レアジョブ英会話 Daily News Article Podcast

The topic of a new course at Mansfield Senior High School is one that teenagers across the country are having trouble with: How to Get to Sleep. One ninth grader in the class says his method is to scroll through TikTok until he nods off. Another teen says she often falls asleep while on a late-night group chat with friends. Not everyone takes part in class discussions; some students are slumped over their desks napping. Sleep training is no longer just for newborns. Some schools are taking it upon themselves to teach teenagers how to get a good night's sleep. "It might sound odd to say that kids in high school have to learn the skills to sleep," says Mansfield health teacher Tony Davis, who has incorporated a newly released sleep curriculum into a state-required high school health class. "But you'd be shocked how many just don't know how to sleep." Adolescents burning the midnight oil is nothing new; teens are biologically programmed to stay up later as their circadian rhythms shift with puberty. But studies show teenagers are more sleep deprived than ever, and experts believe it could be playing a role in the youth mental health crisis and other problems plaguing schools, including behavioral and attendance issues. "Walk into any high school in America, and you will see kids asleep. Whether it's on a desk, outside on the ground or on a bench, or on a couch the school has allotted for naps—because they are exhausted," says Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Education. Pope has surveyed high school students for more than a decade and leads parent sessions for schools around California on the importance of teen sleep. "Sleep is directly connected with mental health. There is not going to be anyone who argues with that." The district's high school is piloting the new curriculum, "Sleep to Be a Better You," hoping to improve academic success and reduce chronic absences, when a student misses more than 10% of the school year. During the six-part course, students are asked to keep daily sleep logs for six weeks and rate their mood and energy levels. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, speaking at the opening ceremony for the Osaka expo, expressed his hope that the event would help restore global unity in a world plagued by conflicts and trade wars. “The world, having overcome the coronavirus pandemic, is now threatened by an array of divisions,” Ishiba said. “At a time like this, it is extremely meaningful that people from around the world gather here and discuss the theme of life and experience cutting-edge technology, diverse ideas and culture.” Expo 2025 Osaka officially opened on April 12, with the theme of life, world and the future, and Japan hoped to bring unity and portray a future society. Citing the expo's iconic lattice-like wooden “Grand Ring,” which symbolizes unity and encircles the venue, Ishiba said, “I sincerely hope the world will unite again through interactions among countries and visitors in and outside of this ring." The costly ring, the world's largest wooden architectural structure, is 20 meters (65 feet) high and has a 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) circumference. During the six-month event on the reclaimed island and industrial waste burial site of Yumeshima, which means dream island, in the Osaka Bay, the city is hosting some 180 countries, regions and organizations showcasing their futuristic exhibits inside about 80 pavilions of unique designs. It is Osaka's second world expo after the 1970 event that scored a huge success and attracted 64 million visitors—a record until Shanghai in 2010. Emperor Naruhito, in his address at the opening ceremony, recalled visiting the earlier expo as a fascinating experience for a then 10-year-old prince. “I vividly remember how excited I was coming across the latest technology, playing with a wireless phone and looking at the moon rock,” brought back by the U.S. Apollo 12 lunar mission, said the emperor, now 65. Naruhito said he hoped the second Osaka expo would be as successful and expressed hope that children will learn more about people, regions and the world and think about future society by interacting with next-generation technologies and efforts for a sustainable future. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Instagram is beginning to test the use of artificial intelligence to determine if kids are lying about their ages on the app, parent company Meta Platforms said. Meta has been using AI to determine people's ages for some time, the company said, but the photo and video-sharing app will now “proactively” look for teen accounts it suspects belong to teenagers even if they entered an inaccurate birthdate when they signed up. If it is determined that a user is misrepresenting their age, the account will automatically become a teen account, which has more restrictions than an adult account. Teen accounts are private by default. Private messages are restricted so teens can only receive them from people they follow or are already connected to. “Sensitive content,” such as videos of people fighting or those promoting cosmetic procedures, will be limited, Meta said. Teens will also get notifications if they are on Instagram for more than 60 minutes, and a “sleep mode” will be enabled that turns off notifications and sends auto-replies to direct messages from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. Meta says it trains its AI to look for signals, such as the type of content the account interacts with, profile information and when the account was created, to determine the owner's age. The heightened measures arrive as social media companies face increased scrutiny over how their platforms affect the mental health and well-being of younger users. A growing number of states are also trying to pass age verification laws, although they have faced court challenges. Meta and other social media companies support putting the onus on app stores to verify ages amid criticism that they don't do enough to make their products safe for children—or verify that no kids under 13 use them. Instagram will also send notifications to parents “with information about how they can have conversations with their teens on the importance of providing the correct age online,” the company said. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Nintendo has announced a June 5 launch date and a $449.99 price tag for its latest gaming console, the Switch 2, which will introduce interactive chat and screen share functions to connect gamers. The company revealed a more vibrant display on the Switch 2, a larger screen and several games that will launch with the console. A select group of gamers got their hands on the latest Nintendo Switch console at an event in New York. Central to its updated system is a new “C” button on its Joy-Con controller, which will launch a new “GameChat” feature that requires a subscription to Nintendo's Switch Online service. It allows players to “communicate with friends and family while playing a game,” and lets them share their game screen with others. A built-in microphone will also allow chatting with other gamers. Perhaps the most contemporary function yet for the Switch 2 is the ability to use the Joy-Con controllers like a computer mouse. The developer displayed multiple ways to use the new function, such as angling a club in a golf game. “Be able to see your friends, hear your friends play with them all on the same screen. Being able to use the Joy-Cons as a computer mouse, which is pretty cool. Shoot a basketball, cast spells in Hogwarts Legacy, all sorts of fun new things with that computer mouse," says Ryan Kryska, a reporter for The Associated Press. The new console will be backward compatible—able to play physical and digital Switch games—but users will need to purchase a microSD express memory card for the Switch 2. The presentation revealed that normal microSD cards will not be compatible with the system. However, data from the original Switch can be transferred to the new console. The Switch 2's launch price is significantly higher than the original Switch's $299 price tag. The Trump administration's tariffs have hit the video game console industry at a fragile moment, analysts say. The tariffs impact game hardware because console devices are manufactured and shipped from China and that region at large. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

There's a steam engine revival in South Africa. Although steam belongs to a bygone era when trains powered the Industrial Revolution, there's now a significant steam rail tourism sector thriving in the country. The Ceres Steam Train to Elgin is one of five steam heritage train rides available in South Africa. A novel experience for some, it's nostalgic for others. Trundling along at a sedate 45 kilometers per hour, there is lots of time to chat, celebrate an event, or watch the world go by. A highlight is climbing Sir Lowry's Pass, after which the train is in the Overberg district. At the peak of steam in 1959, there were 3,300 steam locomotives in use in South Africa. Peter Rogers has run steam train tours in South Africa since the 1980s. He says there are two main reasons steam trains were used significantly longer in South Africa than in other countries. “Most traction was steam and that was due to the fact that we had abundant coal in the country, as well as the sanctions period when we couldn't get diesel fuel, and for that reason, steam kept on until about 1980s when railways eventually decided to get rid of steam. The last steam operated on the Kimberley-De Aar line in about 1992,” he explains. When steam stopped being used in 1992, there were 700 steam locomotives on the tracks. Today, there are about 20 steam locomotives in use, and one of them powers the Ceres Train to Elgin. Keeping steam train travel alive in the 21st century has several challenges, not least having to manufacture spare parts from scratch. Yet there is an enduring love for steam travel, says Ceres Train Director, Rick Botha. “There are more steam locomotives running in the country now than there were ten years ago. So it's definitely grown and there's been a revival in steam. And you can see people are interested in it. Wherever steam is running, steam is running full. People love it. People wave, people hoot. There's just a joy around steam that you don't find anywhere else.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

There is a stink rising over the United Kingdom's second-largest city. Garbage has piled up for a month in Birmingham during a dispute between the city and its trash collectors. It is a sore sight for the eyes and offensive to the nose. Mountains of garbage are said to be visible from space, and people have complained of seeing rats as big as cats in the refuse. “You can see the juice flowing out of the bags onto the road. It stinks,” Naeem Yousef said. “It's bringing down the areas. People are saying, ‘Look at these areas, how dirty these people are.'” Members of Unite, the union representing garbage truck workers, walked off the job on March 11 over the elimination of a job position and painful pay cuts. The council said it had made a reasonable offer, that cuts would only affect a small number of jobs, and the jobs being eliminated were unnecessary. The Labour-run Birmingham City Council is effectively bankrupt because of a settlement over historic pay discrimination. As a result, it's had to make significant budget cuts of 300 million pounds ($383 million) over two years and is only providing services required by law, including waste collection. As heaps of black bags littered sidewalks, with their contents spilling out of holes chewed by critters, the city council declared a major incident to bring in additional cleanup crews and vehicles. Photos on news sites and social media show furniture, mattresses and car bumpers illegally dumped alongside bulging trash bags. In one neighborhood, garbage sacks were set ablaze. “Our priority is tackling the misery and disruption for residents,” Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister, said. “It is essential to protect public health by tackling the backlog of waste.” Kevin Hollinrake, a Conservative Member of Parliament, said the situation was “a national embarrassment” and could become a public health emergency. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Nations are trying to reach an agreement to charge commercial vessels a fee for their emissions in what would effectively be the world's first global carbon tax. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), which regulates international shipping, set a target for the sector to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by about 2050, and committed to ensuring that fuels with zero or near-zero emissions are used more widely. The committee, comprised of IMO member states, is working to approve proposed new global regulations to put a price on maritime greenhouse gas emissions and to set a marine fuel standard to phase in cleaner fuels. The measures are more than climate aspirations—they will become mandatory for ships operating globally, said IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, who thinks the industry must do more to cut carbon pollution. The committee will “set the course for a net-zero future for the maritime sector,” he told The Associated Press. The future of clean shipping hangs in the balance, said Emma Fenton, senior director for climate diplomacy at a U.K.-based climate change nonprofit, Opportunity Green. Fenton said a high price, simple flat-rate levy on shipping's greenhouse gas emissions is the only way to decarbonize the industry equitably. “If an agreement is reached, it would represent a huge moment of solidarity in the fight to tackle climate change,” Fenton said. “For the first time, we will have, hopefully, an effective global framework tackling this international issue. Most emissions are tackled domestically.” Emissions from shipping have increased over the last decade—to about 3% of the global total according to the United Nations—as vessels have gotten much bigger, delivering more cargo per trip and using immense amounts of fuel oil. Some fear that anything short of a universal levy would jeopardize climate goals and allow wealthier ship owners to buy compliance while continuing to pollute. Ambassador Albon Ishoda, Marshall Islands' special envoy for maritime decarbonization, said IMO's climate targets are “meaningless” without the levy. Revenue from a levy could be used to help developing countries transition to greener shipping, so they aren't left behind with dirty fuels and old ships. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Attending the Masters for the first time was a new experience for Thomas Abraham, and it wasn't just about the golf. The 16-year-old from Houston had the rare opportunity to use a public telephone for the first time. "It was kind of cool," said Abraham, who phoned a friend while attending the Masters Par 3 competition on April 9 with his father, Sid. "I've never used one before. I figured it out. If I had to use one of those (rotary) phones, I probably would've had to ask my dad." Augusta National Golf Club requires its patrons to leave their cellphones and other electronic devices behind. In place of those security blankets, there are several public telephone banks of those throwback devices from days gone by. They are a foreign sight for many in the younger generation who've never seen a phone with an attached cord. Abraham is not unlike most teenagers—or adults, for that matter—who are very much attached to the world through their cellphones. At some point, chances are, patrons check for their phone—patting their pockets, reaching for the clip on their belts, wherever it usually is. And when they can't find it, well... "It's kind of panic mode," Abraham said. "We were at 18th (hole), and I went to reach in my pocket, and it wasn't there. Then I remembered it's in the car." He wasn't alone. "I've checked my pockets for my phone no less than 10 times today," said Ryan O'Connor from Little Rock, Arkansas. "I was sitting in the bleachers on the 16th green, and someone dropped a water bottle, and it made a loud noise, and I instinctively reached for my phone. Not there." The line at the public phone bank can stretch up to 10 people deep at the height of the Masters. And while they provide an outlet for those looking to touch base with the world outside of Augusta National's gates, there are some issues that come with them. Like, remembering phone numbers. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

For parents who need to work but can't afford the steep cost of child care, federally funded scholarships can be a lifeline. Delivered through state child care assistance programs, the scholarships can mean the difference between a parent working full time—or not at all. But qualified families are increasingly being turned away, thanks to the rising costs of child care and the end of pandemic-era funds, and some families that had scholarships have seen them end. In three states—Arizona, Colorado and Texas—parents who apply face long waitlists. Other states have increased copayments for parents or have said they will serve fewer children. In March, the Trump administration laid off some employees who helped states implement child care assistance. It's left advocates worried about the future of federal child care programs. “What it means is that ultimately child care will become less safe, it's going to become more expensive, and it's going to become harder to find,” said Ruth Friedman, who was the director of the Office of Child Care under former President Joe Biden. In Colorado, a dozen counties stopped accepting new applications for the state's child care assistance program because they ran out of money, The Colorado Sun reported. For states trying to maintain child care assistance scholarships, the costs of running the programs have risen. Because many child care providers operate on the margins, the Biden administration increased the amount they receive when they take scholarship students. It's all evidence that the problems that vex the child care industry have not necessarily abated with the pandemic, said Karen Schulman, senior director of child care policy at the National Women's Law Center. “The crisis was going on long before COVID,” Schulman said, citing the unaffordability of care for many families, along with the low pay of the child care workforce. Even as providers struggle to make a profit, child care is prohibitively expensive for many families. In a study of 2022 child care prices, the Labor Department found the median cost of care for an infant in a center was more than $15,600 in large counties—higher than the median rent in many places. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Seafood lovers know that fatty marbling is what makes tuna sashimi and sushi so tasty, so for the industry, it's the fish's level of fattiness that's used to judge its quality and pricing. Usually, several people assess how fatty a tuna is by cutting the tail with a giant saw-like knife, an operation that takes about 60 seconds per fish. But now, a machine called Sonofai uses ultrasound waves to do the job in 12 seconds, operated by a person without prior knowledge of how to carve fish. Fujitsu, the Japanese company behind the technology, invited reporters for a demonstration of Sonofai, a word blended from "sono," referring to "sound," "f" for Fujitsu, and "ai," or artificial intelligence. The name refers to its components but also stands for "son of AI." A conveyor belt transports a whole frozen tuna, about a meter (3 feet) in size, into a machine that beams ultrasound waves. Sensors pick up the waves to draw a zigzagging diagram on a screen to indicate the fish's fattiness. Fatty meat absorbs fewer sound waves than lean meat, and AI sorts real data from misleading "noise," or irregularities. Hisashi Ishida, president of Sonofai, the startup behind the technology, who also heads Ishida Tec Co., which makes food-manufacturing equipment, says it's safer, more sanitary and efficient. "Fatty fish tastes good, feels better on your tongue and is called toro," he said. "Overseas needs are growing because sushi culture is now appreciated around the world." Beef has a grading system for fat and expected flavor, but being able to gauge the quality of tuna is new, according to Hideto Okada, who oversees AI at Fujitsu. But Sonofai won't be at your neighborhood sushi chef. Fish-processing outfits and fishing organizations are the likely buyers. The machine is set to go on sale in June for about 30 million yen ($207,000) each, at first in Japan but expanding to the U.S. and other places later. They'll also work on future upgrades to test for freshness, firmness and other characteristics of tuna and other fish varieties. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Spring has sprung, and tulip mania is once again attracting social media trendsetters to the Netherlands' world-famous garden to see them. Around 7 million tulips are expected to bloom at the Keukenhof Gardens, creating a kaleidoscope of color to brighten up social media feeds. The Dutch have been dazzled by these tulips since they were first imported to the Netherlands from Central Asia in the 17th century. The Keukenhof is the perfect spot, with specially created giant clogs, floral archways, and pink velvet couches for people to pose and pout. They're trending on social media websites, attracting visitors like Austrian lawyer Daniel Magnus. "Whenever you see the kind of pictures which were taken from an influencer, they make something (an impression) with you right. You get a new impression of new locations, traditions, people and so it is very nice, they are inspiring you, … and that makes you, yeah, you want also to be there," says Magnus. These blooms are carefully nurtured by gardeners here. The Keukenhof says well over a million visitors make their way here to see the 7 million bulbs that have been planted. The garden is only open for eight weeks, so everyone knows there's a small window of opportunity for social media snappers. Gardener Patrick van Dijk says, "The tulips, it's a combination of everything. The blossom, the blossom trees, primroses, the magnolia trees there's always something blooming. I think that's the reason why everybody's coming, there's also always something to see." "It's a very good representation because we've been doing this since 1700, and since then it's been an iconic flower for the Netherlands. If you say the Netherlands, you say tulips," says van Dijk. The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Convention encourages visitors by saying, “Make your image come alive and place the subject of your photo slightly off-center. This will make your photo look more dynamic.” But not everyone is always happy with tourists taking photos. Some flower farmers have put up signs and barriers to deter aspiring influencers from trampling tulips in nearby fields. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

It might look like the inside of a Minecraft universe, but this is actually in a new immersive attraction in London's Canada Water, where a glowing orb unlocks a new way to play the game. Visitors use it to mine, build and interact inside Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue. It's the game's first immersive attraction in the UK and Europe. Real-life models of Minecraft animals and props give the digital world physical shape including a pig, a giant bee, and a towering Iron Golem built to scale. Olivier Goulet is Managing Partner for Supply + Demand, the creative media agency involved in designing the experience in collaboration with Microsoft. He says, “We're inviting guests to step into the world of Minecraft literally. Our first goal was to be truly authentic to the game and the brand. And I think we've nailed it from what we hear from the fans. … Second, you know, Minecraft is a game of discovery and crafting, and it's free play. … So we have our own lens in the world of Minecraft, and we made it a quest.” Guests use the orb to gather resources in each room, shaking it to unlock virtual tools and trigger scenes across the space. Goulet continues, “That quest is to go save the villagers. So through the experience, we're gonna, of course, spawn in the forest like we do in the game. We're gonna craft some tools to get in the adventure and we'll get into the village and realize that as we help the villagers grow their village, they get attacked … And we're going to go on a quest to make the potion and find golden apples to turn them back from zombie villagers to villagers. It's as simple as that.” Goulet says, “We're true believers at Supply + Demand in bridging physicality and digital, so this is not just a typical projection. You can touch and feel stuff as you can see behind me. It's a mix of scenic fabric and scenic projection and physical blocks.” The launch comes as the Minecraft universe expands with a new live-action film alongside a Netflix series and more global projects to come. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

New York City's "bodega cats" are beloved fixtures in the Big Apple—but they're on the wrong side of the law. The convenience store cats that live at many of the city's bodegas and delis look innocent enough, spending their days lounging in sun-soaked storefronts or slinking between shelves of snack foods as they collect friendly pets from customers. Officially, though, state law bars most animals from stores that sell food, with bodega owners potentially facing fines if their tabby is caught curling up near the tins of tuna and toilet paper. The pets' precarious legal position recently came into the spotlight again when a petition circulated online that advocated for the city to shield bodega cat owners from fines, racking up more than 10,000 signatures. But inspecting bodegas is a state responsibility. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets said in a statement that its goal is to ensure compliance with food safety laws and regulations, though it noted that inspectors aim to offer "educational resources and corrective action timelines and options" before looking at fines. Many fans argue that the cats actually help keep the stores clean by deterring other ubiquitous New York City creatures, like rodents and cockroaches. However, some shopkeepers say the felines' most important job is bringing in customers. At one bodega in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a fluffy gray and white cat named Mimi has become even more of a star attraction after a customer posted a video of her to TikTok that was viewed over 9 million times. Sydney Miller, the customer who shared the video, said the experience has helped her build a lasting rapport with Mimi's caretaker, Asam Mohammad, a Yemeni immigrant who has only been in the U.S. for a few years. "Ultimately, the cats are a symbol of community building and the special, unique type of connection that happens in a city like New York," said Miller, a poet and digital content producer. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Australia's opposition party withdrew election promises to prevent public servants from working from home and to slash more than one in five federal public sector jobs. Opposition leader Peter Dutton announced his conservative Liberal Party had dropped its pledge that public servants would be required to work in their offices five days a week except in exceptional circumstances. “I think we made a mistake in relation to this policy,” Dutton told Nine Network television. “I think it's important that we say that and recognize it and our intention was to make sure that where taxpayers are working hard and their money is being spent to pay wages that it's being spent efficiently." The opposition also withdrew a promise to use forced redundancy payments to slash 41,000 jobs from the 185,000 positions in the Australian Public Service. The reductions would instead be achieved through natural attrition and an employment freeze, he said. Dutton's announcements were the first significant policy shifts since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the May 3 election in March. Albanese urged voters not to believe that Dutton now supported flexible work arrangements for public servants. “He's now pretending that that program won't proceed,” Albanese told reporters. Members of the center-left Labor Party government have accused their conservative opponents of mimicking U.S. President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk who has spearheaded the so-called Department of Government Efficiency efforts to downsize and overhaul the U.S. government. “This is DOGE-y Dutton taking his cues and policies straight from the U.S.,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers said last week. The government had argued that the opposition's policy to reduce workplace flexibility would disproportionately disadvantage women because they often had greater childcare responsibilities. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

During the workweek, time to exercise can quickly slip away. But meeting physical activity targets by cramming workouts into the weekend could actually buy back time in the long run. A new study reports that people whose physical activity fits a "weekend warrior" pattern might lower the risk of an early death from cardiovascular disease, cancer and other causes. The study defined weekend warriors as people who achieved 150 minutes or more a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity in just one or two days. Compared with less active people, the study's weekend warriors were 32% less likely to die from any cause over a follow-up period of roughly eight years. Also, they were 31% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 21% less likely to die from cancer during that time. The results were similar among people who met or exceeded physical activity targets but spread their exercise across three or more days a week. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. "You don't need to exercise every day to stay healthy. As long as you get 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week," study co-author Dr. Zhi-Hao Li said in a news release. Li is an epidemiologist in the School of Public Health at Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China. "This message is encouraging news for busy people who struggle to fit in daily workouts but can manage a concentrated burst of activity on weekends or over a couple of days," Li said. Federal guidelines recommend that each week, adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent combination. In the new study, nearly 43% of participants were classified as weekend warriors, and almost 24% hit the physical activity targets by spreading exercise throughout the week. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

To raise adventurous, self-sufficient and health-conscious eaters, get kids in the kitchen. It may sound too simple, but those are just a few of the benefits when kids learn to cook. Cooking builds life skills, promotes healthy eating, boosts confidence and strengthens family bonds—all while making mealtime fun. “It helps to think of it as less of a chore and more of an opportunity to be together as a family,” said Jessica Battilana, staff editor at King Arthur Baking Company, which offers adult and children's cooking classes. The food doesn't need to be fancy, and it doesn't all have to be homemade. “The investment parents make early on to encourage their kids to participate in mealtime will pay dividends later, when they're able to handle kitchen tasks independently,” Battilana said. “It can feel special to kids to be included in an adult activity,” said Cristi Donoso, 38, from Alexandria, Virginia. Donoso is a speech therapist and encourages her clients to cook with their kids in age-appropriate ways. She's also the mother to a 5-year-old, who has been baking with her since toddlerhood. “There's a lot of real-world learning involved,” Donoso said: math concepts, language skills and self-control. Kids learn by reading and following a step-by-step recipe. It takes concentration and other executive functioning skills. They also learn how to be safe in a kitchen, requiring self-control. Exposure and sensory experience with food help kids become well-rounded eaters, she said. “Your food experience isn't just about sitting down to eat. It's about making a list, going to the store, and feeling the fruit," she said. Childhood obesity rates have been rising for decades, and studies have shown a positive correlation between healthy eating and home cooking, which can be a good alternative to ultraprocessed foods. Jennifer Schittino, a Maryland-based working mom of two young children, wants to help them shape healthier habits for the future. “It's both healthier and cheaper to cook from scratch," she said. She also wants her children to "understand the fundamentals so they can make healthy and nutritious meals on a limited budget.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Fifty years after the founding of Microsoft, the CEO of its artificial intelligence division has a big task: develop a new product line that is as integral to daily life as the software giant's past innovations. “We're really trying to land this idea that everybody is going to have their own personalized AI companion," said Mustafa Suleyman in an interview with The Associated Press. "It will, over time, have its own name, its own style. It will adapt to you. It may also have its own visual appearance and expressions.” Suleyman laid out that vision on Microsoft's 50th anniversary in April. The company's flagship product of this AI era, Copilot, already combines a chatbot with Microsoft's suite of workaday tools, from Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations to the Windows operating system that defines how most computers work. But Suleyman is striving for something that sounds a little more like science fiction—a technology that can form a “lasting, meaningful relationship” with its users. “One that knows your name, gets to know you, has a memory of everything that you've shared with it and talked about and really comes to kind of live life alongside you,” he said. “It's far more than just a piece of software or a tool. It is unlike anything we've really ever created." Some of those updates—such as new “visual memory” capabilities that keep track of a user's digital activity, if they want that—rolled out on mobile apps last month. Other features are still in development, such as an animated avatar—a talking peacock in Suleyman's demo—that would embody a person's AI companion. “It's a super competitive market, but this is absolutely foundational to us,” Suleyman said. “Copilot in the workplace, Copilot at home is the future of the company. On the consumer side, we are going to be committed to this for many decades to come. We really think it's the major platform shift that we have to win.” Even as competition ramps up, so does wariness from Wall Street and big business customers about whether these AI products are worth their huge costs in computing power and energy. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Data and tech are helping ski resorts operate more efficiently. A New Hampshire mountain destination is using technology to analyze everything from how many ski runs its customers complete to the busiest time for selling hot dogs. The Black Mountain resort is owned by businessman Erik Mogensen. He calls it a “quintessential independent mountain.” But behind the scenes, the experience is now propelled by a high-tech system designed to increase efficiency at the state's oldest ski area. The company builds systems that put lift tickets sales, lesson reservations and equipment rentals online, while collecting detailed data to inform decisions like where to make more snow and how much. “When you don't have data to fall back on and you don't have a marketing plan to fall back on, you're just kind of, like, hoping that it snows one day. And hoping that it snows is not a business plan,” he says. So, his team crunches the numbers to monitor exactly what his customers are doing so they can adjust staffing and resources accordingly. “A lot of general managers will go out and look how many rows of cars are parked and that's kind of how they tell how busy they are. We really want to look at transactional data, down to the deepest level. When are people buying hot dogs and hamburgers, right? How do we staff the cafeteria and at what time?” he says. The entrepreneur is betting that technology will be a great "equalizer” with the larger players. “Vail and Alterra and the large operators, they can do a lot of things at scale that we can't. They can buy 20 snow cats at a time, ten chairlifts. Those type of things. We can't do that. But we're really nimble here at Black. We can decide to change the way we groom very quickly or change the way we open trails,” he says. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

They may belong to the TikTok generation, but a group of Australian high schoolers is reviving the classic tradition of the student magazine. The teens believe it's more crucial than ever that their voices are heard away from the realm of social media. Student Spotlight is now up to its seventh issue and between student writers, editors and graphic designers, it can count on more than 20 volunteers to fill its pages. It is available online to all the schools of the Greater Darwin region. For these students of the social media era, going “old-school” was very appealing. “Someone has sat down and really put their time and effort into this, and I feel like there's more care, and people will take that more seriously, rather than just ‘oh, an Instagram reel, scroll',” says contributor Nicole. Featuring impactful news, edgy short stories, and sharp opinion pieces, no subject is out of bounds. “This is entirely student-driven. I'm just here as a supervisor, and I think they're showing what students are capable of when we sit back and let them take charge,” says teacher Trilokesh Chanmugam. Student Spotlight was founded by 16-year-old Pak who grew up in Hong Kong, where he says he witnessed violent arrests of young pro-democracy protesters. “I think just seeing those protests and seeing so many young people not being heard really left a long-lasting impact in how I think and how I act,” explains Pak. The students hope their magazine will give young people in Australia's Northern Territory a voice. “The Northern Territory fosters a lot of great young people and a lot of the time they have to work under less resources, but they're very resilient and they're also very good at finding different opportunities, there must be a way to showcase that,” says Pak. “Even if I'm one person, one person still makes a massive difference,” concludes Nicole. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Lori Matthias and her husband had tired of Atlanta traffic when they moved to St. Augustine, Florida, in 2023. For Mike Waldron and his wife, moving from the Boston area in 2020 to a place that bills itself as "the nation's oldest city" was motivated by a desire to be closer to their adult children. They were among thousands of white-collar remote workers who migrated to the St. Augustine area in recent years, transforming the touristy beach town into one of the top remote work hubs in the United States. Matthias fell in love with St. Augustine's small-town feeling, trading the hour-long commute she had in Atlanta for bumping into friends and acquaintances while running errands. "The whole pace here is slower and I'm attracted to that," said Matthias, who does sales and marketing for a power tool company. "My commute is like 30 steps from my kitchen to my office. It's just different. It's just relaxed and friendly." Centuries before becoming a remote work hub, the St. Augustine area was claimed by the Spanish crown in the early 16th century after explorer Juan Ponce de Leon's arrival. In modern times, it is best known for its Spanish architecture of terra cotta roofs and arched doorways, tourist-carrying trolleys, a historic fort, an alligator farm, lighthouses and a shipwreck museum. In St. Johns County, home to St. Augustine, the percentage of workers who did their jobs from home nearly tripled from 8.6% in 2018 to almost 24% in 2023, moving the Northeast Florida county into the top ranks of U.S. counties with the largest share of people working remotely, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. Scott Maynard, a vice president of economic development for the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, attributes the initial influx of new residents to Florida's lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in businesses and schools in the fall of 2020 while much of the country remained locked down. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

For Allyson Howell, her hometown library is more than just a place to borrow a book; it's also a unique space where different cultures from the U.S. and Canada have mingled and developed ties for more than a century. Howell and others fear that could change under a new regulation implemented by President Donald Trump's administration as tensions continue to rise between the two countries. The Haskell Free Library and Opera House straddles the line between Howell's town of Derby Line, Vermont, and Stanstead, Quebec. The entrance to the imposing Victorian-style brick and stone building is on the U.S. side, but an informal agreement between the two countries has always allowed Canadians to enter without a passport. Canadians cross the border on a sidewalk leading directly to the library which is monitored by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The nearest border checkpoint is not within the eyesight of the building. Inside the library, there is a line on the floor marking the international border, though residents of both countries have been able to move freely among the stacks. But since March 25, the only Canadian visitors able to enter on the U.S. side have been cardholders and library workers. All others have had to use an emergency exit on the Canadian side. Starting October 1, all Canadians will have to enter from their side of the border or pass through a security checkpoint on the U.S. side. It's a big change from the honor system arrangement the two countries have always used, users of the library said. The new U.S. regulation strikes at the heart of what the library stands for, according to members of communities on both sides of the border. It was built in the early 1900s with a goal of uniting those communities with literacy, art and culture, said Sylvie Boudreau, president of the library's board of trustees. The library is run by a private board and largely operates on an honor system that binds the two countries, Boudreau said. “We're all friends, we're all family. We stick together.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

After sending its most famous work to be featured in Amsterdam's blockbuster 2023 exhibition of nearly every work by Johannes Vermeer, the Mauritshuis museum found itself with a blank space where the iconic Girl with a Pearl Earring had been displayed. The Hague-based institution turned to more than 2,700 artists, from Texas to Ukraine, from age 7 to 70, who created their own interpretations of the 17th-century masterpiece. A selection of 60 works using materials ranging from orange peels to bottle caps to sweatshirts was exhibited in the museum while the painting was on loan 40 miles (64 kilometers) to the north. "The submissions continue to come, it will never end with her," Martine Gosselink, director of the Mauritshuis museum, told The Associated Press, pointing to the ongoing popularity of works featuring the mystery girl. A 2020 investigation into the painting using a battery of modern imaging techniques uncovered details about Vermeer's methods and the makeup of his pigments, but not the young woman's identity. "I bring together the original The Girl with a Pearl Earring and the face of a Wayang puppet," artist Rob de Heer told the AP, standing in front of a screen in the museum's foyer where all of the winning submissions are displayed. De Heer, who primarily works with mixed media, wanted to take an image from the Golden Age history of the Netherlands and combine it with one evoking its colonial legacy. Wayang puppets are a traditional form of theater in parts of Indonesia, which was ruled by the Netherlands until 1949. His surrealist work is followed in the rolling display by a piece featuring the original girl's face superimposed on an antique tea tin. Other submissions include works by South Korean artist Nanan Kang, who used an ear of corn for the face; Georgian artist Nino Kavazauri, who reimagined a modern girl waiting at a bus stop with a cup of coffee; and Simon Chong, a Welsh animator, who works on the popular television series "Bob's Burgers" and created a girl in the show's cartoon style. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Dollar Tree's decade-long effort to fold the Family Dollar chain into its business is ending after agreeing to sell the bargain store chain to a pair of private equity firms for $1 billion. Dollar Tree Inc. bought Family Dollar with its over 7,000 stores ten years ago for more than $8 billion. Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, said that Dollar Tree struggled with supply chain issues, poor store locations and other operational difficulties ever since making the acquisition. Family Dollar carries a range of household staples, from food to laundry detergent. The stores are largely located in underserved, urban areas. Store closings that are underway, and those that may take place under new ownership, are likely to have an outsized impact on customers living in those areas. Access to affordable, essential goods may become more challenging for lower-income families as more Family Dollar stores close, said Marshal Cohen, chief industry advisor at Circana, a market research firm. “The lower-income consumer will be losing a critical place to be able to purchase value products," Cohen said. "They're losing the breadth of the assortment and the depth of the discount and the convenience.” The mom-and-pop stores found in such densely populated urban areas have less selection and prices are typically higher, Cohen said. Dollar Tree stores, whose customer base is about 50% middle-income shoppers, are found in many suburban locations. Its shelves are more likely to feature seasonal goods, party supplies, crafts and snacks. The sale will likely free Dollar Tree to focus on its core customers, Truist Securities analyst Scot Ciccarelli believes. “Family Dollar turnaround efforts had been consuming massive amounts of both management focus and financial resources and now the company can focus all of its efforts toward growing and optimizing Dollar Tree,” he wrote in a client note. Bargain chains like Dollar Tree, which have raised some of their prices in recent years, are finding that they have little room to maneuver. Americans have tightened their spending as consumer confidence in the economy slides. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Around the world, plastics are finding their way into farm fields—coated over the ground in fertilizer, wrapped around seeds, stretched as tarps to lock in moisture and as plastic waste from other industries. It's a problem that has long littered the landscape in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, where a plague of plastic bags, locally known as buveera, is woven into the fabric of daily life. They show up in layers of excavated dirt roads and clog waterways. But now, they can be found in remote areas of farmland, too. Some of the debris includes the thick plastic bags used for planting coffee seeds in nurseries. Climate change makes agricultural plastic, already a necessity for many crops, even more unavoidable for some farmers. Meanwhile, research continues to show that itty-bitty microplastics alter ecosystems and end up in human bodies. Scientists, farmers and consumers all worry about how that's affecting human health, and many seek solutions. But industry experts say it's difficult to know where plastic ends up or get rid of it completely, even with the best intentions of reuse and recycling programs. According to a 2021 report on plastics in agriculture by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, soil is one of the main receptors of agricultural plastics. Some studies have estimated that soils are more polluted by microplastics than the oceans. “Microplastic is a very big challenge. We experience so many plastics and that is brought up by the reason of having so many plastic factories or industries of bottling companies for water, for juice, and then for energy drinks, so they process so many plastics,” said Nicholas Kayondo, who is a crop scientist and a farmer in the outskirts of the Ugandan Capital Kampala. Some farmers say agricultural plastic, already a necessity for many crops, is becoming even more necessary as climate change fuels extreme weather. But for those tending the fields that microplastics end up in, there's a growing sense of frustration. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Minimalism is out for 2025, and exuberance is in, according to top interior designers. People looking to improve their homes and gardens are increasingly wanting something "posher" and more high-tech according to style gurus at the Ideal Home Show in London. The Ideal Home Show is the UK's largest interior design show and has been setting trends since 1908. Each year, interior designers curate the Ideal Home at the show, packing this show home with the latest trends and technology to inspire visitors. The home features typical rooms found in every home—including a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom—all packed with design flourishes. And for 2025, minimalism is dead, and interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, known for his love of color and pattern, could not be happier. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen says, "It's this extraordinary moment where it feels like the whole planet is crawling out from underneath the gray rock under which it has been imprisoned for the last five or six years. Suddenly, it's all about color. Suddenly, it's all about pattern." Wallpapers and bedsheets are patterned with splashes of color, and design touches like the underlit marble kitchen island create an air of opulence. Llewelyn-Bowen thinks it is a reaction to the cost-of-living crisis but also because people have been inspired by the box sets they have been bingeing on. He mentions popular TV series like The Gentlemen or Jilly Cooper's Rivals as the major inspirations for home decor. "It's like people want something much more glamorous. Dare I say they want something that feels a little bit posh. They love the big scale wallpapers, they love the drinks tray," he says. So, is the era of less-is-more over? Of course, some people will still embrace minimalism in the home. "Obviously, there will be people out there that are into Scandi-Japanese minimalism," he says. The Ideal Home Show ran at London's Olympia from March 21 to April 6, 2025, and featured 600 brands. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The phrase “hybrid athlete” is gaining popularity on social media, with thousands of followers embracing a multi-disciplinary approach to training and racing. While it's considered a positive trend, experts warn that diving into an intense training routine can be risky if not executed properly. Hyrox is a fitness competition that blends running with functional exercises. It's rapidly becoming one of the fastest-growing fitness sports globally, with events held in more than 11 countries and 30 cities. Karla Maganto Parisotto started competing over a year ago. Since then, she's witnessed its popularity skyrocket. “It just went crazy, I just knew everyone doing it and then in Melbourne as well and now it's just the new thing,” she says. Hyrox is a key element of a growing social media trend, called “hybrid training.” A “hybrid athlete” typically refers to someone who combines various types of training, such as endurance and strength. Though the concept isn't new to athletes, fitness influencers are popularizing the approach with demanding workout routines, inspiring thousands of followers to give it a try. “Seeing muscle-bound guys with their shirts off running marathon distances is intriguing, is interesting, is extraordinary and all of these things feed engagement on social media,” says musculoskeletal physiotherapist, Nick Ilic. Overall, hybrid training is a positive concept, but experts warn that if not done correctly, an unrealistic routine can have harmful consequences. “Do so slowly and progressively. Make sure you're fueling appropriately and just making small changes to your training and making sure there's enough recovery in there,” says Ilic. Done right, it can lead to a positive community. “I think it's really good to motivate people to get out there and do stuff as long as they get out there and do things gradually and gradually expose themselves to these big strength loads or big endurance loads,” adds Ilic. “Different fitness components, different ages, different body types, I saw there was a very big community in it and everyone pushing each other,” adds Maganto Parisotto. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Hansen, a retired Danish police officer, loaded up his basket at the supermarket, carefully checking each product to avoid buying anything made in the United States. No more Coca-Cola, no more California Zinfandel wine or almonds. On his recent shopping trip, Hansen returned home with dates from Iran. It shocked him to realize that he now perceives the United States as a greater threat than Iran. "Trump really looks like a bully who tries in every way to intimidate, threaten others to get his way," he told The Associated Press. "I will fight against that kind of thing." Hansen is just one supporter of a growing movement across Europe and Canada to boycott U.S. products. People are joining Facebook groups where they exchange ideas about how to avoid U.S. products and find alternatives. Feelings are especially strong across the Nordic region—and possibly strongest in Denmark, given Trump's threats to seize Greenland. Google Trends showed a spike in searches for the terms "Boycott USA" and "Boycott America" as Trump announced new tariffs, with the top regions including Denmark, Canada and France. At the same time, a global backlash is also building against Tesla as the brand becomes tied to Trump, with plunging sales in Europe and Canada. In Germany, police were investigating after four Teslas were set on fire. Responding to consumer demand, Denmark's largest supermarket chain, the Salling Group, created a star-shaped label this March to mark European-made goods sold in its stores. CEO Anders Hagh said it's not a boycott, but a response to consumers demanding a way to easily avoid American products. "Our stores will continue to have brands on the shelves from all over the world, and it will always be up to customers to choose. The new label is only an additional service for customers who want to buy goods with European labels," he said in a LinkedIn post. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The Swiss town of Neuchâtel is offering its residents a novel medical option: Expose yourself to art and get a doctor's note to do it for free. Under a new two-year pilot project, local and regional authorities are covering the costs of “museum prescriptions” issued by doctors who believe their patients could benefit from visits to any of the town's four museums as part of their treatment. The project is based on a 2019 World Health Organization report that found the arts can boost mental health, reduce the impact of trauma, and lower the risk of cognitive decline, frailty, and “premature mortality,” among other upsides. Art can help relax the mind—as a sort of preventative medicine—and visits to museums require getting up and out of the house with physical activity like walking and standing for long periods. Neuchâtel council member Julie Courcier Delafontaine said the COVID crisis also played a role in the program's genesis. “With the closure of cultural sites (during coronavirus lockdowns), people realized just how much we need them to feel better.” She said so far, some 500 prescriptions have been distributed to doctors around town, and the program costs “very little.” Ten thousand Swiss francs (about $11,300) have been budgeted for it. If successful, local officials could expand the program to other artistic activities like theater or dance, Courcier Delafontaine said. The Swiss national health care system doesn't cover “culture as a means of therapy,” but she hopes it might one day if the results are positive enough. Dr. Marc-Olivier Sauvain, head of surgery at the Neuchâtel Hospital Network, said he had already prescribed museum visits to two patients to help them get in better shape before a planned operation. “It's wishful thinking to think that telling them to go walk or go for a stroll to improve their fitness level before surgery will work,” Sauvain said on a video call. “I think that these patients will fully benefit from museum prescriptions. We'll give them a chance to get physical and intellectual exercise.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after beating Bahrain 2-0 at Saitama Stadium on March 20. Second-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo ensured the Samurai Blue secured a spot in Asia Group C's top two automatic qualification places. At its eighth straight World Cup, Japan joins co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico in the expanded 48-team tournament. "Thanks to the players for their efforts and the fans for their support," Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said. "We knew that if we persevered that the goals would come. We will try and win our three remaining games and grow as a team." Earlier, second-place Australia took a big step toward a seventh appearance by defeating Indonesia 5-1 in Sydney in the visitors' first game under new coach Patrick Kluivert. Indonesia's Kevin Diks missed a penalty in the eighth minute, and 10 minutes later, Martin Boyle converted his spot kick to put the Socceroos ahead. Nishan Velupillay and Jackson Irvine scored before the break and Lewis Miller made it 4-0 on the hour. Ole Romeny scored for Indonesia before Irvine grabbed his second and the hosts' fifth. The top two from each of the three six-team groups in the third round of Asian qualifying advance to the World Cup, while the third- and fourth-place teams advance to another stage to compete for two more places. South Korea stayed on top of Group B and on course for an 11th straight World Cup appearance despite drawing with Oman 1-1 in Goyang, just north of Seoul. "People may think this qualification round is easy, but we have to work so hard for every match," South Korea captain Son Heung-min said. "A match like this can teach us a lesson. We have to take whatever positive we can from this." This article was provided by The Associated Press.

More states are passing or considering laws that require employers to offer paid medical leave. Advocates say these laws can reduce financial stress and make workers more productive. But some measures also stress employers, and the patchwork nature of different state laws can create frustration. Paid family and medical leave allows workers time off to undergo treatment or care for a family member or a new child. Separately, more states and cities are also requiring paid sick time, which helps people deal with shorter-term illnesses like the flu. Many employers also offer paid sick time without a government mandate. Laws requiring longer-term paid family and medical leave are less common. Thirteen states and D.C. require some version of it, according to the National Partnership. There is no federal law requiring paid leave. The Family and Medical Leave Act guarantees only unpaid time off. It also doesn't apply to a large chunk of the workforce, including employees of small businesses that are exempt. Advocates say providing paid sick time can reduce the spread of disease. It also can improve production by cutting down on “presenteeism,” or people showing up for work sick and unable to focus on their jobs, said Jessica Mason, a senior policy analyst with the National Partnership. Paid leave for longer-term illnesses can help people focus on care and recovery. What are the drawbacks? Skye Nevada, catering company owner, said that when someone calls in sick, she would have to pay that person and their replacement, who would likely get overtime. “To expect small businesses to just absorb this cost is crazy,” Nevada said. Small businesses often don't have a separate human resources department to track compliance with mandated leave policies, noted Beth Milito of the National Federation for Independent Business. “The paperwork is time, and time is money to a small business owner,” she said. Mason says interest in paid leave has been building since the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic really brought to the forefront of everyone's mind how important paid sick leave is,” she said. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

It's highly technical work in what looks more like a lab than a museum: a fragment of a glazed roof tile from Beijing's Forbidden City is analyzed in a state-of-the-art X-ray diffraction machine that produces images which are then projected onto computer screens. The fragment being examined has a dark area on its surface that restorers want to understand. Their objective is to better preserve the artifacts at the sprawling imperial palace, the former home of China's emperors and its seat of power for hundreds of years. "We want to learn what the black material is," said Kang Baoqiang, one of the restorers at the complex, today a museum that attracts tourists from all over the world. "Whether it's atmospheric sediment or the result of substantial change from within." About 150 workers on the team fuse scientific analysis and traditional techniques to clean, patch up and otherwise revive the more than 1.8 million relics in the museum's collection. They include scroll paintings, calligraphy, bronzes, ceramics—and, somewhat unexpectedly, ornate antique clocks that were gifted to emperors by early European visitors. Down the hall from the X-ray room, two other restorers patch up holes on a panel of patterned green silk with the Chinese character for "longevity" sewn into it, carefully adding color in a process called "inpainting." The piece is believed to have been a birthday gift to Empress Dowager Cixi, the power behind the throne in the late 19th and early 20th century. Much of the work is laborious and monotonous—and takes months to complete. "I don't have the big dreams of protecting traditional cultural heritage that people talk about," said Wang Nan, one of the restorers. "I simply enjoy the sense of achievement when an antique piece is fixed." Restoration techniques have also evolved, said Qu Feng, head of the museum's Conservation Department, though the old ways remain the foundation of the work. When we preserve an antique piece, we "protect the cultural values it carries," Qu said. "And that is our ultimate goal." This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A shortage of dialysis centers in Kenya means patients with kidney failure often have to travel long distances to be treated. Now, an organization is starting to ease that burden with an innovative mobile dialysis unit. The 12-wheeled truck hauls a modern clinic around Murang'a County, offering dialysis to patients who live far from traditional treatment centers. Eliud Mwangi is a 63-year-old farmer from Murang'a County who has been undergoing dialysis treatment since 2021. For much of that time, he faced the challenge of traveling long distances to access dialysis services. The journey, which he had to make twice a week, was both exhausting and costly. On top of that, he often felt nauseous after treatment and endured an uncomfortable ride home. "Let me say that the distance that I had been traveling has been reduced to less than three-quarters. Now the dialysis is near me, less than 20 minutes from my home," Mwangi says. The project has been spearheaded by an organization called Benacare. "We identified critical gaps in access to healthcare for these patients, especially patients who are having to travel like an average of 250 kilometers one way to receive dialysis and then they have to do it twice a week for the rest of their lives," explains Naom Monari, the founder and CEO of Benacare. "We came up with a model of having mobile dialysis and that is mobile hemodiafiltration moving from community to community and offering this service to the patients. And this is the first mobile truck we have launched," she adds. The truck can treat three patients at a time. Although it is small compared to other clinics, it still means scores of people receiving essential care over the course of a week. The mobile unit is also fitted with the latest hemodiafiltration machines, which, Naom says, perform better than traditional dialysis machines. Dr. Jonathan Wala, a nephrologist and the president of the Kenya Renal Association, agrees that the mobile units do have some clear advantages, including reducing the strain on overstretched hospitals. He cautions, however, that they also have their limitations. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A solar-powered oven is giving people in Kenya a cheap, healthy way to cook food. The simple contraption is an alternative to firewood and charcoal which are linked to harmful gases. The box is set up outside, food is placed inside, and the lid is closed. The sun's rays are reflected into the cavity, heating it up and cooking the meal. "I used to use firewood for a longer time. I also realized that firewood gives us some problems, like lung problems. When there is a lot of smoke, it interferes with the lungs, therefore the breathing system becomes in very big problem and cannot be treated," says Benta Achieng who likes this way of cooking because it's healthier than traditional methods. Achieng switched to the solar-powered oven two years ago. And she's not the only one. For street food vendor Ian Duncun Onyango, it's part of his business. He cooks up boiled eggs and smokies (smoked sausages) for passersby in Nairobi. It saves him money and boosts his profits. "The solar cooker is aiding me a lot since previously I was using the 'jiko' and the charcoal to boil my eggs and these days I am using it and it is from the power of the sun. I am boiling my eggs. I am saving the fuel and I'm saving some money to boost my stock and business. And I am also having customers from all over town. They are flocking here, they are saying my eggs are sweeter compared to how they were those days," he says. The local solar-powered oven was developed by entrepreneur Carolyn Olang. She saw an opportunity in the market for such an invention. "The solar oven is an alternative use. We want to get people to stop using fossil fuel and that is why we have decided to use renewable energy, hence the solar-powered oven which is just a box and you use the sun to cook your food," says Olang. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

In New York City, spirited badge-holders and independent music fans wove in and out of 150-person capacity clubs filled with groups from around the globe during the New Colossus Festival, held a few weeks ago. Now in its sixth year, 196 artists were scheduled to perform, more than half from outside the United States. But New Colossus may be an exception, not the rule, for international artists hoping to perform in the U.S. In the last few years, the process of obtaining necessary visas has grown much more arduous and expensive. "It's already at the maximum level of difficulty that we can rationalize," said Mischa Dempsey, frontperson for the thrilling Montreal band Knitting, who performed at New Colossus and described the process as "labor intensive." "I can't even think about it getting worse." On April 1, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) introduced a visa fee increase, raising the cost from $460 to over $1,615 per musician application, the first bump since 2016. According to the USCIS website, the increase allows the organization to "recover our operating costs more fully and support timely processing of new applications." Nearly a year later, "we are seeing the opposite," immigration attorney Gabriel Castro said. "We are seeing cases actually slow down." Changes to the system have caused delays. According to Tamizdat, a nonprofit that advocates for international artist mobility, all visa petitions are now filed through a centralized service center in Texas and are randomly divvied up to preexisting California and Vermont service centers. The result has been slowed processing times. Matthew Covey, an immigration attorney and Tamizdat's executive director, says Vermont has gone from one month to three. In California, it previously took two to four months, but now, it's eight. "Nobody's filing petitions long enough in advance to sustain an eight-month delay," says Covey. "You got a 50/50 chance of it being done in a reasonable amount of time or having to pay an extra $2,800 to expedite it." This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The Los Angeles Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani an unprecedented $700 million contract hoping to drive interest—and the dollars that come with it—from fans across the Pacific. It seems to be working. He was the main attraction as the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs opened the MLB regular season in March at the Tokyo Dome. He also produced off the field, the marquee name at a sprawling souvenir store that filled an exhibition hall in the Tokyo Dome complex. MLB called the setup its “largest ever special-event store.” Let's call it a “Merch Museum” dedicated to Ohtani, his two Japanese teammates, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, and the Dodgers. The souvenir shop illustrated that Ohtani might be intensifying the worldwide interest in baseball. “This is an important series,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “It highlights that baseball is on a world stage, a world platform.” The value of the Japanese yen has fallen drastically in relation to the dollar in the last 2 1/2 years. The yen buys fewer and fewer dollars, making American prices seem very high for the Japanese. It means this MLB shop is a useful opportunity for many Japanese fans to buy coveted Ohtani and Yamamoto merchandise. Most suggested the prices—though expensive—might be cheaper than they are in the United States. Star Dodgers pitcher Yamamoto was asked about his reaction to seeing thousands of fans wearing Dodgers garb, some with his name on the back. Or seeing his face on billboards, or inside a massive souvenir store. “I see the support from my fans and I'd like to turn it into positive energy and carry it to the mound,” he replied. At the very high end, the store offers Dodgers white or blue jerseys for about 75,000 yen—about $500. There are also other styles of Cubs and Dodgers jerseys for a bit less—about 25,000 yen—about $170. “I think the prices are reasonable,” Kohei Matsui said, a 21-year-old Japanese student. “Japanese all love baseball and Major League Baseball, and we want to see it once in our life,” Matsui added. “This is the chance.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Large crowds, loud music, and time pressure aren't typically considered the best environments for artistic expression. But in Sydney, on-stage art battles are turning painting into competitive entertainment. Artists are taking part in a new type of competition where their painting skills will be tested to their limits. In just 20 minutes, they need to come up with a work of art and convince the live audience to vote for them. “It shows a lot of talent. You need a lot of skill,” an audience member said. For more than a year now, the Art Battle events have been taking place in warehouses and creative spaces across Sydney. And the artists who take part in them, like Pamela Woods, often take weeks to get battle-ready. “It's fantastic. I have to work to a deadline. My art battle's coming up, oh my god. And you just start painting in a mad flurry, and that's really worked for me, it's been fantastic,” she says. For Woods, it's all about challenging herself and her talents. “It's like this adrenaline rush that you get and you paint furiously for 20 minutes. You don't know what all your competitors are doing. And then your heart's thumping, and then you wait for the results, and then you start painting again. And by the end of it, you're absolutely exhausted, drenched in sweat, but it's a lot of fun,” she says. For Robert Porta, this type of competition is a way to test himself in the art world. “You've got people, all the crowd, walking around you so you can hear the voices saying ‘Oh, this is good, this is not good. Oh, I love this. What's going to be?' Because they don't know what you are going to paint,” says Porta. The art battles are growing in popularity, but raise the question: can true art be competitive? “I think it can be competitive. I think competition is very healthy,” says a female audience member. “I think it's amazing that they could pull something like that off in, was it 20 minutes?” concludes a male audience member. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that even in the most optimistic scenarios, grass-fed beef produces no less planet-warming carbon emissions than industrial beef. The finding calls into question the frequent promotion of grass-fed beef as a more environmentally friendly option. Still, other scientists say grass-fed beef wins out on other factors like animal welfare or local environmental pollution, complicating the choice for conscientious consumers. “I think that there is a large portion of the population who really do wish their purchasing decisions will reflect their values,” said Gidon Eshel, a research professor of environmental physics at Bard College and one of the study's authors. “But they are being misled, essentially, by the wrong information.” When it comes to food, beef contributes by far the most emissions fueling climate change and is one of the most resource- and land-intensive to produce. Yet demand for beef around the world is only expected to grow. And carefully weighing the benefits of grass-fed beef matters because, in most parts of the world where beef production is expanding, such as South America, it's being done by deforesting land that would otherwise store carbon, said Richard Waite of the World Resources Institute. Experts say this study's finding makes sense because it's less efficient to produce grass-fed cattle than their industrial counterparts. Animals that are fattened up in fields instead of feedlots grow more slowly and don't get as big, so it takes more of them to produce the same amount of meat. Jennifer Schmitt, who studies the sustainability of U.S. agricultural supply chains at the University of Minnesota, said she thinks the paper “helps us get a little closer to answering the question of maybe how much beef should we have on the landscape versus plant proteins,” she said. Schmitt said maybe if beef was scaled back on a large enough scale and if farmers could free up more cropland for other foods that humans eat, the localized environmental benefits of grass-fed cattle could make up for the fact that they come with higher emissions. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Oregon transportation officials say that without more funding, residents could see further declines in the quality of roads, highways and bridges starting this year. But revenues from gas taxes paid by drivers at the pump are projected to decrease as more people adopt electric and fuel-efficient cars, forcing officials to look for new ways to fund transportation infrastructure. States with aggressive climate goals like Oregon are facing a conundrum: EVs can help reduce emissions in the transportation sector, the nation's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, but they also mean less gas tax revenue in government coffers. Motor fuel taxes are the largest source of transportation revenue for states, according to the National Association of Budget Officers' most recent report on state expenditures. But the money they bring in has fallen: gas taxes raised 41% of transportation revenue in fiscal year 2016, compared with roughly 36% in fiscal year 2024, the group found. In California, where zero-emission vehicles accounted for about a quarter of all car sales last year, legislative analysts predict gas tax collections will decrease by $5 billion—or 64%—by 2035, in a scenario where the state successfully meets its climate goals. California and Oregon are among the multiple states that will require all new passenger cars sold to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The downward revenue trend is already playing out in Pennsylvania, where gas tax revenues dropped an estimated $250 million last year compared with revenues in 2019, according to the state's independent fiscal office. Inflation has also driven up the cost of transportation materials, further exacerbating budget concerns. To make up for lost revenue, 34 states have raised their gas tax since 2013, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. California has the highest gas tax at over 69 cents a gallon when including other taxes and fees, while Alaska has the lowest at 9 cents a gallon, according to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In Oregon—which in 1919 became the first state to implement a gas tax—it is 40 cents a gallon. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

At Fishtown Seafood, owner Bryan Szeliga is trying to navigate Trump's on-again, and off-again tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods. Szeliga, who operates three retail and wholesale locations in Philadelphia and Haddonfield, New Jersey, sells a range of seafood. He said a fair amount of shrimp comes from Mexico and briny, slurpable oysters are the biggest part of his overall business, with 60% to 70% coming from Canada. The Trump administration's on-again, off-again 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico—which went into effect on March 4, only to be suspended on some items for a month on March 6—are giving Szeliga whiplash. The flip-flopping is making it tough to plan ahead. And if the tariffs do eventually go into effect, he'll likely need to raise the prices of products and offer his customers fewer choices of oysters. Szeliga started Fishtown Seafood four years ago after other jobs in the food industry, including as a chef and working for a nonprofit. His customers include neighborhood locals and others who shop at his retail shops, as well as restaurant wholesale clients. On March 4, most of his suppliers told Szeliga they'd be raising prices. He made only one purchase while the tariff was in effect, buying some “sweet petite” oysters from Prince Edward Island to make sure a wholesale client had enough product. He paid the whole 25% markup himself and didn't pass it along to his client, eating the extra cost. The suppliers' price increases are likely to come down now that the tariffs are postponed, but only for a month. Now that he has a month's reprieve, Szeliga said he plans to adjust his own inventory and work with his wholesale clients to plan out a menu that will be less affected by the tariffs. That might mean replacing higher-priced, higher-quality oysters with domestic or lower-priced Canadian offerings. The total value of U.S. imported seafood in 2023 was $25.5 billion. Canada, as the largest supplier, delivered more than $3.6 billion in seafood products to the United States in 2023, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This article was provided by The Associated Press.

James Delaney wants his public art in South Africa's biggest city to be more than a magnet for selfies and a delight for children. He's determined to have the vibrant metal sculptures change the mood of its gritty and sometimes dangerous neighborhoods. Over the past decade, artist James Delaney has designed more than 100 sculptures for The Wilds Park in Johannesburg. Authorities in Johannesburg have encouraged public art to improve safety and environmental conditions in the city of some 6 million people whose downtown has a reputation for crime and degradation. The Wilds is in the midst of Johannesburg's contrasts. One side of the park is bordered by the tree-lined Killarney suburb and affluent Houghton, home to Nelson Mandela during the final years of his presidency as the country's first Black leader. The other side borders a transition into the bustling, sometimes broken-down areas of Berea and Yeoville. “What I found at The Wilds that I spent a couple of years fixing the park and planting and weeding and restoring the infrastructure. We did a lot of work, and we couldn't get people to go back, and then I had this idea of making laser-cut steel sculptures. First of a set of 67 owls, and then later on the kudu and the giraffe, and then all those big pieces. And it's that which turned The Wilds around. Because those become draw cards and we live in an era now of the photograph. It's all about the photo that you take. Particularly if you could be in the photograph and next to something which is a landmark and public art is a landmark,” explains Delaney. “When you come upon a piece of art where you least expect it, it's like magic. You immediately smile, and you wonder, you ask questions: how did this happen? What's the story behind this? Who are the people who put this here?" says Johannesburg resident, Nadia Nicholaaspar. "It makes you think, well, somebody or a group of people love this place enough to put this effort into it, so I'm going to love it too. I'm going to be a little bit more respectful." This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The New York Yankees dropped their ban on beards 49 years after it was imposed by owner George Steinbrenner, in a move aimed at improving player recruitment as the team tries to win its first World Series title since 2009. Current owner Hal Steinbrenner, son of The Boss, announced the change before the team's spring training opener. He called the ban "outdated" and "somewhat unreasonable." "This generation, the vast majority of 20, 30s-into-the-40s men in this country have beards," Steinbrenner said during a news conference, flanked by general manager Brian Cashman. "It is a part of who these younger men are. It's part of their character. It's part of their persona. Do I totally relate to that? It's difficult for me. I'm an older guy who's never had a beard in his life but it's a very important thing to them. They feel it defines their character." George Steinbrenner announced the facial hair policy during spring training in 1976, mandating no long hair or beards—mustaches were allowed. Players complied but some pushed boundaries by going unshaven or letting hair fall over their collars. "My dad was in the military. He believed that a team should look in a disciplined manner," Hal Steinbrenner said. "Very important to my father, but again (for) my father, nothing is more important than winning and that's in the back of my mind." Hal Steinbrenner, who succeeded his father as controlling owner in November 2008, said he had considered the issue for a decade and discussed the contemplated change recently with Yankees stars Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gerrit Cole in one-on-one meetings. Steinbrenner then issued a statement that "we will be amending our expectations to allow our players and uniformed personnel to have well-groomed beards moving forward." Cashman said some current players had told him about the facial hair ban, "It's not what I want. It's not my preference, but I will honor the rules of the land." This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Until recently, most Americans had never heard the term “seed oils,” even though they've likely cooked with and consumed them for decades. It's the catchy description coined by internet influencers, wellness gurus and some politicians to refer to common cooking oils—think canola, soybean and corn oil—that have long been staples in many home kitchens. Those fiery critics refer to the top refined vegetable oils as “the hateful eight” and claim that they're fueling inflammation and high rates of chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new health secretary, has said Americans are being “unknowingly poisoned” by seed oils and has called for fast-food restaurants to return to using beef tallow or rendered animal fat in their fryers instead. In response to consumer concerns, some food makers have stripped seed oils from their products. Restaurants like the salad chain Sweetgreen have removed them from their menus. Many Americans say they now avoid seed oils, according to a recent survey from the International Food Information Council, an industry trade group. The seed oil discussion has exasperated nutrition scientists, who say decades of research confirm the health benefits of consuming such oils, especially in place of alternatives such as butter or lard. “I don't know where it came from that seed oils are bad,” said Martha Belury, an Ohio State University food science professor. In a Senate hearing, Dr. Marty Makary, nominated to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, called for a closer review of the products. “I think seed oils are a good example of where we could benefit from a consolidation of the scientific evidence,” he said. Seed oils are composed mostly of unsaturated fatty acids, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Most seed oils are high in one type of fatty acid, omega-6, and low in another type, omega-3. Those fatty acids are essential for human health, but our bodies don't make them on their own, so we must get them from foods. Critics of seed oils make a range of claims that many scientists say are not borne out by research. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Most of the world has dirty air, with just 17% of cities globally meeting air pollution guidelines, a report found. Switzerland-based air quality monitoring database IQAir analyzed data from 40,000 air quality monitoring stations in 138 countries and found that Chad, Congo, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India had the dirtiest air. India had six of the nine most polluted cities, with the industrial town of Byrnihat in northeastern India the worst. Experts said the real amount of air pollution might be far greater, as many parts of the world lack the monitoring needed for more accurate data. In Africa, for example, there is only one monitoring station for every 3.7 million people. More air quality monitors are being set up to counter the issue, the report said. This year, report authors were able to incorporate data from 8,954 new locations and around a thousand new monitors as a result of efforts to better monitor air pollution. But a few weeks ago, data monitoring for air pollution was dealt a blow when the U.S. State Department announced it would no longer make public its data from its embassies and consulates around the world. Breathing in polluted air over a long period can cause respiratory illnesses, Alzheimer's disease and cancer, said Fatimah Ahamad, chief scientist and air pollution expert at Malaysia-based Sunway Centre for Planetary Health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution kills around 7 million people each year. Ahamad said much more needs to be done to cut air pollution levels. The WHO had earlier found that 99% of the world's population lives in places that do not meet recommended air quality levels. "If you have bad water, no water, you can tell people to wait for half an hour a day, the water will come. But if you have bad air, you cannot tell people to pause breathing," she said. Several cities like Beijing; Seoul, South Korea; and Rybnik in Poland have successfully improved their air quality through stricter regulations on pollution from vehicles, power plants and industry. They've also promoted cleaner energy and invested in public transportation. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Birkenstocks: They are ubiquitous in summer, comfy and very German. Sometimes they look chic and sometimes shabby. But can these sandals be considered art? That's the question Germany's Federal Court of Justice wrestled with in February, and it ruled they're just comfy footwear. Birkenstock, which is headquartered in Linz am Rhein, Germany, and says its tradition of shoemaking goes back to 1774, filed a lawsuit against three competitors who sold sandals that were very similar to its own. The shoe manufacturer claimed its sandals “are copyright-protected works of applied art" that may not be imitated. Under German law, works of art enjoy stronger and longer-lasting intellectual property protections than consumer products. The company asked for an injunction to stop its competitors from making copycat sandals and order them to recall and destroy those already on the market. The defendant companies were not identified in the court statement. Before Germany's highest court for civil trials weighed in in February, the case had been heard at two lower courts, which disagreed on the issue. A regional court in Cologne initially recognized the shoes as works of applied art and granted the orders, but Cologne's higher regional court overturned the orders on appeal, the German news agency dpa reported. The appeals court said it was unable to establish any artistic achievement in the wide-strapped, big-buckled sandals. The Federal Court of Justice sided with the appeals court and dismissed the case. In its ruling, it wrote that a product can't be copyrighted if “technical requirements, rules or other constraints determine the design.” “For the copyright protection of a work of applied art—as for all other types of work—the level of design must not be too low,” the court wrote. “For copyright protection, a level of design must be achieved that reveals individuality.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A cybercrime crew stole and then resold more than 900 digital tickets to Taylor Swift concerts and other pricey events on StubHub, according to prosecutors in New York. The international scam involved people working in Jamaica for a firm contracted by the online ticket marketplace, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. The contractors stole the URLs of tickets purchased on StubHub and emailed them to others in New York, who then downloaded and resold them on StubHub at exorbitant prices, she said. The crew raked in more than $600,000 in profits over roughly a year between June 2022 and July 2023, according to prosecutors. The majority of the stolen tickets were for Swift's Eras Tour, but the thieves also boosted ones for Adele and Ed Sheeran concerts, NBA games and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships. Katz added that investigators are still determining the extent of the operation, including other potential co-conspirators. Two of those involved, Tyrone Rose and Shamara Simmons, were arrested and charged with grand larceny, computer tampering and conspiracy, Katz's office said. Rose, 20, was among those in Jamaica who redirected purchased tickets to the emails of Simmons, 31, and another accomplice based in the New York City borough of Queens, according to prosecutors. Rose was apprehended while he was visiting New York and was ordered to surrender his passport, Katz's office said. He and Simmons pleaded not guilty and were released pending their next court date. The public defender's office representing Rose declined to comment, and lawyers for Simmons didn't immediately respond. StubHub said that it had discovered the criminal scheme and reported it to authorities and its third-party customer service vendor. The company said it has since terminated its relationship with the vendor and strengthened its security measures. All ticket orders so far identified as impacted by the theft have also been replaced or fully refunded, according to StubHub. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Mobile technology is predicted to generate $11 trillion for the global economy by 2030, according to a new report. The analysis was released by the organizers of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the tech show which opened in Barcelona on March 3. It's the ‘who's who' of the mobile technology industry. MWC is billed as the biggest connectivity event in the world. It attracts everything from multinational tech giants to innovative new start-ups. This is a place to do business—and business is growing. Mobile technologies and their services accounted for 5.8% of global GDP last year, according to a new report by the GSMA, which organizes MWC. It predicts that the figure will rise as more people get connected, 5G rolls out and AI increases efficiency and productivity. "It's huge. We're talking $6.5 trillion. And that will grow to roughly $11 trillion by 2030. So, the impact of mobile technology is enormous, and it's enabling so many other industries to make more money and to become more efficient and serve their customers in a better way," says Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA. Around 4.7 billion people were using mobile internet by the end of 2024. And 5G connections reached over 2 billion, with the cellular technology expected to overtake 4G usage by 2028. 5G promises to increase speed, reduce latency and allow more flexibility for wireless services. But as the world becomes ever more connected, tech leaders warn that onerous regulations, such as data storage rules in Europe, are hampering the industry's potential. "We need to have a level playing field, and I've been in this industry for almost 40 years, and we have spoken about this level playing field for at least the last 20 years. It is uneven. And we are fine with competing with other technologies and other industries, but it has to be on the same rules. Today, it is not on the same rules. That needs to change desperately, and that is predominantly a world phenomenon," says Granryd. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A device aimed at keeping teens safe and two more for football fans—these are the latest offerings from phone maker HMD. The Finnish manufacturer, famous for making Nokia phones, revealed the details on the opening day of the MWC tech show in Barcelona. HMD unveiled its first smartphone specifically designed to protect teens. Parents can control the Fusion X1 with a monthly Xplora subscription. They can manage internet and social media access, and even activate "school mode." The Xplora service also tracks location every 20 seconds. It includes safe zones, emergency SOS calling, low battery alerts, and remote device access. "It can't be deleted out of the device. It doesn't matter what the kid does, it's still there. And then it gives parents much deeper layers of control," explains James Robinson, vice president of family business at HMD. Two more products from the Finnish company are phones for football fans, or more accurately, fans of one club—Barcelona. The company is best known for making Nokia phones. And now, it's bringing back a classic—the Nokia 3210. But this time, it's in Barcelona Football Club colors. This update includes hidden messages from players, custom wallpapers, and, of course, the mobile game Snake. But now, the game is played on a football pitch. The device HMD Barça Fusion is a collector's edition smartphone with signatures from 11 star players. HMD also promises hidden surprises for fans. And you can even wake up to the voice of your favorite player. "It's loaded with special content from all the first team players. It also has a detox mode. So you can focus on playing football and not being on a smartphone," explains Lars Silberbauer, CMO of HMD. MWC 2025 opened on March 3 and ran until March 6. The tech show began as a showcase for the mobile phone industry but has expanded to cover a range of technology, from established global giants to innovative start-ups. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

President Donald Trump's administration backed off its demand for an extra layer of federal scrutiny whenever states seek even minor changes to their transportation plans after the rescinded requirement sparked concern that some payments for roads, bridges and transit would be delayed or even halted due to policy differences. Most of the federal money used for transportation projects flows to states almost automatically through formulas established by Congress that consider population and other factors. For decades, states have enjoyed widespread autonomy to set their own priorities and spend the funds on projects they deem most worthy. But under the policy the administration put in place and then reversed, no additional money was to be allocated until lawyers in the U.S. Department of Transportation's Washington headquarters signed off on any changes. Such amendments to state transportation plans were already subject to a federal review, but it was usually a swift process from a regional office to confirm they didn't violate any U.S. laws. State transportation departments learned of the reversal through an email from Joung Lee, deputy director and chief policy officer for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Lee said the Trump administration had confirmed that the review process was being returned to the regional level without the need for lawyers in Washington to sign off. "As this remains a continuing development, we will keep you posted on any further updates," Lee wrote. The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration didn't respond to emails seeking details about why the headquarters-level review was implemented and later reversed. The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO), which represents organizations that oversee local and regional transportation projects that get federal funding, told its members that at least six states had reported learning about an anticipated pause in getting their plans approved due to the extra review. "In areas with large-scale projects or narrow construction windows, even short delays can cascade into prolonged setbacks, increased project costs, and missed opportunities to address critical transportation needs," AMPO said in the memo. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Microsoft is closing down Skype, the video-calling service it bought for $8.5 billion in 2011, which had helped spark a transformation in how people communicate online. The tech giant said it will retire Skype in May and shift some of its services to Microsoft Teams, its flagship videoconferencing and team applications platform. Skype users will be able to use their existing accounts to log into Teams. Microsoft has for years prioritized Teams over Skype, and the decision to fold the brand reflects the tech giant's desire to streamline its main communications app as it faces a host of competitors. Founded in 2003 by a group of engineers in Tallinn, Estonia, Skype was a pioneer in making telephone calls using the internet instead of landlines. It relied on VoIP, Voice over Internet Protocol, technology that converts audio into a digital signal transmitted online. Skype added video calls after online retailer eBay bought the service in 2005. “It brought a lot of people around the world closer,” said Barbara Larson, a management professor at Northeastern University who studies the history of virtual and remote work. The ability to bypass expensive international phone calls to connect with far-flung coworkers was a boon for startups, but also people outside of the business world. As with other new platforms, scammers also made use of it. Skype was still considered high-tech in 2017 when recently inaugurated President Donald Trump's administration used it to field questions from journalists far from the White House press briefing room. It was a month later when Microsoft launched Teams, an attempt to catch up to the growing demand for workplace chatting services sparked by upstart rival Slack Technologies. Slack and Teams, along with newer video platforms such as Zoom, saw explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic as companies scrambled to shift to remote work, and even families and friends looked for new tools for virtual gatherings. Skype, by then, was already on the wane but had paved the way for strengthening the connections people can build remotely. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Sunday night, March 2 marked Hulu's first time airing the Oscars (or the Academy Awards) live. But its Academy Awards debut ended on a chaotic and frustratingly premature note. Hulu's livestream cut off in the final moments of the show—with two major award categories, best actress and best picture, still to be announced because of a scheduling system issue. Those viewing the awards ceremony on Hulu instead saw an error code message that stated the event was over. Viewer outrage, predictably, ensued online. Fans, including those throwing Oscar-viewing parties, eagerly awaited the final, pivotal moments of Hollywood's biggest night. Hulu viewers missed Mikey Madison and "Anora" winning the night's titles for both best actress and best picture in real-time. The Hulu stream also had a rough start, with a few users reporting issues logging on to the platform due to another technical problem. For some, that meant missing the show's musical intro performed by "Wicked" stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Disney, which has run Hulu since 2019, apologized to viewers. "Yesterday evening, we experienced technical and live stream issues on Hulu which impacted some Oscars viewers," the company wrote in a statement sent to The Associated Press on March 3. "We apologize for the experience." Disney added that a "full replay" of the event is now available on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, the streamers' bundled offering. That replay includes the final moments of Sunday night's show. Hulu's foray into the Oscars arrives as more streaming platforms are betting big on live programming of prominent events—from a handful of awards shows and pop culture moments to major sports matchups like the Super Bowl. But some have gone smoother than others. And Hulu's stumble on March 2 was not the first among similar endeavors from today's biggest streaming platforms. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A group of lobster fishermen can sue one of the world's largest seafood watchdog groups for defamation, a federal court has ruled, over a report that described Maine lobster as an unwise choice for consumers. The threat to a rare whale species from getting tangled in fishing gear has prompted Monterey Bay Aquarium in California to caution against eating a variety of lobster that New England fishermen have harvested for centuries. Seafood Watch, a conservation program operated by the aquarium, placed lobster from the U.S. and Canada on its do-not-eat “red list” in 2022. Some retailers pulled lobster from stores after the recommendation. Judge John Woodcock ruled in February that the fishermen made a case that they suffered damage to their industry's reputation as a result of the red-listing after the aquarium made a bid in the U.S. District Court in Maine to have the 2023 lawsuit tossed. A spokesperson for the aquarium said the institution filed an appeal, but Woodcock's ruling means the lawsuit is moving forward. “Reputation and goodwill cannot be adequately replaced through awarding damages and this injury lingers as long as the ‘red listing' does,” Woodcock wrote. The lobster industry, based largely in Maine, is one of the most lucrative fisheries in the U.S., valued at more than half a billion dollars at the docks last year. Entanglement in lobster gear is also one of the most significant threats to the North Atlantic right whale, which numbers less than 400. The aquarium has a right to communicate its recommendations to the public, said Emerson Brown, the spokesperson for the aquarium. Brown said the aquarium appealed "to protect our ability to share critical information with the public.” The Maine Lobstermen's Association, one of the groups that filed the lawsuit, described Woodcock's decision as “significant” in a statement. “Maine lobstermen have been stewards of the ocean for generations, and we are committed to defending our livelihood against baseless claims," said Patrice McCarron, executive director of the association. This article was provided by The Associated Press.