Three things for November 3
1. Boston and Cincinnati elect first Asian American mayors
On Tuesday, Nov. 2, Boston voters tapped City Councilor Michelle Wu, 36, to serve in the city’s top political office. In Cincinnati, Aftab Pureval, 39, defeated former Democratic Congressman David Mann.
“Asian Americans will serve as mayor in Boston and Cincinnati for the first time in both cities’ histories, signaling political progress for a population that has struggled for almost two years with a rise in anti-Asian hate,” reports AP News.
“Tonight, we made history in Cincinnati,” said Pureval. “Cincinnati is a place where no matter what you look like, where you’re from, or how much money you have, if you come here and work hard you can achieve your dreams.”
In another notable win Tuesday, Dearborn, Michigan, elected state lawmaker Abdullah Hammoud as the city’s first Arab American mayor. According to AP News, Dearborn has one of the largest Arab American populations in the nation.
Varun Nikore, Asian American and Pacific Islander Victory Fund president, called Wu’s and Pureval’s wins “a new day in America at the local level.”
“This is now a newfound path for AAPIs to engage in public service,” Nikore said. “I think it’s going to be a beacon for those who [want to] run for local office.”
2. US Navy has determined the USS Connecticut ran aground an uncharted seamount
On Oct. 2, the Seawolf-class submarine USS Connecticut was operating in the South China Sea when it struck an underwater object and was forced to surface before heading for Guam to make repairs. At the time of the accident, the Navy was unsure what the Connecticut hit.
According to defense officials, a command investigation into the collision was completed last week, and the results were submitted to Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, commander of the Seventh Fleet.
“The investigation determined USS Connecticut grounded on an uncharted seamount while operating in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Commander Hayley Sims.
There were no injuries reported because of the collision; however, the forward hull of the sub was damaged. There was also damage to the ballast system, causing the Connecticut to make the week-long voyage to Guam on the surface.
The sub is currently at Naval Base Guam, undergoing initial repairs overseen by Naval Sea Systems Command.
3. Meta, formerly Facebook, ending facial recognition
According to the vice president of Artificial Intelligence at Meta, Jerome Pesenti, the company is ending its facial recognition program.
“We need to weigh the positive use cases for facial recognition against growing societal concerns, especially as regulators have yet to provide clear rules,” Pesenti said in a post on the Meta website.
Anyone who had previously volunteered to be a part of the facial recognition program will no longer be automatically recognized in video and photo content. The company is also deleting the facial data relating to over one billion people.
This is a major shift for Meta, which has previously pushed back against privacy advocates, and those who argue the technology is invasive. It is the latest move in a series of decisions as the company goes through a rebranding process.
