📲 Axios PM: TikTok changes

Plus: Messi celebrates | Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Amazon   Axios PM By Mike Allen · Dec 20, 2022 Good afternoon: Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 454 words, a 2-minute read.     1 big thing: Fentanyl overload A bag of assorted pills and prescription drugs dropped off for disposal on April 24, 2021, in Los Angeles. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images   Drug enforcers say they seized enough fentanyl this year to kill every person in America, Axios' Shawna Chen reports. Why it matters: The synthetic opioid is 50 times more potent than heroin and is considered the deadliest drug threat in the United States. The DEA seized over 379 million doses in 2022, it said today. The agency has documented a sharp nationwide increase in the lethality of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills, in particular. "Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose," the agency noted in a press release. The bottom line: Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for people in the U.S. ages 18–49, a Washington Post investigation found. The epidemic poses a growing threat to teens, who officials say may more frequently encounter the drug disguised in unexpected forms. Share this story.     📲 2. TikTok unveil Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios   TikTok is demystifying its famous algorithm in its campaign to deter lawmaker scrutiny about its ties to China, Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer reports. The platform will soon let users tap a question mark icon called "Why this video." TikTok will list reasons a certain video was recommended to a user, using categories like the user's previous interactions, the accounts the user follows, content that's been posted recently, or content that's popular in a user's region. Zoom out: U.S. lawmakers are skeptical that TikTok's data security and content recommendation practices are conducted independently of influence from the Chinese state. Some states have begun to ban TikTok from government devices, and there's a new effort to pass such a ban nationally. Share this story.     A message from Amazon "I was able to learn a whole trade without worrying about a paycheck"     After moving from job to job, Ariel discovered Amazon's Mechatronics and Robotics Apprenticeship and found a career and a passion, all while not missing a paycheck. The results: Graduates of the apprenticeship see their wages increase up to 40%. Read about Amazon's upskilling commitment.     3. Catch up quick Photo: Caltrans District 1 via AP Northern California suffered a 6.4 magnitude earthquake early this morning, cutting off power to residents and damaging infrastructure like Fernbridge, a 1,320-foot-long concrete arch bridge that spans the Eel River near Fortuna. Pay to poll: Elon Musk says future polls on Twitter's policies will be limited to paying Twitter Blue subscribers. Go deeper. Wells Fargo will pay $3.7 billion in a settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over accusations that it charged consumers illegal fees tied to auto loans and mortgages. Go deeper. In a newly surfaced video, President Biden said on the sidelines of a Nov. 4 election rally that the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran is "dead," but stressed the U.S. won't formally announce it. Go deeper.     ⚽️ ✈️ 4. Parting shots: Buenos Aires triumph Photo: Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images Lionel Messi, holding the World Cup trophy, greets fans upon the team's arrival back in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo: Tomas Cuesta/AFP via Getty Images The team celebrated on a bus along a route thronged with hundreds of thousands of fans, AP reports.     A message from Amazon Ready to give up, Frank found a new career at Amazon     Frank started as a shift assistant. Now, five years later, he is a senior operations manager at an Amazon Air Hub, and he mentors colleagues looking to grow. The takeaway: Amazon is committed to career growth, offering skills training, mentorship programs and prepaid tuition. Read Frank's story.   Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing today's PM. Are you a fan of this email format? Your essential communications — to staff, clients and other stakeholders — can have the same style. Axios HQ, a powerful platform, will help you do it.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: