レアジョブ英会話 Daily News Article Podcast

For more than two decades, Susan Bushby, a 70-year-old housekeeper from a rural ski town in New Hampshire's White Mountains, took comfort in knowing she only had a short drive to reach the community health center. The lodge-like medical building, which sits on a hill overlooking town, was like a second home for Bushby and many other patients. The front desk staff knew their names and never missed a chance to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. Staff photos of the wilderness that make this place such a draw hung on the walls, and bumping into a neighbor in the waiting room was routine. But last October, this site of the Ammonoosuc Community Health Services in Franconia, a town of around 1,000 people, closed for good. Officials blamed cuts in Medicaid, the federal program that millions of low-income Americans rely on for healthcare. The 1,400 patients, almost half of them older and some facing serious health challenges like cancer and early-stage dementia, must now drive at least 10 miles along rural roads to reach the nearest health center, which is also near a regional hospital. A second center is twice as far. The closure of the Franconia center reflects the financial struggles facing community health centers and rural healthcare systems more broadly amid Medicaid cuts and a feared spike in health insurance rates. The government shutdown, which ended in November, was driven by a Democratic demand to extend tax credits, which ensure low- and middle-income people can afford health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, or ACA. Marsha Luce, whose family moved from the Washington, D.C. area in 2000, is especially concerned about the impact on her 72-year-old husband, a former volunteer firefighter who has had an ear and part of his jaw removed due to cancer. He also has heart and memory issues. She worries about longer waits to see his doctor, Dr. Melissa Buddensee, and the loss of relationships built up over decades in Franconia. "I know specifically for Kirk, it's, it's going to be a harder one because he, he likes dealing with Dr. Buddensee himself.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A prisoner is challenging an Australian state's ban on inmates eating Vegemite, claiming in a lawsuit that withholding the polarizing yeast-based spread breaches his human right to "enjoy his culture as an Australian." Andre McKechnie, 54, serving a life sentence, took his battle for the salty, sticky, brown byproduct of brewing beer to the Supreme Court of Victoria, according to documents released to The Associated Press. Most Australians revere Vegemite as an unfairly maligned culinary icon, and more than 80% of Australian households are estimated to have a jar in their pantries. But inmates in all 12 prisons in Victoria are going without. McKechnie is suing Victoria's Department of Justice and Community Safety and the agency that manages the prisons, Corrections Victoria. The case is scheduled for trial next year. Vegemite has been banned from Victorian prisons since 2006, with Corrections Victoria saying it "interferes with narcotic detection dogs." Vegemite also contains yeast, which is banned from Victorian prisons because of its "potential to be used in the production of alcohol," the contraband list says. A decade ago, Vegemite's then-U.S. owner, Mondelez International, rejected media reports that remote Australian Indigenous communities were using Vegemite to brew alcohol in bathtubs. Mondelez said in a statement that the manufacturing process killed the yeast and that "Vegemite cannot be fermented into alcohol." McKechnie is seeking a court declaration that the defendants denied him his right under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act to "enjoy his culture as an Australian." He also wants a declaration that the defendants breached the Corrections Act by "failing to provide food adequate to maintain" McKechnie's "well-being." Manufactured in Australia since 1923 as an alternative to Britain's Marmite, Vegemite was long marketed as a source of vitamin B for growing children. The spread is beloved by a majority of Australians, but typically considered an acquired taste at best by those who weren't raised on it. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

More people are falling behind on paying their bills to keep the lights on and heat their homes, according to a new analysis of consumer data—a warning sign for the U.S. economy and another political headache for President Donald Trump. Past due balances to utility companies jumped 9.7% annually to $789 between the April-June periods of 2024 and 2025, said The Century Foundation, a liberal think tank, and the advocacy group Protect Borrowers. The increase has overlapped with a 12% jump in monthly energy bills during the same period. Consumers usually prioritize their utility bills along with their mortgages and auto debt, said Julie Margetta Morgan, the foundation's president. The increase in both energy costs and delinquencies may suggest that consumers are falling behind on other bills, too. "There's a lot of information out there about rising utility costs, but here we can actually look at what that impact has been on families in terms of how they're falling behind," Margetta Morgan said. Troubles paying electricity and natural gas bills reflect something of an economic quandary for Trump, who is promoting the buildout of the artificial intelligence industry as a key part of an economic boom he has promised for America. But AI data centers are known for their massive use of electricity, and threaten to further increase utility bills for everyday Americans. These troubles also come as Trump faces political pressure from voters fed up with the high cost of living. The president spoke about the economy and affordability issues at an event hosted by the McDonald's fast-food company. "We have it almost at the sweet spot, and prices are coming down on different things," Trump said at the event, adding that inflation has been "normalized" at a "low level." During Trump's first six months in office, there was a 3.8% increase in households with severely overdue utility bills. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The head of the Louvre Museum said that new security measures are being put in place at the Paris landmark after October's stunning crown jewels heist.  The cameras—some 100 of them—will be up and running by the end of next year, while anti-intrusion systems are expected to already be in place, Louvre director Laurence des Cars said. She described the systems as equipment that will prevent intruders from getting close to the museum buildings but did not offer specifics. The new surveillance cameras will try to ensure “complete protection of the museum's surroundings,” she said. “After the shock, after the emotion, after the assessment, it's time for action” at the world's most visited museum, des Cars told the Committee of Cultural Affairs of the National Assembly. She said it was all part of more than 20 emergency measures that will be implemented. The new measures also include the creation of a “security coordinator” position at the museum, and the job was posted in November, she added. On the day of the heist, it took thieves less than eight minutes to force their way through a window into the Apollo Gallery with the help of a freight lift and steal the 88 million euro ($102 million) trove. Des Cars unveiled some new details about the security breach that allowed the October 19 robbery, saying the power tools used by robbers to cut through the display cases were disc cutters meant for concrete. “It's a method that had not been imagined at all,” she said, referring to the time when the display cases in the Apollo Gallery were replaced in 2019. At the time, they had been designed primarily to counter an attack from inside the museum with weapons, she added. Footage from museum cameras shows that during the robbery, the display cases “held up remarkably well and did not break apart,” she said. “Videos show how difficult it was for the thieves.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

From Stitches to witches to a robot device that can "control" parents, the top 15 toys predicted to be most in demand in the U.K. this Christmas have finally been revealed. Controlling the mind of humans is often considered sinister rather than celebratory, but this game is set to be a real stocking-filler this Christmas for UK toy lovers. Human Controller by Tomy Toys is a simple concept of control by a digital pad using arrows. Commands are sent to the special helmet, which lights up and vibrates, effectively telling the wearer where to move. The game offers kids a fun opportunity to "control" their parents. Benjamin Croucher-Phillips, Senior Brand Manager (Games) at Tomy Toys, gives the lowdown: “When you've lined them up perfectly and the chair is behind, you'll hit the central button, which will vibrate all three of the sensors. And that's when the human will know to sit. And they have to blindly trust that that chair is going to be there behind them and catch them.” This is just one of the fifteen feted toys, games, and gadgets that are set to take the UK toy market by storm this festive season. Industry data tracking expert Circana says the UK toy industry is worth 3.9 billion pounds, with Christmas expected to account for 0.9 billion pounds of sales (or 23% of the total sales for the year). In its 75th anniversary year, Formula 1 is unsurprisingly part of the festivities. Mattel's Hot Wheels Racing F1 Grand Prix Circuit will no doubt be the centerpiece of many people's celebration once the checkered flag of Christmas waves itself into our homes. As Melissa Symonds, Executive Director of UK Toys at Circana, outlines, “One of the biggest trends we've seen in the toy market in the U.K. this year has been licensed toys. So this is coming from a number of areas. So we've had some massive movies this year, like Lilo and Stitch and Minecraft. All of this is driving the fact that a third of the total UK toy market is now licensed.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A new observation theater at a zoo in northern New Jersey lets visitors see animals get live medical treatments. Veterinarians at the Turtle Back Zoo hope the new installation educates people on the care that animals receive at the zoo while inspiring kids to pursue medicine as a profession. One morning, visitors peered through a large glass window into a new, spacious treatment room, watching as a middle-aged female turkey vulture with arthritis underwent a 30-minute wellness check. During the exam, she was anesthetized, X-rayed, had her eyes and wings examined, had blood drawn, and was microchipped. The animal wound up at the zoo after breaking its wing in the wild. The experience was new not only for the turkey vulture but also a novelty for many of the onlookers, because few zoos offer a window on veterinary care. The Turtle Back Zoo, this year, joined the relatively few U.S. zoos that routinely give the public a view of veterinary care. While there's no exact count, it's perhaps a dozen or fewer of the 250 animal parks accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In an era when social media campaigns and lawsuits have questioned the well-being of captive animals, some zoos see putting vets on view as a form of transparency. The compact, suburban Turtle Back Zoo is recognized for its contributions to conserving clouded leopards and caring for ailing wild sea turtles. More whimsically, it's known for fostering a friendship between a cheetah and Labrador retriever that had a social media moment. Opened in 1963, the county-owned zoo was threatened with closure amid financial problems and poor attendance in the mid-1990s. A steady march of renovations and additions in the 2000s turned things around, and it now draws nearly 1 million visitors per year. In recent years, a need to upgrade the animal hospital evolved into a plan for a multi-million-dollar new building. Financed with county, state, and federal grants, it opened in April and lets visitors see into areas including the treatment and surgical rooms. The Barry H. Ostrowsky Animal Wellness Center also includes rooms for quarantine, nursery, and data research. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Americans will be allowed to contribute more of their money to 401(k) and similar retirement savings plans next year. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said the maximum contribution that an individual can make in 2026 to a 401(k), 403(b), and most 457 plans will be $24,500. That's up from $23,500 this year. People aged 50 and over, who have the option to make additional "catch-up" contributions to 401(k) and similar plans, will be able to contribute up to $8,000 next year, up from $7,500 this year. That means a 401(k) saver who is 50 or older will be able to contribute a maximum of $32,500 to their retirement plan annually, starting in 2026. Workers between the ages of 60 and 63 will be allowed catch-up retirement plan contributions of up to $11,250 annually, unchanged from this year. The IRS also raised the 2026 annual contribution limits on individual retirement arrangements, or IRAs, to $7,500, up from $7,000 this year. The IRA "catch-up" contribution limit will include an annual cost-of-living adjustment of $100, increasing it to $1,100 in 2026. The changes, among others, announced by the IRS, make it easier for retirement savers who use these types of tax-advantaged plans to set aside more of their income toward building their nest egg. That's especially helpful for older workers who got started saving for retirement later in life and can benefit from higher contribution limits. Boosting the contribution rate on a 401(k) or IRA plan, even by 1%, can make a big difference over 10 or 20 years, assuming the saver remains employed and makes contributions the entire time. The IRS also increased for 2026 the income ranges for determining whether someone is eligible to make deductible contributions to traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, or to claim the "saver's credit," also known as the retirement savings contributions credit. Taxpayers can deduct contributions to a traditional IRA if they meet certain conditions. If, during the year, either the taxpayer or the taxpayer's spouse was covered by a retirement plan at work, the deduction may be reduced, or phased out, until it is eliminated, depending on filing status and income, the IRS said. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Doritos and Cheetos are getting a makeover. PepsiCo said in November that it's launching toned-down versions of its bright orange snacks that won't have any artificial colors or flavors. Doritos and Cheetos Simply NKD hit store shelves on Dec. 1. It's part of a broader shift underway at PepsiCo, which announced in April that it would accelerate a planned transition to using natural colors in its foods and beverages. Around 40% of its U.S. products now contain synthetic dyes, according to the company. Dye-free doesn't mean Doritos and Cheetos Simply NKD are colorless. Instead, they're just a lighter color, like a tortilla chip. Many other big food companies, including Kraft Heinz and General Mills, have made similar pledges. They're feeling pressure from federal regulators and U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who are urging companies to eliminate synthetic food dyes by next year. States have also been taking action. Texas recently passed a law requiring warning labels for foods that contain artificial ingredients. Other states are moving to ban or restrict synthetic dyes. PepsiCo has sold Simply brand Doritos and Cheetos without artificial dyes since 2002. But those products aren't designed to taste like the original chips. The Simply NKD versions are supposed to taste like the originals. But unlike the originals, they don't contain petroleum-based dyes. They also have shorter ingredient lists. For example, Simply NKD Doritos and Simply NKD Cheetos don't contain the flavor-enhancing additives disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, which are found in the original versions. “We're turning expectations upside down—removing artificial colors, not the flavor—and proving that unforgettable taste can be colorless,” said Rachel Ferdinando, the CEO of PepsiCo Foods U.S., in a statement. PepsiCo said the Simply NKD line includes flavors like Cool Ranch Doritos and Flamin' Hot Cheetos. The chips are priced the same as the original varieties. The company said original Doritos and Cheetos will also remain on the market. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Baumkuchen originated in Germany but has become a wildly popular sweet in Japan, where a prisoner of war (POW) on a small western island started making the treat that has thrived in its new homeland. Today, the confectionery known as “tree cake,” because of the resemblance to a trunk with rings, is considered a symbol of longevity and prosperity in Japan, where Baumkuchen festivals are regularly held. Japanese adaptations, including those using matcha and sweet potatoes, are popular gifts at weddings and birthdays. Baumkuchen is sold in gift boxes at luxury department stores, and individually wrapped, smaller versions can be found at convenience stores. The sweet's early years, however, are associated with a catastrophic earthquake and two world wars. Making Baumkuchen is one of the most popular activities on Ninoshima, just a 20-minute ferry ride from Hiroshima. At the outdoor center built over the site of a prisoner of war camp, amateur bakers pour batter on a bamboo pole and roast the mixture over a charcoal fire. As the surface turns light brown, a new layer is poured, creating brown rings as the cake grows thicker and the sweet smell wafts through the picnic area. A German confectioner named Karl Juchheim baked Baumkuchen while he was imprisoned on the island more than 100 years ago. Juchheim was running a bakery in Qingdao, China, then a German territory, when he was captured by the Japanese in 1915. He arrived on Ninoshima in 1917 with some 500 German POWs and is believed to have tested his Baumkuchen recipe there, Kazuaki Otani said, head of the Juchheim Ninoshima Welcome Center. When the war ended in 1918, Juchheim and about 200 fellow POWs stayed in Japan. In March 1919, Juchheim's Baumkuchen commercially debuted in Japan at the Hiroshima Prefectural Products Exhibition. His handmade cake was hugely popular and attracted a big crowd of Japanese visitors, historical documents show. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Sales during China's largest online shopping festival, Singles' Day, jumped almost 18% from a year earlier, but the pace of growth slowed as bargain hunters opted for more affordable deals. Consumers have been tightening their belts, spending cautiously due to a prolonged slump in the property market, lagging wages, and high unemployment among the young Chinese who usually would be most likely to splurge on online purchases. Chinese retail data provider Syntun said that the estimated combined sales value for this year's online retail bonanza, the country's equivalent to Black Friday and Cyber Monday when e-commerce giants offer deep discounts, reached almost 1.7 trillion yuan ($238 billion). The almost 18% increase in sales was just over half the nearly 27% increase in 2024, when sales totaled 1.44 trillion yuan. Syntun noted that the comparison was not direct, since this year's festival was roughly a week longer. Analysts said that was partly to help prop up sales for the e-commerce companies at a time of softer demand. “This year's Singles' Day should be viewed as a positive signal for China's consumer economy,” said Jacob Cooke, CEO of the consultancy WPIC Marketing + Technologies. “The longer sales window means year-on-year comparisons are imperfect, but the underlying indicators—strong participation, high engagement, and broad category strength—show that consumers are still spending,” Cooke said. E-commerce giant Alibaba launched Singles' Day in 2009 as a one-day sales event on November 11, a celebration for singles since it is known in Chinese as “Double 11.” Consultancy Bain & Company said in a recent report that Singles' Day's “once-stellar growth” has been maturing over the past several years. Increasing sales beyond current high levels may be tough, partly because of the sluggish economic climate, it said. Still, JD.com, one of China's biggest e-commerce platforms, said its turnover reached a record high, with a nearly 60% jump in the number of orders and a 40% increase in the number of shoppers. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Outdoor Christmas decorations didn't fly at U.S. Air Force base housing in the Florida Panhandle before Thanksgiving. The private company that operates a community of homes near Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB) instructed residents to remove their Yuletide decorations and refrain from putting them back up until after Turkey Day. “All holiday decorations should be reflective in their respective months and not any sooner than 30 days before the given holiday,” the landlord said in the message. Air Force Capt. Justin Davidson-Beebe, a Tyndall spokesman, said that the landlord, Balfour Beatty Communities, had set the policy. “They are enforcing the community standards outlined in the legally binding lease agreement all residents voluntarily sign,” Davidson-Beebe said in an email. “These guidelines are not part of a broader Air Force policy. Since community standards are set by the privatized housing management company at some installations, standards may vary from base to base.” The 59-page community handbook for Tyndall AFB Homes explicitly states that winter decorations and lights are only allowed from the week after Thanksgiving through New Year's Day, and that lights can only be lit from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. “Do not keep them lit all night or in daylight hours,” the handbook says. “They must be removed no later than the third week of January; they may not remain on the exterior year-round.” In a statement, Balfour Beatty Communities said the company was just offering guidelines and there would be no enforcement leading to any punishment. “Our holiday decoration guidelines are designed to provide a general framework to help maintain consistency in our communities,” the company said. “We value the joy and creativity our residents bring to their neighborhoods, especially during the holidays, and apologize for any confusion.” The base, located outside Panama City in Florida's Panhandle, is home to the 325th Fighter Wing. The base suffered catastrophic damage in 2018 from Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm. The estimated cost to rebuild the base was $4.7 billion. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Producing and manufacturing electric vehicles (EVs) and their batteries uses a lot of energy, leading many to be skeptical about the environmental benefits of switching to electric. But a new study says that after two years of use, EVs emit fewer carbon dioxide emissions than vehicles fueled by petrol. The findings are key, as transportation accounts for a significant portion of U.S. emissions. While EVs run on electricity, which cuts out polluting exhaust emissions, traditional internal combustion engine vehicles run on petrol. Petrol is a fossil fuel that, when burned, drives climate change by emitting greenhouse gases that trap the Earth's heat. Researchers from Northern Arizona University and Duke University used a model to evaluate criteria air pollutants, which are monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency due to the harm they cause, and emissions across four potential scenarios for EV market share in the U.S., given how the energy system across the nation might develop over time. The least ambitious scenario for EV adoption assumed the share of EV sales reaches 31% in 2050, and the most ambitious assumed EVs reach 75% by 2050. EVs accounted for about 8% of new vehicle sales in 2024. They found that during an EV's first two years of operation, it produces 30% higher carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline vehicles. The higher initial emissions stem from the energy-intensive production and manufacturing processes that go into mining lithium for EV batteries, according to the research. Previous studies have also shown that battery production is a dirty process and harmful to the environment and communities, leading many to be skeptical about the benefits of switching to electric. But the new analysis says that after the second year, EVs lead to fewer cumulative CO2 emissions compared to gasoline vehicles. Part of that is due to a drop in emissions from driving more EVs. But with higher rates of adoption, the study also said there would be a need for more electricity production, which would potentially boost the use of more energy sources typically associated with lower emissions, such as solar and wind power. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Jacaranda trees are a symbol of spring in Gauteng. These subtropical trees, with their lavender flowers, bloom yearly in Gauteng, especially Pretoria and Johannesburg, adding a touch of color and joy to the South African cities. Apart from their captivating color and shape, what makes these trees fascinating is that they are not indigenous to South Africa. Scientifically known as Jacaranda mimosifolia, the tree is originally from South America, specifically Brazil, and was introduced to South Africa in the 1800s. These resilient trees are considered an invasive species—they are not naturally part of the South African ecosystem but have adapted and can survive without human help. But due to their popularity and strong cultural value, people are permitted to plant and grow the trees within city limits. The trees became a significant part of the modernization of Pretoria in the 1900s, with samples given to residents to grow in their homes. With Gauteng's humid weather and rainy springs, the purple giants are thriving, creating a beautiful lavender carpet on windy days and perfect shade on a hot day. "Jacarandas were classed as an invasive species, but they have a clause in their invasive status,” said Jason Sampson, Head of Botanical Gardens at the University of Pretoria. "They are not listed in urban areas, so which means that because they have a strong cultural value, you're still allowed to plant them within city limits, like in Pretoria." The purple flowers bloom for about two to three weeks before the leaves come out, making the experience even more special. They've also become the perfect background for pictures, with residents snapping a shot whenever they have a moment. Their striking colors beautifully contrast the concrete building. A resident in Johannesburg, Naledi Mnisi told The Associated Press how she enjoys jogging in the morning while admiring the beauty of the jacarandas. "Jacarandas make me feel inspired," said Mnisi. "They represent a new season, a time of growth, and when you are running in the morning, it's easier to get up and get going as opposed to like winter, where it's gloomy and dark." This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Slime, that gooey, sticky, and often-homemade plaything, was enshrined in the National Toy Hall of Fame along with perennial bestselling games Battleship and Trivial Pursuit. Each year, the Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have inspired creative play across generations, culling its finalists from among thousands of nominees sent in online. Voting by the public and a panel of experts decides which playthings will be inducted. Milton Bradley's Battleship, a strategy game that challenges players to strike an opponent's warships, and Trivial Pursuit, which tests players' knowledge in categories like geography and sports, have each sold more than 100 million copies over several decades, according to the Hall of Fame. Battleship started as a pencil-and-paper game in the 1930s, but it was Milton Bradley's 1967 plastic edition with fold-up stations and model ships that became a hit with the public. Its popularity crested when Universal Pictures and Hasbro, which now owns Milton Bradley, released the 2012 movie, "Battleship," loosely based on the game. Battleship was also among the first board games to be computerized in 1979, according to the Hall of Fame, and now there are numerous electronic versions. Trivial Pursuit lets players compete alone or in teams as they maneuver around a board answering trivia questions in exchange for wedges in a game piece. Canadian journalists Chris Haney and Scott Abbott came up with the game in 1979 and eventually sold the rights to Hasbro. Frequently updated, specialty versions have emerged for young players, baby boomers, and other segments, and an online daily quiz keeps players engaged, chief curator Chris Bensch said. Slime's appeal is more about squish than skill. It was introduced commercially in 1976 and has been manufactured under various brand names, but it is even more accessible as a do-it-yourself project. The internet offers a variety of recipes using ingredients like baking soda, glue, and contact lens solution. "Though slime continues to carry icky connotations to slugs and swamps—all part of the fun for some—the toy offers meaningful play," curator Michelle Parnett-Dwyer said, adding that it's also used for stress relief and building motor skills. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Children wearing helmets and backpacks gathered with their parents in Montclair, New Jersey, for a group bicycle ride to two local elementary schools. Volunteers in orange safety vests made sure everyone assembled in a neighborhood shopping area was ready before the riders set off on their 5-mile “bike bus” route. Every few blocks, more adults and kids on bikes joined in. Eventually, the group grew to over 350 people. Older students chatted with friends, while younger ones focused on pedaling. Cars along the way stopped to let the long line of cyclists pass. Pupils and parents peeled off toward the first school before the remainder reached the group's final stop. It's a familiar scene in Montclair. For the past three years, what began as a handful of parents hoping to encourage their kids to bike to school has grown into a weekly ritual for both the township of about 40,000 residents and many of its families. “It was so fun,” second grader Gigi Drucker, 7, said upon arriving at Nishuane Elementary School. “The best way to get to school is by bike because it gives you more exercise. It's healthier for the Earth,” she added. But traveling to school on two wheels isn't just for fun, according to organizer Jessica Tillyer, whose children are 6 and 8 years old. She believes that biking together each week helps promote healthy habits for the children and strengthens the sense of community among parents. The bike bus movement isn't new. Hundreds of them exist throughout the U.S. and Europe, as well as in Australia, Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Israel, according to Bike Bus World, a nonprofit organization that promotes and provides information about bike buses. Co-founder Sam Balto, who established a bike bus in Portland, Oregon, more than three years ago, said interest has grown so much that he offers free coaching calls to help others launch their own. He estimates there are more than 400 routes worldwide, and the number continues to grow. “Children and families are craving community and physical activity and being outdoors,” Balto said. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Japanese video-game maker Nintendo's net profit jumped 85% in April-September from the year before, as its sales more than doubled following the launch of its hit Switch 2 console in June, the company said. Nintendo, based in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto, said its profit for the half-year totaled 198.9 billion yen, or $1.3 billion, up from 108.6 billion yen the year before. Sales for the first half of this fiscal year rose to nearly 1.1 trillion yen ($7.1 billion) from 523 billion yen in the same period of 2024. Nintendo, which makes Super Mario and Pokémon games, did not provide a breakdown of quarterly data. Nintendo's video game sales were solid, although with no new movies, revenue from its content business slowed. Nintendo raised its profit forecast for the full fiscal year through March 2026 to 350 billion yen ($2.3 billion). Previously, it had expected a 300 billion yen ($1.9 billion) profit. It also raised its forecast for Switch 2 machine sales to 19 million units from the earlier 15 million. Nintendo says it had sold more than 10 million Switch 2s by the end of September. Popular Switch 2 game software includes “Mario Kart World” and “Donkey Kong Bananza.” Sales of the older Nintendo Switch have fallen, but Switch game sales are still going strong because they can be played on Switch 2 machines. Analysts expect Nintendo's earnings to stay strong with the upcoming holiday season, when it tends to do well. They also expect key new games in the Pokémon and Kirby franchises. Nintendo stocks, which have been rising relatively steadily over the past year, fell 0.8% on November 4. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Yodel-ay-hee ... what?! Those famed yodeling calls that for centuries have echoed through the Alps, and more recently have morphed into popular song and folk music, could soon reap a response—from faraway Paris. Switzerland's government is looking for a shout-out from the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO, based in the French capital, to include the tradition of yodeling on its list of intangible cultural heritage. A decision is expected by year-end. Modern-day promoters emphasize that the yodel is far more than the mountain cries of yesteryear by falsetto-bellowing male herders in suspenders who intone alongside giant alphorn instruments atop verdant hillsides. It's now a popular form of singing. Over the last century, yodeling clubs sprouted up in Switzerland, building upon the tradition and broadening its appeal—with its tones, techniques, and tremolos finding their way deeper into the musical lexicon internationally in classical, jazz, and folk. U.S. country crooners prominently blended yodels into their songs in the late 1920s and 30s. About seven years ago, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts became the first Swiss university to teach yodeling. "For me, actually, in Switzerland we have four languages but I think really we have five languages. We have a fifth: The yodel," said Nadja Räss, a professor at the university, alluding to the official German, French, Italian, and Romansh languages in Switzerland. Yodeling exists in neighboring Austria, Germany, and Italy, but Swiss yodeling is distinctive because of its vocal technique, she said. In its early days, yodeling involved chants of wordless vowel sounds, or "natural yodeling," with melodies but no lyrics. More recently, "yodeling song" has included verses and a refrain. The Swiss government says at least 12,000 yodelers take part through about 780 groups of the Swiss Yodeling Association. In Switzerland, Räss said, yodeling is built on the "sound colors of the voice" and features two types: one centering on the head—with a "u" sound—and one emanating from deeper down in the chest—with an "o" sound. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

U.S. airlines began canceling hundreds of flights on November 6 due to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) order to reduce traffic at the country's busiest airports starting on November 7 because of the government shutdown. More than 790 planned November 7 flights were cut from airline schedules, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions. That number, already four times higher than November 6's daily total, was likely to keep climbing. The 40 airports selected by the FAA spanned more than two dozen states and included hubs such as Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, and Charlotte, North Carolina, according to the agency's order. In some metropolitan areas, including New York, Houston, Chicago, and Washington, multiple airports were impacted. The FAA said in the order that the reductions were to begin on November 7 at 4% and ramp up to 10% by November 14. They were in effect between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time and impacted all commercial airlines. The decision to reduce service at "high-volume" markets was meant to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibited signs of strain during the shutdown. It also came as the Trump administration continued to ramp up pressure on Democrats in Congress to end the shutdown. "With continued delays and unpredictable staffing shortages, which are driving fatigue, risk is further increasing, and the FAA is concerned with the system's ability to maintain the current volume of operations," the order read. Hours before the reductions went into place, airlines were scrambling to figure out where to cut. American Airlines said it reduced its schedule at the listed airports by 4% from November 7 through November 10, about 220 cancellations each day, and planned to move from there toward the 10% target. The carrier said its international schedule was expected to remain untouched. Passengers with plans for the weekend and beyond waited nervously to see if their flights would take off as scheduled. Some travelers began changing or canceling itineraries preemptively. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A robotic food truck is cooking up fresh Korean stir-fries without the need for a human chef. At the crossroads of robotics and restaurants, one Silicon Valley startup says it's serving up the future. It's a new kind of food truck hitting the road that might change the way we think about food delivery. In a world where delivery robots are dropping off food, Kish Shin is flipping the script. Kish Shin, CEO & co-founder of Shin Starr Presents, says, "We thought we wanted to disrupt and enhance the food delivery service market by a food truck that is able to cook food autonomously whilst in driving conditions." Inside the truck, the magic happens through a system called Autowok, a modular, AI-powered robot that automates cooking, serving, and even cleaning. Once a human preps the ingredients and stocks the truck, the robot takes over from there. Shin says, "So the value of the truck is it's able to provide freshly cooked food, which is obviously more tasty, better quality food because it's freshly cooked." As the truck drives to your location, the system retrieves ingredients and drops them into a heated, rotating canister, like a high-tech wok. The Autowok fires into life, and hot meals are stir-fried en route. "Once the food is finished, the Autowok dispenses the finished food into the bowl, and the bowl is passed on to the driving section," says Shin. What's more, the robot is even able to clean itself—so no more laborious pot-washing. Shin says, "The Autowok is able to clean itself, to, I want to say, a perfect clean condition." Shin Starr also envisions someday partnering with an autonomous vehicle company. "We're definitely very open to working closely with the likes of delivery bots, as well as driverless trucks, so in which case our next generation trucks wouldn't even require a human driver," he says. The company isn't stopping at food trucks. Shin Starr is preparing to open its first micro restaurant inside a California airport, a fully automated kitchen that serves guests 24/7. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Indian authorities carried out a cloud-seeding experiment over smog-choked New Delhi in an attempt to induce rainfall and clear the city's toxic air, which has sparked anger among residents. A plane sprayed chemicals into clouds over some areas of the Indian capital to encourage rain and wash pollutants from the air, which remained in the “very poor” category, according to air quality monitors. Cloud seeding—a weather modification method that releases chemicals into clouds to trigger rain—has been used in drought-prone regions, such as the western United States and the United Arab Emirates, though experts say its effectiveness remains uncertain. Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the trial was done in collaboration with the government's Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, with more planned in the coming days. He said that authorities were expecting a brief spell of rainfall in some parts of the city in the following hours. Auto-rickshaw driver and Delhi resident Munna Lal was skeptical. “What difference will it make if it rains one day? It won't make that much of a difference, he said. "But yes, at least the dust and pollutants will be suppressed for the time being." New Delhi and its surrounding region, home to more than 30 million people, routinely rank among the world's most polluted. India has six of the 10 most polluted cities globally, and New Delhi is the most polluted capital, according to a report from Switzerland-based air quality monitoring database IQAir earlier this year. Air quality worsens in New Delhi every winter as farmers burn crop residue in nearby states and cooler temperatures trap the smoke, which mixes with vehicle and industrial emissions. Pollution levels often reach 20 times higher than the World Health Organization's safe limit. Authorities have imposed construction bans, restricted diesel generators, and deployed water sprinklers and anti-smog guns to control the haze. However, critics say there needs to be a long-term solution that drastically reduces pollution itself, instead of actions that aim to mitigate the effects after it has already plagued the region. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The World Central Kitchen began distributing food to furloughed federal workers in Washington, D.C., during the government shutdown that started on October 1, 2025. Founded by Chef José Andrés in 2010 after Haiti was hit by a catastrophic earthquake, the World Central Kitchen adheres to its mission of feeding those in need. Their global reach has led them to Gaza and Ukraine, but they also swoop in to help domestically, most recently deploying their efforts to Texas following fatal flooding that devastated the region in July. Furloughed federal workers from across the nation's capital lined up to take food that the World Central Kitchen provided by teaming with local restaurants across the District of Columbia. Elizabeth Anderson, a furloughed NASA employee, said it's tough being a federal worker at this moment. “I'm thankful for the work that World Central Kitchen's doing, just to give us a little extra cushion for the furlough,” Anderson said. Humberto Lopez, a furloughed federal worker with the Department of Defense, said he is starting to feel the financial squeeze of the shutdown. “It's starting to get real. You know, we just missed the paycheck, so definitely moving money around, playing money games, and you know you can't sustain this for much longer,” Lopez said. Megan Fortier, a furloughed FEMA employee, said she was walking through the Navy Yard neighborhood when, by chance, she saw the food distribution tents. “It's just tough that the people who are supposed to be supporting us and showing up for us aren't showing up,” Fortier said. The World Central Kitchen is distributing fresh food, fruit, and water, ranging from vegetarian to meat options to accommodate workers' dietary restrictions. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Ever wondered what history smells like? Or ponder the odor of love, or the stench of medieval Paris, or the sacred fragrance of religion? A new exhibition in Germany allows visitors to discover unknown worlds of smells by sniffing their way through 81 different fragrances across 37 different galleries. The show "The Secret Power of Scents," which opened to the public in October at the Kunstpalast museum in the western city of Düsseldorf, combines fragrances with art, taking visitors on a journey of more than 1,000 years of cultural history. "This exhibition is an experiment—and an invitation for our audience to discover the history of scents with their noses," said Felix Krämer, the museum's director general. The exhibition follows a chronological order, from religious artifacts of the Middle Ages through to contemporary art of the 21st century. The various galleries are equipped with scent steles, atomizers, and diffusers to create a connection between the art and the smell of a specific time period or cultural context. "It's the first exhibition worldwide to bring scents into a museum in this form, format, and scale," said Robert Müller-Grünow, the show's curator and a leading expert in the field of scent and scent technology. Certain smells connect to different eras of history. In a gallery dedicated to the Roaring 20s, the room is filled with the uplifting scent of tobacco, vanilla, and leather—a mixture that's a nod to famous early fragrances such as the historic Tabac Blond, which was launched by the fragrance house Caron in 1919. Moving on to modern art, the museum presents more contemporary smells between works of Andy Warhol, Yves Klein, or Günther Uecker that remind visitors of world-famous brands such as Coca-Cola or German airline carrier Eurowings, which diffuses a pleasant and relaxing scent on the plane when passengers board. For visitors strolling and sniffing their way through the show, the 81 different scents opened up a whole new world, visitor Kirsten Gnoth said. “I've been to the collection here before, but now it's completely new with scents that match the pictures and eras,” she said. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Citing a chronic shortage of financial backing for independent publishers and nonprofits dedicated to writing and reading, a coalition of seven charitable foundations has established a Literary Arts Fund that will distribute a minimum of $50 million over the next five years. The idea for the fund was initiated by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the country's largest philanthropic supporter of the arts. Mellon President Elizabeth Alexander cited literature as a vital source of expression. “Novelists, poets, and all manner of creative writers have shaped and driven our collective discourse and capacity for invention since the nation's founding,” Alexander, an acclaimed poet who joined Mellon in 2018, said in a statement. “American philanthropy can and must play a bigger role in strengthening the financial infrastructure of the literary organizations and nonprofits that serve these literary artists.” Author-bookseller Ann Patchett said in a statement that supporting “the future of literature is a cause for celebration.” The other participants are the Ford Foundation, Hawthornden Foundation, Lannan Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Poetry Foundation, and an anonymous foundation. The project will be overseen by Jennifer Benka, whose previous experience includes serving as executive director of the Academy of American Poets. The application process began on November 10. During a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Alexander emphasized that the literary fund had been in the works well before the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities drastically cut back their support this year for virtually every art form. She referred to a 2023 study from the research organization Candid that found literary organizations and individuals were receiving less than 2% of some $5 billion in arts grants awarded in the U.S. Parameters have not yet been established for the size of grants, but Alexander said support will likely extend across a wide range of recipients, from poetry festivals to writer residencies to small publishers. “Support for literature goes a long way,” she said. “And language in its highest form is the best of humanity.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Character.AI is banning minors from using its chatbots amid growing concerns about the effects of artificial intelligence conversations on children. The company is facing several lawsuits over child safety. Character Technologies, the Menlo Park, California-based company behind Character.AI, said it will be removing the ability of users under 18 to participate in open-ended chats with AI characters. The changes will go into effect by November 25, and a two-hour daily limit will start immediately. Character.AI added that it is working on new features for kids, such as the ability to create videos, stories, and streams with AI characters. The company is also setting up an AI safety lab. Character.AI said it will be rolling out age-verification functions to help determine which users are under 18. A growing number of tech platforms are turning to age checks to keep children from accessing tools that aren't safe for them. But these are imperfect, and many kids find ways to get around them. Face scans, for instance, can't always tell if someone is 17 or 18. And there are privacy concerns around asking people to upload government IDs. Character.AI, an app that allows users to create customizable characters or interact with those generated by others, spans experiences from imaginative play to mock job interviews. The company says the artificial personas are designed to “feel alive” and “humanlike.” “Imagine speaking to super intelligent and lifelike chatbot characters that hear you, understand you, and remember you,” reads a description for the app on Google Play. “We encourage you to push the frontier of what's possible with this innovative technology.” Critics welcomed the move but said it is not enough, and should have been done earlier. Meetali Jain, executive director of the Tech Justice Law Project, said, “There are still a lot of details left open.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

One viral video shows what appears to be four sharks swimming in a Jamaican hotel's pool as floodwaters allegedly brought on by Hurricane Melissa swamp the area. Another purportedly depicts Jamaica's Kingston airport completely ravaged by the storm. But neither of these events happened; they're just AI-generated misinformation circulating on social media as the storm churned across the Caribbean several weeks ago. These videos and others have racked up millions of views on social media platforms, including X, TikTok, and Instagram. Some of the clips appear to be spliced together or based on footage of old disasters. Others appear to be created entirely by AI video generators. "I am in so many WhatsApp groups, and I see all of these videos coming. Many of them are fake," said Jamaica's Education Minister Dana Morris Dixon. "And so we urge you to please listen to the official channels." Although it's common for hoax photos, videos, and misinformation to surface during natural disasters, they're usually debunked quickly. But videos generated by new artificial intelligence tools have taken the problem to a new level by making it easy to create and spread realistic clips. In this case, the content has been showing up in social media feeds alongside genuine footage shot by local residents and news organizations, sowing confusion among social media users. Experts noted that Hurricane Melissa is the first big natural disaster since OpenAI launched the latest version of its video generation tool Sora last September. "Now, with the rise of easily accessible and powerful tools like Sora, it has become even easier for bad actors to create and distribute highly convincing synthetic videos," said Sofia Rubinson, a senior editor at NewsGuard, which analyzes online misinformation. AI expert Henry Ajder said most of the hurricane deepfakes he's seen aren't inherently political. He suspects it's "much closer to more traditional kind of click-based content, which is to try and get engagement, to try and get clicks." This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The most widely used COVID-19 vaccines may offer a surprise benefit for some cancer patients—revving up their immune systems to help fight tumors. People with advanced lung or skin cancer who were taking certain immunotherapy drugs lived substantially longer if they also got a Pfizer or Moderna shot within 100 days of starting treatment, according to preliminary research reported in the journal Nature. And it had nothing to do with virus infections. Instead, the molecule that powers those specific vaccines, mRNA, appears to help the immune system respond better to the cutting-edge cancer treatment, concluded researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University of Florida. The vaccine “acts like a siren to activate immune cells throughout the body,” said lead researcher Dr. Adam Grippin of MD Anderson. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised skepticism about mRNA vaccines, cutting $500 million in funding for some uses of the technology. But this research team found its results so promising that it is preparing a more rigorous study to see if mRNA coronavirus vaccines should be paired with cancer drugs called checkpoint inhibitors—an interim step while it designs new mRNA vaccines for use in cancer. A healthy immune system often kills cancer cells before they become a threat. But some tumors evolve to hide from immune attack. Checkpoint inhibitors remove that cloak. It's a powerful treatment—when it works. Some people's immune cells still don't recognize the tumor. Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is naturally found in every cell, and it contains genetic instructions for our bodies to make proteins. While best known as the Nobel Prize-winning technology behind COVID-19 vaccines, scientists have long been trying to create personalized mRNA “treatment vaccines” that train immune cells to spot unique features of a patient's tumor. Dr. Grippin and his Florida colleagues had been developing personalized mRNA cancer vaccines when they realized that even one created without a specific target appeared to spur similar immune activity against cancer. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A decade after a landmark study proved that feeding peanut products to young babies could prevent the development of life-threatening allergies, new research finds the change has made a big difference in the real world. About 60,000 children have avoided developing peanut allergies after guidance first issued in 2015 upended medical practice by recommending introducing the allergen to infants starting as early as 4 months. “That's a remarkable thing, right?” said Dr. David Hill, an allergist and researcher at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and author of a study published in the medical journal Pediatrics. Hill and colleagues analyzed electronic health records from dozens of pediatric practices to track diagnoses of food allergies in young children before, during, and after the guidelines were issued. The researchers found that peanut allergies in children ages 0 to 3 declined by more than 27% after guidance for high-risk kids was first issued in 2015 and by more than 40% after the recommendations were expanded in 2017. The effort hasn't yet reduced the overall increase in food allergies in the U.S. in recent years. About 8% of children are affected, including more than 2% with a peanut allergy. Peanut allergy is caused when the body's immune system mistakenly identifies proteins in peanuts as harmful and releases chemicals that trigger allergic symptoms, including hives, respiratory symptoms, and, sometimes, life-threatening anaphylaxis. For decades, doctors had recommended delaying feeding children peanuts and other foods likely to trigger allergies until age 3. But in 2015, Gideon Lack at King's College London published the groundbreaking Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) trial. Lack and colleagues showed that introducing peanut products in infancy reduced the future risk of developing food allergies by more than 80%. Later analysis showed that the protection persisted in about 70% of kids into adolescence. Advocates for the 33 million people in the U.S. with food allergies welcomed signs that early introduction of peanut products is catching on. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The Trump administration has agreed to resume student loan forgiveness for an estimated 2.5 million borrowers who are enrolled in certain federal repayment plans following a lawsuit from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Under the agreement reached on October 17 between the teachers' union and the administration, the Education Department will process loan forgiveness for those eligible in certain repayment plans that offer lower monthly payments based on a borrower's earnings. The government had stopped providing forgiveness under those plans based on its interpretation of a different court decision. The agreement will also protect borrowers from being hit with high tax bills on debt due to be forgiven this year. “We took on the Trump administration when it refused to follow the law and denied borrowers the relief they were owed,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a statement. “Our agreement means that those borrowers stuck in limbo can either get immediate relief or finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.” The Education Department said the Trump administration is reviewing forgiveness programs to identify ones that were not affected by court rulings that blocked much of the Biden administration's efforts to cancel student debt. “The Administration looks forward to continuing its work to simplify the student loan repayment process through implementation of the President's One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the department said in a statement. According to the deal, the Trump administration must cancel student debt for eligible borrowers enrolled in the following plans: income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, income-contingent repayment plans, Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) plans. If borrowers have made payments beyond what was needed for forgiveness, those payments will be reimbursed. The Education Department must also continue to process IDR and PSLF “buyback” applications. Balances forgiven before December 31 will not be treated as taxable income, as they will be in 2026 due to a recent change in tax law. The administration must also file progress reports every six months with the court to show the pace of application processing and loan forgiveness, according to the AFT. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Millions of Indians celebrated Diwali in October as lamps illuminated homes and streets across the country to mark the Hindu festival symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. Diwali, derived from the word “Deepavali,” meaning “a row of lights,” is typically celebrated by socializing and exchanging gifts. The dates of the festival are based on the Hindu lunar calendar, typically falling in late October or early November. Shoppers crowded markets to buy flowers, lanterns, and candles. The celebrations were most visible in Ayodhya city in Uttar Pradesh state. Hindus believe the deity Lord Rama was born there and returned after 14 years in exile. People light earthen lamps to mark his homecoming. As dusk fell, more than 2.6 million lamps were lit on the banks of the Saryu River in Ayodhya, retaining the Guinness World Record set last year. At least 2,100 Hindu priests performed prayers in unison, their chants echoing across the shimmering riverfront. The holy city was also decked with fairy lights, and a laser and fireworks show illuminated its lanes and riverbanks. Thousands of residents lit lamps at houses and temples. Officials said more than 33,000 volunteers helped light the lamps. Nearly 40 families from nearby villages produced 1.6 million lamps. At least 73,000 liters of oil and 5.5 million cotton wicks were used to light the city. “It is hard work lighting diyas (oil lamps) one by one,” said 19-year-old volunteer Rachit Singh, his face glowing in the firelight. “But when you see the whole ghat (stairs to the river) light up, every bit of effort feels worth it.” In recent years, Diwali celebrations in New Delhi have been clouded by concerns over air pollution, as smoke-emitting firecrackers cause toxic smog that can take days to clear. On the day of the event, the level of the tiniest particulates surged to 347 on the air quality index in parts of the city—about 14 times the World Health Organization's daily recommended maximum exposure—according to SAFAR, the federal government's air quality monitoring agency. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A large mushroom farm near the Kenyan capital of Nairobi is one of a kind. It grows fungi on an industrial scale—not as food for restaurants but as a building material that some Kenyans say could make more people homeowners. The farm produces mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms that a local company then uses to make building materials, which it says are more sustainable than regular brick and mortar. The company, MycoTile, combines the roots with natural fibers and agents to make panels that can be used for everything from roof and wall insulation to interior decor, at a fraction of the cost of building with standard clay bricks. It currently produces about 3,000 square meters of such materials every month. Street vendor Jedidah Murugi, whose house was made with fungi-based construction materials, said she believes "there is no huge difference in the quality of the houses made from brick and these boards." MycoTile's work could be a boon for Nairobi, where local leaders cite a housing crisis that has left many homeless or living in informal settlements and dwelling enclaves, prone to fires and sanitary issues. Official figures say there is a housing deficit of at least two million units in this metropolis of over five million people. Most Kenyans are renters, and those who are homeowners build from the ground up over many years instead of hiring contractors. It is common to find people living in badly finished or incomplete homes to avoid paying rent elsewhere. "Introducing affordable materials like ours taps into an existing huge market and contributes to providing affordable housing solutions," said Mtamu Kililo, MycoTile's founder. Kililo said his company's insulation products cost roughly two-thirds of the price of standard materials. Building a one-bedroom unit in Nairobi using materials such as brick, timber, and tin sheets typically costs up to 150,000 Kenyan shillings (about $1,000) for a simple structure, and the figure can double depending on the quality of finishes, according to estimates from builders. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Robotaxi pioneer Waymo plans to expand to London next year, marking the company's latest step in rolling out its driverless ride service internationally. Waymo said that it will start testing its self-driving cars on London streets—with a human “safety driver” behind the wheel—as it seeks to win government approval for its services. In a blog post, Waymo said it will lay the groundwork for its London service in the coming months. The company said it will “continue to engage with local and national leaders to secure the necessary permissions for our commercial ride-hailing service.” Waymo's self-driving taxis have been operating in the United States for years, and currently serve the cities of Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Austin. This year, the company made its first move to expand internationally by teaming up with local partners in Japan for testing, though no launch date has been set for commercial service there. The company began as a secret project within Google and was then spun out from the tech giant. Waymo will have to follow new U.K. regulations on self-driving cars that pave the way for autonomous vehicles to take to the country's roads. They require self-driving cars to have a safety level “at least as high as careful and competent human drivers” and meet rigorous safety checks. The company will be able to take part in a pilot program for “small-scale” self-driving taxi and bus services that the government plans for spring 2026. Waymo will also have to stick to rules from Transport for London, the city's transport authority, which oversees licensing for its famous traditional black cabs as well as other taxi operators like Uber. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

OpenAI introduced its own web browser, Atlas, on October 21, putting the ChatGPT maker in direct competition with Google as more internet users rely on artificial intelligence to answer their questions. Making its popular AI chatbot a gateway to online searches could allow OpenAI, the world's most valuable startup, to pull in more internet traffic and the revenue made from digital advertising. It could also further cut off the lifeblood of online publishers if ChatGPT so effectively feeds people summarized information that they stop exploring the internet and clicking on traditional web links. OpenAI has said ChatGPT already has more than 800 million users, but many of them get it for free. The San Francisco-based company also sells paid subscriptions but is losing more money than it makes and has been looking for ways to turn a profit. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called it a "rare, once-a-decade opportunity to rethink what a browser can be about and how to use one." But analyst Paddy Harrington of market research group Forrester said it will be a big challenge "competing with a giant who has ridiculous market share." OpenAI's browser is coming out just a few months after one of its executives testified that the company would be interested in buying Google's industry-leading Chrome browser if a federal judge had required it to be sold to prevent the abuses that resulted in Google's ubiquitous search engine being declared an illegal monopoly. But U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta last September issued a decision that rejected the Chrome sale sought by the U.S. Justice Department in the monopoly case, partly because he believed advances in the AI industry already are reshaping the competitive landscape. OpenAI's browser will face a daunting challenge against Chrome, which has amassed about three billion worldwide users and has been adding some AI features from Google's Gemini technology. Chrome's immense success could provide a blueprint for OpenAI as it enters the browser market. When Google released Chrome in 2008, Microsoft's Internet Explorer was so dominant that few observers believed a new browser could mount a formidable threat. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Hospitals and doctors' offices in the U.S. are inviting singers and musicians to help patients manage their pain. No one is suggesting that a catchy song can completely eliminate serious pain. But several recent studies, including those in the journals PAIN and Scientific Reports, have suggested that listening to music can either reduce the perception of pain or enhance a person's ability to tolerate it. Nurse Rod Salaysay works with all kinds of instruments in the hospital: a thermometer, a stethoscope, and sometimes his guitar and ukulele. In the recovery unit of UC San Diego Health, Salaysay helps patients manage pain after surgery. Along with medications, he offers tunes on request and sometimes sings. His repertoire ranges from folk songs in English and Spanish to Minuet in G Major and movie favorites like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Patients often smile or nod along. Salaysay even sees changes in their vital signs: lower heart rate and blood pressure, and sometimes reduced requests for fewer painkillers. He is passionate about using music “as a holistic tool to help them get better because we just don't heal their physical and medical needs, but also the emotional and the spiritual needs of patients.” Salaysay is a one-man band, but he's not alone. Over the past two decades, live performances and recorded music have flowed into hospitals and doctors' offices as research grows on how songs can help ease pain. The healing power of song may sound intuitive, given music's deep roots in human culture. But the science of whether and how music dulls acute and chronic pain—technically called music-induced analgesia—is just catching up. Researchers at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands conducted a study on 548 participants to see how listening to five genres of music—classical, rock, pop, urban, and electronic—extended their ability to withstand acute pain, as measured by exposure to very cold temperatures. They found that all music helped, but there was no single winning genre; what's important is that you enjoy it. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The Australian government has begun a public education campaign with tips on how to wean children off social media ahead of a world-first national 16-year age limit taking effect in December. Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said that information on her agency's website, esafety.gov.au, explained the new laws and how to navigate them. Starting December 10, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, and YouTube could be fined up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) if they don't take reasonable steps to prevent Australians younger than 16 from holding accounts. Messages raising awareness will also be shared across digital channels, television, radio, and billboards. “We want children to have childhoods. We want parents to have peace of mind, and we want young people—young Australians—to have three more years to learn who they are before platforms assume who they are,” Communications Minister Anika Wells told reporters, referring to the current de facto 13-year age limit for social media accounts based on U.S. privacy legislation. The Australian age restrictions have already proved polarizing, with some experts warning the changes will harm as well as protect children. More than 140 Australian and international academics signed an open letter to the government last year opposing a social media age limit as “too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively.” Despite that warning, the laws passed with resounding support last year. The platforms had a year to figure out how to comply without foolproof technology available to verify ages. Inman Grant said the social media age restriction would be a “very monumental event for a lot of young people.” Her agency offered checklists and conversation starters about ways to make the transition, such as following an online influencer through a website rather than a social media account, she said. Australia's move is being watched closely by countries that share concerns about social media's impacts on young children. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The J.M. Smucker Co. is suing Trader Joe's, alleging the grocery chain's new frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are too similar to Smucker's Uncrustables in their design and packaging. In the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Ohio, Smucker's said the round, crustless sandwiches Trader Joe's sells have the same pie-like crimp markings on their edges that Uncrustables do. Smucker's said the design violates its trademarks. Smucker's also asserted that the boxes Trader Joe's PB&J sandwiches come in violate the Orrville, Ohio-based company's trademarks because they are the same blue color it uses for the lettering on "Uncrustables" packages. Trader Joe's boxes also show a sandwich with a bite mark taken out of it, which is similar to the Uncrustables design, Smucker's said. "Smucker's does not take issue with others in the marketplace selling prepackaged, frozen, thaw-and-eat crustless sandwiches. But it cannot allow others to use Smucker's valuable intellectual property to make such sales," the company said in its lawsuit. Smucker's is seeking restitution from Trader Joe's. It also wants a judge to require Trader Joe's to deliver all products and packaging to Smucker's to be destroyed. Michael Kelber, chair of the intellectual property group at Neal Gerber Eisenberg, a Chicago law firm, said Smucker's registered trademarks will help bolster its argument. But Trader Joe's might argue that the crimping on its sandwiches is simply functional and not something that can be trademarked, Kelber said. Trader Joe's sandwiches also appear to be slightly more square than Uncrustables, so the company could argue that the shape isn't the same, Kelber said. Uncrustables were invented by two friends who began producing them in 1996 in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Smucker's bought their company in 1998 and secured patents for a "sealed, crustless sandwich" in 1999. But it wasn't easy to mass-produce them. In the lawsuit, Smucker's said it has spent more than $1 billion developing the Uncrustables brand over the last 20 years. Smucker's spent years trying to perfect Uncrustables' stretchy bread and developing new filling flavors like chocolate and hazelnut. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Conditions aren't friendly in the Faroe Islands for growing food. Raked by North Atlantic winds and nibbled by thousands of sheep, the nearly treeless islands have poor soil and little room for planting. Potatoes and rhubarb are local staples. But some residents have had enough of importing almost all their food from the rest of Europe and beyond. Many products are stamped with the flag of Denmark, under which the islands are self-governing. There are efforts to grow more adventurous crops like kale, seen as hardy elsewhere in the world, and to promote local products—from seaweed to meat and fish “fermented” by the salty air. That work can be seen in the Faroese capital of Torshavn, where the tiny farmers' market is held one Sunday a month for much of the year. In September, a few stalls offered meats, bags of kale and cabbage, and seasoned salt next to the overcast harbor. The vegetables were priced at around 40 Faroese krona (over $6) per bag, a reminder of the high prices for food in the remote islands whose closest neighbors are Iceland, Scotland, and Norway. Cups of soup made from fermented local radishes—and imported beans—sold for 75 krona (over $11), with a piece of bread. The farmers' market is part of Matkovin, a project set up by a local couple to promote food producers. It notes the growing international interest in Faroese food, including a Michelin-starred restaurant and a network of home-cooked meals for tourists called “heimablidni.” “There is a divide, though, between this romantic vision of the Faroese food culture and the everyday state of things, where the majority of our food is imported from faraway countries,” the project says. It adds, “Few Faroese foods are available in the shops, and we are never told where the producer of these foods is located. The Faroese food producer is invisible.” Some Faroese said the COVID-19 pandemic and its shocks to the supply chain raised serious questions about food security, along with a large labor strike in May 2024 in the islands that led to rationing. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Injuries are an inevitable part of the NFL with all the high-speed collisions, crushing hits, and high exertion necessary on every play. Success each season often comes down to which teams can be the healthiest at the end, and a string of injuries has already hampered preseason contenders like Baltimore, San Francisco, and Cincinnati. With teams investing hundreds of millions of dollars every season into their rosters, keeping those players available to play is crucial, and any small edge has the potential to lead to better results on the field. To help achieve that, the NFL has turned to technology in recent years, partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) on an injury prediction tool that uses data and artificial intelligence to help teams manage the health of their players. "Fans want their favorite players on the field. The team owners certainly want those players on the field. The athletes themselves want to be on the field," said Julie Souza, the global head of sports at AWS. "Anything we can do to improve that and keep players healthy, that's sort of a noble endeavor." The Digital Athlete tool takes video and data from players on all 32 teams from training, practice, and games, giving every team information on how hard its players have worked, whether they are at risk for more injuries, as well as helping them track leaguewide trends and benchmarks. Digital Athlete uses sensors in the shoulder pads, cameras, and optical tracking to gather information from practice and games for every player on all 32 teams, similar to what NextGen stats does to determine who's the fastest ball carrier or how much separation a receiver generates on his pass routes. Teams have used it to help determine practice schedules for training camp, how hard they work the players in a given week of a season, and what players or position groups have been pushed so hard that dialing back their work might prevent nagging soft-tissue injuries. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Nestlé is cutting 16,000 jobs globally as the Swiss food giant cuts costs as part of its efforts to revive its financial performance. Nestlé, which makes Nescafé, KitKats, pet foods, and many other well-known consumer brands, said that the job cuts will take place over the next two years. The Swiss company also said that it is raising targeted cost cuts to 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.76 billion) by the end of next year, up from a planned 2.5 billion Swiss francs ($3.13 billion). It has been a turbulent year for the company based in Vevey, Switzerland. In September, Nestlé dismissed CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a subordinate. Freixe had only been on the job for a year. He was replaced by Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive. Nestlé is also fighting a host of external headwinds like other food makers, including rising commodity costs and U.S.-imposed tariffs. The company announced price hikes over the summer to offset higher coffee and cocoa costs. President Donald Trump has implemented a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods like coffee and orange juice. The Trump administration imposed a 40% tariff on Brazilian products in July, which was on top of a 10% tariff imposed earlier. Coffee habits in the U.S. are almost exclusively fueled by imports. Official U.S. government data shows Brazil, the world's top coffee producer, supplies about 30% of the American market, followed by Colombia at roughly 20% and Vietnam at about 10%. Tariff negotiations are ongoing. The price of cocoa soared to record highs last year after inclement weather in areas where it is grown constrained supply and hit companies like Nestlé hard. While cocoa costs began to fall in 2025 as supply increased, cocoa is vastly more expensive than it was just two years ago. Nestlé said that it will eliminate 12,000 white-collar positions in multiple locations. The job cuts are expected to achieve annual savings of 1 billion Swiss francs ($1.25 billion) by the end of next year. The company will cut 4,000 jobs as part of ongoing productivity initiatives in its manufacturing and supply chain. This article was provided by The Associated Press.  

Dozens of reporters turned in access badges and exited the Pentagon rather than agree to government-imposed restrictions on their work, pushing journalists who cover the American military further from the seat of its power. The nation's leadership called the new rules “common sense” to help regulate a “very disruptive” press. News outlets were nearly unanimous in rejecting new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that would leave journalists vulnerable to expulsion if they sought to report on information—classified or otherwise—that had not been approved by Hegseth for release. Many of the reporters waited to leave together at a 4 p.m. deadline set by the Defense Department to get out of the building. As the hour approached, boxes of documents lined a Pentagon corridor, and reporters carried chairs, a copying machine, books, and old photos to the parking lot from suddenly abandoned workspaces. Shortly after 4, about 40 to 50 journalists left together after handing in their badges. “It's sad, but I'm also really proud of the press corps that we stuck together,” said Nancy Youssef, a reporter for The Atlantic who has had a desk at the Pentagon since 2007. She took a map of the Middle East out to her car. It is unclear what practical impact the new rules will have, though news organizations vowed they'd continue robust coverage of the military no matter the vantage point. Images of reporters effectively demonstrating against barriers to their work are unlikely to move supporters of President Donald Trump, many of whom resent journalists and cheer his efforts to make their jobs harder. Trump has been involved in court fights against The New York Times, CBS News, ABC News, The Wall Street Journal, and The Associated Press in the past year. Several reporters posted on social media when they turned in their press badges. “It's such a tiny thing, but I was really proud to see my picture up on the wall of Pentagon correspondents,” wrote Heather Mongilio, a reporter for USNI News, which covers the Navy. “Today, I'll hand in my badge. The reporting will continue.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Restoring France's priceless artifacts is delicate and painstaking work, but now experts at the Louvre in Paris are using the same lasers used by top dermatologists to rejuvenate skin. Conservators at the world-famous museum say the lasers are now an essential tool, and they're giving us a rare look inside their laboratories. The restoration is carried out by experts at the Centre for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France (C2RMF). Cleaning sculptures takes months, but it would have taken much longer if the technicians did not have access to the latest laser technology. They are the same advanced lasers that are used on human skin in cosmetic procedures, and they've been funded by the French cosmetics giant L'Oréal. Delphine Kerob, dermatologist and Scientific Director of La Roche-Posay at L'Oréal, says lasers such as the Infinito and Erbium lasers being used by the technician here are the same ones used for delicate skincare. Curator Laetitia Barragué-Zouita says there is a fine balance between deep cleaning and conserving as much as possible of the artifacts. She says, “For us, it is extremely important because in the sculpture field, many pieces we have to restore were displayed outdoors and have black crust or thick grime on the surface. And sometimes, the limestone is more fragile than the black crusts. And we have to find a way to clean them up without damaging the original material. And a laser, which has only thermal and mechanical action, helps us not to damage the original surface. So it's a lifesaver, in fact, for us.” Barragué-Zouita says the technology has helped them get through painstaking and delicate work far quicker than they would with other methods. She says the technology “helps us to operate on a wider range of materials. But also to work faster because, particularly with the Infinito laser, it is more powerful. It is very helpful when we have thick black crust or grime, and it helps the workshop to be more efficient for the museums.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

California will phase out certain ultraprocessed foods from school meals over the next decade under a first-in-the-nation law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The law seeks to define ultraprocessed foods, the often super-tasty products typically full of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. The legislation requires the state's Department of Public Health to adopt rules by mid-2028 defining “ultraprocessed foods of concern” and “restricted school foods.” Schools have to start phasing out those foods by July 2029, and districts will be barred from selling them for breakfast or lunch by July 2035. Vendors will be banned from providing the “foods of concern” to schools by 2032. Newsom signed the measure at a local middle school in Los Angeles. Newsom issued an executive order earlier this year requiring the Department of Public Health to provide recommendations by April on limiting harms from ultraprocessed foods. The Democratic governor signed a law in 2023 banning certain synthetic food dyes from school meals. Legislatures across the country have introduced more than 100 bills in recent months seeking to ban or require labeling of chemicals that make up many ultraprocessed foods, including artificial dyes and controversial additives. Americans get more than half their calories from ultraprocessed foods, which have been linked to a host of health problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. However, studies haven't been able to prove that the foods directly cause those chronic health problems. Some school districts in California are already phasing out foods the law seeks to ban. Michael Jochner spent years working as a chef before taking over as director of student nutrition at the Morgan Hill Unified School District about eight years ago. He fully supports the ban. Now they don't serve any ultraprocessed foods, and all their items are organic and sourced within about 50 miles (80 kilometers) of the district, Jochner said. They removed sugary cereals, fruit juices and flavored milks, and deep-fried foods such as chicken nuggets and tater tots from their menus, he said. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

North America's last wooden hockey stick factory is facing uncertainty as shifting US tariffs and global competition squeeze production. The operation has roots going back more than a century and continues to make traditional sticks, even as the industry has largely moved overseas and embraced new composite materials. The factory in Ontario is the only remaining large-scale producer of these sticks in North America, an industry that once thrived in Canada and the United States. Today, it turns out about 400,000 sticks a year, but rising costs, shrinking demand, and trade disputes are putting pressure on production. US tariffs on Canadian exports have led to delays and unexpected duties at the border, adding to wider uncertainty. Managers say the challenge is keeping prices fair for players while covering the costs of trade barriers. General manager Bo Crawford says, "Like we see here in the news every day from our prime minister and our premiers that you never know, we just have to roll with it and the president of the US can change his mind day to day, week to week, hour to hour, so yeah, we have to deal with it the best we can and continue doing business and try to take care of our customers the best we can without raising the cost too much. Because the more they sell, the more we sell. So we got to work together and just get through it all as a team, basically." The United States has repeatedly signaled tariffs on Canadian exports as part of President Donald Trump's protectionist trade agenda. The stated goal is to encourage more manufacturing in the United States, but for Canadian businesses, it has introduced added costs and uncertainty in cross-border trade. The company estimates around a quarter of its sticks are sold in the United States, including custom orders for professional teams. Tariffs act as a tax on imported goods, and when shipments are flagged at the border, the added cost is passed directly into the final price. For US buyers, that can mean a sudden increase of as much as 30 percent on an order. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Britain's antitrust watchdog labeled Google a “strategic” player in the online search advertising market, paving the way for regulators to force the company to change its business practices to ensure more competition in that market. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its investigation found that the U.S. tech giant has “strategic market status” because it has “substantial and entrenched market power” in general search and search advertising. It marks the first time the watchdog has issued the designation since the new U.K. digital rules took effect at the start of the year. The label doesn't imply any wrongdoing. But the regulator said it means it has the power to consider using “proportionate, targeted" measures to make sure “general search services are open to effective competition” and that consumers and businesses are treated fairly. Online search ads appear alongside results from Google's search engine, usually tagged as “Ad” or “Sponsored"—versus online display ads, which appear on a company's website. The CMA says Google accounts for more than 90% of the U.K.'s online searches, and more than 200,000 of the country's businesses rely on Google search ads to reach customers. Google said it expects to face new rules and regulations on how its search service works. The CMA didn't announce any immediate fixes, saying it plans to begin discussions later this year. The watchdog has previously outlined possible remedies, including giving users “choice screens” for rival search services when they use products like the Chrome browser and Android mobile operating system. Another proposal is forcing Google to make search results ranking and presentation fair and non-discriminatory, and give businesses an effective way to complain if they've been treated unfairly. “Many of the ideas for interventions that have been raised in this process would inhibit UK innovation and growth, potentially slowing product launches at a time of profound AI-based innovation,” Google's senior director for competition, Oliver Bethell, said in a blog post. “Others pose direct harm to businesses, with some warning that they may be forced to raise prices for customers.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Federal regulators have opened yet another investigation into Tesla's self-driving feature after dozens of incidents in which the cars ran red lights or drove on the wrong side of the road, sometimes crashing into other vehicles and causing injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a filing that it is looking into 58 incidents in which Teslas reportedly violated traffic safety laws while using the company's so-called Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode, leading to more than a dozen crashes and fires and nearly two dozen injuries. The new probe adds to several other open investigations into Tesla technology that could upend Elon Musk's plans to turn millions of his cars already on the road into completely driverless vehicles with an over-the-air update to their software. "The ultimate question is, 'Does the software work?'" asked Seth Goldstein, a Morningstar analyst with a "sell" rating on the stock. Added money manager Ross Gerber, "The world has become a giant testing ground for Elon's concept of full self-driving, and it's not working." The probe comes as Musk, whose fortune as the world's richest man derives partly from Tesla's levitating stock, has promised to roll out hundreds of thousands of driverless taxis in cities around the U.S. by the end of next year. The new investigation covers 2.9 million vehicles, essentially all Teslas equipped with full self-driving technology, or FSD, a misnomer criticized for lulling drivers into handing full control over to their cars. Tesla has argued to regulators and in court cases that it has repeatedly told drivers the system cannot drive the cars by itself and whoever is behind the wheel must be ready to intervene at all times. In the new probe, regulators reported that many of the Tesla drivers involved in accidents said the cars gave them no warning about the unexpected behavior. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Among the whimpering of rescued dogs, a soft whistle cuts through. It's Feven Melese, a young woman hoping to support thousands of abandoned dogs on the streets of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The 29-year-old music degree graduate has put up a rare shelter on the outskirts of the city, where she provides food and a place to stay for 40 dogs, while feeding about 700 others every week on the streets. Melese said she has found new homes for more than 300 dogs in the past two years. Together with fellow young animal rights activists, they are on a mission to change the widespread perception in Ethiopia that dogs are protectors working for humans, not pets to be cared for. As skyscrapers rise in Addis Ababa, the estimated 200,000 unclaimed dogs roaming the streets have fewer places to hide. Many dog owners have abandoned them as they move into new residential apartments whose landlords enforce a no-pet policy. Authorities have expressed concern about the spread of diseases like rabies, and in recent months, they have faced criticism after poisoning thousands of stray dogs ahead of major events, following an incident in which a resident was bitten. Melese said many in Ethiopia do not treat dogs with care and abandon them when they become inconvenient. “In Ethiopia, the society does not understand. They say, are they (dogs) hungry? Do they have feelings? They don't care if they eat or not. If they are sick, they don't care,” she said. Melese's shelter, though small and makeshift, is also a haven for dogs that survived road accidents. One of them, Konjit—whose name means “beautiful” in Amharic—wears a neck brace to help support healing, and wags her tail as Melese cuddles her. Some residents in Addis Ababa say they are worried about the dangers posed by stray dogs and that the animals should be taken to a shelter. The Addis Ababa city administration official, Melese Anshebo, told The Associated Press that the government was planning to begin a dog registration and vaccination exercise to ensure that dog owners are fully responsible. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Thirty paintings created by the bushy-haired, soft-spoken Bob Ross will soon be up for auction to defray the costs of programming for public television stations suffering from cuts in federal funding. Ross, a public television stalwart in the 1980s and '90s, “dedicated his life to making art accessible to everyone,” said Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc. “This auction ensures his legacy continues to support the very medium that brought his joy and creativity into American homes for decades.” Bonhams in Los Angeles will auction three of Ross's paintings on November 11. Other auctions will follow in London, New York, Boston, and online. All profits are pledged to stations that use content from distributor American Public Television. The idea is to help stations in need with licensing fees that allow them to show popular programs that include “The Best of Joy of Painting,” based on Ross's show, “America's Test Kitchen,” “Julia Child's French Chef Classics,” and “This Old House.” Small and rural stations are particularly challenged. As desired by President Donald Trump, Congress has eliminated $1.1 billion allocated to public broadcasting, leaving about 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations to find alternative funding sources. Many launched emergency fund drives. Some have been forced to lay off staff and make programming cuts. The beloved Ross died in 1995 of complications from cancer after 11 years in production with “The Joy of Painting.” His how-to program was shown on stations around the U.S. and around the world. The former Air Force drill sergeant known for his calm demeanor and encouraging words enjoyed a resurgence in popularity during the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ross spoke often as he worked on air about painting happy little clouds and trees, and making no mistakes, only “happy accidents.” The thirty paintings to be auctioned span Ross's career and include landscapes depicting serene mountain vistas and lake scenes, his signature aesthetic. He created most of the 30 on-air, each in under 30 minutes, which was the span of a single episode. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

At several laboratories at a PepsiCo campus in Valhalla, New York, 30 miles north of New York City, scientists are busy figuring out how to replace the company's artificial food dyes with natural food colorings in its beverages, especially Gatorade, one of its core products. The company's challenge: keeping Gatorade and other beverages vivid and colorful without the artificial dyes that U.S. consumers are increasingly rejecting. PepsiCo announced in April that it would accelerate a planned shift to natural colors in its foods and beverages. Right now, around 40% of the company's products contain synthetic dyes. But just as it took decades for artificial colors to seep into PepsiCo's foods, it will take years to remove them. PepsiCo hasn't committed to meeting the Trump administration's goal of phasing out petroleum-based synthetic dyes by the end of 2026. The company said it's still finding new ingredients, testing consumers' responses and waiting for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve natural alternatives. The company says it can take two or three years to bring a product to market with a new natural color. PepsiCo must identify an agricultural source that will have a stable shelf life and not change a product's flavor. Then it must ensure it can get a safe and adequate supply. It tests prototypes with trained experts and panels of consumers, then makes sure the new formula won't snag its manufacturing process. It also has to design new packaging. When Pepsi was founded in 1902, being free from artificial dyes was a point of pride. The company marketed Pepsi as “The Original Pure Food Drink” to differentiate it from rivals who were using lead, arsenic and other toxins as food colors before the U.S. banned them in 1906. But synthetic dyes eventually won over food companies. They were vivid, consistent and cheaper than natural colors. They are also rigorously tested by the FDA and contain no traces of the crude oil they originate from. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Every Saturday morning, the Miami Street Medicine team heads out from Jackson Memorial Hospital for their street run, providing free mobile healthcare services to homeless people. It's part of a larger group, Dade County Street Response, which also includes a free clinic called Doctors Within Borders, a disaster relief team and a mental health crisis line. Miami Street Medicine teams of paid staff and medical school student volunteers aren't just bandaging cuts and handing out aspirin. They're performing intake on patients with tablet computers and offer follow-up visits for chronic conditions. They're working with specialists like dermatologists, neurologists and cardiologists. One challenge is the transient nature of homeless people, which makes it difficult to provide continual care. Dr. Armen Henderson, founder of Dade County Street Response, said the problem is compounded by laws that target homeless people. Another challenge is fighting the common sentiment that providing services actually increases homelessness, Henderson said. “There's nothing that encourages people to be unsheltered. No one wants to be unsheltered. So, by offering services like this, we're actually trying to ease people's suffering. When people come in here, they want to get off the street. They want to figure out a plan.” Members of Miami Street Medicine have noticed more people losing their homes in recent years as prices increase and wages remain stagnant. Dr. Inaki Bent, who oversees street medicine teams, said he's also seen an increase in undocumented migrants on the streets as the state and federal governments have expanded immigration enforcement this year. In addition to the individual benefit to patients, providing medical treatment on the street and at the group's clinic prevents treatable conditions from becoming emergencies that ultimately strain the entire healthcare system. For example, Bent had a patient who had previously been treated for seizures at an emergency room and received a prescription, but couldn't afford it. The patient would have eventually ended up back in the ER, but Miami Street Medicine paid for his medicine. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

OpenAI could now be the world's most valuable startup, ahead of Elon Musk's SpaceX and TikTok's parent company ByteDance, after a secondary stock sale designed to retain employees at the ChatGPT maker. Current and former OpenAI employees sold $6.6 billion in shares to a group of investors, pushing the privately held artificial intelligence company's valuation to $500 billion, according to a source with knowledge of the deal who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The investors buying the shares included Thrive Capital, Dragoneer Investment Group and T. Rowe Price, along with Japanese tech giant SoftBank and the United Arab Emirates's MGX, the source said. The valuation reflects high expectations for the future of AI technology and continues OpenAI's remarkable trajectory from its start as a nonprofit research lab in 2015. But with the San Francisco-based company not yet turning a profit, it could also amplify concerns about an AI bubble if the generative AI products made by OpenAI and its competitors don't meet the expectations of investors pouring billions of dollars into research and development. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has sought to dismiss those concerns when he toured a massive data center complex being built to run the company's AI systems in Abilene, Texas. "Between the ten years we've already been operating and the many decades ahead of us, there will be booms and busts," Altman said after being asked about a bubble. "People will overinvest and lose money, and underinvest and lose a lot of revenue." He added that "we'll make some dumb capital allocations" and there will be short-term ups and downs, but that "over the arc that we have to plan over, we are confident that this technology will drive a new wave of unprecedented economic growth," along with scientific breakthroughs, improvements to quality of life and "new ways to express creativity." A few weeks ago, the company launched two different business ventures, one a partnership with Etsy and Shopify for online shopping through ChatGPT and another a social media app, Sora, for generating and sharing AI videos. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

U.S. technology company Nvidia and Fujitsu, a Japanese telecommunications and computer maker, agreed to work together on artificial intelligence to deliver smart robots and a variety of other innovations using Nvidia's computer chips. “The AI industrial revolution has already begun. Building the infrastructure to power it is essential in Japan and around the world,” Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang said, hugging his Fujitsu counterpart Takahito Tokita on stage. “Japan can lead the world in AI and robotics,” Huang told reporters at a Tokyo hotel. The companies will work together on building what they call “an AI infrastructure,” or the system on which the various futuristic AI uses will be based, including healthcare, manufacturing, the environment, next-generation computing, and customer services. The hope is to establish that AI infrastructure for Japan by 2030. It initially will be tailored for the Japanese market, leveraging Fujitsu's decades-long experience here, but may later expand globally and will utilize Nvidia's GPUs, or graphics processing units, which are essential for AI, according to both sides. The two executives did not outline specific projects or give a monetary figure for planned investments. But exploring a collaboration in AI for robots with Yaskawa Electric Corp., a Japanese machinery and robot maker, was noted as a possible example. AI will be constantly evolving and learning, they said. Fujitsu and Nvidia have been working together on AI, speeding up manufacturing with digital twins and robotics to tackle aging Japan's labor shortages. Tokita said the companies were taking a “humancentric” approach aimed at keeping Japan competitive. “Through our collaboration with Nvidia, we aim to create new, unprecedented technologies and contribute to solving even more serious social issues,” said Tokita. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The owners of a giant Northern California corn maze once crowned the world's largest want visitors to remember that there is fun in getting lost. "It is confusing. It's exciting, and in a world of GPS and constant signage, you always know where you are, where you're going," said Tayler Cooley, whose family owns Cool Patch Pumpkins. "When you're in the corn, everything looks the same until you pop up on a bridge and you're like, 'Oh wait, I'm all the way over here. I thought I was over there.'" The pumpkin patch and corn maze along Interstate 80 between Sacramento and San Francisco were open once again for the fall season through Halloween. Back in 2007 and again in 2014, Cool Patch Pumpkins earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest corn maze. The maze—spread out over 40 acres (16.2 hectares)—typically takes at least 45 minutes to complete and features five different bridges that allow maze-goers to rise above the stalks. It is also known for the elaborate designs the team creates in the maze that can be seen from overhead. This year's maze celebrates farmers. Previous seasons honored veterans and first responders with giant murals included in the maze design. "Everything is done by hand," Cooley said. "We want to communicate something fun and exciting, and then we build our pathways around that." Visitors from near and far wound their way through the maze. "I have no sense of direction, and we could spend all day here. That's fine. We have water. We'll survive three days," said Ryan Moore, who was visiting from Hawaii. Likewise, Shelley Tang from Redwood City, California, joked that there is always corn to eat if they get lost. "My children have a better sense of direction than me, so I'll be following them," she said. A corn maze in Quebec, Canada, as well as those in Minnesota and Illinois, also boasts record-breaking mazes, either by acreage or mileage. Beyond the maze, Cool Patch features a corn bath for toddlers full of 150,000 pounds (68,038 kilograms) of dried corn. This article was provided by The Associated Press.