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The National Labor Review Board (NLRB) has dropped a case accusing SpaceX of illegally firing eight employees who criticized the company's CEO Elon Musk, The New York Times. The employees were originally fired in 2022 after circulating a letter that referenced reports of Musk's sexual misconduct and called the executive "a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment." The NLRB filed a complaint claiming the firing was illegal in 2024.Originally, SpaceX's opposition to the NLRB's case was that the agency is unconstitutional, The New York Times writes. Complaints about the NLRB's independence and power are not uncommon. Amazon has previously claimed that the board's structure "violates the separation of powers," a critique the company has made even more recently about the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The NLRB dismissed its SpaceX case following an even more unusual line of argument, though: that regulating SpaceX actually fell under the jurisdiction of the National Mediation Board, the government agency that handles mediation in the airline and railway industries.Because the company will technically let anyone book a space flight with it, and it operates under a license from the Federal Aviation Administration, SpaceX's lawyers argue it should be treated like an airline. According to The New York Times, the National Mediation Board issued a decision affirming that logic in January, and not long after, the NLRB dismissed its SpaceX case using the same line of thinking.Elon Musk and his companies maintain a close relationship with the Trump administration. Musk spent over $250 million to help re-elect President Donald Trump, and he briefly served as a special government employee overseeing budget cuts and layoffs across various government bodies as part of the Department of Government Efficiency. The NLRB gave up its own authority to regulate, rather than it being stripped of funding or employees, but the decision still fits a larger pattern of independent agencies being disempowered during the second Trump administration.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-nlrb-just-gave-up-on-spacex-workers-who-claim-they-were-illegally-fired-215332847.html?src=rss
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Meta has been going all in on AI, whether people want it or not, and now it's bringing more features in that vein to Facebook. The network's latest move is to let people use Meta AI to animate their profile photos. Because what better way to express your individuality than to use a pre-canned AI-generated animation on your own face?Meta AI is also coming for your Facebook Stories and Memories. The network's Restyle lets you use gen-AI to change up the aesthetic of your posts. You can once again use pre-canned stylings or give the AI assistant your own prompt.In the company's own words, the new tools that will create "share-worthy moments that spark meaningful interactions and conversations with friends." I guess meaning is in the eye of the beholder. If you're desperate to behold even more AI slop, Meta recently said its Vibes feed of exactly that content will be getting a standalone app.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/facebook-is-offering-meta-ai-powered-animations-for-profile-photos-201022506.html?src=rss
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You have likely heard about the masked agents of ICE mucking around in Minnesota for the past few months, resulting in numerous violent incidents and deaths. Itch.io is hosting a bundle to help raise money for the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, which was organized by charity creator Jes Wade. The No ICE in Minnesota bundle includes nearly 1,300 video games and tabletop games and costs just $10, though those with deep pockets can certainly donate more than that. It has a goal of $100,000, which it certainly is on pace to meet. There are some nifty titles here, particularly for those interested in indie puzzle games and life sims. The standout is likely the stellar puzzler Baba Is You, which won the Game Designers Award at the Tokyo Games Show in 2020. This is a game that has to be played to be understood, as players are given the opportunity to change the rules to find novel solutions to complex puzzles. It's very good. The bundle includes the life simulation game Calico, which involves players running a cat cafe on a magical island. The art style is gorgeous and the gameplay is relaxing. Also, calico cats are awesome. Other titles include the bee-collecting sim Apico, the musical sci-fi adventure Periphery Synthetic and the space-based roguelike Hyperspace Dogfights. Scroll through the list to see if anything else strikes your interest, but mark out some time on the calendar first. Scrolling through nearly 1,300 games can take a while. The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota is a nonprofit that provides free representation to low-income immigrants and refugees. The organization also provides support for those who have witnessed violent attacks and advocates for public policies which "respect the universal human rights of immigrants." I live in Minneapolis. ICE is still here in full force, despite the media moving on to shinier objects. We really do need all the help we can get. The long-term presence of these masked, armed agents is really starting to destroy the local economy and many people are quite literally trapped indoors. To say morale is low would be an understatement. Schools are still being raided and people are still being brutally beaten. American citizens are still being arrested for dubious reasons. This is all happening after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. That's why these fundraising bundles on Itch have become so important. They really do shine a light on important topics. This is organizer Jes Wade's second ICE-related bundle, with a former focusing on California relief efforts. There have also been bundles to help raise money for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Community Bail Fund and to raise cash for charities working in Ukraine.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/this-itchio-bundle-to-help-minnesota-includes-over-1200-games-and-costs-just-10-190643987.html?src=rss
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