š¤ Dear diary...
There's something else Apple wants you to do with your iPhone. Are you game?
Saturday | December 23rd, 2023 | |
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Happy Saturday, chirpers! Tomorrow is Santaās busy day as he navigates the globe led by flying reindeer to visit the homes of good boys and girls. But his origin story is a bit more mundane. Before he added his eight flying reindeer and finished out the crew with Rudolph, St. Nick made his way through Northern Europe on the back of a donkey. Kids would put carrots or hay in their shoes for the donkey instead of providing cookies and milk for Santa. And theyād wake up on Christmas morning hoping to find some gifts he left behind. -Chris Agee Markets
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$0.63 (13.97%) š¦ Markets: It was touch-and-go for a while midweek, but Wall Street is heading into the long weekend with eight straight weeks of gains after Fridayās positive trend. The S&P and Nasdaq were up a fraction of a percent while the Dow Jones was off by a hair. Investor optimism was fueled by inflation numbers that showed consumer prices are now rising just over the 2% annual rate that the Federal Reserve has cited as its target. technology
Would You Trust Your Phone To Store Your Personal Diary? Apple Hopes So.There seems to be cause for cautious optimism with this new feature.![]() Even the biggest fans of our current digital society can acknowledge that most of us spend too much time staring at our phones. But from Appleās point of view, thereās always something new that the iPhone can add to make us even more dependent on these pocket-sized computers. And now, the tech giant is focusing on a new use for its devices: Journaling. Just in time for New Yearās Many people will be pursuing self-improvement goals to kick-start 2024, and experts say recording personal thoughts and ambitions is a great way to achieve some important personal growth. Apple claims to have an even better option than a pad and pen. Keeping with its reputation for app names that are accurate (if not all that creative), the latest iOS update involves a new option simply called āJournal.ā So what does it do? Early reports offer a pretty comprehensive overview:
Privacy is still a major concern Just like your locked childhood diary, itās important to ensure that digital journals remain safe from the prying eyes of others. Some previously released journaling apps have included robust encryption and security measures to achieve this privacy, but it usually comes with a one-time or monthly fee. Apple, which has built its brand largely around privacy (or at least the illusion thereof) says it can provide ample protection and customization through the existing operating system. You should still exercise caution, but some say this could be a big step toward introducing more people to the benefits of journaling. Share this story:us news
An Innocent Man Who Spent Nearly 50 Years Behind Bars Is Finally FreeHe's finally been declared innocent at the age of 70 ... but what happens now?![]() While any wrongful conviction is both a personal and societal tragedy, some cases are more upsetting than others. And one Oklahoma manās story is among the worst. āJustice was done todayā A liquor store robbery in late 1974 cost one woman her life and one man nearly five decades of his freedom. Glynn Simmons was just 22 when he was convicted and despite consistently pleading his innocence, he remained in prison until earlier this year. Now, at the age of 70, a judge has added the final punctuation to this unfathomable chapter in his life, declaring him innocent of the charges. āThis is a day weāve been waiting on for a long, long time,ā he said after Tuesdayās hearing. āIt finally came. We can say justice was done today, finally ā and Iām happy.ā With over 48 years of his life spent incarcerated for a crime he didnāt commit, records indicate Simmons has served more time than anyone else in American history who was wrongfully convicted and ultimately released. The average term is a little over nine years before being exonerated. A bittersweet victory While itās clearly a good thing that Simmons was released and subsequently exonerated, heās facing some serious challenges during his twilight years. For starters, the world has changed tremendously since his conviction in the ā70s. But on a personal level, state law limits the amount of compensation he can receive to just $175,000, and thereās no guarantee that heāll even get that. The declaration of innocence this week is the first step toward ensuring he gets some money for the unimaginable hardship heās endured over the past several decades. For a retirement-age man without any real-world skills that would translate to a lucrative career, heās dependent on others (including an online fundraiser) for his income. Share this story:meme
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The BreakdownA quick look around the world.![]() š The other shoe drops: Itās one of the worldās most influential sneaker and sports apparel companies, but that hasnāt saved Nike from an uncertain economic landscape. According to recent financial reports, the corporation has revised its 2023 sales forecast downward to a disappointing 1%. Not only did that negatively impact Nikeās stock price, but it highlighted a need to trim its budget by $2 billion over the next three years, which will inevitably involve layoffs. š Beg your pardon: With states across the country relaxing or repealing laws against marijuana possession, the federal government is showing some signs that its approach to the issue is also evolving. This week, President Joe Biden announced a plan to increase the number of pardons being issued to individuals convicted of low-level weed-related crimes ā notably simple possession or use. Those who have not yet been charged or prosecuted are also included. ā½ļø Moving to Miami: If soccer superstar Lionel Messiās move to the Inter Miami team isnāt enough to pique interest in the sport among Americans, maybe the news announced on Friday will do it. Luis Suarez, a skilled striker from Uruguay who played alongside Messi in Barcelona, is also coming to the Miami team. The free agent signed a one-year contract, meaning that a Barcelona reunion is officially in the cards and Miami is quickly becoming the epicenter of American soccer. šØāāļø Courting controversy: The 2024 presidential race is heating up even as former President Donald Trump finds himself both leading the GOP primary field and facing multiple criminal trials. His attorneys argue heās immune from prosecution for his actions while in office and federal special counsel Jack Smith disagrees. Smith wanted the Supreme Court to weigh in sooner rather than later, but justices announced this week that they wouldnāt be rushing a decision on the matter. Share this issue:us politics
A Brief Recap Of A Pretty Uneventful Year On Capitol HillThe divided Congress was mired in gridlock throughout 2023.![]() Lawmakers have left D.C. for the holiday recess and as 2023 draws to a close, they really donāt have too much to show for their time in Congress this year. Letās be fair Before we dig into what elected officials did (or more accurately, didnāt do) while on Capitol Hill this year, letās start by acknowledging one important factor: Both chambers are very narrowly divided. The Democrats have a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate and Republicans control the House by a razor-thin margin. Anytime thereās such an equal balance of power in a divided Legislative Branch, thereās going to naturally be some serious gridlock. Nevertheless, 2023 has been particularly unproductive with President Joe Biden receiving a paltry 27 bills from Congress. What they did Itās easy to point fingers and wonder what legislators are actually doing with their time, which is reflected in the rock-bottom approval rating that Congress currently has among voters. Of course, the job isnāt as easy as it might appear and much of it involves negotiation and debate that can move at a snailās pace. And even if you might have to look a little harder than usual to find it, there were a few accomplishments sprinkled throughout the year, including:
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![]() Written by Chris Agee 90 N Church St, The Strathvale House Copyright Ā© 2022 Early Chirp. All rights reserved. |