Latest Stories from Charlie
Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ+ bill officially comes into law
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed a new anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law, which declares any ‘engagement in acts of homosexuality’ as a punishable offence. It proves that LGBTQ+ rights and legal protection are still intense issues that must be fought for. Uganda has passed a controversial new bill that imposes a range of harsh punishments for homosexual acts and any alliance with LGBTQ+ causes. Signed on 26th May 2023 by...
Nintendo latest company to end trading in Russia
Russian gamers will no longer be able to purchase digital games from the Nintendo store, as it ‘winds down’ operations. Nintendo has become the latest company to cease operations within Russia entirely, after suspending product shipments in March 2022. Russian consumers will no longer be able to purchase games digitally via Nintendo’s online shopfront. They will still be able to re-download previously purchased content, but cannot make any new payments nor...
Should we put restrictions on AI in music?
An anonymous artist called ‘ghostwriter’ created a song using AI-generated vocals from Drake and The Weeknd. It gained over 250,000 streams overnight before it was pulled from Spotify. Is this the start of an AI takeover in music? A song made using AI-generated vocals from The Weeknd and Drake was pulled from Spotify last week after amassing over 250,000 streams in a few days. Posted by an artist called ‘ghostwriter’, the...
MTV News becomes latest outlet to permanently shut down
The beloved, old-school division MTV News has shut down for good. It follows Vice, Vox, Buzzfeed, CNN, and others in laying off staff and shrinking workforces, leaving a gap in legitimate news coverage that caters to younger audiences. MTV News has officially closed down. Once a hub for older millennials and young Gen Xers, it was a cultural staple for information and journalism in the 1990s. Featuring musicians, young reporters,...
How is Facebook hoping to bring back alienated Gen Zers?
Facebook has fallen out of favour with young consumers. Once seen as the defining social media platform, it is now associated with misinformation, privacy breaches, and older people. Is there any way back? If you’re an older Gen Zers or younger Millennial, you may remember a time when Facebook was the place to be. In the late noughties and early tens, Zuckerberg’s social media unicorn was the spearhead for a cultural...
Google launches new AI tool PaLM 2
In an attempt to keep up with the competition, Google has announced PaLM 2, a ‘next-generation language model’ that will be available for many of its upcoming products. It will be in direct competition with services like Midjourney and DALL-E. Google is attempting to throw itself back to the forefront of AI tools and services. Despite years of AI research and in-house work, the company has been unable to create popular...
Ed Sheeran wins lawsuit against Marvin Gaye’s heirs for copyright
The world-renowned singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has faced multiple legal allegations of theft, most notably for his single ‘Thinking Out Loud.’ His win clears him of any wrongdoing, and ensures other artists are still free to use chord progressions in any manner they see fit. Ed Sheeran has won a court case in New York this week and was ruled not liable for copyright infringement. He was accused of ‘ripping...
Report says recession leaving Gen Z the worst off
A cost of living crisis, stagnant wages, and shrinking economies are leaving young people worst off, according to a new study. Many Gen Zers are unable to save or invest for the future. This may not come as much of a surprise, but it turns out Gen Z may be financially struggling more than any other generation. New survey data from financial services company DailyPay found that only 28% of...
GaeaStar’s new coffee cups are made using only clay
San Francisco and Germany-based startup GaeaStar has developed a new disposable coffee cup made from clay. It can be thrown on the ground and discarded with no negative effect on the environment. Most of the time, throwing used coffee cups on the ground and walking away is selfish, lazy, and deserving of criticism. However, these new clay coffee cups created by startup GaeaStar could be the exception to the rule....
Should we criticise musicians for entering high luxury fashion?
Frank Ocean’s $27,000 USD sex toy left many fans disappointed and muddled. At what point does a popular musician’s entry into fashion and other high-end avenues become exploitative? Frank Ocean unveiled a $27,000 USD male genital sex toy last year - complete with a nude photography demonstration, obviously - leaving many fans feeling deflated. It’s been six years since the release of Ocean’s last full length LP Blonde, which has...
