The Know Daily - Wednesday 10 January 2024

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Starbucks customers in the US and Canada are now able to use personal cups for almost every drinks order, including at drive-thrus and via the app. Previously, the option was only available for in-person orders and the expansion is part of the coffee chain’s “ongoing efforts” to reduce its waste, said CNN. Let’s hope this initiative is rolled out across the pond soon too!

📱 Meta’s changes for children

Meta - the owner of Instagram and Facebook - is changing its policies to better protect under-18s from harmful content.

What’s the story?
The social media giant, which has come under increased pressure in recent years to make its platforms safer for young people, has announced two main policy changes. 

The first is that teenagers will “no longer see posts from others discussing their personal struggle with thoughts of self-harm or suicide” - even from people they follow, reported The Times. The second is that “all under-18s will also be put into the most restrictive content control settings on Instagram and Facebook”. 

In addition, if a teen searches for such content, they’ll be directed towards “expert resources for help”, said Meta in a blog post published on Tuesday.

When will these changes take effect?
The exact timeline is vague but the tech company said it is starting to roll out the changes to under-18s now “and they’ll be fully in place on Instagram and Facebook in the coming months”.

How have campaigners reacted to the news?
The response among child safety regulators has been mixed. Psychology professor Jean Twenge told NPR that the changes were a step in the right direction but pointed out that it is “still hard to police who is actually a teen on Facebook and Instagram”.

A spokesperson for the Molly Rose Foundation - set up in the memory of schoolgirl Molly Russell, whose death was linked to the negative effects of online content - described the changes as “another piecemeal step when a giant leap is urgently required”.

What else do I need to know?
The changes have come a couple of months after the passing of the UK’s Online Safety Act, under which social media platforms can be fined if they do not take adequate steps to protect young people. 

🍕 When pizza gets political

Is pineapple pizza finally cool? A top Italian chef’s latest invention has left the country divided.

Not the pineapple pizza debate again?! 🥱
We’re afraid so. Long-regarded as a food crime by many Italians - alongside putting ketchup on pasta or ordering a cappuccino after a meal - the uproar provoked by putting pineapple on pizza has become something of a meme in recent years.

Nevertheless, “2024 might just be the year that pineapple pizza cracks Italy”, said CNN. It’s all down to Gino Sorbillo, a world-famous pizza maker who has begun serving up “Margherita con Ananas” at his historic Naples restaurant - along with a hefty dollop of controversy. 

How does it taste?
It’s certainly a little different to the typical Hawaiian pizza from Domino’s. Sorbillo’s creation is “super authentic and baked to perfection”, according to the publication Foodbeast, and it comes on a white base topped with three types of cheese and twice-baked caramelised pineapple.

How’s it gone down?
Sorbillo told CNN that he created the pizza to “combat food prejudice” and prove that “disputed ingredients” could be tasty - but Italians remain divided. “If Sorbillo’s intention was to foster a countrywide debate [...] he certainly succeeded,” said The Local, pointing out that the topic has even made it onto national TV. 

Some Twitter/X users have certainly found the news hard to swallow - with one saying that pineapple pizza should be “left to the Americans”. However, other reviews have been more favourable, with one food journalist likening the experience to eating sushi: “At the start, you might not love it but then it becomes a fixation.”

📮 Horizon IT scandal: The former Post Office boss Paula Vennells yesterday “bowed to intense public pressure” and said she would hand back her CBE over her role in the scandal.

🇪🇨 Ecuador conflict: “Heavily armed gangsters” stormed a TV studio in Ecuador during a live broadcast on Tuesday, a day after the country’s president declared a state of emergency. 

🛒 Battle of the baskets: Aldi was named the cheapest UK supermarket of the year for 2023 by Which?, with a typical basket coming in £20 cheaper than at the most expensive shop. 

🇫🇷 French politics: Gabriel Attal, 34, has been named France’s new prime minister - becoming the country’s youngest ever PM and “the first openly gay man to serve in the post”.

💨 Speed watch: London has been named the slowest city in the world for drivers because of its widespread 20mph speed limits. Do the other UK cities on the list surprise you?

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Trivia answer: C) The Sausage, Bacon, and Egg Triple was the most popular meal deal sandwich among Tesco shoppers, leaving Joe.co.uk writer Joseph Loftus “baffled”. Wait until you see the crisps and drinks we reached for the most…

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