The Week Evening Review
Influencers as news sources, refugees' return to Syria, and abusers exploiting technology

 
TALKING POINTS

Is it safe for refugees to return to Syria?

Within days of Bashar al-Assad's fall, European countries including Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and the UK "paused the asylum process" for Syrian refugees, leaving them in limbo, said France 24. And Austria's Interior Ministry began preparing a "return and deportation plan," said Politico. Yet the political situation in Syria remains extremely volatile, and for many refugees settled in Europe, it's "too soon" to consider going home. 

'Impossible dream' 
The rapid decisions to suspend asylum claim decisions were clearly driven by European governments looking to "harden their stances on migration" in order to "quell surging support for populist and far-right forces," said Rob Picheta at CNN. But countries hoping for a rapid exit of Syrians are "likely to be disappointed," said The Economist. The one million Syrians in Germany, for example, "have put down roots" and have an employment rate "higher than in most other EU countries."

The elation that Syrian refugees felt at the news of Assad's downfall has been punctured by the prospect of a forced return to their homeland. Many want to realize the once "impossible dream" of going back to Syria, but they "harbor worries" about their country's future and may "feel reluctant to leave the lives they have built over as much as a decade abroad," said Politico.

'Major obstacles' 
Any return of refugees will be "fraught with challenges," said Will Todman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But "rushing the return of millions" will put "even more pressure" on the "extremely fragile" situation in Syria. 

A "successful transition" to peaceful democracy remains uncertain, and there are other "major obstacles" standing in the way of refugees who might return. Many will be reluctant to go back because of a "lack of jobs and basic services," while others simply do not have "homes to go back to."

It's "still too early to know" what will happen in Syria, said Le Monde, but it's in the "interest of all European countries" to ensure a stable government can form there. This is the "only way" that Syrian refugees can safely go home.

 
 
IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A peak year for influencer news sources

Elon Musk spent much of 2024 claiming the internet is the "new media," and there's no doubt social media and the influencers who drive it played a major role throughout the year. Influencers who were once seen merely as a form of entertainment steered much of the conservation in 2024, particularly regarding the presidential election. 

Podcasters also snagged interviews with both major candidates, and some pundits argued this focus on influencer media helped Donald Trump win. The dissemination of the news through podcasts isn't likely to go away anytime soon, as about one in five Americans "regularly get news from influencers on social media," according to the Pew Research Center. 

Who were 2024's biggest influencer news sources?
Many of them are podcasters, and two of the biggest names in question are Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper. The host of "The Joe Rogan Experience" is massively influential online, "attracting almost three times the amount of subscribers than his nearest competitor," said Newsweek. 

Rogan's "role can't be minimized," said Variety, particularly among his conservative-leaning audience. His podcast has 14.5 million Spotify listeners, and his episode with Trump netted 53 million views on YouTube.

Cooper, who Rolling Stone described as "Gen-Z's Barbara Walters," hosts the widely popular "Call Her Daddy" podcast. She signed a $125 million deal with SiriusXM, and the success of her show means Cooper has "become the most listened-to female podcaster in the world," said CNN. She interviewed Kamala Harris before the election despite usually staying away from politics, and the episode brought in 938,000 views on YouTube.

How did these influencers become mainstream? 
Given the ubiquity of social media, podcasters and influencers are "now a source of news for a significant number of Americans, especially when it comes to politics," said NPR. In contrast with traditional journalists, influencers make people "feel like they are speaking to them" and "communicating in a way that resonates," Renee DiResta, a researcher at Georgetown University, said to NPR.

While "trained journalists do the work of actually producing news content, influencers mostly talk about the content or provide their own (often partisan) analysis," Kelly Fincham, a communications lecturer at Ireland's University of Galway, said at The Conversation. People seem to find this easier to digest than traditional journalism.

 
 

Statistic of the day

3.8M miles: The distance NASA's Parker Solar Probe passed from the Sun's surface and made history earlier today — the closest ever fly-by. The spacecraft reached a velocity of 430,000 miles per hour, and its heat shield faced temperatures in excess of 2,500F.

 
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY

'If you are rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation. So country first. I know that has become maybe like a cliche, but it happens to be true.'

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) on why he won't root against President-elect Donald Trump, telling fellow Democrats they have "got to chill out," in an interview with ABC's "This Week"

 
 
the explainer

How domestic abusers exploit technology

Apps designed to help keep children safe are being exploited by domestic abusers to spy on their partners, warn experts. Family-tracking apps allow parents to monitor their child's location and control and limit their internet access and screen time, said Sky News, but the "booming market" has a darker side. 

What's stalkerware? 
A woman named Melody became suspicious when her "coercive and controlling" ex-partner kept turning up at the same places as her, sometimes miles from where they lived, she said to Sky News. After going to a phone repair shop, she learned that a hidden app called mSpy was "feeding everything" on her phone, including her location, to a remote dashboard, accessible to the person who had installed it, said Sky News. 

The app is just one example of "stalkerware" — software "covertly" installed on someone's phone so they can be "monitored remotely." These apps are usually marketed as parental control software, allowing the companies to "skirt laws" on covert surveillance. Examples of technology that can be used for "tech-enabled abuse" include video doorbells, smart TVs and Amazon Alexas. 

How can you spot a phone stalker? 
Signs that someone may be spying on your phone include "data usage increases, battery drain, overheating or unfamiliar apps," said Top10VPN. Whether you have an Android or iPhone, the "most effective option" to get rid of rogue apps is to do a factory reset. But that will also remove all your data and apps on the device, so back up your data first.

 
 

Good day 🚆

… for Ho Chi Minh City. Twelve years after the project broke ground and faced several setbacks, Vietnam's largest city has unveiled its first mass rapid transit line. Hundreds lined up to be one of the first to board Metro Line 1, according to state-run news agency Viet Nam News.

 
 

Bad day 🫙

… for The Container Store. The company filed for bankruptcy in an "attempt to save the business and ensure future profitability," said Fox Business. Wall Street analysts anticipated the move as the retailer's "financial struggles continued to grow."

 
 
Picture of the day

Firing back up

Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, unleashed a fountain of lava on Hawaii's Big Island early yesterday morning, not long after its last eruption in September, drawing a large crowd to the state's Volcanoes National Park.
N. Deligne / USGS / Anadolu via Getty Images

 
 
Puzzles

Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes sudoku and codewords

 
 
The Week recommends

Wintertime sometimes demands a salve of the familiar, comfort for the cold. These restaurants are a mixture of classic and new, with a touch of live fire to keep you warm and entranced.

Cielo Rojo, Phoenix
Regional Mexican cuisine is becoming more known across the U.S. At Cielo Rojo, some of the menu's focus is on the dishes of the central Mexican state of Guanajuato. One fine example is the largas de salvatierra — thick, oversize tortillas stuffed with your choice of bistec (steak) ranchero, slivers of nopal (cactus paddle) or stewed pork crackling in salsa rojo.

City House, Nashville
Italy meets the American South at this Nashville institution. The pizzas at City House are icons. In one example, country sausage meets charred collard greens and Calabrian crema. In another, roasted winter squash tangos with buttermilk cheddar. The space is an industrial warren of rooms where the vibes are as invigorating as the cooking.

Elske, Chicago
There's a sleek Danish breeziness to Elske, perfect for winter in Chicago. You can choose a tasting menu of nine courses or select your own adventure from the à la carte menu. Whichever direction you wander, you are ensured carefully executed dishes that star Scandinavian touches such as smoked eel, various cabbage treatments and rye bread.

 
 

Poll watch

More than half the people in Thailand (52%) say the economy was the most tiresome thing in 2024, according to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration. The answer was in response to the prompt "things that you felt fed up with in 2024" and was followed by cybercrime (28%) and political disorder (28%).

 
 
INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'We look at the repentant Ebenezer and think: C'est moi!'
Roger Rosenblatt at The New York Times
Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" has "continued to speak to modern readers, offering moral lessons that have only grown more relevant over the decades," says Roger Rosenblatt. Ebenezer Scrooge, whose "sole concern is his own material enrichment," has such enduring appeal "because in many ways, he is us." We are all capable of "selfishness and greed," but "so too are we capable of fantastic generosity and selflessness," Rosenblatt says. Dickens "understood this."

'From Washington to Hollywood, the gaslighting never seems to end'
Nicole Russell at USA Today
Actor Blake Lively has sued "It Ends with Us" director Justin Baldoni. Lively "alleges that Baldoni sexually harassed her during filming, then launched a sophisticated smear campaign to cover it up," says Nicole Russell. And "if the lawsuit's allegations are true, I also fell victim to the smear campaign's manipulations." In the entertainment industry, "like in the world of politics, we are constantly told what to think about the personalities involved," though they "trick us into believing that we thought of it ourselves." 

'This holiday, ask questions like a reporter'
Elizabeth Harris at The Atlantic
To avoid fighting about politics, "I decided to approach my family like a reporter," says Elizabeth Harris. "I wasn't looking to have a back-and-forth; I was looking for information. I wanted to know what they thought and why." While "none of my family members was so persuaded by our conversations that they switched their party affiliation," the discussions became easier, and for "everyone involved, it got harder to dismiss the people on the other side, whose views we often see in caricature."

 
 
WORD OF THE DAY

Treezempic

Skinny Christmas trees are trending this holiday, with the look dubbed Treezempic on social media. Christmas trees are getting thinner as modern homes get smaller, said tree farmers. 

 
 

Evening Review was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Summer Meza, Chas Newkey-Burden, Anahi Valenzuela and Richard Windsor, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Getty Images; Ralf Hirschberger / AFP / Getty Images; In Pictures Ltd. / Corbis via Getty Images; NurPhoto / Getty Images