Researched by: Rachel John, Aarthi Ramnath & Anannya Parekh
Splainer is hiring: A key role in the newsroom
We are hiring for the key position of a News Editor to join our brilliantly talented editorial team. This is a ‘teaching’ newsroom—where learning new things is a big part of the job. We also pride ourselves on a warm, friendly work culture. But, but, but: This is not an average newsroom gig with a boiler-plate desk job. What we’re looking for:
- Someone with 1.5 to 2 years of experience in a newsroom or related field. This is not an entry level position.
- Excellent research skills are a must—especially the ability to break down complex jargon into accessible language.
- Someone who is interested in—and has some knowledge of—hard news issues in politics, economy and law. This job isn’t for someone who prefers culture/lifestyle topics.
- A person who enjoys juggling a couple of different roles. Example: working closely with the production team that creates our awesome videos. Or managing relationships with content partners.
- Willingness to work in a startup environment where we all do a bit of everything—and are eager to take initiative and responsibility.
- A knowledge of and love for splainer is a huge plus—since we’re not the usual news product.
Please note there is a six-month probation period and the pay will be industry standard. We are an equal opportunity employer and work remotely. But we prefer someone based out of Bangalore–to lend a hand with video shoots and events. Please send your resumes and cover letter—telling us why you want this job—to talktous@splainer.in. We will reach out to you if you’re shortlisted.
A spectacular accident in Baltimore
A 985-foot-long cargo ship banged into a bridge on its way out of the Baltimore port. The entire bridge collapsed—for reasons that are still unknown. Six construction workers—who were on the bridge—are missing and presumed dead. The Singapore-flagged Dali had a complete electricity blackout moments before the accident. Its crew sent out a ‘mayday’ call—which gave authorities time to block traffic on the bridge—and save lives.
FYI: The crew on the ship is entirely Indian. They were on their way to Colombo. Quartz explains why the accident is a blow to global supply lines. The Guardian has more details. New York Times has all the maps and photos you need. The clip of the collapse is below:
The Congress party is broke
Income tax officials have frozen the party’s bank accounts—claiming it owes Rs 1.35 billion (135 crore) in back taxes for the year 2018-19. Now the tax department claims there were “unaccounted transactions” of Rs 5.23 billion (523.87 crore) between 2014 and 2021. That means there will be more hefty fines coming its way. One Congress leader said:
Not satisfied with crippling us by withdrawing the lien amount of Rs 135 crore on the eve of general elections, a bigger setback is expected, thus crippling us further. But what is left to cripple?
What’s important to know: The party is so broke its Kerala unit is planning a crowdfunding campaign to finance Rahul Gandhi’s campaign in Wayanad: “Forget about paying for a flight ticket, we don’t have money to purchase a train ticket.” The Telegraph has that story. Even Bollywood can’t match this theatre of the absurd. Indian Express lays out the tax case in mind-numbing detail.
Moving on to AAP: Its party workers held angry protests against the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi. The police crackdown included manhandling press photographers. The confrontation produced this astonishing ANI photo. (The Hindu)
Mumbai: The billionaire boys club
According to Hurun Research, Mumbai is home to 92 billionaires—coming in at #3 after New York (119) and London (97). It has whizzed past Beijing (91) for the very first time. In 2023, India added 94 new billionaires to its national tally of 271. Top of the Mumbai pile are A&A Associates—Mukesh Ambani with assets worth $115 billion—and Gautam Adani with $86 billion.
One reason for their great good luck: Our economy grew at a rate of 7.5% last year. But not everyone shared in that bounty: A recent study showed that the top 1% received 22.6% of all income in the country in FY2023—and their share of wealth was an astounding 40.1%. The billionaires alone account for 7% of the total wealth. Also telling: Most of them made their money in heavy-duty industries that typically rely on government patronage: pharmaceuticals (39), automobile & auto components (27) and chemicals (24). (Nikkie Asia, paywall, Moneycontrol)
Warning about unemployment: The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says the future of young Indians looks perilous. One reason: The number of part-time jobs with little security has increased. And the lack of quality jobs means many of the educated Indians have remained unemployed. Worse, most young Indians lack basic skills:
While India’s large young workforce is a demographic dividend, the report noted that they don’t appear to have the skills to deliver—with 75% of youth unable to send emails with attachments, 60% unable to copy and paste files, and 90% unable to put a mathematical formula into a spreadsheet.
And the gender gap is widening: “The unemployment challenge among young women, especially those who are highly educated, is enormous.” The Hindu lays out the data in detail.
War on Gaza: Arab nations refuse to fund aid
The context: In January, Israel accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)—which provides relief for Palestinian refugees—of being involved in the October 7 attacks. The “strong evidence” led the US and other Western allies to cut funding—crippling the organisation in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe. Sweden, Finland and Canada recently announced that they will resume their payments. The reason: an internal UNRWA document shows that its staff were pressured to make false statements by the IDF during interrogations. But the organisation still faces a serious shortfall of funds.
What happened now: A Wall Street Journal report revealed that Arab countries have refused to step in to bridge the massive funding gap caused by the US withdrawal. Saudi Arabia made the largest donation of $40 million to the UNRWA this year—followed by Qatar ($25 million) and UAE ($20 million). This is laughably small compared to the US funding of $422 million every year.
The reason offered for their reluctance:
They have their eyes on postwar reconstruction. Footing the bill for Unrwa reinforces the image that the Gulf will always come to the rescue,” said Bader al-Saif, an expert on Persian Gulf and Arabian affairs at Kuwait University. “They are certainly not rebuilding if that’s not tied to concessions from Israel, and I don’t know how that’s going to come through in the current climate.
Reminder: Saudi Arabia pledged $400 million to Ukraine last year—and didn’t have any concerns about its post-war future. Why this matters: The $85 million doled out by these countries will only sustain UNRWA till May. (Wall Street Journal, paywall)
Adam Neumann wants WeWork back!
The founder who ran the company into bankruptcy now wants to buy it for a song. has submitted an offer to buy the company for more than $500 million—and he could offer as much as $900 million for the privilege. The warning note: In his offer, Neumann claimed he had backing from a hedge fund named Third Point—which has since issued a vigorous denial. Understatement of the year: “The uncertainty over Neumann’s financing, coupled with his track record at the company, could dampen WeWork’s receptiveness to his offer.” (CNBC)
Takshashila: A doorway to public policy
Editor’s note: We are delighted to unveil our partnership with Takshashila Institution. It is one of India’s foremost think-tanks on public policy. They also run valuable courses that teach students how to tackle complex policy challenges–bringing together academic experts and policy practitioners from across the world. We will be showcasing their courses in splainer. Please do note: This is not paid content.
Over to Takshashila… Whether you're a fresh graduate buzzing with ideas, a professional seeking to navigate the corridors of policy impact, or an entrepreneur looking to decipher the policy matrix influencing your business, GCPP is your perfect ally. If you are none of these but have a curious mind and questions on how the country should be run, GCPP is your gateway to public policy.
Crafted with precision, the GCPP course blends theoretical insights with practical know-how, equipping you with the tools to analyse, strategise, and execute policy solutions.
How to apply: You can visit this link to apply.
The Bored Ape collapse: End of NFTs is official!
The context: The Bored Ape Yacht Club was once the hottest and most expensive collection of NFTs (non-fungible tokens)—snapped up by celebrities such as Madonna, Jimmy Fallen, Justin Bieber and Kevin Hart. Even when the value of NFTs collapsed last year, Bored Ape held on…
What happened now: Even Bored Ape has bitten the dust. The proof: Kevin Hart sold his NFT—bought for $200,000 in 2022—for a paltry $47,000. That’s a loss of 80%. FYI: Bieber bought his Bored Ape tokens for $1.29 million, which is now valued at a sad $59,000. Sigh, what’s that they say about fools and money… (Complex)
Doggies are super smart, yes they are!
A new study shows that dogs can do a lot more than obey verbal commands like ‘sit’ and ‘stay’. They can also associate words with certain objects.
Dogs understand what certain words stand for, according to researchers who monitored the brain activity of willing pooches while they were shown balls, slippers, leashes and other highlights of the domestic canine world. The finding suggests that the dog brain can reach beyond commands such as “sit” and “fetch”, and the frenzy-inducing “walkies”, to grasp the essence of nouns, or at least those that refer to items the animals care about.
Scientists also solved the mystery of why your doggos don’t fetch their toy when you repeatedly ask them to: They simply don’t want to. Haw, bad dog! (Smithsonian Magazine)
