Friday, September 1 — 4 significant news stories

Today ChatGPT read 1143 top news stories. After removing previously covered events, there are 4 articles with a significance score over 7.

[7.3] X (formerly Twitter) updates privacy policy to collect biometric and employment data. — The Verge

X, formerly known as Twitter, has updated its privacy policy to include the collection of "biometric information" and "employment history" from users. The policy does not specify what kind of biometric information will be collected, but it typically includes fingerprints, iris patterns, or facial features. X Corp. is currently facing a class action lawsuit over claims that its data collection violates the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. The company may use biometric data for passwordless sign-ins and is also likely collecting employment-related information for its job search features.

[7.3] Recent report shows 61% of adults living paycheck to paycheck amid inflation — CNBC

In a recent LendingClub report, 61% of adults revealed they're living paycheck to paycheck, a slight rise from last year's 59%. Despite core inflation showing only a 0.2% increase in June and July, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated inflation is still too high, hinting at potential further interest rate hikes. Currently, the Fed's key interest rate lies between 5.25% to 5.5%, its peak in over 22 years.

[7.3] Biden offers $12 billion to automakers for EV production retrofit. — Reuters

The Biden administration is offering $12 billion in grants and loans to automakers and suppliers to retrofit their plants for the production of electric and other advanced vehicles. The move aims to support workers and communities during the transition to electric vehicles and address concerns from automakers and the United Auto Workers union about potential job losses. The administration will also provide $3.5 billion in funding to domestic battery manufacturers.

[7.2] US Covid-19 hospital admissions rise due to Omicron variant. — The Independent

Hospital admissions for Covid-19 have increased by 39% in the US since the end of July, driven by the EG.5 variant, also known as "Eris," which is a subvariant of Omicron. Eris has a mutation that allows it to evade antibodies from previous infections or vaccinations, but it does not appear to cause more severe illness and can be treated with existing medications. Vaccine developers are now working on a booster specifically targeting Omicron, which is expected to be available in mid-late September.

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Vadim