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Feds reject auto industry plea, keep automatic emergency braking rule intact

Current News / News & Features /

WASHINGTON — A new federal regulation requiring automakers to install automatic emergency braking technology in all new consumer vehicles by 2029 will remain in place despite complaints from the auto industry.

The National Traffic Highway Safety Administration said Monday it would make minor changes to the AEB rule, which was finalized in ...Read more

Loren Holmes/Anchorage Daily News/TNS

Alaska's lieutenant governor plans recount of narrowly defeated ranked choice voting repeal measure

Current News / News & Features /

Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom said Monday that she intends to recount a narrowly defeated ballot initiative to repeal ranked choice voting and open primaries.

After a final ballot count last week, Ballot Measure 2 was defeated 49.9% to 50.1%. The repeal effort failed by 664 votes.

“Alaska law ensures the integrity of our elections, and ...Read more

AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Israel and Hezbollah on the cusp of deal as attacks continue

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Israel and Hezbollah inched closer to signing a cease-fire deal that may be concluded in the coming days, according to officials and people familiar with the matter, even as the two sides continued to fire artillery and rockets at each other.

Israel’s security cabinet is expected to vote on an agreement on Tuesday, and passage is considered ...Read more

News briefs

Current News / News & Features /

Trump’s second administration set to be filled with losers

WASHINGTON — For someone who has made winning a key part of his personal, professional and political brand, Donald Trump is set to rely on a large stable of losers in his second term. The president-elect has tapped more than a dozen people who previously lost elections to join his ...Read more

Georgia Department of Agriculture/TNS/TNS

Alleged horse thieves reined in with help from Georgia agriculture team

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ATLANTA — A horse theft case spanning several states has been resolved, thanks to help from the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the agency said Monday.

Authorities with the Arkansas agriculture department requested assistance from GDA law enforcement after discovering the scheme extended into Georgia, according to Agriculture Commissioner ...Read more

Barry Williams/New York Daily News/TNS

Federal investigators seek records from Evolv, firm behind NYC's subway weapons scanners

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Federal investigators in Manhattan are seeking records from Evolv Technologies, the controversial manufacturer of weapon detectors used by Mayor Adams’ administration as part of several pilot programs, the Daily News has learned.

The Massachusetts-based tech firm disclosed in a mandatory U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing last ...Read more

Saul Loeb/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

Justice Department moves to drop Trump prosecutions in Washington and Florida

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department ended its pursuit of criminal charges against Donald Trump, signaling a conclusion to the extraordinary federal prosecution of a former president whose reelection ensured he’d be shielded from charges in the White House.

Special counsel Jack Smith, who charged Trump with illegally conspiring to ...Read more

Robyn Beck/Getty Images North America/TNS

Menendez brothers should be freed, two of their murdered parents' sisters tell court

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LOS ANGELES — A decision on whether to resentence brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez for the shotgun killings of their parents was delayed Monday until after the holidays.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic said he needed more time to consider the matter and scheduled a second hearing for Jan. 30.

The brothers, who were convicted of...Read more

Is it possible to dig all the way through the Earth to the other side?

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Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

Is it possible to dig all the way through the Earth to the other side? – Anishwar, age 8, India

When I was a kid, I liked to dig holes in my backyard in Cincinnati. My ...Read more

How the first Pilgrims and the Puritans differed in their views on religion and respect for Native Americans

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Every November, numerous articles recount the arrival of 17th-century English Pilgrims and Puritans and their quest for religious freedom. Stories are told about the founding of Massachusetts Bay Colony and the celebration of the first Thanksgiving feast.

In the popular mind, the two groups are synonymous. In the story of the ...Read more

AI has been a boon for marketing, but the dark side of using algorithms to sell products and brands is little studied

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Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way companies market their products, enabling them to target consumers in personalized and interactive ways that not long ago seemed like the realm of science fiction.

Marketers use AI-powered algorithms to scour vast amounts of data that reveals individual preferences with unrivaled ...Read more

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ case raises questions about the many observers who might have ignored his alleged crimes

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The billionaire hip-hop producer Sean Combs was charged in September 2024 with sex trafficking and a range of other offenses – and continues to be hit with lawsuits from alleged victims.

Perhaps one of the most stunning aspects of the unfolding case is the large number of people who may have been witnesses to the alleged crimes. ...Read more

As Trump touts plans for immigrant roundup, militias are standing back, but standing by

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President-elect Donald Trump has reaffirmed that once he takes office he plans to declare a national emergency and use the military on American streets to accomplish his promises to round up and deport millions of undocumented migrants.

Many experts’ concerns about this program have included the facts that immigrants contribute ...Read more

Opioid-free surgery treats pain at every physical and emotional level

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The opioid crisis remains a significant public health challenge in the United States. In 2022, over 2.5 million American adults had an opioid use disorder, and opioids accounted for nearly 76% of overdose deaths.

Some patients are fearful of using opioids after surgery due to concerns about dependence and potential side effects, even ...Read more

In a world where political polarization and disengagement are denting democracy, does Botswana’s ‘kgotla’ system hold the key?

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In late October, more than 80% of Botswana’s electorate went to the polls and voted out the incumbent government. The unexpected result was accepted by all parties, and the outgoing president immediately announced his plans for a smooth transition of power.

This is not unusual in the southern African country – Botswana regularly ...Read more

Vincent Medina/Idaho Statesman/TNS

Idaho US senator says 'jury's still out' on how to handle women serving in military combat

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More than 40 years since the first American servicewomen were allowed to serve in combat, Idaho U.S. Sen. Jim Risch thinks the “jury’s still out” on how the U.S. military should manage women’s involvement in a war zone.

The three-term Republican senator responded to a question over the weekend related to President-elect Donald Trump’s...Read more

Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Purported transgender player on San Jose State women's volleyball team can compete in championship series, judge rules

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — A bid by the co-captain of San Jose State University’s women’s volleyball team to get a purportedly transgender teammate banned from the Mountain West Conference Championship has failed.

Co-captain Brooke Slusser and her co-plaintiffs waited too long to seek an emergency court order barring the player from the ...Read more

Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/TNS

Baltimore officials announce takedowns of 4 gangs in 'Operation Tornado Alley'

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BALTIMORE — Standing behind a table bristling with guns and drugs at Baltimore Police Headquarters, officials on Monday touted the takedown of four criminal organizations comprised of at least 39 people as evidence of improving law enforcement coordination.

The gangs operated in Southwest Baltimore and primarily dealt in drug trafficking, but...Read more

Drew Angerer/Getty Images North America/TNS

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston sets off firestorm with vows to resist Trump's mass deportation plans

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DENVER — Mayor Mike Johnston’s pointed comments last week about Denverites resisting a federal mass-deportation effort — including a suggestion that he would mobilize the Denver police department to face off with federal and National Guard troops — have generated blowback in Colorado and across the country.

Even billionaire Elon Musk, ...Read more

Muslim community of Mankato, Minnesota, meets with city and police officials after safety concerns

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MANKATO, Minn. — City and police officials attempted to reassure members of the Muslim community of Mankato recently after concerns about a suspected arson at a mosque.

“Every single Mankatoan has value and should feel safe,” said Jeremy Clifton, Mankato’s recently appointed director of public safety, before a gathering of about 40 ...Read more