World News of the Week (WNW) with Maya and Dad

Donald Trump is famously tight-fisted, but last week, he had a tantrum in court that cost him $83.5 million dollars. He persistently claimed he was a victim, while blaming a woman he was found criminally liable for sexually assaulting. EJ Carroll took the high road and triumphed, and wait until you hear what she is planning to do with Trump's money! What happens now? What if he wins on appeal? What if he dies? What does Nikki Haley have to say about this? What do his supporters have to say... We discuss it all on WNW! 

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Why is the New York Times suing OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT? ChatGPT is a large language model which draws from countless sources... including the NYT. Does it legally need the Times' permission to draw from its articles?  Is it unfairly leveraging the NYT's catalogue? If the NYT wins the enormous damages it is asking for...what does that mean for artificial intelligence? Does this open the door for any source to sue to Open AI? How does Congress get involved to manage a "fair use" dispute? It's a complicated one, this week on WNW! 

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There is a first in the nation presidential primary coming up next door to us and we felt we should listen. We went to a Nikki Haley rally in Rochester, New Hampshire and learned a lot. We saw the retail nature of presidential politics - shaking hands and kissing babies -- and we got to interview the Governor of New Hampshire, Chris Sununu and other rally attendees. What a night! 

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Who knows what 2024 will bring? Well, maybe all of our guests from 2023 do. We bring back Zach, Ian, Eamon, Hattie, Shelby, Margaux and Leo and welcome Michael, Dan and Uncle Benji, who share their thoughts on everything from politics to sports to entertainment. Here is to an awesome 2024!  

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Did you know that in the week after Christmas, US consumers make so many returns that if we had just redirected those funds,  we could have instead built 5 brand new hospitals in each state! Buying stuff online has become so easy, but there are real costs - wasted products and packaging, higher prices and more! With our guest Margaux, we discuss the problem and try to think of some solutions! 

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The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump is ineligible to be President. Why? Well, Maya once again reads from the constitution (and then translates it into plain English) to explain the law of the land. In this case, the constitution bars an insurrectionist from being President. But, is Trump considered an insurrectionist by the law? Or, must it be proven in court before he can be removed from the ballot in Colorado and elsewhere? This one is likely heading to the US supreme court, which will determine whether Trump can indeed stay on the ballot in Colorado and  across the country. Before it gets there, WNW weighs in.... 

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This week, after much criticized testimony before Congress, University of Pennsylvania President, Elizabeth Magill, was forced to resign. Was this fair? Right? Should it have happened sooner... or not at all? As President, Magill had to walk a fine line between allowing free speech on campus and protecting Jewish students from hate speech. Other President's survived their testimony, but Magill made one big mistake...which we discuss on this week's WNW with Maya and Dad.

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The NBA plays 82 games and it crowns a champion. Now, it will also crown another champion earlier in the season? What is going on? Will anyone care? Will this draw more fans earlier and keep them watching? Could this serve as a model to invigorate the grueling 162 game baseball season or 82 game hockey season? Our guest, passionate sports fan, Ian G., shares his firm views and makes some bold predictions about the future of the tournament. 

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Maya and Dad roamed the streets of Newton and Boston, asking the simple question, "What are you grateful for?" We got some fantastic answers! 

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We are joined by Conor & Eamon - brothers and excellent researchers - who helped us delve into the Biden administration's push to get more EVs on the road. Conor, Eamon and Maya explain how the Inflation Reduction Act is creating more supply and providing incentives for consumers as well. We also ask... are EVs truly better for the environment? No easy answers but Conor, Eamon and Maya certainly get the conversation started!

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