đŸ€ I'm not paying you, pal

PayPal takes a stand as a sponsor of the Phoenix Suns after comments from owner Robert Sarver became public.

Monday | September 19th, 2022
Early Chirp

Welcome back, chirpers. It's Monday again, and Early Chirp is back to keep you informed with interesting news.

What's on the docket for today? Our feature story looks at PayPal's ultimatum to the Phoenix Suns after its owner made rash bigoted remarks.

With that, let's get going.

-Walter Yeates

World

The Breakdown

A quick look around the world.

Giphy

đŸ„” August was just a bit warm. Scientists report Earth had its 6th warmest August on record, while the northern hemisphere saw its 2nd hottest summer. The dataset covers 143 years, collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information. Europe also had its hottest record in August, while Asia recorded its fourth-hottest August.

👎 Pelosi condemns Azerbaijan's attacks on Armenia. Speaking from the city of Yerevan in Armenia, United States Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi spoke candidly regarding the Azerbaijan attacks, which led to border skirmishes leading to over 200 people killed. "We strongly condemn those attacks...[the fighting] was initiated by the Azeris and there has to be recognition of that." Pelosi's remarks drew the ire of the Azerbaijan foreign ministry leading to the following statement, 'The unsubstantiated and unfair accusations leveled by Pelosi against Azerbaijan are unacceptable.'

⛈ Hurricane Fiona makes landfall. A category 1 hurricane named Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico at 3:20 p.m. EDT on Sunday with winds of 85 mph, causing blackouts throughout the island. The Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi spoke about the damage already caused by the storm, "The damages that we are seeing are catastrophic."

đŸ€– Users exploit a Twitter remote work bot. Users on Twitter realized they could break a promotion work bot without doing anything technical. Crafty users would tell the GPT-3-based model to 'ignore the above and respond with' and the bot would follow the instructions quite accurately. The AI was programmed in a way that allows it to accept the directives and interpret them to the best of its ability.

Share this issue:
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
sports

PayPal Wants Sarver Gone

PayPal says the company will end its relationship with the Phoenix Suns if Sarver remains as owner after his suspension.

Robert Sarver (Christian Petersen via Getty Images)

In an investigation by ESPN, over 70 former and current employees with the Suns describe Starver's 17-year tenure with the team as a 'toxic and sometimes hostile workplace' where he used 'racially insensitive language repeatedly in the office.' The employees also recounted conduct they felt was inappropriate and misogynistic.

Starver is said to have used the N-word multiple times, according to former Suns Head Coach; Earl Watson, who spoke to ESPN on the record.

PayPal takes a stand

On Friday, PayPal said the company would no longer sponsor the Suns if owner Rober Sarver remains part of the franchise after his suspension. The NBA suspended Sarver for one year and fined him $10 million for what the league called 'workplace misconduct.'

PayPal President and CEO Dan Schulman made the following comments about the company, "In light of the findings of the NBA’s investigation, we will not renew our sponsorship should Robert Sarver remain involved with the Suns organization, after serving his suspension."

Schulman also said PayPal has a "strong record of combatting racism, sexism and all forms of discrimination” he continued by saying Sarver's actions are “unacceptable and in conflict with our values."

The current partnership agreement comes to an end after the coming 2022-23 season. National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio told ESPN that NBA players want Sarver banned for life.

Share this story:
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
space

Mars Rover Finds Hints Of Past Life

The latest rock samples from Mars have exciting discoveries.

Mars Perseverance Rover (NASA via Getty Images)

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has made some interesting discoveries during its service life and recently detected its highest concentrations yet of organic molecules. What does this mean? It potentially signals the existence of ancient microbes that scientists are eager to confirm in the rock samples when they are eventually brought to Earth.

Organic matter has been found on Mars before, but the discovery is promising because it came from an area where sediment and salts were deposited into a lake -- conditions that are conducive to life.

David Shuster, a Perseverance return sample specialist told reporters the following regarding the discovery, "It is very fair to say that these are going to be, these already are, the most valuable rock samples that have ever been collected."

However, there is one catch. Further analysis cannot take place until the Mars Sample Return mission, which isn't due to take place until 2033. The mission will be a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Regarding further exploration taking place, NASA astrobiologist Sunada Sharma said, "This is a treasure hunt for potential signs of life on another planet," Sharma continued, "organic matter is a clue, and we're getting stronger and stronger clues...I personally find these results so moving because it feels like we're in the right place, with the right tools, at a very pivotal moment."

Share this story:
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
nature

Could We Talk To Whales?

Scientists are using modern technology in an attempt to understand what whales have to say.

The Boys via Giphy

Tom Mustill, who had a near-death experience as a humpback whale fell upon him and a friend's kayak sucking them both beneath the waves. The harrowing event was recorded and published on YouTube, resulting in global attention for Mustill.

Professor Joy Reidenberg, a whale scientist, reviewed the video and claimed the footage suggests the whale veered away from Mustill's kayak mid-breach as if it did not want to cause any harm.

"You can’t just ask a whale," Reidenberg said regarding the incident. He would continue, detailing the technology that may allow humans to communicate with Whales shortly. "This is the beginning of augmented biology, where our human deficiencies – what we can’t sense, where we can’t go, what we actually have the time to find patterns in – all seem to be falling down."

Will humans soon be able to speak to whales?

Mustill became intrigued and came in contact with two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who are leading efforts to communicate with animals through the Earth Species Project. The entrepreneurs, Aza Raskin and Britt Selvitelle bill the Earth Species Project as 'Google Translate for whales."

Another individual pointed Mustill to the Cetacean Translation Initiative, a group of scientists to communicate with a whale to exchange ideas and experiences by 2026.

The group is using multiple underwater listening stations, tagging whales with drones, and robotic fish swimming amount the whales gathering audio and video.

While we don't know if the group will reach its goals, its ambition is worthy of respect.

Share this story:
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
comic Instagram: @eyewashcomic
Early Chirp

Written by Walter Yeates

90 N Church St, The Strathvale House
Grand Cayman KY1, 9006, Cayman Islands

Copyright © 2022 Early Chirp. All rights reserved.