1 Eight Of Nine Missing Skiers Found Dead After California Avalanche
Eight backcountry skiers have been found dead, and one remains missing following an avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, officials announced yesterday. Among the dead were three guides from Black Mountain Guides, and seven women and two men were among the deceased and missing. One victim was the spouse of a member of the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team, striking the organization hard. Survivors used an iPhone satellite SOS message to call for help, and emergency beacons helped rescuers locate them. The tragedy marks the deadliest U.S. avalanche in 45 years, second only to one that killed 11 people on Washington's Mt. Rainer in 1981.
2 Mark Zuckerberg Questioned About Social Media Addiction During Trial
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified yesterday in a landmark trial where he denied that Instagram is designed to be addictive to young users, marking his first time testifying about child safety in front of a jury. The consolidated cases involve over 1,600 plaintiffs, including more than 350 families and over 250 school districts, accusing social media platforms of knowingly designing addictive products harmful to young users' mental health. Zuckerberg stated that Meta does not seek to make Instagram addictive, saying if you do something that's not good for people, they won't use it over time. When pressed about whether he believed addictive products increased usage, he said he wasn't sure what to say and doesn't think that applies here. A mother whose daughter died in 2021 said after the testimony that she heard nothing new and that children continue to be harmed.
3 'People's State of the Union': What Democrats plan for Trump's speech
In yet another sign of fading bipartisanship, prominent Democrats are planning a big boycott of President Donald Trump's first official State of the Union address of his second term. Refusing to "legitimize" the Feb. 24 speech, 12 lawmakers said they would skip it and instead hold a rally on the National Mall that they're calling the "People's State of the Union." The list of Democrats includes five senators and seven members of the House of Representatives. MeidasTouch and MoveOn Civic Action, the progressive organizations putting the event together, more guests will be announced.