Newark's Turbulence Raises Broader Air Safety Concerns

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Newark's Turbulence Raises Broader Air Safety Concerns

What's going on: Air traffic control? Try, out of control. Last week, a 90-second communication blackout at a Philly airspace monitoring center triggered chaos at Newark Airport. The outage left controllers unable to see, hear, or speak to incoming planes — 15 to 20 of which were in the air during that window. Several controllers have since taken leave under a federal policy for workers who experience traumatic events on the job. And this job? Already a pressure cooker. Newark, a major East Coast hub, has now faced delays for over eight days, and some airlines have scaled back their flights due to air traffic control staffing and equipment issues. One Newark controller told NBC News similar outages have happened at least two other times since August.

What it means: The incident adds to a string of aviation system failures: A deadly collision in DC, growing doubts over the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) aging infrastructure, and an ongoing staffing crisis that shows no sign of easing. With summer travel about to take off, officials warn more outages are possible unless the FAA gets a major tech and staffing overhaul. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says replacing some of the outdated systems could take three to four years. Senate Democrats are pointing fingers at the Trump administration’s cuts to FAA safety staff, saying those decisions weakened the system. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is now calling for an investigation, warning that what happened at Newark could be “a harbinger” of a national crisis.

Related: Two More Planes Clipped Wings, the Second Such Incident In the Last Month (NYT Gift Link)

Technology

This AI App Is Keeping the Receipts

What's going on: Meta’s AI app is here to chat, help, and remember — maybe a little too well. Launched earlier this week, the app shot up on the iPhone download charts by promising a more “personalized” AI experience that “gets to know your preferences.” But that familiarity starts even before you type a single word. The AI bot pulls insights from your digital footprint across its sister apps, Facebook and Instagram. (But if you don’t want to hand over years of likes, clicks, and scrolls, you can always create a new account.) Once you start chatting, it builds a “memory” file that logs your interests and personal details, often without clearly asking for permission. While users can manually delete conversations, anything shared — including chats, voice memos, and images — is saved and used to train future AI models. For US users, there’s no way to opt out. So if you’re prone to oversharing, consider yourself warned.

What it means: Meta’s push for a personalized AI experience raises significant privacy concerns. Critics warn that AI models can sometimes “leak” training data in future conversations. That’s why one data privacy expert told The Washington Post he would only use AI chatbots “for surface-level, fun prompts.” Even Meta’s own terms of service urge caution: Don’t share anything you wouldn't want AIs to use and keep. Beyond privacy, experts are worried about the psychological impact of bots that feel like companions — which can be particularly harmful to vulnerable users. Some experts warn these models might subtly influence behavior based on data users didn’t know they were giving up.

Related: Hard Pass: Meet the AI Holdouts (BBC)

Religion 

A Conclave for the Social Media Age

What's going on: From “Keeping up with the Conclave” jokes to “Pope Games” explainers, much of social media seems to be fixated on who will become the Catholic Church’s new leader. The public’s interest in the conclave, which starts today at the Sistine Chapel, has even inspired cardinals to post. They’re crafting their own explainers, sharing information about the church, and taking the occasional selfie. For instance, New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan now has 300,000 followers on X, and he’s been tweeting live from Rome, juxtaposing what will be a highly secretive process. Despite the posts, these wannabe-popes don’t seem to be using social media to boost their prospects, at least not overtly.

What it means: Although both Pope Francis and Benedict embraced digital media, Catholic Church analysts say this conclave has brought a new level of online engagement. It’s part of a broader effort by the church, as it tries to reach new audiences with Christianity on the decline. Experts say the change makes it easier than ever for Catholics to connect with leaders at the highest levels of their religion. They can essentially “choose their own cardinal” to follow, swiping through potential pontiffs like they’re browsing a holy Hinge. Of course, these followers won’t actually make the final choice. The real pope vote stays analog (cardinals won’t have access to their phones) — and breaking the conclave’s secrecy rules could get cardinals excommunicated. In other words, expect them to stay dark on the bulk of what happens. 

Related: Cardinals Watched “Conclave” (The Movie) To Prepare for the Actual Thing (Politico)

Highlight Reel

BY SKIMM SPORTS

The week's sports news and culture stories, ranked.

Hang it in the Louvre: Katie Ledecky just set a new world record, beating her old time nearly a decade later. Talk about being your own best competition.

Winning: Proud mom moment — Naomi Osaka won her first WTA title since welcoming her child.

The rest is still unwritten: Natasha Bedingfield’s surprise locker room performance is the piece of nostalgia you need.

AI’s in play: NBC will use the AI-generated voice of Jim Fagan, a sports announcer who died in 2017, for its NBA coverage. We really are in the future.

Settle This

One company's $36k childcare stipend is making headlines. How many US companies actually offer one?

Extra Credit

Eat

If you've recently been to your local farmer's market, you already know that Rhubarb Season has arrived — in all its pink, celery-looking glory. The only rational next step? Whipping up Smitten Kitchen's Rhubarb Snacking Cake, featuring layers of buttery yellow cake, delightfully jammy rhubarb, and perfectly toasty brown sugar crumble, which, we should warn you, is impossible not to eat (speaking from experience). Part buckle, part streusel cake, and part crumb bar, the simple-yet-impressive dessert is best enjoyed off a napkin in the backyard — if not straight from the pan. No judgment.

Game Time

Looking for a crossword that’s not impossible to solve? You’re in luck. This one even offers hints when you get stuck. The faster you finish, the better your score — and the more impressed the group chat will be. Go on.