Stormy Daniels, Whale Blabber, and Robot Snails

Stormy Takes the Stand

Adult film star Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, testified yesterday in a criminal trial against former President Donald Trump, detailing for jurors a supposed 2006 extramarital affair between the two and a subsequent hush money payment. See key takeaways here.

The case centers on a $130K payment made to Daniels by Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election in exchange for Daniels staying quiet about the alleged affair (see timeline). Trump faces charges for allegedly breaking campaign finance laws by falsely listing a reimbursement payment to Cohen as a legal expense, which prosecutors argue was meant to conceal the hush money. Trump denies allegations of the affair, which first arose in 2018. Trump, now 77, and Daniels, now 45, allegedly met at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, in 2006. 

Trump's attorneys sought a mistrial over portions of Daniels' testimony, which they say differed from prior public statements and went beyond the scope of the trial; the trial judge denied their motion.

In related news, the trial against the former president over charges he improperly took classified documents after leaving office was postponed indefinitely, with the presiding judge citing a backlog of pretrial matters. 

The ABCs of Sperm Whales

Sperm whales employ a system of communication much more sophisticated than previously believed, researchers revealed yesterday, using the equivalent of a phonetic alphabet that varies depending on context. The new study analyzed nearly 9,000 codas—short bursts of clicks—using AI to uncover vocal patterns and potential meanings in how the animals signaled to each other in their deep-sea environment.

The team of marine biologists and computer scientists found the phonetic alphabet of sperm whales features 18 rhythms, five tempos, three types of rubato (variation in duration), and two extra clicks called ornamentation, which are modified depending on conversational context. Using machine learning algorithms, the scientists identified 143 regularly used combinations they believe structure a form of phonetic alphabet. They are now exploring whether these signals convey specific intentions, like making group decisions or coordinating hunts.

Scientists hope, with the help of AI, to eventually be able to communicate with the whales, which would be the first time humans have spoken with another species.

Boy Scouts Rebrand

Boy Scouts of America announced yesterday it would change its name to Scouting America in February of next year, the first rebrand in its 114-year history. Membership in the youth organization known for outdoor activities and patriotic values has halved in the last decade to 1 million, below its 1972 peak of 5 million.

The news comes as the BSA grapples with a yearslong bankruptcy process prompted by thousands of allegations of sexual abuse of its youth members by at least 7,200 individual adult group leaders, with some cases dating back to the 1960s. The organization agreed to contribute—alongside insurance companies—to a $2.4B settlement fund last year to compensate the over 82,000 men who have submitted claims of abuse. It marks the largest payout in a sexual abuse lawsuit in history. 

The name change follows the organization's decision to allow girls of every age to join in 2019. Boy Scouts of America is a separate organization from the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.

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