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AI Cameras Are Watching School Children
The camera in the corner of the classroom used to be a rumor, something whispered about after a substitute teacher mentioned “district policy” and nobody quite believed it. Now it’s not just real—it’s multiplying, quietly, efficiently, and with almost no resistance. Across the United States, school districts are installing AI-powered surveillance systems that track student behavior, monitor facial expressions, flag “suspicious” movement, and in some cases analyze tone of voice or written language. The stated goal is always the same: safety. Prevent violence. Identify threats early. Protect children. And here’s the uncomfortable truth: it sounds reasonable. That’s exactly why it’s dangerous. … |
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Energy Department Announces two Billion for Projects Strengthening Power Grid
The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a $1.9 billion funding opportunity for projects aimed at speeding up improvements to the nation’s power grid to meet rising electricity demand while bringing down costs, the department said in a March 12 statement. The money comes from the $10.5 billion authorized for a five-year grid resilience program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. The funds were to be disbursed to states and electric utilities over five years. The money will help build more than 600 miles of new transmission lines and upgrade about 400 miles of existing lines so that they can carry more current. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the funding is i… |
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Latest Epstein files include emails between Ghislaine Maxwell and LA28 Olympics head Casey Wasserman
The latest cache of investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein released Friday include personal emails exchanged more than 20 years ago between Casey Wasserman, chairman of the LA28 Olympics organizing committee, and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former romantic partner. In emails sent in March and April 2003, Wasserman — who was married at the time — writes about wanting to see Maxwell in a tight leather outfit, she offers to give him a massage that can “drive a man wild,” and the pair discuss how much they miss each other, according to files released and posted online by the U.S. Department of Justice. Representatives for Wasserman did not immediately respond to The Times… |
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Global oil demand to plunge amid disruptions caused by war on Iran
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has sharply cut its forecasts for global oil supply ?and demand growth, saying both are expected to fall from last year’s levels as ?the United States-Israel war on Iran disrupts oil flows and weighs on the global economy. According to its report published on Tuesday, the IEA sees global oil demand falling ?by 80,000 barrels per day (bpd) this year, compared with a projected year-on-year rise of 640,000 bpd in its previous monthly report. The forecast was released after the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and IEA urged countries on Monday to avoid hoarding energy supplies and imposing export controls that could worsen the shock. IEA chief Fatih B… |
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A series of mistakes caused a tragic fire in Hong Kong
An independent committee looking into the origin of Hong Kong's worst fire in decades heard testimony on Thursday about how a number of mistakes led to the 2025 inferno that destroyed seven buildings and killed 168 people. The hearings in the case began. Since the fire destroyed the close-knit neighborhood of Wang Fuk Court in November 2025, former inhabitants and family members of the dead have been waiting for answers. The community was home to thousands of individuals in the suburban area of Tai Po. Victor Dawes, the chief lawyer for the committee, stated in his opening remarks that the most likely cause of the fire was cigarettes that ignited other things on fire on a platform in an air … |
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The Death of an Open Web Has Already Begun
Feature Editorial We are currently experiencing the most significant deception in human history. It began with the promise of "frictionless" living—a world where every necessity, from your morning protein shake to your child’s educational software, could be summoned with a single, mindless click. We were told that the subscription model would liberate us from the "drudgery" of errands and the "burden" of ownership. However, as the digital revolution comes to an end, it becomes clear that convenience was actually the trap. Once inside our gates, it didn't bring freedom; it brought a persistent, systemic drainage of our finances and a quiet, algorithmic execution of independent voices. The Psy… |
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Foreign element caused recall of 90000 bottles of child ibuprofen
Federal regulators have ordered a nationwide recall of nearly 90,000 bottles of children’s ibuprofen after contamination was discovered in two production lots. The medicine, manufactured by Strides Pharma and distributed by Taro Pharmaceuticals, was pulled from circulation following complaints of “gel-like masses and black particles” in the liquid suspension. The Food and Drug Administration confirmed the recall earlier this month, classifying it as a Class II event—meaning the risk of serious harm is considered remote, but temporary or reversible health effects are possible. Parents are being urged to stop using the affected bottles immediately, which carry expiration dates of January 31, 2… |
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Why Brad Pitt and Jude Law are not as cool as they think they are
The two actors and Oasis man Noel Gallagher have far younger partners and bask in it, thinking that it’s somehow avant-garde. But it’s not, says Charlotte Cripps. It’s just what older men have been doing since the dawn of time In case you’ve been living under a rock, Brad Pitt, 62, has a Swiss jewellery executive girlfriend, who is half his age – Ines de Ramon, 33. The couple graced social media in early July after four years together – on her hairstylist’s Instagram page – looking glamorous in matching black outfits ahead of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding ceremony at Madison Square Garden in NYC. They have since been spotted looking loved-up at the quarter-final World Cup match bet… |
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Attack on Downtown Lviv Ukraine by Russian Drones in Broad Daylight
During the middle of the day on Tuesday, Russian soldiers attacked the center of Lviv, a historic city in western Ukraine that had been mostly untouched by the devastating conflict in other regions of the nation, using drones. Authorities issued a warning that the number of casualties from the unexpected attack, which left more than a dozen people injured, may increase. "Lviv hospitals are already treating thirteen injured people," Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said in an online post. More and more people are falling prey to this epidemic.The regional governor issued a shelter-in-place alert to the people. How did Ukraine defeat Iran's Shahed drones? What can the United States take out from this? The… |
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UK weighs removing ex-Prince Andrew from succession line amid Epstein probe
The British government is weighing new legislation that could remove the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, from the line of royal succession, according to reports. Officials in the United Kingdom, speaking on condition of anonymity to the BBC on Friday, said the decision could follow after the police finish their investigation into the ex-prince’s ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “The move would come after the ongoing police investigation has concluded,” the BBC reported. The UK’s Press Association news service said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government “will consider introducing such legislation once the police have finished their investigation” into Mou… |
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Humans are on the way out and there may be no way to stop
Extinction Isn’t a Metaphor I walk through this world like a man pacing a burning house. The walls are cracking, the air is poison, and everyone else is sipping cocktails as if the smoke is just weather. Extinction isn’t a metaphor—it’s the goddamn bill collector at the door, pounding, and we keep turning up the music to drown him out. I see forests gutted like carcasses, oceans foaming like rabid dogs, skies thick with the exhaust of our arrogance. We’re clever enough to split atoms, to stitch genes, to whisper to satellites—but too stupid to stop sawing through the floor we stand on. I want to grab humanity by the collar, slam it against the wall, and snarl: Are you aware of the implicatio… |
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The Lost Promise of MSN News
There was a time when MSN felt like a gateway to the world. It offered curated access to reporting, a sense of connection to serious journalism, and the promise that a portal could simplify the chaos of the internet. For many readers, MSN was the homepage that greeted them each morning—a digital front page that seemed to carry authority. But that promise has been abandoned. What remains today is a hollowed-out shell of journalism, a site that has traded substance for tricks, rewrites, and endless clickbait. The decline of MSN is not just a story about one portal—it is a warning about what happens when corporate media prioritizes ad impressions over trust. The Mechanics of Decline The tactics… |
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We Built Systems to Avoid Responsibility and Now They Are Failing Us
Halenews Editorial A HaleNews feature editorial on responsibility, governance, and the cost of delay. For much of modern history, progress has been treated as a natural force—something that happens automatically as time passes, technology improves, and societies mature. This assumption is comforting, but it is also false. Progress has never been inevitable. It has always been the result of deliberate choices made under pressure, often against the interests of those who benefited from delay. What distinguishes the current moment is not the presence of crisis, but the convergence of crises that all demand the same thing: responsibility exercised before catastrophe makes it unavoidable. Climate… |
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Energy Realism. Physics Over Slogans
Opinion | Feature Editorial Energy Realism: Physics Over Slogans The Grid at Midnight Picture a city at midnight. The wind has calmed, solar panels are dark, and the grid leans heavily on backup power. Politicians speak of “green revolutions,” but engineers know the reality: electrons obey physics, not slogans. The global conversation about energy has become strangely unserious for something so foundational to modern life. We cling to absolutes, divide into camps, and prefer moral certainty over physical reality. The result is passion without progress. Part I: Energy as Physics, Not Branding Energy systems are not ideological constructs. They are physical networks governed by constraints: st… |
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AI companies accused of copyrighted infringement
Opinion | Editorial The open letter signed by Scarlett Johansson and hundreds of other creatives didn’t land because it was polite. It landed because it said the quiet part out loud: training commercial AI systems on copyrighted work without permission is theft dressed up as inevitability. The industry has spent years insisting this was a philosophical debate about progress. It isn’t. It’s a business choice—and a corrosive one. The letter, organized through the Human Artistry Campaign, rejects the soothing language that has insulated AI companies from accountability. “Learning,” “absorption,” “transformation.” These words are doing legal work, not descriptive work. They exist to blur a simpl… |
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US Olympic medalist Jenny Simpson rushed to hospital after collapsing during North Carolina race
Jenny Simpson collapsed at an event in North Carolina on Tuesday night Removed from bookmarks I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Olympic bronze medalist and world champion runner Jenny Simpson suffered a medical episode and collapsed while pacing a mile group at a community event in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday night. The 39-year-old 1,500-meter specialist received CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) was used at the track before she was transported to a hospital. The incident was first reported by LetsRun. Simpson was participating in a Sir Walter Running event, which encourages runners of all levels … |
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Cast members of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives speak out
Just one day after a new video surfaced showing their co-star Taylor Frankie Paul assaulting her ex-boyfriend in front of her kid three years ago, two stars of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" on Hulu's streaming service have spoken out against domestic abuse. In a post on Friday on her Instagram account, Miranda McWhorter expressed her strong stance against domestic violence and abuse. “As a human, and especially a mother, I cannot support that kind of behavior. The kids involved in this situation have my deepest sympathies; I pray they are secure, loved, and supported. McWhorter stated that she has been struggling to articulate her feelings about this situation, and added that witnessing… |
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Convicted murderer rearrested after cutting GPS monitor
This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. Authorities have caught a convicted murderer who they say was on probation and cut off his GPS ankle monitor and disappeared while attending classes at an Orange County community college. Jose Angel Aguilar, 22, was found around 11 p.m. Thursday and taken into custody without incident after Anaheim SWAT officers executed a search warrant at a motel room where the youth had been observed, according to the Orange County Probation Department. Aguilar fled Tuesday from Santiago Canyon College while on a court-approved academic furlough from a juvenile probation facility, according to the Orange County Probation… |
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Hayley Mills Is Eighty And I Am Not Accepting It
Hayley Mills will turn 80 on April 18, 2026, but I reject this information on instinct. 80 years old? No way. Not in a dramatic, screaming way. In a quiet, stubborn way, like when you reread a sentence because it must be wrong. Eighty doesn’t belong to her. Eighty belongs to politicians who won’t go away. Eighty belongs to men who confuse survival with wisdom. Eighty belongs to people who feel heavy with years. It does not belong to the girl who made optimism look precise, controlled, and—most importantly—earned. I learned this in Saigon, which is calm, structured, and orderly in a way that puts most American cities to shame. There are rules here, and people follow them. There are no guns. T… |
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A few Senate races will decide the future of America
Editorial The American presidency draws the cameras, the rallies, the chants. The Senate decides what survives the morning after. Long after the campaign buses pull away and the victory speeches decay into archive footage, it is the upper chamber that writes the terms of governance: who gets confirmed, which laws live or die, whether crises are met with action or theater. Control of the United States Senate is not a procedural detail. It is the difference between a country that can act and one that performs its arguments until time runs out. This election cycle is saturated with noise—culture war skirmishes, personality feuds, the endless re-litigation of the last decade. Yet the Senate map … |