Giuliani lawsuit, digital vs. text learning, and strange world records.

Adam Rogers
December 16, 2023

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Today’s Big Story

Rudy Giuliani is now on the hook for nearly $150 million in damages for defaming election workers.

What's Happening: Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani has been ordered by a jury to pay $148 million in damages for defaming two Georgia election workers as part of his alleged attempts to undermine the 2020 presidential election results. The election workers were seeking between $15.5 million and $43 million in damages from the former New York city mayor.
Background: The defamation lawsuit, filed in 2021 by two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, targeted Giuliani and the One America News Network. It revolved around baseless claims of ballot fraud made by Giuliani, leading to a barrage of threats and harassment against Freeman and Moss. Giuliani was found liable for defamation, with a federal judge emphasizing his failure to produce relevant records and evidence during the trial.
Looking Ahead: Giuliani's legal troubles extend beyond this case; he is a defendant in former President Trump's Georgia election interference criminal case and is implicated in Trump's federal election interference case. The awarded damages add to Giuliani's financial burden—he had already been ordered to pay legal fees and sanctions earlier in the year.

The Israeli military accidentally killed three Israeli hostages during a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. IDF troops mistakenly identified the hostages as a threat, and it remains unclear if they had escaped their captors or were abandoned. The incident occurred in the Shijaiyah area of Gaza City, where intense battles against Hamas militants have been taking place. (More)

The Biden administration has warned Houthi rebels in Yemen through multiple channels to cease their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and on Israel. These warnings come as the Houthi attacks escalate, posing a growing threat to ships navigating a key commercial shipping route in the region. Notably, the Houthis have launched over 70 drones and ballistic missiles toward Israel during the Israel-Hamas war, despite being over 1,000 miles away from the fighting. (More)

A University of Valencia study found that reading on paper improves text comprehension more than reading on digital devices. Analyzing over two dozen studies, researchers found a stronger correlation between reading printed texts and comprehension compared to digital reading habits. Spending 10 hours reading books on paper may lead to 6 to 8 times greater comprehension than reading on digital devices. (More)

A judge ruled that journalists and investigators for the Daily Mirror unlawfully hacked Prince Harry's phone, violating his privacy. Justice Timothy Fancourt found that phone hacking was commonplace at Mirror Group Newspapers and its executives were involved in covering it up. This marks a significant legal win for Prince Harry, who has been in conflict with the British press over privacy issues. (More)

A multibillion-dollar deal is in the works between a group of U.S. sports team owners (including those from the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Falcons, and Boston Celtics) and the PGA Tour. The agreement with Strategic Sports Group is expected to bring over $3 billion into a new for-profit entity named PGA Tour Enterprises. Additionally, there are ongoing negotiations for a similar deal with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. (More)

A Satanic Temple display was vandalized inside the Iowa Capitol by Michael Cassidy, a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot running for a Mississippi statehouse seat. The display is permitted under Capitol rules but faced conservative criticism, including from Ron DeSantis. The Satanic Temple reported the destruction on Facebook, stating the statue was "destroyed beyond repair." Cassidy, 35, was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and released after being arrested. (More)

Madhav Lavakare, a 23-year-old computer science student at Yale University, has created an inventive augmented reality device called TranscribeGlass. This device can be attached to any pair of glasses and is designed to help people with hearing impairments by projecting real-time subtitles into their field of vision. The inspiration behind his creation came from seeing a friend struggle with hearing loss, leading to their decision to drop out of school. (More)

Cody Two Bears, a member of the Sioux tribe, founded Indigenized Energy to install solar farms on Native American reservations, addressing poverty and electricity access issues. Two Bears aims to shift tribal reliance from the U.S. government through solar power. (More)

Students at Thomas Jefferson University modified lantern toys to improve accessibility for children with disabilities. They replaced small, difficult-to-press buttons with larger, 3D-printed alternatives. The students collaborated with TechOWL at Temple University to give the adapted toys to children in Philadelphia. (More)

Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the federal government has designated $110 million in grants to finance 19 wildlife crossing initiatives nationwide. These projects aim to cut down on deadly collisions between vehicles and animals by constructing wildlife crossings near high-traffic roads, installing fencing, and utilizing tracking and mapping tools. (More)

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