Health: 23andMe Files for Bankruptcy, Causing Customers to Rush to Delete their Data
23andMe, a genetic testing company that analyzes customer’s DNA samples to uncover their ancestry and possible health risks, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday. The company hopes to seek new ownership through such protections. According to CNBC, this transfer could potentially risk the genetic data of over 15 million users. Concerns about the company’s security have already been raised when the company faced a data breach in 2023, exposing the genetic information of around 7 million customers. Several warnings from experts and officials, such as the one from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, have resulted in a stampede of customers rushing to delete their data. According to The Wall Street Journal, the high volume of traffic directed at the 23andMe website resulted in hours of wait time before customers were able to delete their information. Some reported that they received several errors before successfully deleting their data, while others still haven’t been able to delete their data due to two-factor verification errors.
Conflict: Protests in Turkey over Arrest of the Mayor of Istanbul
Since the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19th, protests have surged across Turkey. According to CNN, Imamoglu was arrested for charges of corruption right before his nomination to be a candidate in the 2028 presidential election. According to DW News, Imamoglu has denied the charges against him, attributing them to Turkey growing more and more authoritarian over the years. In a post on X, Imamoglu said, “We will, hand in hand, uproot this blow, this black stain on our democracy… I am standing tall, I will not bow down.” Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s current president, claimed that the protests were a “movement of violence.” Erdogan’s crackdown on the protest has led to the arrest of more than 1,100 people and about 10 journalists. The arrests have sparked outrage among crowds, with some claiming that these arrests are an attack on freedom of the press.
War and Conflict: Israel Approves a Proposal to Facilitate Emigration of Palestinians from Gaza
Israel’s security cabinet recently approved a proposal to enable Palestinians to emigrate from Gaza. According to CNN, Defense Minister Katz, the creator of the proposal, suggested “a voluntary transfer for Gaza residents who express interest in moving to third countries.” In order to accomplish this, Israel would establish an administration “to prepare and facilitate the safe and controlled movement of Gaza residents.” In response to President Trump’s intervention in the conflict, Israel ensured that they would attempt to align with his visions. For other middle eastern countries, however, Israel’s proposal may spell trouble. CNN states that particularly Egypt and Jordan are unwilling to accept immigrants from Gaza as these countries believe the flow of immigrants would threaten security and further destabilize the country.
Trump has decided to backtrack on his original comments about displacing the civilians of Gaza, telling the press that “nobody is expelling any Palestinians.” Critics of the proposal said that regardless of the proposal being voluntary or not, life in Gaza is inhabitable and extremely hard, and mass displacement of Gaza residents could result in ethnic cleansing, which under international law is considered to be a crime against humanity.
Politics: Trump Administration Accidentally Leaks its Yemen War Plans to Journalist
An encrypted group chat with senior members of the Trump Administration, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, was accidentally shared with Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Atlantic. The conversations were held on Signal, a commercial messaging app, and included legitimate planned raids on Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen. According to BBC News, President Trump defended the incident, stating that “There was no classified information, as I understand it.” Mr. Hegseth followed up on Trump’s statement, calling Mr. Goldberg a “deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist,” reported ABC news. On the other hand, Democrats have been calling for investigations into the leak of sensitive material. According to The New York Times, some people have called attention to the White House’s attempts to downplay the situation, bringing up old clips of Trump allies criticizing Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state.
Culture: K-pop Group NewJeans Announce a Hiatus After Court Fight with Label
The South Korean K-pop group NewJeans announced a hiatus from all activities after a court ruled against them in their dispute with their record label ADOR. According to Time Magazine, the five member group left their label late last year, citing workplace harassment and discrimination. The group performed for the first time under the new name “NJZ” at a sold-out performance in Hong Kong, though their plans for a comeback were cut short by the injunction filed by ADOR. After the debuting of their new song, Pit Stop, the group members read a speech declaring their hiatus in front of a crowd of 11,000 fans, according to BBC. Currently, the group is facing a legal battle with ADOR over the legitimacy of their contract termination, with the first hearing being set for April 3.
