Today’s Big Story

Apple Apologizes

Technology crushing human creativity? Apple’s new iPad ad has pinched a nerve online.

It’s a little surprising. I saw the early chatter on social media about the new iPad’s commercial (in which a hydraulic press crushes an array of creative instruments), but I figured the controversy would probably blow over before Apple even had to address it. The company has a reputation for not admiting mistakes and isn’t exactly known for apologizing.

However, the backlash grew too large and too loud to ignore. “The ad is a rare fail from a normally flawless advertiser,” Peter Intermaggio, a former marketing and advertising executive, wrote on LinkedIn. He added: For a brand that “elevates creators, this is an ad that celebrates destruction. It is heavy handed and nihilistic.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, the ad (titled “Crush!”) was supposed to emphasize the thinness of the iPad—a point Apple executives highlighted when they unveiled the device—but many saw it as an ominous symbol of the company’s power, the rise of artificial intelligence and its potential to replace human creativity.

But 48 hours after its debut, Apple apologized, telling Ad Age that the commercial “missed the mark.” The spot, which has received millions of views on Apple’s YouTube channel and CEO Tim Cook’s X account, never even made it to TV. And plans for a proper television run have reportedly been scrapped, the company said.

Gizmodo says that old-school Apple commercials, such as the infamous 1984 Super Bowl spot, painted the company as a liberator from tech giants like IBM. Other infamous ad campaigns, such as Think Different, encouraged users to lean into their creativity. Steve Jobs was ostensibly a champion of design and artists. And this ad (and subsequent apology) “comes as many wonder whether Apple is facing a lack of creativity within the company.”

America’s Weapons Freeze Raises Alarm in Israel

Netanyahu vows to defeat Hamas in Rafah despite Biden’s warnings

U.S.-Israel relations have reached a critical crossroads that shows that even President Joe Biden’s staunch support can reach its limits when it starts to conflict with wider American national security and moral interests. Biden has repeatedly warned against a full-scale invasion of Rafah in Gaza, saying that it would cross a “red line”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed Israel can “stand alone”, and promised to fight on. "If we need to ... I have said that if necessary we will fight with our fingernails," he told the BBC. The comments came hours after the UN said more than 80,000 people had fled Rafah since Monday amid constant bombardment and as Israeli tanks massed close to built-up areas.

Israel now has “a choice … to make” on whether it will escalate in Rafah, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) seized control of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt this week—and its leaders have said a full-blown invasion is necessary to eliminate the last Hamas battalions in Gaza. Also on Thursday, IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the military “has the necessary weapons for its planned maneuvers, including in Rafah.”

A Worm Ate RFK Jr.’s Brain?

A parasite expert weighs in and it’s … unpleasant

When I saw a headline about RFK Jr. having a worm in his brain, I just assumed it was a spam story meant to get you to click. But then I kept seeing more and more, from venerable publications and was genuinely shocked. WTF?

“A worm ... got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died.” These are words nobody wants to say. They’re also words you don’t want to hear from a U.S. presidential candidate. But according to a 2012 deposition, uncovered and reviewed by the New York Times, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he sought medical attention after experiencing mental fogginess and memory loss. Eventually, he said, a doctor helped him determine a brain abnormality found on a scan was caused by a worm. He now tells the Times he has recovered with no long lasting consequences.

But could a parasitic worm even cause that kind of damage? One medical expert told Business Insider that Kennedy’s version of events doesn't quite add up. Dr. Janina Caira, a University of Connecticut professor and tapeworm specialist, told BI that Kennedy’s parasite sounds more like the larvae of a pork tapeworm. She said the larvae don't have mouths or digestive systems. Instead, they absorb nutrients through the surface of their bodies. While Caira said it is possible that a worm could do some “mechanical damage” to nearby brain tissue, the larvae are very small, and a single one “would not cause much damage.” As if this election cycle could get any weirder.

Neuralink’s First Brain Implant Has a Problem

It appeared flawless, until it malfunctioned in the weeks following its first in-human procedure

Neuralink encountered a problem with the implant in its first human patient, Noland Arbaugh, that reduced the amount of data it could capture from his brain, the company announced this week.

A number of the chip’s connective threads retracted from Arbaugh’s brain, which hindered the implant’s data speeds and effectiveness. The company offered few details about the incident—including exactly how the threads became detached. As a workaround, Neuralink said it modified the recording algorithm, enhanced the user interface and worked to increase its performance even further. Neuralink reportedly considered removing the implant, but the problem hasn’t posed a direct risk to Arbaugh’s safety.

Even with the implant’s degraded capabilities, Neuralink was able to pull off a live demonstration of Arbaugh playing chess, a leap in the capabilities for a brain-computer interface technology. This past Saturday night Arbaugh also livestreamed himself on X using the implant to navigate around his computer screen and play games. Still, we’re a long way from seeing the chip available to the public. Before Neuralink’s brain implants hit the broader market, they’ll need broader regulatory approval. But Neuralink has already received Food and Drug Administration clearance for trials and has told the agency about this new issue.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Doctor Who’ + a Pimm’s Cup Cocktail

Doctor Who is a series that's been around in one way or another since 1963. And while that’s nothing for a Time Lord, that’s a very long time for a television show. It also means that there has been a lot of Doctors. Now, the fifteenth Doctor is here, streaming on Disney+, and as The Guardian put it: He’s a dazzling, all-singing, all-dancing delight.

Ncuti Gatwa’s eagerly anticipated turn as the time-traveling alien has received glowing reviews from critics. Now that the British show is officially a Disney+ series, it’s bigger and splashier but has retained the voice that’s made it so beloved. Variety called the show “audacious” and praised Gatwa’s “megawatt smile” as he “dives into the role, delivering a refreshing dynamism that makes the season a uniquely mesmerizing watch.”

Embrace the life lessons.