Good morning readers. Google just released their 2023 Year in Search, painting a vivid picture of global and national curiosities. Topping the charts is the Israel-Hamas war, reflecting a worldwide quest to understand the conflict's nuances. Following this, the Titan submersible's implosion and the catastrophic Turkey-Syria earthquake in February were also top global news interests. Domestically, notable searches included Damar Hamlin's NFL injury, the deaths of celebrities like Matthew Perry, and the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. Trending names included Jeremy Renner, Andrew Tate, Kylian Mbappé, and Travis Kelce. The year also saw unique searches in language and slang, with “Rizz” topping the list.

Let’s jump into today’s storylines.

In today’s digest:

• Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google

• Headline Hustle: COP28 negotiators soften language for phasing out fossil fuel, Alexei Navalny goes missing in Russian prison, UAW files charges against Honda, Hyundai and VW

• How rich alumni ousted Penn’s President Liz Magill

• Pulse Points: What’s Trending

TECHNOLOGY

Epic Games wins big: Google's App Store practices ruled illegal

In a landmark legal battle that might be more gripping than the latest season of The Crown, Google has hit a significant stumbling block. The tech behemoth found itself on the losing side of an antitrust lawsuit spearheaded by Epic Games, the brains behind the popular game Fortnite. It appears that even giants can falter, especially when a San Francisco jury, after a mere four hours of deliberation, gives a unanimous nod to the underdog.

Landing a knockout blow

Epic Games hailed the decision as a victory for both app developers and consumers, asserting that Google's practices in its app store were not only illegal but also an abuse of monopoly power. Their argument centered around Google's stifling of competition, hindering innovation, and imposing hefty fees on developers. In response, Google has vowed to appeal, maintaining that its Android and Google Play platforms offer more choice and openness than other mobile ecosystems.

The implications of this verdict are profound.

• U.S. District Judge James Donato is set to decide on the remedies for Epic Games next year.

• While the specifics of these remedies are still uncertain, they could significantly reshape Google's future operations within the app marketplace.

A pivotal moment in the trial came when it was revealed that Google had deleted relevant employee chat logs, leading the judge to instruct the jury to assume that this missing information would have been detrimental to Google's defense. This revelation, coupled with insights into Google's practices within the Android software ecosystem, painted a picture of a company wielding significant power through agreements with smartphone manufacturers and initiatives like "Project Hug," aimed at discouraging the development of rival app stores.

It’s a long road ahead for Google. This case is just one facet of Google's mounting antitrust challenges. The company is already grappling with a major trial concerning its dominant search engine and facing legal scrutiny over its advertising technology business. This legal battle against Google, part of a broader campaign challenging the fees imposed on mobile app developers by giants like Google and Apple, signals a growing discontent with the market power of these tech behemoths.

Headline Hustle

🇦🇪 At COP28, negotiators soften language for fossil fuel phaseout. In a twist at COP28, hopes for a fossil fuel phaseout were dampened as UAE negotiators proposed a milder approach, pleasing major oil producers but frustrating climate frontrunners. The revised draft suggests renewable energy and carbon capture as alternatives, diverging from the U.S.-China Sunnylands agreement's bolder stance. As tensions rise, countries committed to a phaseout voice strong opposition, with the Marshall Islands minister notably outspoken. The debate centers on balancing current technologies against urgent emission reductions, with the world anxiously awaiting COP28's final decision.

🇷🇺 Putin critic Alexei Navalny goes missing from prison. In a concerning development, Alexei Navalny, Russia's prominent opposition leader, has vanished from his penal colony, sparking alarm in Washington. Navalny, a vocal critic of President Putin, has been incommunicado for nearly a week. Despite his lawyers' inquiries, his exact location remains a mystery. The U.S. State Department expressed deep concern for his well-being, emphasizing their communication with Russian officials. Navalny's absence coincides with his deteriorating health in prison and his ongoing efforts to challenge Putin, including launching the "Russia Without Putin" website. The international community watches closely, holding Russia accountable for Navalny's safety.

🚗 UAW files charges against Honda, Hyundai, and Volkswagen. The United Auto Workers (UAW) has filed charges against Honda, Hyundai, and Volkswagen with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging unlawful interference in worker organizing. The union accuses these automakers of engaging in "union-busting" activities at their Indiana, Alabama, and Tennessee facilities, respectively. Allegations include surveillance, confiscating and destroying pro-union materials, and harassment of pro-union workers. While Hyundai and Honda deny these claims, Volkswagen pledges a serious investigation. This development comes amidst UAW's broader campaign to unionize nonunion automakers in the U.S., a strategic move by UAW President Shawn Fain to expand union influence beyond the traditional "Big Three" automakers.

EDUCATION

When academia meets activism

At the University of Pennsylvania, a storm brewed over allegations of antisemitism, culminating in the resignation of President Liz Magill and Chairman Scott Bok. This controversy, rooted in the October 7 attacks in Israel, has cast a spotlight on the uneasy relationship between academia and its benefactors, and the challenges of navigating campus culture in today's climate.

Alumni flex their financial muscles. In a move reminiscent of Wall Street's boardroom battles, prominent alumni, including some from the Wharton School of Business, launched a campaign demanding the resignation of the university's top brass. Their ultimatum: address their concerns or face a financial drought.

The tipping point came with President Magill's congressional statement, where she suggested that labeling calls for genocide against Jews as harassment “depended on context.” This controversial stance went viral, igniting intense backlash. Following the furor, both Magill and Bok opted to step down.

Reflecting a deeper divide. But this episode at Penn is more than a leadership shuffle; it's a mirror reflecting the deepening divide in higher education. It raises questions about the balance between progressive campus ideologies and the expectations of alumni, who increasingly view their financial contributions as leverage in university governance.

Presidents at other schools are feeling the pressure too: Harvard University's governing board convened a meeting to address demands for the removal of President Claudine Gay after her recent congressional testimony on antisemitism drew criticism as well.

SNIPPETS

Pulse Points

• Netflix will broadcast a one-night tennis exhibition match featuring Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz as part of the streaming company's expansion into live sports.

• Hasbro is reducing its workforce by nearly 20% (1,100 jobs) due to ongoing weak sales in toys and games during the crucial holiday shopping season.

• A District of Columbia jury is deliberating whether Rudy Giuliani should pay millions in damages for falsely accusing two Georgia election workers of rigging the 2020 presidential election.

• The Air Force disciplined 15 officers for dereliction of duty after an investigation revealed failures in detecting Airman First Class Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman charged with mishandling classified information, for months.

• Ford Motor will reduce its planned production of the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup by approximately half next year, a significant reversal from the automaker's earlier expansion of plant capacity for the electric vehicle in 2023.

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