32 Facebook really is evil, australia goes nuclear

we’re visiting our little brother this week and we couldn’t help but notice his attire when he picked us up from the airport. it’s almost as though he was trying to instigate us with a bright green Spartans shirt, knowing that we went to Michigan. alas, younger siblings are the worst, but they usually do take our recommendations to heart. don’t believe us? refer them to TWR and see what happens.

big idea: Facebook is worse than you thought it was...

1. we all know Facebook is evil, but chances are you didn’t think it was as bad as it actually is. leaked company documents obtained by WSJ demonstrate not only how toxic Facebook-owned Instagram is to teenagers’ mental health, but also how the entire company routinely breaks its own moderation rules if someone famous is involved. the reporting is already resulting in senators calling for additional hearings with Facebook leadership because of just how damning it is.
2. the internal data on Instagram users is particularly worrying. the company found that teens routinely and consistently blamed Instagram for anxiety and depression, and 40% of users said they felt “unattractive” after using the app. this is despite public and repeated denials by Zuckerberg & co that the company didn’t know this sort of stuff.
3. it was also revealed that Facebook has an internal list of 5.8 million users who can basically get away with posting anything without consequences. one example cited was the soccer superstar Neymar posting nude pictures of a woman without her consent, and the photos staying online for more than 24 hours. hey, we hate telling you we told you so...but there’s a reason we abandoned Facebook and Instagram years ago.

story to watch: australia buys some ‘murican nuclear submarines

1. the US announced wednesday that it would be selling top secret nuclear submarine technology to the land down under. this is technology and expertise the US has only ever shared with the UK before, so it’s a pretty huge deal. the agreement will no doubt mean bookoo bucks for the US, along with sending a strong message to the chinese that the US still views itself as a pacific power.
2. the deal made france all angry because the australians originally had a contract with them to build some old-fashioned diesel subs. nuclear submarines can travel longer, deeper, and more quietly than the old tech, explaining the switch. but really, making the french mad is just a plus. of note, the subs are only powered by nuclear reactors - there aren’t any nukes on board.
3. this will shift the balance of power in the region. this is the first real move the US has made in a decade-long “pivot to Asia”. it puts australia firmly on the side of america, despite its proximity to china, and is making europe’s pro-business stance with china increasingly untenable. both china and the US are trying to cage each other out in different parts of the world, and while europe has successfully kept both happy for the past few decades, that detente seems to be ending. 
4. the chinese response has been limited to economic warfare, perhaps signaling they do not want to further raise the temperature. they applied to join the free-trade pact formerly known as the TPP, which is currently made up of a group of dependable US allies. 

this week’s image: art is trash...or trash is art?

1. (The Guardian) an art display in indonesia includes 4,444 plastic bottles which were dumped as litter in a local river. one dude’s trash really can be another guy’s treasure.

this week’s number: 216 million potential climate migrants by 2050

• a newly published report found that under the worst case scenarios for climate change, up to 216 million people may be forced to move homes due to shifting weather patterns by 2050. even assuming the best possible conditions, 44 million will still likely have to move. the vast majority of these migrants currently live in north & sub-saharan africa and asia. 
• perhaps more worryingly, the report only tried to estimate the number of people who would stay within their country - there undoubtedly will be countless more people who will become climate refugees

reader mailbag:

• we got quite a bit of mail on our negative feedback on florida last issue. readers R.F., M.H., and A.A. all felt compelled to either agree wholeheartedly with our complaints, or say that comparing the state to an elbow (instead of...well, other body parts) was too generous. in any case, we’re coming for you next, ohio.

and, in case you missed it:

• Wikipedia shut down an extensive effort to insert a pro-china bias into articles
• Apple and Google removed pro-democracy apps from their app stores, caving into Russian government demands
• a socialist was somehow okay attending a gala which costs $300,000 per ticket because her dress had words on it

the weekly rundown is produced by Yunus, Faisal, and Ahmed. learn more about us and email us your comments and feedback!