Tip News
Posts
Angry Parents Sue Over AI Homework Kerfuffle

Angry Parents Sue Over AI Homework Kerfuffle

Your unbiased daily news brief

James Kratch
October 17, 2024

Good Thursday morning. A recent study found walking in short bursts burns 20-60% more energy than extended walks over the same distance. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

Washington: Missing airmen
Nigeria: Highway disaster
Harris: Fox News showdown
GM: EV battery mining
Abu Dhabi: Second Sphere

... and more

First time reading? Sign up here

Top Tips

1) Working smart?

A Massachusetts high school student and his parents may become artificial intelligence pioneers of sorts.

What happened: The parents are suing their son's teacher at Hingham High School outside of Boston, as well as other faculty members and the school committee, after the student was punished for using AI tools to produce a history essay.
The details: A family lawyer said the student only used AI as a research tool and did not have the technology to compose the essay. The lawsuit alleges the school did not have any rules prohibiting AI at the time, and the penalties -- detention, a poor grade and the inability to join the National Honor Society -- have put the student, a senior, at a disadvantage in the college admissions process.
Big picture: AI use is an emerging issue in education, so this case could end up establishing precedent if it proceeds. The defendants have motioned to dismiss the lawsuit while the plaintiffs have accused the school of intimidation; the student reportedly may be retroactively allowed into NHS.

2) Sour grapes

Police in Europe busted a sprawling international wine fraud ring.

The news: Six people were arrested in France and Italy following raids. They allegedly took bottles of low-quality wine and passed them off as expensive vintage bottles, selling them for as much as over $16K each to unwitting global wine traders.
More details: A Russian national tied to similar wine fraud that goes back a decade is the alleged ringleader. The scam reportedly utilized equipment worth over $1.5M, including recapping machines and counterfeit bottle labels. The ring is accused of over $2M in ill-gotten profits.
Big picture: Experts say wine fraud has become increasingly prevalent as the value of expensive vintages and their international demand has skyrocketed. French products are most commonly knocked off; Italy is considered the hotbed of crime due to the nation's vineyard industry and well-established organized crime groups.

3) All in

Elon Musk is putting his money where his mouth is.

Big bucks: The billionaire Tesla CEO, believed to be the world's richest person, has donated $75M toward former President Donald Trump's re-election effort. The giving was recently disclosed in Federal Election Commission filings. The donations are a very small sliver of his projected $242B worth.
Key cog: Musk launched America PAC, a pro-Trump group, in May before endorsing the former president in July. The super PAC has played a critical role in voter outreach efforts in swing states. It has also been solely powered by Musk's donations, according to the FEC. Musk, who also owns the X social media platform, has emerged as one of Trump's most prominent surrogates, recently making a campaign appearance with him. The former president has repeatedly floated the idea of Musk being in his cabinet.
There's more: Musk is not the biggest Trump donor. He's not even close, actually. Casino magnate Miriam Adelson donated $95M, and railroad heir Timothy Mellon donated $125M earlier this year. But Vice President Kamala Harris is still outpacing Trump, even with the massive donations -- she has raised over $1B since becoming the Democratic nominee.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

The fate of two U.S. Navy airmen remains unknown after a jet crash in Washington state. Their aircraft went down near Mount Rainier during a training mission; the wreckage has been found as ongoing search is hampered by terrain and weather (More)
A $861M federal loan guarantee will go toward building two solar farms in Puerto Rico. The sites will generate enough electricity to power about 43K homes; the island territory has struggled with persistent power outages (More)
At least three people died after a Mississippi bridge collapsed. The structure was in the process of being demolished when it gave way; four people were critically injured at the worksite about 40 miles outside of Jackson (More)

World News

A fuel tanker explosion in Nigeria killed at least 147 people. The tanker overturned on a highway and then exploded while people were attempting to collect the leaking fuel, causing a massive fire; at least 50 people were wounded (More)
Canada's Liberal Party may ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step aside. Some members of Parliament will push the embattled leader to resign next week; the Conservative Party has called a pair of recent non-confidence votes in an effort to trigger a snap election it would be favored to win (More)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Western nations are pressuring him to negotiate with Russia during an address to domestic lawmakers. The U.S. committed an additional $425M in military aid as he proposes Ukraine's "victory plan" to NATO leaders and other allies (More | More)

Campaign News

Vice President Harris sat for a combative interview with Fox News, her first ever with the conservative-leaning network. Anchor Bret Baier pressed her on illegal migration; she blasted former President Trump and said her administration would not be a "continuation" of President Joe Biden's tenure (More)
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance claimed Trump did not lose the 2020 presidential election. "Not by the words that I would use," the vice presidential candidate said when asked if Trump, who received over 7M fewer votes than Biden, lost (More)
A Georgia judge voided a series of new rules established by the state election board, including protocols on vote certification. The Nebraska Supreme Court said voter registration in the state must resume for people with felony convictions (More | More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes closed higher yesterday. The Dow Jones closed at a record high for the second time this week (Dow +0.79%, Nasdaq +0.28%, S&P 500 +0.47%).
General Motors will invest $625M in a joint venture to mine raw materials to produce electric vehicle batteries. The automaker is linking up with Lithium Americas Corporation, a Canadian company, with a focus on a Nevada mining site (More)
Beyond Inc. invested $40M in The Container Store. The organizational supplies chain's physical locations will start carrying Bed Bath & Beyond-branded products as part of the deal; the home lifestyle chain went out of business last year (More)

Entertainment & Sports

The second Sphere entertainment complex will be built in Abu Dhabi, joining the domed Las Vegas arena. The United Arab Emirates will pay the construction costs and an annual license to the venue's parent company; the location will open in 2030 (More)
Liam Payne died at 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. The British singer was a member of One Direction; he worked as a solo artist after the band broke up and released a single earlier this year (More)
Billionaire Tom Gores will pay $750M for 27% of the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers. The businessman, who owns the NBA's Detroit Pistons, will have no say in team operations; the deal comes at a significant discount from the franchise's roughly $6B valuation (More)

Quick Hitters

Real Hero: An HVAC technician arrived early for a rescheduled maintenance appointment ... and just in time to save a man's life.
Take Note: Zillow has added a new metric to help users buy new homes. The real estate marketplace will now give listings a climate risk score that assesses the likelihood of flooding, wildfire and more.
Go Deep: Digital applications and tools are increasingly being used to keep tabs on kids. Experts are growing concerned about the rise of surveillance parenting.
In Style: NASA astronauts will look good when they return to the moon. Prada is collaborating with Axiom Space to design spacesuits for the planned Artemis 3 mission in 2026.
Pet Hack: Dogs like to dig holes. Here is how to get them to stop, according to a professional trainer.

Watch This

Is this the world's first computer?