Jewish tech executives met with TikTok CEO over pro-Palestinian bias concerns

 A group of 40 mostly Jewish tech leaders and business executives confronted TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew over their concerns about antisemitism and the allegedly disproportionate popularity of pro-Palestine videos on the app, according to multiple reports.

During the Zoom meeting, held last month, the executives reportedly presented an analysis of TikTok data during the Israel-Hamas war and pushed for answers on what they felt was an “unexplainable discrepancy” in content that favored Palestinians, Fortune reported.

The analysis was backed by 90 co-signers, including Tinder co-founder Sean Rad, ex-Meta chief revenue officer David Fischer and Bonobos co-founder Andy Dunn, according to Bloomberg.

“For every view of pro-Israel posts, there are about 54 views of pro-Palestine posts,” one of the executives, AIX Ventures partner Anthony Goldbloom, told Fortune. “If TikTok was just a mirror reflecting back what people believe, it shouldn’t be a 54:1 ratio.”

The executives also raised concerns about the rise of antisemitic violence and nudged TikTok to reconsider its thinking on which videos violate its guidelines.

The meeting, which was said to be “cordial,” occurred during a period of renewed criticism over the China-owned app. Chew was reportedly one of multiple TikTok executives in attendance.

“This is an extremely difficult time for millions of people around the world and in our TikTok community,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement to Bloomberg. “We feel it’s important to meet with and listen to creators, human rights experts, civil society and other stakeholders to help guide our ongoing work to keep our global community safe.”

TikTok did not immediately return a request for comment on the meeting.

4

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is pictured.AP

The spread of inflammatory content related to the Israel-Hamas war has provided fodder for critics who allege that the Chinese Communist Party uses the app as a propaganda tool to sway Americans and capture their data – charges that TikTok has denied.

As The Post reported, a number of Republican lawmakers renewed their calls for TikTok to be banned in the US due to their concerns about the spread of anti-Israel posts on the platform. TikTok said there was “no basis to these false claims” that pro-Palestine videos was spreading more rapidly.

The uproar intensified in mid-November after TikTok influencers posted a number of viral videos in which they praised 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden’s 2002 “letter to America” – in which the terrorist leader described the creation of Israel as a “crime which must be erased” and referred to the AIDS epidemic was “a Satanic American Invention.”

4

Executives decried a rise of antisemitic incidents on the US.TikTok

TikTok had pushed back on criticism in a Nov. 13 blog post that slammed what the company described as “misinformation and mischaracterization about how the TikTok platform actually operates.”

The company said it has worked quickly to take down any videos that violate its policy against hateful content.

“Blunt comparisons of hashtags is severely flawed and misrepresentative of the activity on TikTok,” TikTok said.

“For example, the hashtag #standwithIsrael may be associated with fewer videos than #freePalestine, but it has 68% more views per video in the US, which means more people are seeing the content,” the post added.

The company has also described claims that pro-Palestinian videos have spread more than pro-Israel videos as “simply false.”

4

Lawmakers blasted TikTok as Osama Bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America’ got viral praise.TikTok/@lynetteadkins

TikTok isn’t the only social media platform to face scrutiny over its response to the Israel-Hamas conflict. A growing number of blue-chip firms, including Disney and Apple, have paused advertising on X due to concerns about antisemitic content – including problematic posts by the company’s owner, Elon Musk.

Musk fired back in an already-infamous interview at the New York Times’ DealBook summit this week, telling companies that yanked ad dollars to “go f—k yourself” and specifically calling out Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Musk has denied that the problem is worse on X than it is on other social media platforms.

https://nypost.com/2023/12/01/business/jewish-tech-executives-met-with-tiktok-ceo-over-pro-palestinian-bias-concerns-reports/

What we know about China’s new pneumonia outbreak so far

 News of an outbreak of a strange “white lung” pneumonia hospitalizing kids in northern China is more than enough to start the rest of us worrying.

That fear is well-warranted, given China’s long and continuing history of hiding public-health realities from the rest of the world.

Especially now that similar illnesses — with as yet unknown causes — have broken out on US soil in Ohio.

So far (thankfully) there’s no direct evidence of a new pathogen or a lab leak here; if anything, in fact, just the opposite.

Yet the fear alone — recalling the time in early 2020 when China was denying the scope of a new outbreak and the World Health Organization was backing this false reality — is certainly justified and terrifying.

We simply can’t trust any public-health info coming out of China.

We couldn’t trust their public health pronouncements back then, and we can’t trust them now.

The vision of an international consortium of scientists (including China) informing the world in real time that Tony Fauci and others envisioned two decades ago has never succeeded.

So what is happening now? If not another new killer virus, then what?

For one thing, it’s respiratory infection season in northern China and in the northern hemisphere around the world, and there are multiple pathogens circulating including, RSV, influenza, adenoviruses, strep and COVID.

The lockdowns that were reinstituted in China in 2022, and lasted until late in the year, have led to millions of people encountering these bugs for the first time in a few years, or in the case of infants, for the first time ever.

This may well have caused a delayed immune response (immune pause), as it takes the immune system longer to recognize something it hasn’t seen in a while, or never seen, and more severe illness results.

But the main problem causing the increase in childhood hospitalizations in China, Denmark and the Netherlands (where lockdowns also lasted into 2022) appears to be a tiny bacteria known as mycoplasma.

The mycoplasma problem is worsened because of a growing antibiotic resistance due to overuse of the antibiotic azithromycin (Zpack).

Whereas this common infection in the late fall is usually mild and treatable with antibiotics, the resistant form is more likely to cause severe illness, including “walking pneumonia.”

In Denmark, 541 cases were reported last week alone, and many more were missed. 

Here in the United States, we are just starting to see the problem emerge.

Warren County, Ohio, reported 142 cases of childhood pneumonia last week, and the state has yet to determine if the cause is mycoplasma or a combination of pathogens — though I wouldn’t be surprised if it is mycoplasma.

Indeed, mycoplasma may well be coming to a state near you, and though there are other antibiotics regularly used to treat it, including tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, they are not used widely in children for fear of side effects.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have continued to up their game in terms of tracking respiratory infections.

Thanks to CDC, we know that our flu season is still early with only 12,000 hospitalizations nationwide, and while the agency estimates that RSV (which is peaking now) leads to 58,000 to 80,000 hospitalizations a year, it too is not likely the main cause of the pneumonia hospitalizations in China or Europe, which are occurring in older children.

Unfortunately, I am not as confident in worldwide surveillance and transparency, nor should anyone be.

And even if the current surge of childhood pneumonias is due to the well-known bacteria mycoplasma and the longtime overuse of old antibiotics, it by no means indicates the next mysterious pneumonia won’t be from a leaky lab in China where risky research continues.

Fear and distrust remain warranted.

Marc Siegel, MD, is a clinical professor of medicine and medical director of Doctor Radio at NYU Langone Health and a Fox News medical analyst.

https://nypost.com/2023/12/01/opinion/what-we-know-about-chinas-new-pneumonia-outbreak-so-far/

Jan. 6 Committee Tapes Have Disappeared, Says House Republican

 by Savannah Hulsey Pointer via The Epoch Times,

The disappearance of videotapes of witness interviews conducted by the Democratic-led House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack has alarmed the chairman of the House panel that replaced it.

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), who chairs the House Administration Oversight Subcommittee that is currently investigating security lapses connected to the Capitol riot and potential ramifications for upcoming criminal trials, is questioning the disappearance of the video evidence.

“All of the videotapes of all depositions are gone,” Mr. Loudermilk told the "Just the News, No Noise" television show Thursday night.

“We found out about this early in the investigation when I received a call from someone who was looking for some information off one of the videotapes, and we started searching, and we had none,” Mr. Loudermilk explained.

“I wrote a letter to Bennie Thompson asking for them. And he confirmed that they did not preserve those types. He didn't feel that they had to."

According to Mr. Loudermilk, the videotapes met the requirements for congressional evidence under House rules because some of the segments were shown at hearings, and the now-defunct J6 committee, led by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss), ought to have kept all of the recordings.

“According to House rules, you have to preserve any data and information and documents that are used in an official proceeding, which they did. They (J6 Democrats) actually aired portions of these tapes on their televised hearings, which means they had to keep those," Mr. Loudermilk said.

"Yet he chose not to."

The lawmaker explained why he believes this is an important piece of evidence to maintain, citing that some witnesses, such as former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, have changed their testimony over time, and even transcripts might not be sufficient to obtain a full understanding of the testimony.

"I want to see what her body language is when she gave her original testimony," Mr. Loudermilk said of the former White House staffer. "I want to see what her voice inflection is, was she very confident in what she was saying at that time, but then later decided to change it?

"This is why it's so important that we have those videotapes and I believe that's probably why we don't have them ... I believe they exist somewhere. We've just got to find where all these videos are.”

Mr. Thompson's office did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times' request for comment.

The disclosure may also affect the criminal proceedings that are taking place in federal court in Washington, and state court in Georgia, where former President Donald Trump and his associates are accused of crimes connected to the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

A court recently denied President Trump's legal team's request for specific material from the Jan. 6 committee. District of Columbia Judge Tanya Chutkan turned down the former president, saying his requests were essentially a fishing expedition.

In her seven-page ruling, she reprimanded President Trump for his demands, claiming that they were too broad and too unclear. It further claimed that he was abusing his authority by trying to get information that was available through other channels in violation of Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 17.

"Defendant has not met his burdens with respect to his proposed Rule 17(c) subpoenas," Judge Chutkan said.

"He has not sufficiently justified his requests for either the 'Missing Materials' themselves or the other five categories of documents related to them."

The judge went on to quote United States v. Cuthbertson, adding that the "broad scope of the records that defendant seeks, and his vague description of their potential relevance, resemble less 'a good faith effort to obtain identified evidence' than they do 'a general fishing expedition that attempts to use the [Rule 17(c) subpoena] as a discovery device.'"

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/jan-6-committee-tapes-have-disappeared-says-house-republican

NYC bodega owners, grocers arming with guns amid violent thefts

 They’re stocked, locked, and loaded. 

Hundreds of Big Apple supermarket and bodega owners are arming themselves as the epidemic of violent theft continues to plague their businesses.

Over the past year, the United Bodegas of America and the Bodega and Small Business Group said they’ve helped at least 230 store owners apply for their gun licenses, connecting them with concealed-carry classes required by the state to obtain a permit. 

The National Supermarket Association, which represents roughly 600 independent grocers, estimated a quarter of its members in the city are packing heat, compared to 10% pre-pandemic.

“You see the necessity because the city is getting out of hand with the crime rate,” said one supermarket owner, who purchased a 9mm SIG Sauer handgun two months ago, after thieves cut a hole in the roof of his Ridgewood, Queens, store to steal $3,000 and smash up the registers and camera system.

“I feel safer having a . . . weapon with me,” the 50-year-old said, especially when going to the bank.

4

Industry organizations have helped at least 230 bodegas owners with applying for concealed carry licenses.

The gun-toting grocer said he hasn’t had to use his firearm, but practices once a week for the worst-case scenario where he needs to defend himself and his staff.

“I don’t know who is coming in, what I’ll confront, on my way in, on my way out,” he said.

Radhames Rodriguez, who owns several bodegas in the Bronx, said he purchased a 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol after obtaining his concealed-carry license two months ago.

4

Rahdames Rodriguez said he applied for his concealed carry permit because the city was beginning to remind him of the crime-ridden 1980s.J.C. Rice

“If I see somebody coming to me and I’m going to lose my life because somebody’s got a gun aimed at me, a knife, I need to protect myself and my family,” said Rodriguez, 60, who is also the UBA president.

Rodriguez said he previously had a “premises” gun permit to protect his business during the crime-ridden ’80s, but as the city cleaned up under the Giuliani and Bloomberg administrations, he let the license lapse.

With the recent wave of violence, “it started looking like in the ‘80s, the ‘90s,” he said. “That’s why I applied [for my new gun license], and this is why I have it.”

Many grocers have felt an increasing need to arm themselves partly because of slower police responses to their emergency calls, according to retired NYPD Sgt. Johnny Nunez, who leads 18-hour courses covering gun safety and live firearm training that are required by New York State for obtaining a concealed-carry permit.

4

Many grocers have said they feel the need to arm themselves due to slow police response times to emergency calls.Christopher Sadowski

“They recognize that there’s less cops on the street, they’re attending all these rallies, and [they] have to defend [themselves],” said Nunez, whose classes have been attended by many bodega and supermarket owners.

“Those factors, and the fact that crime is up [compared to pre-pandemic levels], that’s what’s driving them to at least feel protected,” he added.

The surge in gun-toting grocers follows the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last year to strike down New York State’s century-old law, which severely restricted who could carry handguns in public by requiring applicants to show “proper cause” for needing the weapon beyond general protection.

It also follows a jump in shoplifting in recent years, with complaints soaring to 54,229 through Nov. 30, versus 37,919 incidents for all of 2019, per NYPD data.

4

The Supreme Court last year struck down New York State’s century-old law restricting who could obtain a concealed carry permit.J.C. Rice

“The criminals have the upper hand — they’re the ones going out there robbing us, murdering us . . . getting away with it,” UBA spokesman Fernando Mateo told The Post. 

In March, a beloved Upper East Side bodega clerk was fatally shot during a late-night robbery, while two robbers shot a Spanish Harlem deli clerk in the groin and pistol-whipped a customer in June.

In May, four men held a Woodside bodega employee at gunpoint before stealing at least $6,000.

“If we can fight with the same firepower, they’re going to think about it twice,” Mateo said. 

An NYPD spokesperson said robbery and grand larceny incidents have shrunk 5.2% and 3.1%, respectively, through Nov. 26 compared to the same time period last year.

Robbery and grand larceny arrests have increased by 11% and 18% so far this year compared to the same time period in 2022.   

https://nypost.com/2023/12/02/metro/nyc-bodega-owners-grocers-arming-themselves-with-guns-amid-violent-thefts-plaguing-big-apple/

Philips investor Exor: company's problems are "solvable"

 The CEO of Exor NV, the largest shareholder in Dutch healthcare equipment maker Philips NV, on Thursday said he continues to believe the company's problems are solvable.

John Elkann was speaking at Exor's investor day in Turin, shortly after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said there is a new safety issue with Philips sleep apnoea devices, which sparked a selloff in its shares on Wednesday.

Exor owns a 15% stake in Philips.

"What's important is to understand these difficulties and above all to understand how many of these difficulties are solvable," Elkann said. "We are (still) convinced of that, also in light of what emerged yesterday."

Exor announced on Aug. 14 it had taken a 15% stake in Philips for $2.8 billion in a surprise move, saying it viewed shares as undervalued after a global recall of respiratory devices the company was forced to undertake beginning in 2021.

The recall wiped nearly two-thirds off Philips' stock market valuation and new CEO Roy Jakobs has said that resolving the issue is his top priority.

Elkann joked that Philips' share price "perhaps has not fallen enough to buy more, all kidding aside".

"What is important for us today is to ensure the relationship with Philips starts well."

Philips stock is currently trading at 18.77 euros, about 25 cents higher than before Exor announced its investment in August.

As part of an Exor agreement with Philips, the company is to receive a seat on the company's board and has agreed not to increase its stake beyond a maximum of 20%.

Exor is the investment arm of Italy's Agnelli family, with investments in manufacturing, sport, media, fashion, healthcare and technology companies.

https://news.yahoo.com/philips-investor-exor-companys-problems-145851324.html