Researched by: Aarthi Ramnath, Anannya Parekh & Aakriti Anand
Wanted: A fabulous editor for Advisory
Our weekend edition—the Advisory—is all about helping our community get the best advice on what to watch, where to travel, what to buy etc. All of it served with wonderful essays on art, music, food, history and more. We are looking for someone who really gets what makes the Advisory special—and can take it to the next level. Requirements of the job include:
- At least five years experience in lifestyle/culture content.
- A well-informed taste in books, travel, movies and more—and the network to commission content across a range of categories.
- Impeccable writing and editing skills is a must.
- Ability to work closely with our partners—and forge new relationships with institutions and brands.
- Willingness to explore lifestyle & culture in new and innovative ways.
- A knowledge of and love for splainer is a huge plus—since we’re not the usual news product.
Please note this isn’t a job for someone who is looking to edit the standard lifestyle section of a newspaper or site. Our aim is to break new ground—and build something truly valuable for our subscribers.
As for the rest: There is a six-month probation period and the pay will be industry standard. We are an equal opportunity employer and work remotely. 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.
Boeing pleads guilty to crashing planes
The context: Boeing has been rocked by a series of safety scandals. They date back to the grounding of its 737 Max planes after two catastrophic crashes in 2018 and 2019 left 346 dead. The issues with 737 Max resurfaced again in January this year when a panel blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight (explained in this Big Story). Ever since, there’s been news of failed aviation audits and damning testimony from whistleblowers.
What happened now: Boeing inked a plea deal with the US Justice Department— pleading guilty to charges of criminal fraud. These are connected to the two plane crashes—which were caused by a new flight control system. Boeing did not tell aviation authorities about the feature—or its clients. As a result, pilots were never trained on what to do when it kicked in.
How it worked: The system was designed to push the plane’s nose down—to avoid stalling at high speed. However, this automated manoeuvre could be triggered by input from a single plane sensor. As a result, the pilots of Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines struggled to keep the plane up—but its systems repeatedly pushed its nose down. The resulting confusion in the cockpit proved to be fatal.
The fallout: Boeing will pay $243.6 million in fines, and invest at least $455 million into its safety programs. But the deal does not give it immunity from recent investigations into the mid-air blowout etc. Families of the victims are not happy with the move—calling it “crafty lawyering” to cut a “sweetheart deal.” The final deal will need the approval of a judge—who may change the terms. (New York Times, paywall, Associated Press)
Lancet’s staggering estimate on Gaza toll
Until now, the media has been relying on the numbers released by the health ministry—which puts the number of dead at around 38,000. But a Lancet study says the real number could be 186,000:
The study pointed out that the death toll is higher because the official toll does not take into account thousands of dead buried under rubble and indirect deaths due to destruction of health facilities, food distribution systems and other public infrastructure.
The devastating stat: The number is 8% of Gaza’s pre-war population of 2.3 million. The authors of the study said: “Documenting the true scale is crucial for ensuring historical accountability and acknowledging the full cost of the war. It is also a legal requirement”—a reference to the human rights abuse charges against Israel. (Al Jazeera)
The hit-and-run in Mumbai: The horrific deets
Over the weekend, the son of a Shinde Sena politician hit a woman on a two-wheeler. He was drunk—having run up a bill of nearly Rs 20K at the local bar. But new details show that this was no ordinary hit-and-run—but brutal, premeditated murder:
[P]olice told the court on Monday that the accused, Mihir Shah, who is alleged to have been driving the vehicle, switched seats with his driver “after dragging the woman on the bonnet for nearly one-and-a-half kilometres”. The driver, Rajrishi Rajendrasingh Bidawat, then “reversed the vehicle and mowed (down the woman) for the second time before escaping,” the police said, adding that this was done to “mislead” the investigation.
Shah is still nowhere to be found—but his father was arrested and later let out on bail. (Indian Express)
Samsung workers go on historic strike
More than 6,500 unionised workers of Samsung Electronics in South Korea went on a nation-wide strike for three days starting Monday—demanding higher wages, bigger bonuses, and better working conditions. This is the first such union strike in the 55-year history of the company. The company insists there will be no “immediate disruptions” to production.
Why this matters: Samsung’s success has been attributed to its “tight control” of its workforce. It can’t afford union issues at a time when it’s making a big play for the AI pie. Reminder: its earnings for the latest quarter is 15X compared to last year. (Wall Street Journal, paywall, Business Standard)
Moving on to Paramount: One of Hollywood’s oldest media companies will soon merge with independent film company Skydance—in a $28 billion deal. The iconic studio will pass out of the hands of the Redstone family—into those of David Ellison—son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison. Yes, it’s a khandaani affair all around. (Wall Street Journal, paywall, Reuters)
A tragic revelation about Alice Munro
According to the daughter of the Nobel-winning author, Munro chose to remain with her second husband—despite being told that he sexually abused her daughter. Andrea Robert Skinner published the allegations in an essay—weeks after her mother’s death. The abuse reportedly began when Skinner was nine, and her stepfather Gerald Fremlin was in his 50s. Here’s why Skinner has decided to go public with her story:
“I also wanted this story, my story, to become part of the stories people tell about my mother,... I never wanted to see another interview, biography or event that didn’t wrestle with the reality of what had happened to me, and with the fact that my mother, confronted with the truth of what had happened, chose to stay with, and protect, my abuser.”
The Guardian has lots more on the story.
Assam floods decimates wildlife
In extremely sad news, the monsoon floods have killed 131 animals in the Kaziranga National Park—including six endangered one-horned rhinos, 117 hog deer, two sambar deers, and one rhesus macaque. The forest officials were able to rescue 96 animals. The worst bit: This is the deadliest deluge the National Park has seen since 2017, when over 350 of the animals died in flood waters. Point to note: The floods have not been kind to humans either—affecting over 2.1 million people across 28 districts. At least 78 people have died. Over 386,000 people are currently sheltering in 515 relief camps. (Indian Express)
Say hello to NASCAR’s first EV
NASCAR has unveiled its first electric race car—created in partnership with Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota and electrification company ABB. The $1.5 million prototype looks like any other NASCAR hotrod, but sounds different. According to media reports, the engine produces a “hum” instead of a roar—and the car doesn’t reek of exhaust. To be honest, the car seems to screech (and loudly at that) rather than ‘hum’—at least in the video below. (Associated Press)
‘Kalki 2898 AD’ storms the box-office
Nag Ashwin’s epic sci-fi movie has become the highest-grossing Indian film of 2024—crossing the Rs 900 crore ($9 billion) mark. It is now the tenth Indian movie to do so. FYI: The movie made headlines for being the most expensive film ever to be produced in India—with a Rs 600 crore ($6 billion) budget. Expect a lot more North-South collabs in the future. This one was headlined by Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Kamal Haasan. Indian Express has more on this box-office feat. The Guardian offers a great review of the movie.
Four things to see
One: Mumbai witnessed 300 mm of rainfall in the early hours of Monday. Streets were flooded, 50 flights were cancelled, schools were closed etc etc. Videos of the chaos went viral, as usual. We appreciate the determination of this train and its driver—Mumbai local zindabad! (NDTV)
Two: Thousands took to the streets to celebrate in Paris after the Left alliance unexpectedly walloped the far-right in France’s parliamentary election (See: this Big Story). The scenes were astonishing. (Independent UK)
Three: Here’s a reminder that Christian groups in the West are no less thin-skinned about religion. A painting that overlaid Christ at the cross with Looney Tunes characters had to be taken down in Australia—when protesters threatened museum workers. (The Guardian)
Four: Formula 1 fans, rejoice! Here’s the trailer for ‘F1’—directed by Joseph Kosinski of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ fame. The film stars Brad Pitt as a retired F1 driver making a comeback. Our favourite bits: the many cameos from real-life F1 stars and the ultimate arena anthem: Queen's ‘We Will Rock You’. The film is set to release on June 25, 2025. (Variety)
