All articles tagged with #society
Paris Marx and James Vincent discuss why there’s a surge in humanoid robots, the incentives behind pursuing an all‑purpose machine, how close researchers are to realizing it, and the potential social implications if such robots become widespread.
A San Francisco retiree wired more than $500,000 to a woman he met online after months of romance, believing they’d start a new life together. The scam, a so-called pig-butchering scheme leveraging crypto promises, led funds to overseas accounts in Malaysia and Vietnam. Despite repeated warnings from family and friends and alerts to authorities, the victim pressed on, later realizing the supposed multi-million crypto stash required a $25,000 unlock fee and that he’d been scammed. The case highlights how persistent online romance scams can drain life savings even in the face of clear red flags.
Experts say suicides linked to domestic abuse in England and Wales are vastly undercounted, with Kent research suggesting as many as 1,500 such deaths annually—far higher than the 2024 NPCC figure of 98 suspected cases. Campaigners blame narrow official criteria and gaps in multi-agency investigations, urging all suspected cases be treated as potential homicides to preserve evidence and improve protection for victims. While a few prosecutions have occurred, many cases see no charges, prompting calls for a national taskforce and systemic reform to ensure accountability and prevent deaths in the first place.
An UnHerd piece examines the cultural fascination with peptide-based body enhancements and the potential health and societal consequences, questioning the long‑term effects of optimization, the costs to public health systems, and the social pressure to alter our bodies in pursuit of a hyper‑enhanced ideal.
Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, the 16-year-old daughter of Ruben Torres Maldonado who was detained by ICE outside a Niles Home Depot, died after a battle with stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Three days before her death, a Chicago immigration judge ruled that her father was conditionally entitled to cancellation of removal, providing a path to permanent residence; Ofelia attended the hearing by Zoom as her family mourns her passing and ICE proceedings continue.
During Super Bowl Week, visitors to San Francisco express admiration for its beauty and cleanliness while acknowledging ongoing issues with homelessness, drugs, and crime; locals and visitors alike say the city feels safe and lively, with events like Bad Bunny look-alikes in the Mission District and other festivities, suggesting SF remains a popular destination despite headlines.
A Burson survey for the Jewish Federations of North America finds only 37% of American Jews identify as Zionist, even as 88% say Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish, democratic state and about 70% feel emotionally attached to Israel. The study shows divergent, ill-defined views of Zionism across ages, with younger Jews less likely to call themselves Zionists and notable intra-Jewish divisions about Israel’s policies, underscoring a push for dialogue rather than simple labeling or confrontation.
BBC data show the number of refugee households in England that are homeless or at risk rose from 3,560 in 2021/22 to 19,310 in 2024/25 — a five-fold increase likely linked to the 28-day move-on rule from asylum accommodation and delays in asylum decisions. Charities warn the true scale may be higher than official counts, with London and the North West most affected; dramatic rises are seen in areas like Hillingdon. Critics urge long-term policy reforms and more temporary housing to relieve stretched local services while the government says it is working toward quicker decisions and better-supported housing for refugees.
Shirley Raines, known as 'Ms. Shirley' to her 5+ million TikTok followers, used Beauty 2 The Streetz to bring meals, haircuts, hygiene supplies and dignity to people experiencing homelessness on Skid Row and other California and Nevada communities; she died at 58, with her organization saying more details would be shared as they become available.
29-year-old Bay Area-born chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky died on Oct 19, 2025 in Charlotte, NC, from an accidental overdose, with toxicology showing meth and psychoactive kratom ingredients in his system, according to a North Carolina medical examiner.
London solicitor Michael Baron co-founded the National Autistic Society in 1962 and led campaigns that expanded understanding and services for autism, including creating the UK’s first autism-specific school in 1965 and the first autism residential community in 1974. He helped push the Education (Handicapped Children) Act 1970, earned an MBE in 1980, and dedicated his life to improving opportunities for autistic people and their families. He died aged 96 in 2025.
Americans over 70 control about $53 trillion in wealth and are prime targets for financial scams; the article urges empathetic, proactive engagement with aging relatives, due diligence, and outside help—such as AARP's BankSafe Initiative—to prevent financial missteps, while noting that family dynamics can both aid and impede timely interventions.
A Moore County, NC woman, Heather Ammel, sues former U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema for alienation of affection, alleging Sinema had a romantic relationship with Ammel's husband, who served on Sinema's security detail, contributing to the couple's separation on Nov. 1, 2024 and her divorce filing on Jan. 7, 2025; the suit seeks more than $25,000 in compensatory and punitive damages. Sinema left the Senate in 2025 and now works for Hogan Lovells.
Claudette Colvin, who at age 15 refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus and later became a plaintiff in a suit that helped desegregate public transportation, has died at 86 in Texas. Her bold act preceded Rosa Parks and helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott, though her contribution is often overlooked by history.
Claudette Colvin, who at age 15 refused to give up her Montgomery bus seat nine months before Rosa Parks and helped spark the desegregation of U.S. buses, has died at 86. Her 1955 arrest remained largely unknown for decades, and she later became a nurse in New York; the following year the Supreme Court ruled to end bus segregation, and her legacy is honored by the Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation in Texas.