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US   MARKETS  
A divided Fed is expected to cut rates for a 3rd straight time
- The Federal Reserve is again expected to lower its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point Wednesday, in an effort to support a weakening job market. But stubborn inflation and delayed economic data could complicate the Fed's decision, leading to more-than-usual disagreement within the rate-setting committee. A rate cut could make it slightly cheaper to borrow money to buy a car, expand a business or ...

Source: npr.org
US   BUSINESS  
Setting AI Initiatives up for Success in 2026
- Investment and adoption in generative and agentic AI tools shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. AI market value is projected to increase to nearly AI (as a whole category) is also a priority for companies trying to boost employee enablement. According to data from the Reworked (such as chatbots or integrated workflows) while 59% plan to focus on generative AI in the coming year. report, only 32% of ...

Source: cmswire.com
US   POLITICS  
The Unlikely State Where Democrats Could Turn U.S. Politics on Its Head
- No, Democrats Shouldn't Give Up On Texas After a string of disappointments, the party is tempted to give up on ever turning the state blue. History shows that that's a mistake. to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. In 2018 U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke broke state fundraising records and sparked national attention with his campaign for a Texas Senate seat. ...

Source: slate.com
US   POLITICS  
Trump Escalates in Venezuela With 'Illegal' US Seizure of Oil Tanker
- The US military on Wednesday seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela in the latest act of aggression against a nation that President Donald Trump has been openly threatening for several weeks. Bloomberg , which described the move as a "serious escalation" in tensions between the US and Venezuela, reported that the seizure of the tanker by US forces "may make it much harder for Venezuela to export its oil, ...

Source: commondreams.org
US   POLITICS  
Judge orders release of 'voluminous' records in Ghislaine Maxwell case
- NEW YORK—A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the public release of potentially hundreds of thousands of pages of documents from the case against Ghislaine Maxwell, saying that access to the records is required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress approved last month. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer said the new law covers grand jury testimony as well as "voluminous" other records from the ...

Source: abajournal.com
US   POLITICS  
2 Democrats, 2 strategies: Texas Senate race shows party split on Trump-focus in midterm elections
- WASHINGTON (AP) — A Dallas congresswoman opened her Senate campaign by telling voters that she "has gone toe to toe with Donald Trump." Her Democratic primary opponent insisted that Americans are tired of "politics as a blood sport." The divergent approach highlights how U.S. Rep. are navigating a race where Democrats hope to break a three-decade losing streak in Texas. It also reflects a broader divide ...

Source: news.yahoo.com
US  
Student loan borrowers have 'a limited time' to leave payment pause. Here are their options
- Under the terms of a proposed Education Department settlement announced this week, millions of student loan borrowers would soon have to make payments on their debt again. The agreement centers on borrowers who signed up for the Biden administration-era Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan. Here are the options for borrowers who remain in the SAVE forbearance. Millions of student loan borrowers whose ...

Source: cnbc.com
WORLD   POLITICS  
Could Ukraine hold a presidential election right now, as Trump demands?
- Kyiv, Ukraine – United States President Donald Trump bristled at a question about his Ukrainian counterpart on Wednesday during an interview with media outlet Politico. Admonishing Volodymyr Zelenskyy for failing to hold a presidential election, he accused him of not ending the war with Russia as an excuse to cling to power. "They talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it's not a democracy any ...

Source: aljazeera.com
Australia is trying to enforce the first teen social media ban. Governments worldwide are watching.
- Australia became the first country to enforce a nationwide under-16 social media ban as global regulators watch closely. Platforms face tough age checks amid privacy fears, unreliable tech, and circumvention by teens. Other governments from Europe to Asia are weighing similar moves, positioning Australia as a test case. In this article In this photo illustration, iPhone screens display various social media apps on ...

Source: cnbc.com
US   POLITICS  
Democrats Who Relented On Shutdown Have No Regrets Ahead Of Failed Health Care Vote
- The end of the year brings noise. Your membership ensures our newsroom remains a clear, reliable source of facts for the whole community. Help us keep the signal strong for the year ahead. Already a member? WASHINGTON — Democratic senators who bucked their party and voted to end the longest government shutdown in history last month are at peace with their decision even as the Senate stares at a pair of failed ...

Source: huffpost.com
Parent of student charged in shooting that killed teen at Kentucky State University
- FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A parent of a Kentucky State University student has been charged with murder in an on campus shooting that killed one student and critically injured another. Jacob Lee Bard was at the school's campus in Frankfort on Tuesday and fired shots at the victims at a residence hall, police said in a statement. Investigators said the shooting was isolated, but they have not publicly shared ...

Source: aol.com
US   POLITICS  
Trump Administration Reportedly Pushing ICC to Exempt Trump From War Crimes Prosecution
- The Trump administration is reportedly trying to strongarm the International Criminal Court (ICC) into changing its founding document to carve out an exception for President Donald Trump and his top officials ensuring that they are never prosecuted by the court for potential war crimes. The administration is threatening the ICC with yet more sanctions if they do not amend the Rome Statute, which established the ...

Source: truthout.org
BUSINESS  
After Microsoft's $17.5B commitment, now Amazon doubles down on India: Announces a massive $35B investment by 2030 - The
- NEW DELHI: In what will perhaps be India's single-biggest foreign investment inflow, American e-commerce and tech giant Amazon on Wednesday committed a mega $35 billion to boost its operations in the country as it adds to the $40 billion-plus it has already put into the market since 2010. The new funds will be invested by 2030, and were announced a day after another American tech giant, Microsoft, committed a $17.5 ...

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
US   POLITICS  
Who is Eileen Higgins, the first Democratric mayor of Miami in 30 years?
- Miami voters on Tuesday elected Democrat Eileen Higgins as mayor, ending a nearly three-decade dry spell for her party after she defeated a Republican endorsed by Donald Trump in the predominantly Hispanic city. While the election was officially nonpartisan, the race took on national significance, pitting Higgins against Republican Emilio Gonzalez, a former Miami city manager, in a contest closely watched by both ...

Source: aljazeera.com
US  
Judge says Trump must end Guard deployment in Los Angeles
- SACRAMENTO — A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Wednesday to immediately end its current deployment of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles, ruling that the federal government had illegally kept them in the city long after intense street protests had ended in the summer. The ruling by Judge Charles R. Breyer of the US District Court in San Francisco applies to about 100 National ...

Source: bostonglobe.com
WORLD  
Thailand-Cambodia border clashes enter third day as 500,000 flee fighting
- Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia has continued for a third day, with cross-border shelling and air raids forcing more than half a million civilians to flee their homes and seek shelter, according to authorities. Officials from the two Southeast Asian neighbours on Wednesday also accused each other of restarting the conflict that has killed at least 13 soldiers and civilians so far this week and led more than ...

Source: aljazeera.com
Florida governor designates CAIR as foreign terrorist organization
- News Florida governor designates CAIR as foreign terrorist organization Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed an executive order designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a foreign terrorist organization. The executive order, an unprecedented step at the state level, cites a supposed connection between the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as the primary justification for the designation. ...

Source: jurist.org
SCIENCE  
Bright sparks: humans made fire 350,000 years earlier than previously thought, research reveals - The Art Newspaper - International art news and events
- Archaeologists discovered Palaeolithic fire-making tools in a field in the east of England A team of UK researchers led by the British Museum say they have uncovered evidence that humans made fire around 400,000 years ago, pointing to fire-making tools and materials found in a field in Suffolk in eastern England. "The discovery at the Palaeolithic site in Barnham evidences the creation and control of fire, which ...

Source: theartnewspaper.com
US  
OCC Enables Banks to Act as Crypto Brokers
- Banks can now match crypto buyers and sellers through riskless principal trades The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has confirmed that banks will be allowed to act as intermediaries on crypto transactions. The regulator has issued updated guidance stating that banks can take part in crypto transactions without facing additional regulatory scrutiny. These deals, which are already common in ...

Source: bankingexchange.com
US   POLITICS  
Court blocks Trump's ban on wind power, but other anti-renewable policies remain
- President Donald Trump's crusade against renewables was dealt a blow on Monday when a federal judge vacated a January executive order that halted wind energy development on public lands. In May, 17 states and the District of Columbia filed suit against Trump over the order, which directed federal agencies to "not issue new or renewed approvals, rights of way, permits, leases, or loans for onshore or offshore wind ...

Source: reason.com
MEDICINE  
Case study links patient's energy drink habit to stroke
- Energy drinks might give you wings, unleash the beast or fuel your grind - but chugging too many might pose a serious stroke risk, doctors warn. An otherwise fit and healthy man in his 50s with a daily eight-can habit found out the hard way, a case study published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Case Reports states. This patient suffered permanent damage from a minor stroke caused by extremely high blood pressure, ...

Source: upi.com
US  
Supreme Court hears Alabama's appeal to execute a man found to be intellectually disabled
- will hear arguments Wednesday in a case that could make it harder for convicted murderers to show their lives should be spared because they are intellectually disabled. The justices are taking up an appeal from Alabama, which wants to put to death a man who found is intellectually disabled and shielded from execution. The Supreme Court prohibited execution of intellectually disabled people in a landmark ruling in ...

Source: news4jax.com
MEDICINE  
New Study Links Uterine Fibroids With Greater Odds of Heart Disease
- Uterine Fibroids Could Significantly Increase Heart Disease Risk Women younger than 40 with fibroids may face even greater odds of developing heart disease, according to a new study. Scientists say more research is needed to understand the link. As many as 1 in 5 women may have uterine fibroids during their childbearing years — and those abnormal growths may have a connection not just to reproductive ...

Source: everydayhealth.com
Iceland becomes fifth country to boycott Eurovision
- Iceland has joined Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands in saying it will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest. All five countries have withdrawn after Israel's participation in the competition was officially confirmed last week. Stefan Eiriksson, director-general of Icelandic national broadcaster RÚV, said: "There is no peace or joy connected to this contest as things stand now. On that basis, ...

Source: bbc.com
US taking 25% cut of Nvidia chip sales "makes no sense," experts say
- Trump's odd Nvidia reversal may open the door for China to demand Blackwell access. Donald Trump's decision to allow Nvidia to export an advanced artificial intelligence chip, the H200, to China may give China exactly what it needs to win the AI race, experts and lawmakers have warned. The H200 is about 10 times less powerful than Nvidia's Blackwell chip, which is the tech giant's currently most advanced chip that ...

Source: arstechnica.com
MEDICINE  
Sperm donor with rare cancer mutation fathered nearly 200 children in Europe
- Children with the mutation have up to a 90% chance of developing cancer by age 60. A single sperm donor who carries a rare cancer-causing genetic mutation has fathered at least 197 children across 14 countries in Europe, according to a collaborative investigation by 14 European news groups . According to their investigative report, some of the children have already died, and many others are expected to develop ...

Source: arstechnica.com
POLITICS  
Daughter accepts Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado's Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf
- Oslo, Norway  — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado  missed the ceremony to award her the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Wednesday, but said she was on her way to the Norwegian capital and would arrive soon to embrace her family for the first time in months.  Machado, who's fight against the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom she, the U.S. and many other ...

Source: cbsnews.com
US   BUSINESS  
Instacart responds to report that some customers are charged more than others for same items
- SAN FRANCISCO ( KRON ) – Instacart, the San Francisco-based company that operates its eponymous grocery delivery app, is responding to reports that it charged some customers more than others for the exact same items as part of an artificial intelligence-enabled experiment. The allegations stem from a study conducted by Consumer Reports , an advocacy group known as Groundwork Collaborative, and the non-profit ...

Source: wfla.com
BUSINESS   SCIENCE  
NASA says Maven spacecraft that was orbiting Mars has gone silent
- NASA has lost contact with a spacecraft that has orbited Mars for more than a decade. Maven, an acronym for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, abruptly stopped communicating with ground stations on Dec. 6. NASA said this week that it was working fine before it went behind the red planet. When it reappeared, there was only silence. Launched in 2013 and having entered Mars' orbit in September 2014, Maven began ...

Source: cbsnews.com
Michigan fires head football coach, accusing him of 'inappropriate relationship' with staff member
- The Michigan Wolverines are firing head football coach Sherrone Moore after he was found to have had an "inappropriate relationship" with a staff member, the school announced Wednesday. "Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately," Wolverines athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. "Following a university investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in ...

Source: nbcnews.com
US   POLITICS  
Trump lawyer turned judge immediately hit with misconduct complaint for 'rally' attendance
- A former Donald Trump criminal defense attorney turned controversial DOJ higher-up and then lifetime federal appellate judge faces a judicial misconduct complaint just one day after attending the president's rally in Pennsylvania. Fix the Court, which describes itself as a "nonpartisan" nonprofit advocating "for non-ideological fixes that would make the federal courts, and primarily the U.S. Supreme Court, more ...

Source: lawandcrime.com
MARKETS  
Oracle investors have questions about its spending
- The software giant posted quarterly results that fell short of Wall Street's revenue expectations on Wednesday, and shares slid more than 11% in after-hours trading. "Capex & financing needs have been the biggest investor question over the last two months, weighing on the stock," wrote Derrick Wood, an analyst at TD Cowen, ahead of the earnings call. , reassured analysts that the company's debt remains in ...

Source: insider.com
US  
Women at the top are exhausted and burned out, according to a McKinsey and Lean In report
- Women are hitting the top of the corporate ladder only to find something waiting for them: exhaustion. According to a report published Tuesday by McKinsey and LeanIn.org, a nonprofit founded by Sheryl Sandberg, burnout among senior-level women is the highest it has been in the past five years. Around 60% of these women said they have frequently felt burned out at work in the past few months, compared with 50% of ...

Source: businessinsider.com
US   MEDICINE  
FDA investigating possible adult deaths from COVID vaccines
- Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By Madison Muller and Rachel Cohrs Zhang, Bloomberg News WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether COVID-19 vaccines caused deaths in adults, as part of a safety review that earlier appeared to just be focused on children. The investigation, being conducted across different divisions of the FDA, comes at a time when U.S. Health and Human ...

Source: orlandosentinel.com
You'll Never Have To Recharge Pebble's Ingenious New Phone Accessory
- We're long past relying only on smartphones for our mobile computing needs. iPhones and Android devices are routinely paired with specific wearable accessories:  can also help with the latter, reducing the need to use a wrist wearable. In this crowded ecosystem where ideas often get recycled, wearable company Pebble managed to deliver a surprise accessory; a ring with no health sensors. Instead, is a smart AI ...

Source: bgr.com
US  
Marco Rubio orders US State Department to revert to Times New Roman font, calling Calibri adoption 'wasteful'
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered diplomats to revert to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor Antony Blinken's decision to adopt Calibri a "wasteful" diversity move, according to a leaked internal cable. The department switched to Calibri, a modern sans-serif font, in January 2023, saying it was a more accessible font for people with disabilities because it did ...

Source: abc.net.au
Big 12 commissioner says Notre Dame comments after CFP snub 'totally out of bounds'
- Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark said Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua was "totally out of bounds" for his comments on the Atlantic Coast Conference this week. Notre Dame have a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and are a full member of the conference in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed the ACC damaged Notre Dame's chances at making the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning ...

Source: theguardian.com
US  
South Carolina measles outbreak is 'accelerating,' driving hundreds into quarantine
- The measles outbreak in South Carolina is "accelerating" with no end in sight following Thanksgiving and other large gatherings, state health officials said Wednesday. As of Wednesday, 111 measles cases had been reported in what's known as upstate South Carolina — an area in the northwest of the state that includes Greenville and Spartanburg. "We are faced with ongoing transmission that we anticipate will go ...

Source: aol.com
Egypt and Iran complain to FIFA after World Cup match scheduled to coincide with Seattle Pride event | World News
- The World Cup draw last week for the first rounds saw Iran and Egypt pitched against each other in Group G, and due to play at the Seattle Stadium on 26 June, with local organisers planning a "moment to showcase and celebrate LGBTQIA+ communities". Iran and Egypt have complained after FIFA scheduled a World Cup match between the two nations in Seattle to coincide with the city's LGBTQ+ Pride festival. Seattle's ...

Source: news.sky.com
EU launches antitrust probe into Google's data use for AI
- The EU announced Tuesday it had opened a probe to assess whether Google breached antitrust rules by using content put online by media and other publishers to train and provide AI services without appropriate compensation. The European Commission said the investigation would look into concerns that the US tech giant might be distorting competition by imposing unfair terms and conditions on publishers and content ...

Source: digitaljournal.com
MEDICINE  
More Americans refusing vitamin K shots for newborns: Study
- ( The Hill ) – More American newborns are not receiving vitamin K shots, according to a study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  The study found that from January 2017 to December 2024, 3.92 percent of the more than 5 million newborns in a U.S.-based electronic database did not receive a vitamin K shot. The share of newborns who did not receive the shot rose from 2.92 ...

Source: wfla.com