of this move and its implementation.

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China's Hottest App of 2026 Just Asks If You're Still Alive

A bare-bones Chinese app called "Are You Dead?" -- whose entire premise is that solo-living users tap daily to confirm they're still alive, triggering an alert to an emergency contact after two missed check-ins -- has rocketed to the top of China's app store charts and gone viral globally without spending a dime on advertising.

The app wasn't built for the elderly, as many assumed; its creators are Gen-Z developers who said they were inspired by the isolation of urban life in a country where one-person households are expected to hit 200 million by 2030. Its rise coincided with China's birth rate plunging to a record low. Beijing quietly removed the app from Chinese stores last month, and the developers are now crowdsourcing a new name on social media after their first rebrand attempt, "Demumu," failed to catch on.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Europe's Labor Laws Are Strangling Its Ability To Innovate, New Analysis Argues

A new essay in Works in Progress Magazine argues that Europe's failure to produce a Tesla or a Waymo stems not from insufficient research spending or high taxes -- problems California shares in abundance -- but from labor laws that make it devastatingly expensive for companies to unwind failed bets. According to estimates, corporate restructuring costs the equivalent of 31 months of salary per employee in Germany, 38 in France, and 62 in Spain, compared to seven in the United States.

The downstream effects are visible across Europe's flagship industries. When Audi closed its Brussels factory after cancelling the E-Tron SUV in 2024, severance ran to $718 million -- over $235,000 per employee and more than the cost of writing off the plant's physical assets. Volkswagen spent $50 billion on its electric vehicle lineup, failed to develop competitive software internally, and ultimately paid up to $5 billion for access to American startup Rivian's technology.

Between 2012 and 2016, 79% of all startup acquisitions tracked by Crunchbase took place in the US. The essay points to Denmark, Austria and Switzerland as countries that have found a middle path -- generous unemployment insurance and portable severance accounts that protect workers without penalizing employers for taking risks.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Man allegedly assaulted by Shia LaBeouf in New Orleans wants to see hate crime charges

Jeffrey Damnit says actor punched him and second man on Tuesday, calling both ‘faggot’ repeatedly

One of the men whom Shia LaBeouf allegedly battered and insulted with a homophobic slur on Mardi Gras morning in New Orleans on Tuesday, leading to his arrest, would like to see the actor face hate crime charges.

Jeffrey Damnit, who dresses in drag and was in makeup at the time of the encounter with LaBeouf, said on Thursday that the behavior attributed to the Transformers film franchise star was “a complete slap in the face to any alternative-culture person”.

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Revealed: Epstein cultivated relationship with CBP officer, causing US investigation

Guardian review of US justice department files reveals Epstein interacted with six CBP officers. The officer investigated denied any knowledge of trafficking underage girls

Federal investigators examined Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship with a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer who worked at the St Thomas airport to which Epstein regularly flew on his private planes before traveling by boat or helicopter to his private island, newly released documents reveal.

As part of that investigation, which did not result in any charges, investigators also issued subpoenas related to three additional CBP officers working at the Cyril E King Airport (STT) on St Thomas, documents show. The Guardian also identified two other CBP officers on St Thomas and in Florida who were in contact with Epstein, based on emails and text messages between Epstein, his staff and the officers. It does not appear the FBI ever investigated those two officers.

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Deer shooting to be facilitated in England to protect woodlands

Government plans legislation giving landowners and tenants rights to cull deer to protect crops and property

It will be much easier to shoot deer in England under government plans that aim to curb the damage the animals are doing to the country’s woodlands.

Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, plans to bring forward new legislation to give landowners and tenants legal rights to shoot deer to protect crops and property.

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Celtic face Europa League exit after El Khannouss double sparks Stuttgart rout

It is just as well Martin O’Neill wanted no celebration of his 1,000th game in professional management. ­Stuttgart’s visit became men versus Bhoys and a deflating scene for anybody of Celtic persuasion.

This messiest of Celtic seasons, featuring umpteen managers and a similar number of low points has now featured supporters booing their own goalkeeper. Fans decided Kasper Schmeichel’s failure to keep out Jamie Leweling’s 57th-minute shot was a blunder too far. Schmeichel’s subsequent touches were jeered, albeit there was nothing he could do about the goal from Tiago Tomás in stoppage time which added gloss to Stuttgart’s position. The second leg feels like a fixture O’Neill could very much do without, coming days before a crucial visit to Ibrox.

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Large Trump banner hung at justice department headquarters

‘Make America Safe Again’ banner put up in striking symbol of president’s control over top US law-enforcement agency

A large banner featuring Donald Trump’s face was hung on the exterior of justice department headquarters on Thursday in a physical display of the president’s efforts to exert power over the law enforcement agency that once investigated him.

While Trump banners have been hung outside other agencies across Washington, the decision to place one on the storied justice department building amounted to a striking symbol of the erosion of the department’s tradition of independence from White House control.

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Casey Wasserman was the consummate LA powerbroker. Now his links to Ghislaine Maxwell threaten his legacy

Hollywood scion and talent agent exchanged sexual emails with Epstein associate

Casey Wasserman was born into Hollywood royalty, and for much of his life – until the release of the Epstein files brought his world crashing down – he appeared as formidable and untouchable as the entertainment industry moguls of old.

He wasn’t just the man charged with organizing the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles – a position he still holds, despite widespread calls for his resignation. He was a consummate power broker, someone who controlled the careers of prominent musicians, actors and athletes through the talent agency named after him, cultivated relationships in local and national politics, raised money for key election contests, endowed civic buildings and, through his family wealth, gave lavishly to social causes.

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Manchester United sweep aside Atlético to tee up Bayern Munich clash in WCL

Jess Park provided a timely demonstration of her qualities as her superb, long-range goal capped off a confident individual performance that helped Manchester United progress to the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals with a resounding win over AtlĂ©tico Madrid.

The German champions, Bayern Munich, will be Marc Skinner’s team’s quarter-final opponents, between 23 March and 1 April, with United reaching the last eight for the first time. That significant landmark for the club was fittingly accompanied by a special goal from Park, whose curling strike completed a 5-0 aggregate victory and boosted her chances of starting for England in March.

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Britain’s curlers guarantee a medal as Mouat holds his nerve against Swiss

  • Men’s team edge tense semi-final battle 8-5

  • They go for gold in Saturday’s final against Canada

Great Britain’s men’s team will play for the curling gold night against Canada, after they beat ­Switzerland 8-5 in an ­extraordinarily tense semi-final.

The GB quartet, who only scraped through the round-robin stage because the Italians lost to the Swiss earlier in the day, had promised that they would be an entirely different proposition if they got to the knockout rounds and they were as good as their word. The Swiss had won all nine games they had played coming into this semi-final, but were soundly beaten by Bruce Mouat and his team of Grant Hardie, Hammy McMillan and Bobby Lammie.

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Cape Town

BertvB posted a photo:

Cape Town

Wood Tavern

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Wood Tavern

Seen the End Coming Down

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Seen the End Coming Down

kottke.org

Jason Kottke's weblog, home of fine hypertext products

Watch How Ancient Egyptians Carved Hieroglyphs

In a video for the V&A Museum, stone carver Miriam Johnson hand-carves a pair of hieroglyphs “using both sunken relief and raised relief techniques”.

The video has minimal narration; mostly it’s just a master craftsperson quietly tapping away at the stone — and getting bits of rock all over the sleeve of her jumper. The effect is pretty relaxing, especially with the more rhythmic tapping for the second carving. (via the kid should see this)

Tags: art · Egypt · language · Miriam Johnson · museums · sculpture · V&A Museum · video

An appreciation of Flickr’s URL structure ....

An appreciation of Flickr’s URL structure. “It was a beautiful and predictable scheme. Once you knew how it worked, you could guess other URLs.”

Formula 1 News

Formula 1Âź - The Official F1Âź Website

Watch as F1 TV analyse Day 2 of second Bahrain test

As the second day of the final 2026 pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit drew to a close, the F1 TV crew assembled to run through the key talking points.

thexiffy

Last.fm last recent tracks from thexiffy.

Pantera - This Love

Pantera

Colossal

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Aunia Kahn’s Lush Portraits Depict a Playful Inner Landscape

Aunia Kahn’s Lush Portraits Depict a Playful Inner Landscape

“For me, it always starts with joy,” explains Aunia Kahn. The Detroit-based artist uses a handful of materials—gouache, pastels, pencils, and gold ink—to create rich, velvety portraits that evoke folk art patterns, surrealist themes, and celestial iconography.

Reclaiming the importance of play in the creative process has been a powerful catalyst for Kahn, who had previously experienced a loss of joy in making amid life-threatening health challenges. “That playfulness led me straight back to my roots, to growing up in Michigan and spending time in Canada, to the German and Polish folk art that filled my grandparents’ home,” she says. “I realized that world of bold color, rich pattern, and maximalist symbolism had already shaped my home, my wardrobe, and the way I moved through life. My art just needed to catch up.”

a folk-art inspired portrait by Aunia Kahn, depicting a red horse galloping against a star-filled sky. floral and avian motifs pattern around the middle and out toward the borders of the piece
“Dissolved Into The Spirit That Outruns Fear”

When she’s not in the studio, Kahn is busy curating exhibitions as the co-owner of Poetic Tiger Gallery and is Editor-in-Chief of Hyperlux Magazine. Find more work on the artist’s website, and keep up with her many adventures on Instagram.

a folk-art inspired portrait by Aunia Kahn, depicting a woman holding a large heart with a singular eye in its center. floral and avian motifs pattern around the middle and out toward the borders of the piece.
“Where the Eye of the Heart Watches Over Every Living Thing”
a folk-art inspired portrait by Aunia Kahn, depicting a woman wearing a dress that displays a countryside landscape. floral and avian motifs pattern around the middle and out toward the borders of the piece.
“We Hold Every Goodbye in Our Body Like a Landscape”
a folk-art inspired portrait by Aunia Kahn, depicting a woman with long hair riding a red horse. floral and avian motifs pattern around the middle and out toward the borders of the piece.
“Historical Altar Of Ones Own Becoming”
a folk-art inspired portrait by Aunia Kahn, depicting a woman with three birds in her hair. floral and avian motifs pattern around the middle and out toward the borders of the piece.
“Litany of Twilight Beyond Karmic Prophesies”
a folk-art inspired portrait by Aunia Kahn, depicting a woman with her head floating above her body. floral and avian motifs pattern around the middle and out toward the borders of the piece.
“The Impossible Physics of Staying Whole”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Aunia Kahn’s Lush Portraits Depict a Playful Inner Landscape appeared first on Colossal.