## Mark Zuckerberg gifted noise-canceling headphones to his Palo Alto neighbors because of the nonstop construction around his 11 homes

Authored by yahoo.com

Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg has been rankling his neighbors in Palo Alto as he works on expanding and modifying the 11 homes that he has purchased in the area.

To smooth over tensions, the New York Times says Zuckerberg gifted his next-door neighbors noise-canceling headphones as a peace offering.

Underneath the compound, Zuckerberg added 7,000 square feet of space described as “basements,” which to area residents are more akin to “bunkers” or a “billionaire’s bat cave.”

Zuckerberg similarly added a 5,000-square-foot underground structure to his compound in Hawaii, which he insists is not a “doomsday bunker.”.

In 2016, Palo Alto officials rejected a proposal to demolish four homes and replace them with smaller houses and large basements as part of a wider compound.

While the city denied the specific application, Zuckerberg ultimately proceeded gradually, undertaking similar work in a piecemeal fashion to avoid further regulatory hurdles.

The Palo Alto City Council and some residents have since criticized what they describe as the exploitation of zoning loopholes and the city’s regulatory inaction. »

### Life Has Gotten Surreal in China

Authored by theatlantic.com

Inside China, however, the country often seems to be not taking over the world so much as sinking into an autocratic abyss.

Maybe these trends can coexist, and China can continue rising globally while deepening its domestic repression.

Xi’s “evident insecurities and obsession with maintaining total control,” Shambaugh wrote, are “clear evidence” that the same is happening in China. »

### Cracker Barrel to return to its old logo after backlash

Authored by cbsnews.com

Cracker Barrel scrapping new logo, returning to old one after backlash.

Less than a week after unveiling a controversial new logo that prompted the company's stock value to take a dive and even President Trump to weigh in, Cracker Barrel announced Tuesday that it will return to its old logo.

A Cracker Barrel restaurant, featuring the company's old logo, in Sterling, Virginia, on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. »

### Fort Hood officials chose not to warn public as predator attacked female soldiers in their barracks for 18 months

Authored by stripes.com

Four female soldiers were attacked by a man with a weapon in their barracks rooms at Fort Hood, Texas.

During that time, base officials chose not to release a public warning and instead alerted soldiers through the chain of command.

A barracks building at Fort Hood, Texas, where Sgt. Greville Clarke on Oct. 2, 2022, attacked a female soldier in her room. »

### EU approves new twice-yearly HIV prevention jab

Authored by euronews.com

The European Commission has formally approved a twice-yearly injection to prevent HIV, clearing the way for the jab to be rolled out across the European Union, according to drugmaker Gilead.

In 2023, there were more than 24,700 new HIV diagnoses in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, up 11.8 per cent from 2022.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved the drug, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended it as an additional option to prevent HIV. »

## In pictures

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