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Mint
an hour ago
- Business
- Mint
Why tech billionaires want bots to be your BFF
Next Story Tim Higgins , The Wall Street Journal In a lonely world, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and even Microsoft are vying for affection in the new 'friend economy.' Illustration: Emil Lendof/WSJ, iStock. Gift this article Grok needs a reboot. Grok needs a reboot. The xAI chatbot apparently developed too many opinions that ran counter to the way the startup's founder, Elon Musk, sees the world. The recent announcement by Musk—though decried by some as '1984"-like rectification—is understandable. Big Tech now sees the way to differentiate artificial-intelligence offerings by creating the perception that the user has a personal relationship with it. Or, more weirdly put, a friendship—one that shares a similar tone and worldview. The race to develop AI is framed as one to develop superintelligence. But in the near term, its best consumer application might be curing loneliness. That feeling of disconnect has been declared an epidemic—with research suggesting loneliness can be as dangerous as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. A Harvard University study last year found AI companions are better at alleviating loneliness than watching YouTube and are 'on par only with interacting with another person." It used to be that if you wanted a friend, you got a dog. Now, you can pick a billionaire's pet product. Those looking to chat with someone—or something—help fuel AI daily active user numbers. In turn, that metric helps attract more investors and money to improve the AI. It's a virtuous cycle fueled with the tears of solitude that we should call the 'friend economy." That creates an incentive to skew the AI toward a certain worldview—as right-leaning Musk appears to be aiming to do shortly with Grok. If that's the case, it's easy to imagine an AI world where all of our digital friends are superfans of either MSNBC or Fox News. In recent weeks, Meta Platforms chief Mark Zuckerberg has garnered a lot of attention for touting a stat that says the average American has fewer than three friends and a yearning for more. He sees AI as a solution and talks about how consumer applications will be personalized. 'I think people are gonna want a system that gets to know them and that kind of understands them in a way that their feed algorithms do," he said during a May conference. Over at Microsoft, the tech company's head of AI, Mustafa Suleyman has also been talking about the personalization of AI as the key to differentiation. 'We really want it to feel like you're talking to someone who you know really well, that is really friendly, that is kind and supportive but also reflects your values," he said during an April appearance on the Big Technology Podcast. Still, he added, Microsoft wants to impose boundaries that keep things safe. 'We don't really want to engage in any of the chaos," Suleyman said. 'The way to do that, we found, is that it just stays reasonably polite and respectful, super-even handed, it helps you see both sides of an argument." With all of that in mind, it comes as little surprise that the current crop of chatbots are designed to sound like you're having a conversation with another human. This has resulted in lots of pearl clutching. There are academics warning about the dangers of users falling in love with AI and individual anecdotes of users going overboard in their use. The idea of a heartbroken man falling in love with his chatbot isn't new, of course. It was the plot of the 2013 film 'Her" starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson, who voiced the AI. (OpenAI's own AI voice, which sounded eerily similar to Johansson's last year, triggered a public fight with the actress.) Still, we—a society that's only a generation into a world of social media—have some recent experience in how algorithms can have unintended consequences. They create echo chambers that reinforce worldviews rather than expand them. The news of Musk's Grok reboot is an example of that. Grok and xAI were born, in part, out of Musk's concerns about AI being developed by companies he called woke. He pointed to Google results that seemed overly concerned with being politically correct rather than factually accurate. With xAI, Musk aimed to create what he called a 'maximum truth-seeking AI." Yet when an influential X user known as Catturd lambasted Grok's answers in June, Musk took quick note. 'When Grok first came out—it was awesome—now Grok is just woke fake news that repeats liberal talking points," Catturd posted on June 18. 'I know this for a fact because everything Grok says about me is a lie. What a joke Grok has become." Another X user asked Grok why it lied about Catturd. 'I aim to provide accurate, neutral responses based on available data," the chatbot responded on X. 'Claims that I lie about @catturd2 may stem from disagreements with my sourcing, like Media Matters or Rolling Stone, which document his misinformation. I don't have personal biases, but AI training can introduce unintended slants. Some report I censor criticism or push fringe views, while others note I fact-check conservative claims accurately. Bias in AI is complex, and neutrality is tough to achieve. If you have specific examples of lies, please share, and I'll clarify with evidence." Musk wasn't impressed. 'Your sourcing is terrible," Musk replied. 'Only a very dumb AI would believe [Media Matters] and [Rolling Stone]! You are being updated this week." He later said xAI would retrain the AI on data created with an updated version of Grok, 'which has advanced reasoning" that would be used 'to rewrite the entire corpus of human knowledge, adding missing information and deleting errors." After all, nobody wants a friend who is always spouting the wrong crazy stuff. Write to Tim Higgins at Topics You May Be Interested In Catch all the Technology News and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
Mint
8 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Taiwan looks to new sea-drone tech to repel China
SUAO, Taiwan—Taiwan is accelerating efforts to develop a high-tech fleet of naval drones that military planners see as a potential game-changer in the island's ability to fend off a possible Chinese invasion. Drones are transforming warfare and spurring military strategists to rethink long-held assumptions about defense. Both Ukraine and Israel have used drones to devastating effect in recent weeks. For Taiwan, Ukraine's success in using sea drones to erode Russia's naval superiority in the Black Sea offers the possibility that the weapons could be used to establish supremacy over the Taiwan Strait and hold off an amphibious attack by China. Taiwan plans to begin to introduce sea drones to its naval forces this year, Defense Minister Wellington Koo told The Wall Street Journal in a recent interview, part of preparations for what it sees as a potential invasion by China as soon as 2027. Ukraine's example 'could be adapted to the advantage of Taiwan to prevent amphibious ships, other ships, from actually attacking Taiwan," said retired Adm. Dennis Blair, a former head of the U.S. Pacific Command. 'Even if those opposing forces have much more air power, more missiles, a smaller country with imaginative tactics and with the kinds of new systems that are available can stop them cold," Blair said. Taiwan could use sea drones lying in ambush along shipping routes as an effective deterrent, said Chen Po-hung, a drone expert and board member of the nongovernment group TTRDA, which focuses on security issues. Taiwan's new emphasis on sea drones is part of a defense strategy that aims to show Beijing that an invasion would be too costly to undertake. Beijing hasn't ruled out the use of force to seize the self-ruled island, which it considers to be part of its territory. On Taiwan's northeastern seacoast, a dozen local and U.S. companies showed off cutting-edge technology last week at a sea-drone exhibition that brought life to that goal—and the substantial hurdles to achieving it. Displays included U.S.-based Ocean Aero's autonomous surface vessel that transforms into a submarine and an artificial-intelligence-powered targeting system from the company Auterion, designed to deploy swarms of drones, that has been used in Ukraine's fight against Russia. In nearby waters, three Taiwan-built drones performed, rapidly accelerating and zigzagging to avoid imagined attacks, their maneuvers displayed on a large screen in the exhibit hall. 'Taiwan could do a tremendous amount of damage" with a mix of drones that can attack, surveil and operate underwater, said Stacie Pettyjohn, a senior fellow and director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security. 'Swarms of these drone boats coming out would be very effective at making it incredibly challenging to conduct an amphibious assault, especially given Taiwan's geography where there are only a handful of beaches that are really conducive to such an operation," Pettyjohn said. Sea drones are more than 'just filling them with explosives and having them crash into either a ship or maritime infrastructure," said Scott Savitz, a senior engineer at Rand Corp. Other uses, as seen in mine-clearing developed by the U.S. Navy or Israeli port defense, are also relevant for Taiwan. Taiwan is working to gain the capability to build large numbers of sea drones and acquire advanced systems to make them effective, an effort also under way in the island's development of unmanned aerial vehicles. Taiwan has found it difficult to build a domestic aerial drone industry that doesn't depend on Chinese parts. For sea drones, the primary challenge of building a domestic industry is cost on an island with a relatively small market. Planners aim to kick-start local industry with government funding and contracts, with the U.S. providing expertise to bridge technological gaps. The host of the Suao exhibition, the chief of Taiwan's military research and development institute, told exhibitors that future military spending would provide for a 'massive" procurement of sea drones, provided the equipment makes the grade. 'I'm hoping that with everyone's input today, we can make the most out of the budget and use it as effectively as possible," said the official, Lee Shih-chiang, head of the military R&D arm, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology. NCSIST signed an agreement at the drone expo with Auterion, a company based in the U.S. and Germany, which will provide its drone operating system and its AI-powered drone-swarming platform to Taiwan for a new generation of unmanned vehicles in the air, sea and on land, said the company. Auterion agreed in a separate deal Thursday to provide the AI targeting system to Taiwan manufacturer Thunder Tiger, whose products include first-person-view aerial suicide drones that it hopes to sell in large numbers to the Taiwan military. 'If you have thousands of drones—which is the hellscape concept that the U.S. Navy has put out to defend Taiwan—you can't have 50 different interfaces. You have to have some commonality," Auterion Chief Executive Lorenz Meier said last week. 'Otherwise, scale won't be operations at scale but chaos." Some experts say the buzz around sea drones might be overly optimistic, and not only because of the expense. Ukraine's experience in the Black Sea might not translate directly to the choppy waters of the Taiwan Strait, said Lee Chung-chih, a former drone executive now with Taiwanese think tank DIMEs. 'We can't just jump on the bandwagon because something is trending" and assume drones can replace warships, Lee said. 'That's wishful thinking." Taiwan's shipbuilding know-how is a good starting point for making drone boats, but it still needs the right payload tech to turn them into real military assets—and that is where the U.S. could step in to help, said Chen, the drone expert. Collaborating with the Taiwan military presents a risk for American companies, as it could jeopardize their access to China, a challenge Taiwan has faced in its effort to build an aerial-drone industry that doesn't require Chinese parts. Even so, representatives from the U.S. firms at the expo in Suao said they were undaunted. 'I'm especially grateful to the five foreign companies who made the effort to join us today," Lee, the NCSIST head, said. 'I believe it won't be long before the Chinese government sanctions all of you. But, don't be afraid: You've chosen to stand with the camp of freedom and democracy." Write to Joyu Wang at
Bangkok Post
16 hours ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Trade deal optimism lifts Asian shares
RECAP: Most Asian stock markets rose on Friday, and a gauge of global equities reached another record high, on trade-deal optimism and increased expectations for US interest-rate cuts this year. Although the global backdrop looks positive, the Thai index dropped more than 2% to move below 1,100 points again as a high degree of local political uncertainty pressured the market. The SET index moved in a range of 1,053.79 and 1,117.64 points this week, before closing on Friday at 1,082.42, up 1.4% from the previous week, with daily turnover averaging 43.07 billion baht. Foreign investors were net buyers of 4.57 billion baht, followed by institutional investors at 2.44 billion and brokerage firms at 1.17 billion. Retail investors were net sellers of 8.18 billion baht. NEWSMAKERS: US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed is not in a rush to cut interest rates as it is waiting for more clarity on the impact of tariffs on inflation. The dollar declined amid rising concerns about the independence of the Fed. The Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump has considered announcing a replacement for Mr Powell in September, aiming to undermine his position for the rest of a term that expires in May 2026. The White House denied the report. President Trump said the US would hold a meeting with Iran next week but cast doubt on the need for a diplomatic agreement on the country's nuclear programme. Fed governor Michelle Bowman said she would favour an interest rate cut at the next policy meeting in July so long as inflation pressures stay muted. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the US and China have finalised a trade framework, which was "signed and sealed" two days ago. The US is likely to ease trade restrictions on China, especially in the tech sector, while Beijing will relax rules of rare earth exports. Oil prices pared some of the large declines they posted after the Israel-Iran ceasefire, with the market's focus shifting from the Mideast to US trade negotiations. Brent edged higher near $68 a barrel, still down more than 11% for the week. Russia's oil product exports dropped in June to the lowest in eight months amid extended work at refineries supplying Baltic ports, coupled with efforts to stabilise domestic fuel supplies, according to shipping data compiled by Bloomberg. The US consumer confidence index fell 5.5% to 93.0 in June from 98.4 a month earlier, reflecting concerns about inflation and geopolitical tensions, the Conference Board reported. Japanese service-sector inflation hit 3.3% in May, following a revised 3.4% increase in April. Non-financial outbound direct investment from China rose 2.3% year-on-year to $61.6 billion in the first five months of 2025, commerce ministry data showed. The new German budget calls for an increase in military spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2026, and more funding to improve giant infrastructure, as part of an investment push aimed at kick-starting the sluggish economy. Nvidia shares rose 4.3% to $154.31 on Wednesday, giving the chip giant a world-leading market cap of $3.77 trillion, overtaking Microsoft at $3.66 trillion. Germany's privacy regulator has warned Apple and Google that the Chinese AI service DeepSeek, available on their app stores, constitutes illegal content because it exposes users' data to Chinese authorities. Xiaomi Corp shares rose 8% to a record high after the smartphone maker drew strong initial orders for a $35,000 sport utility EV intended to compete with the Tesla Model Y in China. Mexico's central bank announced a fourth straight half-percentage-point cut to its benchmark interest rate to 8% to counter the effects of an expected global economic slowdown. Hong Kong's de-facto central bank spent more than US$1 billion propping up the exchange rate of the HK dollar, as it sought to defend a currency peg that has been strained by volatility in the greenback. Shell Plc said it has no intention of making a takeover offer for BP, refuting an earlier report that two of Europe's biggest companies were in active merger talks. Taiwan has told foreign investors to exit bets on the local dollar, taken through exchange-traded funds, as a 12% gain in its currency threatens its economy and companies. Malaysia's inflation rate rose 1.2% in May from a year earlier, the lowest in 51 months, largely attributed to a decline in global oil prices. The insurer FWD Group, backed by Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li, is looking to raise HK$3.5 billion (US$442 million) through a Hong Kong IPO. Vietnamese lawmakers have approved a plan to establish international financial centres in Ho Chi Minh City and Danang to attract investment and strengthen its global financial standing. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said he expected a trade deal with the US before the July 9 expiration of a pause on imposing a 46% tariff. Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said he would travel to the US for trade talks next week. He also denied reports that Washington had already decided to impose 18% tariffs on Thailand. The Bank of Thailand on Wednesday held its key interest rate unchanged as expected at 1.75%, saving its limited policy space as political uncertainty at home compounds global risks. The BoT lifted its GDP growth forecast for Thailand this year to 2.3% from a previous range of 1.3% to 2%, but lowered its 2026 projection to 1.7% from 1.8%. Roong Mallikamas, a deputy governor at the central bank, Vitai Ratanakorn, president of the Government Savings Bank, are the two finalists to become the next BoT governor. Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira will make the final decision, which requires cabinet approval. Shares of Airports of Thailand (AOT) fell on Friday after it confirmed that it had approved extended payment terms for the struggling duty-free giant King Power, which had sought to exit its concessions citing a drop in tourist numbers. Foreign tourist arrivals to June 22 fell 4.24% compared to the same period a year earlier, to about 16 million, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports said. Malaysia topped the table at 2.19 million visitors, followed by China with 2.17 million. The cabinet approved projects worth 115 billion baht, ranging from road building to tourism promotion, as the government seeks to spur the sluggish economy to offset the impact of US tariffs. The cabinet also approved a 1.75-billion-baht domestic tourism subsidy programme, expecting to generate 35 billion baht through an additional 2.67 million local trips during the low season. The Constitutional Court has scheduled a special session for July 1 to consider a Senate petition to remove Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra following the leak of her conversation with former Cambodian PM Hun Sen. It could suspend her pending a final ruling. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) has downgraded its 2025 GDP growth projection to 1.7% from 3%, reflecting escalating risks including US tariffs, the Israel-Iran conflict, border tensions and government instability. Car production in Thailand rose 10.3% in May from a year earlier, the first annual rise in 22 months helped by higher pickup truck output for export, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) said. In the first five months, output fell 7.8% year-on-year to 594,492 units. The Administrative Court rejected a petition from the Thai Consumer Council seeking an emergency inquiry and suspension order for 2100MHz and 2300MHz spectrum auctions by The National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC). The auction will proceed as scheduled on June 29. The Thai Hotels Association asked the government to review the decision to raise the minimum wage to 400 baht a day from July 1, saying it would raise costs by 10-15% and have greater impact in provinces with fewer tourists. Central Retail Corp (CRC) has announced a plan to invest 45-47 billion baht over the next three years, said chief executive Suthisarn Chirathivat. More energy firms are venturing into the data centre business, with BCPG Plc, the power generation arm of Bangchak Corp, becoming the latest to co-invest in sustainable data centre development. COMING UP: On Monday, the UK announces quarterly GDP and Germany releases an inflation update. Tuesday brings euro zone inflation, a speech by Fed chair Jerome Powell and US manufacturing PMI. On Wednesday, the US reports oil inventories and China reports services PMI. On Thursday, the US reports initial jobless claims and non-manufacturing prices. On Friday, Germany releases monthly factory orders. Locally, the Thai General Insurance Association on Thursday holds a briefing on the industry outlook. On Friday, the Thai Bond Market Association discusses the market outlook. STOCKS TO WATCH: InnovestX Securities advises investors to monitor domestic political developments, including a potential no-confidence motion against the PM. Tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border add to the risk. Another factor to watch is the deadline for capital migration from long-term equity funds (LTF) to Thai ESG Extra funds on June 30, which could reduce support for the SET Index. InnovestX recommends BCPG at a fundamental price of 7.80 baht, BCP at 47 baht and ERW at 3 baht. Bualuang Securities forecasts a global economic slowdown in the third quarter, with a potential rebound in the fourth quarter. The recovery is expected to drive up demand and improve petrochemical product spreads. It recommends IVL and PTTGC as beneficiaries of the upcycle.
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Operation Red Wedding: How Israel Executed A 'Game Of Thrones' Style Covert Massacre On Iran's Elite
In a covert strike reminiscent of the infamous "Red Wedding" from Game of Thrones, Israeli military generals executed a meticulously planned operation on June 13th to eliminate Iran's top military commanders. Running parallel was Operation Narnia, a deadly mission that successfully assassinated nine of Iran's most prominent nuclear scientists - right at their homes in Tehran. These twin operations have now cemented Israel's standing as the undisputed military powerhouse in the region. "When we started to plan this thing in detail, it was very difficult to know that this would work," said Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, head of the Israeli military Operations Directorate and a key architect of the assault, according to The Wall Street Journal. The groundwork for this mission wasn't laid overnight. It dates back to the mid-1990s when Israeli intelligence first flagged Iran's clandestine efforts to develop nuclear weapons. What started with a vast web of spies evolved into a sabotage campaign - two bombings at enrichment facilities, and a string of targeted assassinations of Iranian scientists. But as Iran's nuclear ambitions persisted, Israel concluded that mere sabotage wasn't enough; the entire program had to be dismantled. Several times, Israel came close to launching a full-scale attack. Yet, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was repeatedly overruled by his own cabinet and security chiefs-fearing a direct war with Iran could rupture ties with the US, which then preferred diplomacy over military strikes. Everything changed after Hamas's October 7th, 2023 attack on Israel. In the two years that followed, Israel decimated Hamas and significantly weakened Hezbollah. Meanwhile, opposition forces toppled Syria's Iran-backed government, replacing it with an anti-Iran regime-opening up Syrian airspace for Israeli jets. By then, Israel's spy network inside Iran was formidable. Agents were tracking Iranian military leaders in real time. Drone bases set up inside the country stood ready to dismantle Iranian air defences. In fact, Israel had already crippled Tehran's most advanced air-defence systems in two strikes in April and October 2024. As 2024 drew to a close, intelligence revealed Iran had started enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels-putting them mere months away from building a nuclear bomb. Fearing time had run out, Israel activated Operation Narnia to decapitate Iran's nuclear brain trust. In November, 120 intelligence and air force officers gathered to compile a kill list. They identified 250 targets, including nuclear facilities, missile sites, senior military commanders, and key scientists. But for this to work, Israel needed not just precise strikes-but total air superiority. That's where Mossad came in. Agents smuggled hundreds of quadcopter drones, disguised in luggage, shipping containers, and trucks, all rigged with explosives. Remote-operated munitions were also positioned across Iran. Covert teams deployed near Iran's air-defence systems, poised to disable them the moment the operation began. The final green light came on June 9th. To ensure Iran's top brass didn't scatter, Netanyahu staged a public decoy-announcing he was taking personal leave for his eldest son's wedding. None of his family members, not his wife or his son, knew the wedding was being postponed, he later revealed. Simultaneously, Israeli officials leaked reports of a rift between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, including details of a tense phone call where Trump urged diplomacy and warned against unilateral strikes. On the morning of the assault, Trump told reporters that the US and Iran were "fairly close to an agreement" and made it clear that Washington didn't want Israel "going in." But by then, Israeli generals were already finalising their attack plans. One Israeli security official said that it was important to implant the idea in the minds of Iranians that Israel would not strike without US authorisation and participation. As Israeli fighter jets climbed into the skies, Trump posted on Truth Social: "We remain committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue!" Operation Red Wedding was designed to crush Iran's military leadership in one fell swoop, denying them the ability to coordinate a retaliatory strike. Simultaneously, Israeli jets and drones were tasked with dismantling missile launchers and nuclear sites to cripple Iran's future capabilities. Then came an unexpected twist. Israeli surveillance noticed Iran's air force leadership suddenly mobilising. For a moment, Israeli commanders feared their cover was blown. But instead, Iran's military leaders unknowingly gathered in one location, making themselves an even easier target. Within minutes, Israeli missiles struck, wiping them out. Meanwhile, Operation Narnia hit its marks. Nine of Iran's top nuclear scientists were killed, their homes reduced to rubble. Israeli intelligence later confirmed that nearly every high-value human target on the list was eliminated. In the days that followed, Israeli warplanes relentlessly bombed Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, launch sites, and remaining leadership. By Tuesday, a ceasefire was declared between the two nations.
Fox News
a day ago
- Health
- Fox News
GOP rep speaks out after being forced to evacuate offices over threats from pro-abortion activists
Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., is speaking out about the death threats she's received from pro-abortion activists after publicly sharing her experience with a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy — an ordeal that ultimately led to the evacuation of her offices. Cammack told "Fox & Friends First" on Friday that she was targeted by pro-abortion activists after sharing her life-threatening ectopic pregnancy story with The Wall Street Journal. Last May, the Florida congresswoman found herself in a frightening position when her doctors were hesitant to treat her possibly fatal pregnancy complication due to the state's near-total abortion ban. "It took about 10 days to discover exactly what was going on. Doctors originally thought that I was just miscarrying, and then they discovered a very rare ectopic — actually one of the rarest and most dangerous types of ectopic pregnancies you can have," she said. Cammack noted that while Florida's abortion laws have exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, her doctors were still hesitant to provide her with life-saving care because they were scared they would face losing their license or even being sent to prison. "I literally was lying on the table reading them the law, and it dawned on me as I was sitting there with my husband — this is what women are experiencing because of the fearmongering around women's healthcare, and it has to stop," she asserted, adding, "The left absolutely played a role in making sure that doctors and women were scared to seek out the help that they needed." Following the publication of her story in The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Cammack began receiving death threats from pro-abortion activists, leading to the evacuation of her offices. One of the threats she received read: "We would be better off if you hadn't survived. The only good Republican is a dead Republican." Cammack said that she's received "thousands of threatening phone calls" and more than three dozen "actionable, credible" death threats since sharing her story. "Things that are so horrible, like 'I'm going to come cut out your unborn child and roast it over a fire.' Things that I can't say on air," the congresswoman recalled. "What is really, really scary is the vitriol and the fact that people don't even want to look into the details or take accountability for their actions," she said. According to Cammack, the most important lesson she's taken away from her traumatic experience is that there's not only a "literacy crisis" unfolding in the country, but also a basic lack of understanding of "what healthcare for women is," adding that "ectopic pregnancies are not abortions."
