US holiday spending to approach $1 tn: Retail Federation
US consumers are expected to spend close to $1 trillion during the winter holiday season, a slight uptick from the year prior, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said Tuesday. The trade association forecasts total holiday spending in November and December will grow by 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent over 2023 — reaching between $979.5 billion and […]
A spacecraft is on its way to a harmless asteroid slammed by NASA in a previous save-the-Earth test
A spacecraft blasted off Monday to investigate the scene of a cosmic crash. The European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft rocketed away on a two-year journey to the small, harmless asteroid rammed by NASA two years ago in a dress rehearsal for the day a killer space rock threatens Earth. Launched by SpaceX from Cape Canaveral, it’s the second […]
How artificial intelligence is changing the reports US police write
Officer Wendy Venegas spoke softly in Spanish to the 14-year-old standing on the side of a narrow residential road in East Palo Alto. The girl’s face was puffy from crying as she quietly explained what had happened. The girl said her father had caught her and her boyfriend “doing stuff” that morning, and her dad […]
OpenAI raises $6.6bn in funding, is valued at $157bn
OpenAI has raised $6.6bn (£5bn) in a funding round that values the artificial intelligence business at $157bn, with chipmaker Nvidia and Japanese group SoftBank among its investors. The San Francisco-based startup, responsible for the ChatGPT chatbot, did not give details of a reported restructuring that will transform it into a for-profit business. The funding round was led […]
How Hurricane Helene could have widespread consequences for homeowners
When Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida on Thursday night, it made landfall in the state’s sparsely populated Big Bend, far from the glittering cities with expensive waterfront property to the south. But that didn’t stop Helene from becoming another multibillion-dollar superstorm. The hurricane’s massive size and record-breaking storm surge left an equally massive footprint of […]
Donald Trump’s trial date set as he faces charge over money paid to adult film star
A trial date has been set in Donald Trump’s hush-money case, which centers on the claim he paid off two women – including an adult film star – after they said he had affairs with them. Jury selection will begin on Monday 25 March, a judge ruled today, turning down requests for a delay from […]
Las Vegas bans people stopping to take photos on pedestrian bridges
People stopping to take photos on pedestrian bridges on the Las Vegas Strip could face up to six months in prison or a $1,000 fine under new rules. An ordinance that came into effect in the city on Tuesday prohibits people from standing or stopping on the bridges, where visitors often pause to take photos […]
Jeffrey Epstein court documents: Bill Clinton ‘threatened’ magazine not to publish articles about his ‘good friend’
Bill Clinton “threatened” a prominent magazine and told staff not to publish articles about Jeffrey Epstein, newly unsealed court documents suggest. The claim is made in an email that was written by Virginia Giuffre – Epstein’s first public accuser – in 2011. In the message to a journalist, Ms Giuffre alleges that the former US […]
Body found in San Diego freezer may be that of woman missing for nine years
A body found in a freezer last month may have been that of a woman who has been missing or dead for up to nine years, police in the US have said. The body was discovered by “out-of-town” family members who were visiting a residence in San Diego. Police have now named the dead woman […]
Mike Pence calls for ‘new US leadership’ and support for Israel until Hamas is ‘destroyed’
The former US vice president, Mike Pence, has told Sky News that America needs new leadership, and that the country should promise support for Israel until Hamas is “destroyed once and for all”. Appearing to take aim at his former boss – Donald Trump – under whom he served until they fell out as the […]
